People were out shoveling sidewalks and brushing snow off their car windows on Monday morning, following New York City’s first significant snowfall.
Temperatures have been in the teens as government officials send out press releases warning people to stay off the icy streets and keep warm amidst the frigid weather.
But what if home feels just as cold?
Since September, four businesses on Mosholu Avenue near Fieldston Road have been without gas, two of which had to close their doors indefinitely — P & D Laundromat and New China restaurant takeout. The nearby watering hole, Frankie’s Tavern has been using space heaters and whiskey to keep their customers warm and shoppers at the local C-Town can’t check out fast enough when the entire supermarket feels like a meat locker.
The residents of the Fort Independence NYCHA houses on Bailey Avenue continuously deal with sporadic gas shut offs and also use space heaters to warm their homes. In December, a flyer at 5552 Netherland Ave. warned residents of a possible gas shut off on or after Jan. 17 due to an overdue account from the property manager, A&E Real Estate Holdings, LLC.
The amount in question? $511,735.35.
The Press could not confirm if the building had gas at the time of publishing, but we are following the issue.
And stuck between landlords and a monopolizing corporation like Con Edison (worth more than $30 billion,) are innocent residents who loyally make their month-to-month rent and bill payments, despite not receiving the essential quality-of-life services they pay for.
In the case of the Mosholu businesses, ConEd explained to The Press gas was shut off due to faulty pipes that needed repair.
The NYC Department of Buildings states a licensed master plumber (LMP) must be brought in by the property owners to do any work required to restore service, but even that is laden with red tape.
“An Emergency Work Notification (EWN) is to notify the Department of Buildings that work is taking place in an emergency situation where an issue needs to be addressed right away. It is not a permit. Once the entire scope of work is known, the next step is to file an Limited Alteration Application permit to complete the work. After the work is completed, the LMP must submit a gas authorization request in DOB NOW: Inspections. When the inspection unit grants the request, gas can be restored,” reads the DOB gas cut off page on nyc.gov. page.
Emergencies include restoration of gas for cooking purposes and restoration of heat and hot water. However, an EWN can only be filed by a licensed contractor and expires two full business days after it is issued.
The Amalgamated Houses on Van Cortlandt Park South – the oldest limited equity housing cooperative in the country founded in 1927 and comprised of 11 buildings – had a recent cooking gas cut off in building 6 and building 7 hasn’t had cooking gas since last March.
When sick and vulnerable individuals are suffering from bone-chilling cold, at what point does the government intervene? When people in general are in their homes wearing sweaters and coats as they warm their hands by the electric heater, when does safety take priority over revenue and bureaucracy?
The Twin Parks Fire of 2022 in the Tremont section of the Bronx was marked as the deadliest fire in the city since 1990, claiming the lives of 17 people, including eight children.
Cause of fire? A space heater.
Government needs to create laws holding property owners accountable for keeping their building up to code. A look through the DOB page reveals scores of operating buildings with violations dating back 20 years or more. Building owners should be forced to make necessary repairs and pay fines or be barred from owning property. A clear policy should be written and strictly adhered for property owners who plan to house individuals.
It’s not enough that Public Advocate Jumaane Williams created a landlord watchlist with the 100 worst landlords in NYC, especially when they can operate under an alias, like one of NYC’s worst landlords, Daniel Ohebshalom who also uses the name Jonathan Santana.
People should not have to rely on local media as their last grab for justice. As the city fights for more affordable housing, it should also strive to take care of the housing it already has.