Tenants of NYCHA building in Harlem say they've been without heat for weeks

Friday, November 23, 2018
HARLEM, Manhattan (WABC) -- Tenants of NYCHA's Drew Hamilton houses in Harlem are demanding action after they say they have been without heat off and on for the past three weeks.

There was frustration throughout the building in the 2600 block of Fredrick Douglas Boulevard on Friday. As temperatures drop, families are forced to bundle up inside.

Resident Kim Jefferson was packing up to go somewhere warmer because her only choices if she stayed home were to sleep with the oven on to stay warm or shut the oven off and endure the freezing cold.

No heat also means the residents don't have hot water.

"It's very hard, you have to boil 12 pots of water to be able to take a bath," tenant Sharon Taylor said.

NYCHA says its staff made repairs to restore heat and hot water to other parts of the housing complex, and this building is the only one left to fix.

"NYCHA's heating response team has been diligently working around the clock on preventive measures to keep boiler plants running and to restore service to residents as quickly as possible. We will continue to vigilantly monitor heat and hot water service in our developments and encourage any residents experiencing issues to contact the Customer Contact Center at 718-707-7771."

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