Frustrations rising as temperatures drop inside Bronx NYCHA building

SOUNDVIEW, Bronx (WABC) -- Families at a NYCHA housing complex in the Bronx say they have been without heat during the stretch of sub-freezing temperatures.

For nearly a month, Cecilia Quinones hasn't been able to sleep through the night. She's too worried about her infant daughter and the chilling temperatures inside her Beach Avenue apartment.

"I have a 7-month-old baby. I have to literally put her hat and a coat over her to sleep," Quinones said. "Her cheeks literally are cold at night and if you're sleeping and you wake up, you touch a child that's cold you don't know what to think."

Wearing layers and with the help of space heaters, Quinones and her other children have been getting by, but she says her cries for help to NYCHA have fallen on deaf ears.

"I've called 311, I've pulled tickets, a lot of people have called and it's incredible here, the cold," she said.

The same frustrations seem to be echoed throughout the Sotomayor Houses with some neighbors utilizing ovens, showers, and other creative heat alternatives to warm their units. A group also recently voiced their concerns in court.

"I haven't had heat for 11 days today," said Michelle Torres, a neighbor. "I've called 311, I've called the borough office, I've called the management office, I visited the management office today, I went to court on Wednesday for heat."

The pipes inside Torres' unit are cold to the touch and she worries about her children's health, as well as safety knowing the dangers of space heaters.

"It's freezing outside. I have space heaters, my kids all stuck in one room with heaters, my pipes are freezing they're cold," she said. "My neighbors have children, the elderly need help, we need help and we're people."

Eyewitness News reached out to NYCHA for comment and received the following statement:

"Staff is on their way now. Our residents deserve safe, warm homes in the winter and our staff is working 24/7 to restore heat as quickly as possible. We must do better for our residents. All residents should report any heat issues to NYCHA as soon as possible. They can do this via the MyNYCHA app or by calling the Customer Contact Center at 718-707-7771. NYCHA staff is working 24/7 to respond to all issues as quickly as possible."