Brownsville apartment residents without consistent heat for more than 5 days
According to HPD, a building-wide heat complaint has been open since Jan. 24, with residents reporting the heat coming on for minutes, only to shut off again for hours, with numerous complaints also listed for individual apartments also without heat.
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Residents of 178 Rockaway Pkwy. are voicing their frustration after five straight days of broken heat left them shivering for the majority of this recent snowstorm.
According to HPD, a building-wide heat complaint has been open since Jan. 24, with residents reporting the heat coming on for minutes, only to shut off again for hours, with numerous complaints also listed for individual apartments also without heat.
"We're rationing the heat- when it comes, you lock the doors, the pets and all of us in there, and the blankets- and you keep that door closed- it's not right," said resident Dante, who says he cannot remember the last time the main radiator in his living room got warm.
"We have this one pipe," said his partner, Catherine, pointing to a barely warm pipe in the bathroom. "It just turned on now, and one pipe for this whole apartment that won't work," she said.
She's not alone. Across the building, residents reported broken windows letting in drafts, as well as a broken elevator that sent seniors walking down multiple flights of stairs to exit the property on Monday.
"You just know it's going to be broken, the apartments, the building its all cold, and nothing gets done," said senior Carlos Santana.
During the blizzard, they say the heat was out for almost the entire day, sending temperatures below the requirement of 68 degrees inside when temperatures drop below 55 degrees outside, according to HPD.
News 12 reached out to HPD and is waiting to hear back and was unable to contact the listed property group for the building, Rockaway Parkway Realty LLC.
HPD tells News 12 they will be inspecting units with open heat complaints but at this time will not issue a building wide violation after speaking to residents who said their heat was back consistently.
