Park Slope residents without power could be reimbursed up to $850 dollars for spoiled food
At 572 Warren St., tenants spent days in the cold and dark as Con Edison crews worked to restore service.
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After hundreds of Park Slope residents were left without power and heat for four days this week following the winter storm, local leaders are demanding stronger support for affected families and answers about the city’s emergency response.
At 572 Warren St., tenants spent days in the cold and dark as Con Edison crews worked to restore service. Residents can now apply for up to $850 in reimbursements for spoiled food and medication, according to officials.
Staff members from Council Member Shahana Hanif’s office were on site Thursday, helping neighbors sign up for compensation. Hanif said she is launching an investigation through the City Council’s Disability Committee into how the city assisted elderly and disabled New Yorkers during the outage.
Many residents say that help came too late, as shutdown elevators left them stranded.
“We had no heat, no answers,” said Lydia Santiago, a senior who cares for her disabled daughter. “We got a flashlight, as if that would help if I had to take her in a wheelchair down five flights of stairs. Ridiculous.”
Tenants with young children told News 12 they resorted to staying in hotels to keep warm. Those costs, often hundreds of dollars, are not currently eligible for reimbursement, though residents say they hope that changes.
In a statement to News 12, Hanif wrote, “Con Edison failed at the most basic responsibility to keep people safe. This was not a minor inconvenience. It was a disaster. Con Edison must be held accountable by fully refunding claims for spoiled food and essential medications, providing meaningful bill credits, and reimbursing hotel stays that were necessary for survival. Anything less is unacceptable.”
She says her Committee on Disability will be holding a hearing sometime in February.
Applications for outage-related compensation are open until March 1.
