With another blast of cold weather on the way, tenants at a Crown Heights apartment building say they’ve been bundling up, as heat has been in and out for months.
Residents of 1061 Dean St. told News 12 that heat and hot water have been inconsistent since the fall, leaving many to rely on space heaters, ovens and boiling water to stay warm.
“I would like to take a nice, hot bubble bath,” tenant Brenda Massey said, shaking her head when asked when she last could.
News 12 cameras observed her vent blowing out air at 55 degrees, with her unit sitting around 64 degrees.
According to HPD, that falls below the acceptable temperature when outside temperatures drop below 55 degrees.
“It’s been cold since November,” said tenant Theodosia Stevens. “We are now in January, and nothing has been done to resolve the problem.”
According to residents, the building has experienced multiple heat and power outages in recent weeks. City records show several complaints were marked as resolved by the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), but tenants insist the heat never returned for them.
“I come out from under the covers, and I go, ‘Oh boy, another cold day,’” Massey said. “It’s just so uncomfortable in these conditions.”
Massey, who uses two space heaters to warm her unit, said that often it isn’t enough.
“I’m disabled. I have arthritis,” she said. “The cold, it just gets in your bones.”
Other tenants have resorted to more dangerous methods. Some leave their ovens running or boil water through the night to generate heat.
“But you can’t sleep in your kitchen, you know,” said resident Hassan Cameron, who says his unit has been frigid for months.
One woman was burned after a dish shattered inside her oven while she was using it for warmth, neighbors said.
Stevens said residents want a permanent solution, not temporary fixes.
“I want a fix from HPD — no band‑aid on a cut,” she said, adding that she has yet to see an HPD inspector walk into her unit, Massey's or Cameron's.
According to HPD's website, the most recent building-wide outages from January are listed as closed, advising residents to file additional 311 complaints if the issue persists.
News 12 has reached out to the landlord and HPD for comment and is awaiting responses.