Senior housing residents battle management over heat
Over the last month tenants have filed 17 complaints with the Housing Preservation and Development Department for lack of heat.
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Tenants of a senior living facility on Kingston Avenue in Crown Heights say they have filed 17 complaints with the Housing Preservation and Development Department during the past month due to lack of heat.
"It said 90 degrees in my apartment. It's not 90 degrees in my apartment," said Shirley Reynolds.
City Inspectors came and found that the temperature met city regulations. Under city regulations, temperatures in buildings must be at least 68 degrees during the day and 62 degrees overnight when it's 55 degrees or below outside.
Today, staff for the property management company Shinda Management Corporation performed temperature checks at several apartments in the building. The staff member checked the temperature at one apartment our team visited, and the temperature came in between 67 and 68 degrees.
Tenants say 68 degrees doesn't feel very warm when it's bitterly cold outside. Many keep plastic on the windows to prevent any draft and others run space heaters for hours.
"He said it's 80. I said okay, you say it's 80. My body don't say it's 80," said tenant Anita Handberry.
