Vinegar Hill family says water damage, mildew still unresolved after NYCHA inspections
Using a small space heater to warm the bathroom, she says mildew continues to spread, despite NYCHA replacing pipes and issuing a recent work ticket for painting.
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Two wooden planks are all that separate the Richardson family’s bedroom from a large hole exposing the interior of their bathroom, a problem resident Ebony Richardson says has gone unresolved for months.
Richardson tells News 12 that the damage began in 2023 when NYCHA inspectors visited her apartment at the Farragut Houses to investigate mold and hot water leaking beneath the bathroom tiles. Inspectors returned in 2024 after discovering moisture inside the walls, opening the area for repairs that she says were never fully completed.
“The wall is still damaged, we still get a mildew smell, and housing is not coming out to fix it,” Richardson says.
She adds that the ongoing issues force her to wake up throughout the night to check for new water pooling on the bathroom floor. Using a small space heater to warm the bathroom, she says mildew continues to spread, despite NYCHA replacing pipes and issuing a recent work ticket for painting.
“I’m frustrated. My apartment is not important? My kids are not important for them to do the work they were supposed to do?” she says.
With temperatures dropping, Richardson says she hopes to secure a transfer to another apartment before the new year. “Me and my boys can’t keep living like this,” she says.
In a statement, NYCHA says repairs, including plastering and painting, are scheduled to begin within the next two weeks. The agency says staff will continue working with the Richardson family to address remaining concerns. NYCHA tells News12 that there is currently no heat outage reported at Farragut Houses, and residents who need assistance are encouraged to call the Customer Contact Center at 718-707-7771 or submit work tickets through the MyNYCHA application.
