Complaints about non-functioning heat and hot water have come from tenants at over 30 NYCHA developments across the city, including five developments in Central and East Brooklyn
After widespread reports from tenants of heating outages at NYCHA developments, Comptroller Scott M. Stringer announced on Saturday a new audit of NYCHA heating systems.
"Across the city, tenants are suffering without heat and hot water. That's not an inconvenience — it's a crisis," said Stringer. "NYCHA tenants are being left in the cold, in their own homes, by their own government. It's unacceptable."
In the last several days, complaints and reports about non-functioning heat and hot water have come from tenants at over 30 NYCHA developments across the city including five developments in Central and East Brooklyn: Pink Houses in East New York, Rutland Towers and Reid Houses in East Flatbush, Howard and Tilden Houses in Brownsville.
The new audit announced on Saturday will be Comptroller Stringer's ninth probe of NYCHA. It comes a day after he sent a letter to NYCHA Chairwoman Shola Olatoye requesting data on the authority's current policies and procedures that govern inspections and maintenance of boilers and heating systems, as well as a list of NYCHA houses that either are operating temporary heating systems or have heating systems that are under construction, and other critical information.
The comptroller's office's initial review of the buildings department's annual compliance filings for high- and low-pressure boilers reveals that, since July of last year, NYCHA has a reported a rate of defective boilers that is five times the citywide average. In his letter, Stringer expressed concerns that the current failing boiler and heating systems may stem from longstanding management issues within NYCHA.
"We cannot be a city in which those with luxury towers are living in comfort, while those across the street in NYCHA complexes are deprived of heat and hot water. Unfortunately, heating breakdowns happen year after year — and the bureaucracy continues to play whack-a-mole with short-term fixes instead of permanent solutions," said Stringer. "We need to address this maintenance mess now, because our seniors, children and families are struggling. This is about safety — and equity."
Stringer expects an answer from NYCHA by January 19.
