NYCHA Residents Living Without Gas In Homes Since Last Thanksgiving
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – Imagine having a gas hook-up in your house and not being able to use it since last Thanksgiving.
That's the reality for some Upper West Side residents who say they are fed-up by the lack of progress, reports CBS2's Valerie Castro.
"I mean, there's nothing really we can do," said Ricardo Cepeda, a resident of a New York City Housing Authority brownstone.
Cepeda's top floor NYCHA apartment has several problems such as a large hole has been in his bedroom ceiling for years.
For the last six months, his family has been without gas.
His stove is covering up the hole in the wall where, months ago, it was ripped open to inspect the gas line.
"Can't really cook, always gotta eat cold," he said.
NYCHA says nearly two dozen units in these three buildings on West 90th street are in the same situation, and at this point tenants have had enough.
"Everybody's suffering right now cause you can't cook, can't cook a decent meal," said NYCHA resident Willie Wiggins.
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CBS2 asked NYCHA why it's taken so long to fix the problem, but a spokesperson would only say they are in the process of working with a vendor to make the repairs.
"It's a step-by-step process and I understand but this should have happened four months ago," said resident Cynthia Tibbs. "This has been since Thanksgiving Day."
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Tibbs lives in a NYCHA building across the street and while her gas service is fine. She feels compelled to speak out for her neighbors, many who are seniors on a fixed income.
"Nobody has income to spend on takeout and Chinese everyday," she said. "Whatever needs to be done to get the gas moving, needs to be done."
CBS2 asked NYCHA if they had an estimated date for when service might eventually be restored, but they had no answer.
