After nearly 3 weeks without cooking gas, exasperated tenants in Brooklyn call on NYCHA to fix the problem
NEW YORK -- Residents at a NYCHA building in Brooklyn say they've been without gas for weeks.
Local politicians and community groups are stepping up to feed them, but the tenants told CBS2's Lisa Rozner on Monday the agency needs to do more.
"When I came, upstairs, I turned it on. I was like ... what? No gas," resident Kathy Brown said.
Brown showed CBS2 the hot plate she says NYCHA has given residents as a replacement for the gas being out of service. A friend gave her an electric cook top.
"You have to make one thing at a time with this," Brown said.
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Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso said everyone living in the building, part of NYCHA's O'Dwyer Gardens, has been without cooking gas since Feb. 17.
"Have to turn the gas back [on]," tenant Sonia Morera said.
"It's just a pain and a waste to cook food," Joe Mobley said.
"I have a 74-year-old father I have to take care of and this is a really a major inconvenience," Jawhar Edwards added. "He only eats kosher food."
"I ended up calling PAYS, which is the Pakistani American Youth Society, and told them there was an emergency and they were like we're sending a truck right now," Reynoso said.
The group Muslims Giving Back has been providing hot meals Monday, Wednesday and Friday. On Monday, members of the Pakistani Law Enforcement Society handed out cooked turkeys.
"We all have to make sure nobody go to sleep hungry," the society's president, Det. Rohail Khalid, said.
Demanding Answers: Some NYCHA Residents Perplexed They Have Been Living 5 Weeks Without Gas
Reynoso and Assemblywoman Mathylde Frontus said work was being done on the property and the gas line was hit by mistake. They've both been asking NYCHA to expedite repairs.
"What we're seeing sometimes, if you'll allow me to say, is a little finger pointing. It used to be that they were responsible for providing heat, hot water, and cooking gas for all the buildings, but now they share that responsibility with National Grid," Frontus said.
The borough president said NYCHA told him the residents impacted may not have cooking gas for another three months.
"How long can you go on like this for?" Rozner asked.
Brown responded, "I don't know. I don't know."
The local reps say they've also been providing food for two other NYCHA developments, called Sites 4 and 5 nearby, that have been without gas since August of last year.
National Grid issued the following statement:
"There was a third party contractor damage that occurred causing us to lock the meter for safety. There is an issue that needs repair which is the responsibility of NYCHA. Once the repair is made can restore service to customers. We are proactively reaching out to the building maintenance and offer assistance as needed. We're ready to assist with service restoration once NYCHA notifies us that repairs are complete and have passed required city safety inspections."
NYCHA said in a statement it is securing a vendor to handle the initial stages of restoration.
"The gas service interruption at O'Dwyer Houses is due to a broken gas line affecting 120 apartments and we are securing a vendor to test the gas pressure as part of the initial stages of restoration. While we understand gas service interruptions are inconvenient, we also want to ensure our residents' safety as we work to restore service as quickly as possible. Gas service interruptions and restoration work are a matter of public safety and involve multiple partners and steps, including: shutting off the gas service, making necessary repairs, inspections and coordinating with the service vendors in order to safely restore service.
"The gas service interruption at Coney Island I (Site 4 & 5) is due to a leak on the main line affecting 376 apartments are we are in the asbestos abatement stage of restoration. While we understand gas service interruptions are inconvenient, we also want to ensure our residents' safety as we work to restore service as quickly as possible. Gas service interruptions and restoration work are a matter of public safety and involve multiple partners and steps, including: shutting off the gas service, making necessary repairs, inspections and coordinating with the service vendors in order to safely restore service."