Residents In Queens NYCHA Building Sound Off Over Lack Of Hot Water And Pressure
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Residents say it has been a problem for months -- hot water and decent water pressure.
People living in a Queens public housing building are at their wit's end and are demanding help, CBS2's Thalia Perez reported Sunday.
Residents at Carleton Manor on Beach Channel Drive in the Arverne section of the borough say they've been begging the New York City Housing Authority to fix the hot water issue since November.
"It's difficult as hell," one person said.
For many residents in the 174-unit complex, it's hardest when the temperatures outside dip into the teens. One mother told Perez it really impacts her 6-year-old during their morning routine.
"He be like, 'It's cold! It's cold!' So we have to boil the water first, then put it in the tub, and then condition the water to make sure that it's warm enough for him," she said.
And she said the pressure is so weak, she has resorted to regularly buying gallons of water for her family.
"Each gallon is for a person just in case they have to brush their teeth and wash their face and stuff. So that way we can get ready for school and work," the mother said.
Karen, who lives on the second floor, told CBS2 she just had surgery and is using a walker to get around. She said she was relieved when the hot water in her unit returned last week, but to get it she says she has to turn on every faucet in the apartment.
"You have to run the kitchen water, the basin water and the bathtub water, just to get some hot water," Karen said.
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards is advocating for residents. He said the development should have addressed the issues immediately after Superstorm Sandy.
"It did receive federal dollars to bring in new boilers, but something is wrong, obviously, because of NYCHA's lack of investment in infrastructure challenges. Obviously, the system it's just not working although they're putting in boilers," Richards said.
But in a statement a NYCHA spokeswoman said, "Carleton Manor residents do have hot water, and NYCHA staff have been working around the clock with outside vendors and experts to address the underlying water temperature and pressure issues."
She also called the issue a "complex matter" and said it's "the result of deteriorating and severely underfunded infrastructure."
Many residents still say this isn't the case and they don't have hot water.
Richards said he will continue to work with NYCHA until the hot water is on for everyone.
CBS2's Thalia Perez contributed to this report.