Seniors demand heat in NYCHA building
BY JASON COHEN
As NYC dug itself out of its
biggest blizzard in fi ve years
and a snowstorm this past
weekend, seniors in NYCHA
housing in Tremont are freezing
in their apartments.
Residents in the Twin
Peaks East apartments at 2070
Clinton Ave., are living without
heat.
On Feb. 3, Councilman Fernando
Cabrera joined the tenants
as they demanded NYCHA
take action and make the
proper repairs.
“Even as we see this arctic
blast continuing we continue
to have this lack of response by
NYCHA,” Cabrera exclaimed.
“NYCHA is hiding behind the
fact that residents can’t make
311 calls to complain about the
worst landlord in the city.”
While the councilman does
not represent this district, he
came to help as there is still a
vacancy due to Congressman
Ritchie Torres’ departure.
The lawmaker stressed that
no one should have to sleep
with layers of coats or blankets
or use a stove for heat.
Cabrera noted this is a citywide
problem and has introduced
legislation that would allow
NYCHA residents to make
311 complaints.
“It is not fair, it’s not right
and NYCHA needs to step up
right now,” he shouted.
President of the Tenant Association
of Twin Peaks East
Queen McFarland thanked Cabrera
for coming to assist them,
but is furious with the city.
McFarland, who has been
living there fi ve years, said
this problem is not new. The
media has been called the past
couple winters and only then
do people seem to care about
seniors freezing.
According to McFarland,
NYCHA has told them that the
terrace doors and windows
need to be fi xed and if they
turn up the heat on the boiler a
pipe will burst.
“We’re seniors, we worked
all our lives, we paid our dues,
we paid our taxes, we raised
our children and this is supposed
to be the end of our lives,”
she said. “Why shouldn’t we be
comfortable? It seems nobody
cares about our seniors.”
She noted that some residents
stay with relatives in the
winter, while others resort to
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using the stove for heat, which
is unsafe.
Blanca Nieves, 80, who has
lived in the building for seven
years voiced her anger with
NYCHA.
“The apartment is super
cold,” she stated. “We do need
help and we need it now, not
tomorrow, not later, next year,
we need it now.”
Al Quattlebaum, president
of See us Rise Above and a community
activist, is outraged
that the city is forcing seniors
to live like this.
Quattlebaum stressed that
it is a right to have heat, not a
privilege.
“When is it right for a senior
to have to boil water for heat,”
he said. “When is it right for a
senior to have to turn to the
oven as a source of heat.”
Blanca Nieves speaks about her cold apartment
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