By Emily Drooby
Lily Randolph says she’s lived in the same Van Dyke New York City Housing Authority, or NYCHA, building since the 1950’s. Randolph said, “Every year I have to go through this.”
Randolph says she now has heat in her NYCHA apartment, but didn’t for weeks. Randolph said, “I was cold the whole time.”
Father Edward Mason, the Pastor of Our Lady of the Presentation and Our Lady of Mercy, is a longtime housing advocate, and he says situations like Randolph’s have become the norm.
Father Mason, said, “It’s been bad for a long time, and people become complaisant, they become used to the situation. Yeah, its winter the waters going to break we are going to be cold, and that’s unacceptable.”
Father Mason, who has over 400 NYCHA residents as parishioners, recalled a recent situation; “She was telling me, saying, ‘oh I’m happy the heats back on, it was out for three weeks’ and I’m saying well why didn’t you let us know..and her attitude kinda was well, doesn’t that always happen? And because something always happens people think it’s okay and we just have to learn how to deal with it and no!
Father Mason, who also works with East Brooklyn Congregations, an organization where one of the focuses is affordable housing, he likens the situation to a dark cloud hanging over people’s heads.
A local NYCHA resident we spoke with, who didn’t want to speak on camera, agrees; explaining he showers the night before, in case he wakes up without hot water. Others say they’ve been lucky this year like NYCHA resident Amanda Ortiz, who said, “The heat is perfect, we got good heat.”
Some residents explain last year they weren’t so lucky. NYCHA resident, Henrietta Cary, explained: “…the beginning of last year, not so good, it was very cold.”
Cary says this year has been better, “The heat in Van Dyke has been okay, some people say they haven’t but my building so far so good, thank God.”
Father Mason explains the best way to fix NYCHA issues going forward residents to speak out and be their own voice.
Those who run into affordable housing issues can contact East Brooklyn Congregations at (718) 642-1450.
We did reach out to NYCHA for comment on this story but did not hear back.