Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 21, 2018

CONTACTmedia@nycha.nyc.gov


IN PREPARATION FOR COLDEST THANKSGIVING IN OVER A CENTURY, NYCHA ACTIVATES ADDITIONAL HEATING RESPONSE TEAMS ACROSS THE CITY

Hundreds of additional staff will work on Thanksgiving to ensure heat and hot water service interruptions are resolved as quickly as possible

NEW YORK — With Thanksgiving 2018 expected to be the coldest since 1901, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) has dispatched dozens of additional heating, emergency services, and skilled trades teams across the City to quickly respond to resident issues this holiday.

“NYCHA is working around the clock to ensure that our staff is prepared to respond to this Thanksgiving Freeze,” said NYCHA General Manager Vito Mustaciuolo. “We encourage any residents who experience heat or hot water service interruptions to report these issues to NYCHA immediately so we can resolve them as quickly as possible.”

While Mayor de Blasio has invested an unprecedented $3.7 billion in NYCHA, decades of federal disinvestment has contributed to increased breakdowns in the Authority’s aging infrastructure, including critical heat related equipment.

Following last year’s record cold temperatures, NYCHA and the de Blasio Administration announced new measures to improve and respond to heat service interruptions this winter, including: 

  • 62 mobile boilers deployed across the City to support heating services to developments with unreliable equipment;
  • Improved data analysis for identifying and responding to concerns;
  • Increased staffing for the Heating Management Services Department.

Today, NYCHA announced the Authority will be taking additional steps to secure resident apartments ahead of anticipated freezing temperatures on Thanksgiving.

In advance of the expected Thanksgiving freeze, NYCHA has:

  • Increased heating response teams to 60 staff members per shift, with two shifts on Thanksgiving operating from 8 a.m. to midnight. The teams will be stationed in every borough and will be dispatched across the City as needed;
  • Increased coverage by third-party vendors that now manage several of NYCHA’s heating plants across the City;
  • Secured staff at all development properties on Thanksgiving Day, requiring staff to check heating plants routinely to identify any immediate needs to better prevent any service interruptions;
  • Dispatched over 20 teams with NYCHA’s Emergency Services Department to support the heating response teams across the City;
  • Increased the number of skilled trades staff — including plumbers and electricians — available to respond to more advanced or technical needs for service restoration.
  • Increased staff at the Customer Contact Center from 6 a.m. to midnight to accommodate a higher call volume;
  • Placed warming centers on standby to be ready as needed.

NYCHA staff will be working diligently around the clock to resolve issues as quickly as possible. It is important for residents to report any concerns or problems with their heat or hot water services immediately. These requests are the best way for NYCHA to quickly identify developments that may be experiencing broader issues that require immediate response.

Both the MyNYCHA app and the Customer Contact Center at 718-707-7771 are available 24 hours a day for residents to issue a complaint about issues in their homes.


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About the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA)

NYCHA’s mission is to increase opportunities for low- and moderate-income New Yorkers by providing safe, affordable housing and facilitating access to social and community services. Almost 400,000 New Yorkers reside in NYCHA’s 325 public housing developments around the five boroughs, and another 235,000 receive subsidized rental assistance in private homes through the NYCHA-administered Section 8 Leased Housing Program. For more information, visit www.nyc.gov/nycha, and for regular updates on NYCHA news and services, connect with us via www.facebook.com/NYCHA and www.twitter.com/NYCHA