Brooklyn Sen. Zellnor Y. Myrie said on Friday that he and other local elected officials last week gave the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) an ultimatum to conduct repairs and address residents’ concerns at the Reid Senior Apartments in Crown Heights, “and they listened”, at least for once.
“On Wednesday evening, we were visiting the Reid Senior Apartments in Crown Heights for one of our regular walkthroughs of the NYCHA facilities in our district. When the residents brought me to the second floor, I was horrified and outraged by what I saw,” said Myrie, representative for the 20th Senatorial District, which includes Crown Heights, in an email message to constituents.
“Seven weeks after a fire had ravaged the second floor, the tenants were still waiting for NYCHA to repair the damage,” he added. “The hallway was covered in soot, the pipes exposed, and the smell of fumes and chemicals fresh. Nearly two months after the fire, the conditions were still this bad. It was unconscionable.
“We immediately reached out to NYCHA, then got on Twitter and told them publicly that if we did not see a response in 24 hours, there would be hell to pay,” Myrie continued. “By Thursday morning, NYCHA’s crew was at work. We went back today and saw the hallway had been fully cleaned up and covered with fresh paint.”
Myrie urged residents to not to stay quiet if they are experiencing problems in their homes.
“Join with your neighbors, lift up your voice, or reach out to our office, and we will fight for our community together,” he said.
But the newly-elected senator said that was not the end of the fight for the seniors at Reid Apartments.
He said the second floor was just one of a host of issues that his office will be following up on.
“Thank you to the residents of the Reid Apartments for bringing our attention to this issue and thank you to Assembly Member Diana C. Richardson and Council Member Alicka Ampry-Samuel for getting on this early and holding NYCHA accountable,” Myrie said.
