Residents of the Mitchel Houses in the Bronx are preparing for Thanksgiving without full access to their kitchens, as the building remains without gas nearly two months after a collapse linked to a suspected gas leak. NYCHA has supplied each affected resident with a single hot plate for cooking.
Resident Agnes Toro told ABC7NY, "I had to come out of my pocket to buy something to make the turkey. Extra burners. And rice to make rice for the kids to make a dinner for the kids." Jessica Rivera told ABC7NY, "We don't got nothing. We got a hot plate. A hot plate is not going to help us. Especially look - we got to do Thanksgiving. How are we going to do that?"
Residents continue to face challenges while still being required to pay rent. In response to a $15 gift card offered by the city’s housing authority, some residents expressed dissatisfaction. To assist residents, NYCHA has distributed over 1,000 slow cookers in addition to the hot plates, following an explosion and partial building collapse that left the complex without gas service. NYCHA has stated that resolving the issue will require replacing gas pipes throughout the entire complex.
Management at the complex has been providing residents with notices to inform them about the ongoing situation. NYCHA stated in their communication to residents, as referenced by ABC7NY, that "Gas service interruptions and restoration work are a matter of public safety and involve multiple partners and steps."
A blue tarp remains over the section of the building that collapsed. With no timeline for restoration, residents continue to wait for normal services to resume, according to CBS News.
