NYCHA residents fed up over constant elevator issues in Bronx building
By Sonia Rincón
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WEST FARMS, The Bronx (WABC) — The only two elevators in a NYCHA building at 1010 East 178th Street serve 21 floors, each with about 10 apartments. One elevator has been out of service for days. On Monday, the other elevator stopped working twice.
“Somebody came here to fix the elevator. In the next 15, 20 minutes, the elevator was- people were stuck in the elevator. And the fire department came and shut it down again,” said Tenants Association President Sharon Myers.
Hours went by and residents waited if they could not brave the stairwells, which they say are full of unpleasant surprises. Residents also say the elevators are constantly malfunctioning.
“I’ve been living here going on 47 and a half years. I had to pull people out of here halfway. Even the firemen don’t want to touch it. We have senior citizens sitting in the lobby. And I think that’s wrong,” said Ozzie Campbell.
“There’s a lot of people in the building and the senior citizens are on top, you know, and they can’t get down, you know, or they can’t get up,” Myers added.
It’s not just the elevators that tenants are worried about. Scaffolding covers the building. It’s an eyesore, but it’s the only thing that protected people from being hit by falling bricks over the summer.
Back in July, Eyewitness News was over the same building, where bricks came loose on the 19th floor and took out a motorcycle. The residents say there is a long list of repairs that have not been made and they are now safety hazards.
NYCHA responded on Monday night, saying one elevator is running again and “We appreciate residents’ patience as we continue to work to fully restore elevator service to the building,” encouraging residents to report anything else. “
They say they are doing that constantly.
“When are they going to start repairs for this building? Let’s stop making promises. If we all get together, start a petition, stop paying rent. They can’t kick the whole building out. And I think it’s wrong for them to leave, punch out, and there’s no elevators. This is an ongoing situation. They leave people in the lobby,” added Campbell.
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