Councilwoman Sandra Ung and Congresswoman Grace Meng on Wednesday, Nov. 23, announced that gas has been restored in one building at Bland Houses in Flushing that had been without gas since May.
Gas at the NYCHA building, located at 133-20 Roosevelt Ave., had been shut off on May 2 due to a leak in the main line, but as of Wednesday morning, Con Edison restored service to 82 units, one day before Thanksgiving, according to the lawmakers.
“It was unacceptable that these rent-paying NYCHA tenants were without gas for so long, but I am thankful that NYCHA and Con Edison were able to restore service in time for the holiday,” said Ung, who delivered 36 turkeys to the Bland Houses Tenants Association last week. “Not only was it an inconvenience, the elderly and other residents had dietary needs that were being unmet, adversely affecting their health. After being forced to either use hot plates or eat out for nearly six months, families will finally be able to enjoy a true home-cooked meal for Thanksgiving.”
Several Queens lawmakers joined Ung and Bland Houses residents on Oct. 4, to call on NYCHA to expedite the necessary repairs. During the press conference, residents said they have been forced to rely on hot plates and crockpots for all of their cooking needs since the gas was shut down in May.
“The hot plates are no good — it only lasts about a week and you can’t cook a real meal on ‘em,” a resident said. “Give us the gas and stop playing games. That’s it, simple.”
Meng said that while Wednesday’s news of the gas restoration was “a great Thanksgiving gift, it should not have taken this long for the gas to be restored.”
“It is outrageous and unacceptable that tenants were forced to live without essential gas service since May,” Meng said. “These hard-working, rent-paying residents deserve better, and NYCHA must be quicker and more efficient in making these types of urgent repairs. But I’m glad that those who were impacted will have now gas for the holidays and the cold winter months ahead.”
