5 weeks after boiler explosion at Bronx NYCHA complex, residents still don't have cooking gas

It's been five weeks since a boiler explosion caused a 20-story chimney to collapse at a New York City Housing Authority building in the Bronx, and residents are still feeling the impact.

The Oct. 1 explosion cut gas to the entire JP Mitchel Houses complex. Units parked behind the building have restored heat and hot water, but gas for cooking remains out of service, impacting more than 3,000 residents.

"They have done nothing to help us during this crisis"

A handful of residents attended a rally Friday, inviting them to "speak out against NYCHA."

"They have done nothing to help us during this crisis," resident Harriet Hayward said.

Hayward is one of many using NYCHA-provided hot plates to cook.

"I love to bake. That's how I heat my food. I bake my food. I bake my fish," she said.

Hayward is a retired NYCHA employee herself and has an educated guess how long it will take NYCHA to replace gas pipes in every apartment.

"It's gonna be years," she said.

Cooking gas restoration work is ongoing, NYCHA says

NYCHA won't give a timeline but says replacement work will result in more stable service in the long-term.

In a statement, the authority said:

"As soon as this incident occurred, NYCHA responded quickly to ensure residents' safety and clear the debris, and fortunately no one was harmed. NYCHA restored hot water service at Mitchel on October 4 and heat service on October 8 and has safely returned all temporarily relocated households to their homes following DOB and DEP inspection and clearance, with residents beginning to return as early as October 9. Cooking gas restoration work at Mitchel Houses and the multi-agency investigation into this incident remain ongoing. NYCHA will continue to take every step necessary to ensure the safety of residents and of the public."

NYCHA will have representatives at the Mitchel Houses on Monday for a meeting with residents. The authority also said residents in need of assistance can call the Customer Contact Center at 718-707-7771.

A study published by CityLimits.org shows the average gas outage at a NYCHA building lasts for 89 days. NYCHA currently lists 92 buildings with no gas. Some of them have been under repair since May.

Meanwhile, Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has promised to double NYCHA's budget for capital improvements.