Queens tenants say key fob fiasco is leaving them locked out of apartments

NEW YORK - Neighbors at Queensbridge South are using duct tape to hold open the door to their apartment building. Though the unprotected access makes them feel unsafe, they say their strategy is the only thing keeping them from being locked out.

As NYCHA transitions building doors to electronic swipe entry, the traditional keys tenants have always used no longer function. The problem is, they say, the new fobs don't either.

"There are seniors, there are young adults, there are children who are locked out of their own homes, because the key fobs are not working and the doors are jammed," Council Member Julie Won said.

She says NYCHA is ignoring the needs of residents and creating chaos to prevent tenants from making copies of keys for friends and family.

"This is a control tactic," she said.

Neighbors say neglect is demeaning

Queensbridge Houses Resident Association president Corinne Haynes says outreach from NYCHA has been meager.

"We have meetings every month. They have not been coming," she said.

She says 78 building door complaints were filed in a month for the north side of the complex alone.

"I know it takes anywhere between one and three days to resolve it," she said.

With elevators down for months and intercoms failing, neighbors say the neglect is demeaning.

"Don't treat us like nothing," Rasha Eldesouky said. "We are human."

NYCHA did not address questions about the efficacy of the new technology but told CBS News New York:

"Resident safety is paramount for NYCHA, and the Authority is committed to fostering a sense of security for residents in their homes and buildings. Layered access fobs and door systems are objectively safer than traditional keys and locks, and while we recognize some residents may feel uncomfortable or unfamiliar with the new layered access system at first, we are confident that they will grow accustomed to it with time. NYCHA has engaged in a resident education campaign at the development — working closely with resident leadership and holding information sessions on the new systems, and will continue to do so — to ensure a smooth transition."

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