When New Yorkers celebrate the holidays, there are usually family, friends and, of course, lots of home-cooked meals. But residents of one of the largest public housing developments in the city are being forced to go without their ovens this holiday season. NY1's Erin Billups filed the following report.
Residents of a Red Hook housing project are not celebrating on this holiday weekend.
"It's been really frustrating," said resident Crystal Vega.
"People had family things planned for Christmas," resident Denise Henkins said. "Grandkids coming over for Christmas, everything, and they destroyed it."
114 households have been without gas since Dec. 1.
The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) is working with other city agencies to get food to seniors, is offering restaurant vouchers, and it handed out hot places to residents.
But most NY1 spoke to say it doesn't help.
"They gave us one hot plate. Who do you know can fix a whole dinner with one hot plate?" Henkins said. "By the time you cook one thing, the next thing is cold."
Vega says she has to use a friend's kitchen to cook a Christmas meal for her two small kids.
"Jump on a bus, go all the way to the other side of Brooklyn, cook it, and come back to this side of Brooklyn," Vega said outside her building.
NYCHA says the gas has been cut as they investigate a leak due to damaged pipes. And before the gas can be turned back on, asbestos — which is commonly found in the piping insulation in these older buildings — must be removed.
The housing authority is apologizing to residents for the impact the work is having on their holiday plans, but residents say the timing is simply inconsiderate.
"When [Hurricane] Sandy hit, they never touched this place," resident Kay Barnard said. "That's why we're in the predicament that we are in."
"They knew about it before now, they could have worked on it in the summer," Henkins said.
Still, as parents and grandparents worry about how they will eat, the kids at least are still looking forward to the holiday:
Billups: So you guys are still looking forward to celebrating Christmas and opening your gifts?
Kids: Yeah!
As for the gas, however, tenants say they've been told it won't be back on until February.