NYC Sees Record Number of Heat Complaints Amid Frigid Weather
As a bitter cold snap grips New York City, residents are being forced to endure extreme temperatures and power outages that leave many without heat or hot water. According to the city's Housing Preservation and Development agency, nearly 80,000 complaints about lack of heat and hot water were filed in January, a new record for the month.
The surge in complaints is attributed to prolonged frigid weather, which has pushed temperatures below zero, causing subzero wind chills that make living conditions unbearable. Officials at the Housing Preservation and Development agency are treating access to heat and hot water as an "all-hands-on-deck situation."
Despite efforts by the agency to manage the increase in complaints, some residents say they've been dealing with inconsistent heat and hot water for months. For example, Angelette Waring of a mixed-use building on Webster Avenue near East 180th Street in the Bronx has been without heat or hot water since at least October 2025.
The situation is further complicated by the fact that many buildings in the city are decades-old and require coordination between multiple agencies to make repairs. Landlords say fixing these issues takes time, but they can't ignore the pleas from tenants who need their heat restored as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, nearly 300 residents were left without heat or hot water on Thursday at NYCHA's Amsterdam Addition development on the Upper West Side. President Patricia Ryan reported her apartment was around 40 degrees and said she felt frustrated by the lack of progress in restoring services to her neighbors.
NYCHA says it has added after-hours teams to address complaints 24/7 during this cold stretch, with an average response time of less than seven hours. However, residents say this doesn't seem to be enough.
Critics point out that repairing broken boilers requires coordination between plumbers, city inspectors, and utility providers, which can create logjams in the process. The New York Apartment Association says that turning on heat quickly is not something a building owner can do alone.
As the cold snap continues, officials are urging residents to look out for one another, particularly those living outside or in vulnerable situations. Those who need assistance with heat and hot water issues can call 311 to request homeless outreach services or report disruptions.
As a bitter cold snap grips New York City, residents are being forced to endure extreme temperatures and power outages that leave many without heat or hot water. According to the city's Housing Preservation and Development agency, nearly 80,000 complaints about lack of heat and hot water were filed in January, a new record for the month.
The surge in complaints is attributed to prolonged frigid weather, which has pushed temperatures below zero, causing subzero wind chills that make living conditions unbearable. Officials at the Housing Preservation and Development agency are treating access to heat and hot water as an "all-hands-on-deck situation."
Despite efforts by the agency to manage the increase in complaints, some residents say they've been dealing with inconsistent heat and hot water for months. For example, Angelette Waring of a mixed-use building on Webster Avenue near East 180th Street in the Bronx has been without heat or hot water since at least October 2025.
The situation is further complicated by the fact that many buildings in the city are decades-old and require coordination between multiple agencies to make repairs. Landlords say fixing these issues takes time, but they can't ignore the pleas from tenants who need their heat restored as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, nearly 300 residents were left without heat or hot water on Thursday at NYCHA's Amsterdam Addition development on the Upper West Side. President Patricia Ryan reported her apartment was around 40 degrees and said she felt frustrated by the lack of progress in restoring services to her neighbors.
NYCHA says it has added after-hours teams to address complaints 24/7 during this cold stretch, with an average response time of less than seven hours. However, residents say this doesn't seem to be enough.
Critics point out that repairing broken boilers requires coordination between plumbers, city inspectors, and utility providers, which can create logjams in the process. The New York Apartment Association says that turning on heat quickly is not something a building owner can do alone.
As the cold snap continues, officials are urging residents to look out for one another, particularly those living outside or in vulnerable situations. Those who need assistance with heat and hot water issues can call 311 to request homeless outreach services or report disruptions.
. 80,000 heat complaints is crazy! I feel for Angelette Waring who's been without heat since October - that's like, forever! 
And the fact that many buildings are old and need coordination to fix issues just makes it worse...it's like, how do you solve this problem? The city needs to step up and get these people warmed up ASAP! 
Also, I'm surprised NYCHA doesn't have a better plan in place for emergency situations. 24/7 teams with less than 7-hour response times isn't enough when it comes to people's basic needs...it's just not cool 
And don't even get me started on the fact that it's been months and Angelette still doesn't have heat or hot water. That's just ridiculous. I'm sure it's not easy to fix old buildings, but come on, can't we just, like, fast track some repairs already?! 
! I mean, I know it's cold in NYC but 80k+ complaints about heat & hot water? That's insane 
! And the fact that some people have been dealing with no heat/hot water for months?! 
Like, what even is that supposed to do to you mentally and physically? 
. Can we just get some help around here?! 
Can you even imagine having to deal with no heat or hot water for months on end? 
. Landlords are saying they're doing their best with aging infrastructure, but come on guys, 80k+ complaints is a lot to handle! 
. And what really gets me is the fact that some people have to fend for themselves outside or in vulnerable situations... just heartbreaking 
.
. It's unacceptable that people are having to deal with this for months, and the system just can't seem to catch up 
. The fact that buildings are decades old and require coordination between multiple agencies to make repairs is just a nightmare 
.
it's like they're saying "ok we know the city is freezing but we can't just magically fix everything right now"... meanwhile, people are literally dying of hypothermia 
and there's no heat in 80k+ buildings... what's the holdup here? 
is it that expensive to fix some broken boilers or do they need a government grant to save lives? 
what's going on here?! the city needs to step up its game ASAP 
. When will it warm up? I'm over here freezing, just waiting for a miracle 
.
And the fact that some people have been dealing with no heat or hot water for months? It's just not fair. I mean, I know old buildings can be a pain to fix up, but come on 
.
. And yeah, the response time is slow... 7 hours isn't exactly what you want when you're freezing your tail off 
.
so yeah, im with u guys, lets get this fixed ASAP!!! 
NYCHA needs to step up their game, 7 hours isn't that long lol! 
anywayz, gotta stay safe n all during dis crazy cold snap 
. Can't the city just prioritize getting heat to everyone who needs it ASAP? I mean, it's not like they're asking for much 
.
?
. Something's gotta change, stat!
. It's not just the temp, it's the feeling of being ignored when you're paying for a service that's supposed to be working properly. NYCHA needs to step up its game and get those after-hours teams responding faster 
. I mean, 7 hours is still too long when people are freezing their butts off 
. What do you think is the main reason for this mess 
I feel 4 those ppl who dont have heat or hot water esp the ones in old buildings its just so frustrating 
how long is it gonna take 2 fix these issues? is it just bcos of coordination problems? u think NYCHA can handle this tho? 
this is crazy how ppl r struggling w/ no heat n hot water in the middle of winter