When Elevators Break, These NYCHA Residents Are Stuck in Their Apartments

""When the elevator is broken, we need to stay home," said Aleksandra, 79, who uses a walker and asked that her last name not be used for fear of causing trouble with the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), which runs the complex. "I live five floors up, she lives third floor, he lives seven or eight floors," she said, nodding toward Valeriy Feldman, 85, who uses a wheelchair. Translating Feldman's words from Russian, Aleksandra added: "Every time, it's a problem for him.""

"Surfside Gardens, home to a large population of seniors and residents with disabilities, has long struggled with infrastructure failures that residents say NYCHA has been slow to fix. Elevator breakdowns are the most disruptive, but they aren't the only issue: in at least two buildings, the intercom system has been broken for years, and the trash compactor has been out of service, leaving garbage to pile up outside."

"A playground has been fenced off since June 2023 for repairs that have yet to begin, while another reopened in 2024, over a decade after Hurricane Sandy destroyed it. Although NYCHA has committed capital funding to address many of these problems, residents say the agency allows conditions to deteriorate to a critical point before beginning multi-year repair projects, leaving them with limited access, daily disruptions, and ongoing health and safety risks."

Surfside Gardens houses many seniors and residents with disabilities in multiple high-rise buildings. Frequent elevator failures force mobility-limited tenants to stay home when elevators are out of service. Intercom systems in at least two buildings have been broken for years, a trash compactor remains out of service causing garbage to pile outside, and a playground has been fenced off since June 2023 without repairs starting. Another playground only reopened in 2024, more than a decade after Hurricane Sandy destroyed it. NYCHA has allocated capital funding for repairs, but repairs often begin after conditions deteriorate to critical levels, producing multi-year projects and ongoing health and safety risks.

Read at City Limits