Living without electricity for a week has become a harsh reality for Jessica Rivera, a tenant at the Sumner Houses in Bed-Stuy.
Rivera, who has had significant electrical problems in her NYCHA apartment, describes the situation as a constant source of anxiety and frustration.
“You know what it’s like to walk back and forth in fear all night,” Rivera said.
She tells News 12 that she noticed a smell in her NYCHA apartment in the Sumner Houses that she said was burnt wires.
“And I thought, ‘Oh my God, if I hadn’t gone up there, I would have died,'” Rivera added. She said the FDNY left wires exposed because an NYCHA electrician was supposed to come and fix them, but that never happened.
“Every night I’m scared. I look at that cable,” Rivera said.
She adds that her apartment is constantly experiencing electrical issues. Last October, Jessica told News 12 that she had a flood and that was what started the problems. Almost a year later, the electrical repair tickets are still on her desk. She runs electrical wires all over her house just to plug things in.
“It’s terrible because we need the outlets in our bedrooms when it’s time to sleep. It feels like 100 degrees here, no joke,” Rivera said.
During a recent visit, a NYCHA reporter tested several electrical outlets in Rivera’s apartment and found that none of them worked. There are six electrical outlets in her apartment that are not working.
A NYCHA employee visited her home on Tuesday afternoon to assess the conditions.
“So, no power here, no power there,” the employee noted.
NYCHA responded to the situation by stating, “A NYCHA employee visited the unit today to assess the necessary repairs. Electricians will be coming by tomorrow to repair or replace the outlets.”
River says the main issue remains clear.
“I want them to fix the problem,” she said.
