PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Francine Cutler, Resident of Boulevard Houses
2:48:00
ยท
4 min
Francine Cutler, a resident of Boulevard Houses, provided passionate testimony about ongoing heating and hot water issues in her NYCHA development, which is now under RAD/PACT management. She described persistent problems with unreliable heat and hot water, lack of proper communication from management, and concerns about the quality of recent repairs.
- Cutler reported going without hot water for 3 days after surgery and having to argue with her teenage son to bathe in cold water before school.
- She criticized the lack of improvement since the transition to RAD/PACT management, questioning the difference between NYCHA and the new private managers.
- Cutler also mentioned issues with extreme temperature fluctuations, condensation damage in her apartment, and recent repairs that quickly failed HUD inspections.
Francine Cutler
2:48:00
me in the car.
2:48:00
Okay.
2:48:01
Good morning, everyone.
2:48:02
Thank you for the opportunity to speak.
2:48:03
Just please bear with me because I was driving.
2:48:05
I have been on the call since 9:58 AM.
2:48:09
So good morning, everyone.
2:48:10
Hope all is well.
2:48:10
I would like to, thank you again for this hearing council member.
2:48:13
I understand that we have a time limit each person, and I will respect that.
2:48:16
I'm gonna talk a little fast, but I ask you guys for the grace to allow me an extra few minutes as I'm not speaking just for myself.
2:48:22
I'm speaking for the residents in Boulevard Together houses, who either cannot make it or have decided that they are not going to waste their oxygen or their breaths on this anymore because their complaints are being on deaf ears.
2:48:36
You guys can still hear me.
2:48:37
Correct?
Chris Banks
2:48:40
Correct.
Francine Cutler
2:48:41
Okay.
2:48:41
Appreciate you.
2:48:42
So one thing I just wanted I was wish I could've spoke while nitro was still sitting there, but I wanted to know what was the difference between nitro and the rad pack.
2:48:49
If we still don't have the dependable heat and hot water that we didn't have when NYCHA owned the property, well, was responsible for these repairs.
2:48:56
Right?
2:48:57
We've been given heaters that are told are fire hazards and can't have it in our homes after being given to us.
2:49:06
Sorry about that, guys.
2:49:08
I have to get on my son, my 16 year old son, in the morning because he refuses to bathe in cold water before he goes to school.
2:49:15
He refuses to boil water, due to whatever reason.
2:49:19
I have to literally argue with my son to drag him out the house.
2:49:22
Now he can't bathe in a neighbor's house.
2:49:24
He cannot bathe in a family member's home.
2:49:26
He's 16 and never spent the night out in anyone's home.
2:49:28
So, why would I send him out there to bathe?
2:49:31
I had surgery on Saturday, last week, and having to be without no hot water for 3 days after having surgery is unacceptable.
2:49:40
I had to reach out to, I also have reached out to many many people, in a email thread.
2:49:46
I will not call out anyone's name because they're not here to represent themselves.
2:49:49
Hundreds of emails I have regarding, the heat and hot water well, heat hot water issues and other issues that I'm not gonna address today because I heard that this was only for heat and hot water.
2:49:59
One of the NYCHA's representatives has stated that fixing the heat is I heard one of the NYCHA representative state that, they are fixing the heating outages less than 24 hours.
2:50:09
Does that include the hot water?
2:50:11
Because that was 3 days that I was without it.
2:50:14
No one send us robocalls ever or notices.
2:50:17
If notices are being put up in our buildings, they're putting being put up after the fact of the matter.
2:50:23
But, again, when it comes to heat and hot water, I've never received a notice.
2:50:27
Whether it's like the gentleman said, something that is, an emergency or something that they know is gonna be a outage.
2:50:32
So that is false.
2:50:34
12 hours, this gentleman I hope he's still in the audience from NYCHA because 12 hours is too long.
2:50:39
How would you like if you're a sick family member to see that?
Dylan Baker-Rice
2:50:41
Expired?
2:50:41
Excuse me?
2:50:41
Your time have expired.
Francine Cutler
2:50:43
Excuse me?
Keith Grossman
2:50:44
Your time have expired.
2:50:45
Thank you.
Francine Cutler
2:50:46
I would like the opportunity to continue speaking council member.
2:50:49
I've been on here since 9:58 AM.
Chris Banks
2:50:51
Miss Cutler, you have another minute to wrap it up.
Francine Cutler
2:50:53
12 hours is too long.
2:50:54
How would they like if their sick family members, senior family member with illnesses affected by the cold and child with asthma or anyone in good health has to live with no hot water or heat for even 2 hours, especially those who know that our buildings have cold have cold in the walls.
2:51:08
So imagine if it's cold outside, it's colder in our homes.
2:51:11
You stated the borders of system over 50 years old, and I've lived in this building for over 16 years under NYCHA and 3 years under Radpack, and the same flavor of the cake, different party.
2:51:21
Let me say, when they do put it on, it's so hot.
2:51:24
I get condensation stains all over my apartment.
2:51:26
But I've learned that when when you complain it's too hot, they shut it down for days.
2:51:29
So I don't complain.
2:51:30
I open my windows and I run the air conditioner.
2:51:32
By the way, they mentioned that more than once about the robocalls and notices absolutely not true.
2:51:38
Do do they actually go out and check when we do get notices?
2:51:41
Is dated days before we get them and times dated December 14th.
2:51:44
We get them on 15th.
2:51:45
The work, the same day or next day.
2:51:47
Management even knows this.
2:51:48
And we get and when we get our hot water and I hate the fact that it has to be rushed to do this.
2:51:52
I think it's unfair to the people, that I'm my words right now.
2:51:56
But let me finish up before I get cut off again.
2:51:58
When we get hot water, we get lukewarm water.
2:52:00
I would move to Puerto Rico if that's what I wanted.
2:52:02
But the water and the pipes are no good.
2:52:04
They actually need to come in the homes and experience what we're experiencing.
2:52:08
Lastly, council member, they have refixed my apartment.
2:52:12
I remodeled my entire apartment.
2:52:14
My bathroom wall started falling down.
2:52:16
Everyone knows about this.
2:52:17
They came and fixed it finally 2 years.
2:52:19
In August, 9 days later, the cracking and the entire wall started falling down again.
2:52:23
Council member, they made me move all my furniture the day be they made me remove a lot of stuff in my house the day before Thanksgiving when I was preparing for a surgery the next week so they can do emergency HUD repairs so that we can pass inspections.
2:52:36
I gave them the courtesy.
2:52:37
I allowed them my apartment to make a mess.
2:52:39
Council member, it's been less than 14 days.
2:52:41
My bathroom already sealing is starting to fall apart.
2:52:43
And guess what?
2:52:44
I failed the HUD inspection because of their slack.
2:52:46
I have way more to say, but, unfortunately, I do not have the opportunity to defend myself or the residents of Boulevard Houses during this call.
Beverly MacFarlane
2:52:52
I will hope that
Francine Cutler
2:52:53
we can have another meeting like this in the future Yes.
2:52:55
Till I can be able to actually say everything I need to say.
2:52:57
I appreciate your time.
Chris Banks
2:52:58
Just one one quick question, Francine.