Parkchester North and South Condominium complex is home to approximately 40,000 people across 12,000 apartment units in the Bronx, New York. Residents have been trying to raise awareness for months about the lack of heat and the outstanding maintenance requests. But the management company, Parkchester Preservation Management, largely has been unresponsive to the needs of residents. 

Despite starting off as a whites-only community in the 1940s, Parkchester is now home to a vibrant community that is predominately Black and Latino. Black people and communities of color are more likely to live in substandard housing that often become death traps this time of year. Decades of structural racism that lead to unfulfilled maintenance requests force tenants to undertake risky measures of their own to stay warm, such as using open ovens and space heaters. In early January 2022,17 people died in a Bronx apartment building fire caused by a malfunctioning space heater that was used because of a lack of adequate heating in the building. By Parkchester Preservation Management refusing to turn on the heat as they are legally required when temperatures plummet, the management company is gambling with the lives of residents. everyone in the complex. 

To ensure that no home goes without heat this winter, we have partnered with dedicated Color Of Change members who refuse to standby while they and their neighbors go without heat and other needed services. The Parkchester Watch Group and residents report relying on open ovens and space heaters to warm their units. Space heaters when improperly used can lead to devastating consequences, just like at the neighboring Twin Parks North West apartment building in early January. The residents of Parkchester take great pride in their community and should have the basic need of heat met. They are calling on Parkchester Preservation Management to fulfill its obligation and responsibility to residents. Parkchester Preservation Management no longer can ignore the needs of residents, especially as temperatures continue to drop.

Here is the Petition:

Dear Parkchester Preservation Management,

Several residents in the Parkchester North and South Condominiums have been without heat since October. Many have resorted to relying on space heaters and open ovens, heating methods that can have disastrous results if used improperly. Additionally, there are now reports of households going days without water with no clarity from management on how long the utility will be shut off and limited access to alternative resources. Parkchester is a vibrant community but the persistent maintenance problems dramatically harm the quality of life for its residents. We demand that you turn on the heat for all units this holiday season. 

Sincerely,
[Your Name]