At NYCHA’s Surfside Gardens, slow repairs leave seniors and residents with disabilities waiting years as broken elevators, intercoms, playgrounds, and trash compactors disrupt daily life.
On a chilly afternoon in mid-December, four residents of Surfside Gardens’ Building 1, one of two senior-designated buildings in the Coney Island public housing complex, gathered in the last moments of sun outside the lobby, chatting in Russian. All live on upper floors of the 14-story building. When the elevators stop working, they say coming out here becomes impossible.
“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.”…