Bed-Stuy Tenants Wait Weeks For Power After Christmas In The Dark

BED-STUY, BROOKLYN — Dozens of Bed-Stuy residents went without Christmas dinner this year after a fire turned off the power in a building that has yet to see the electricity return, residents and officials told Patch.

"It was terrible for them — especially [families] with children," said Tenant Association President Veronica Cromwell. "Even though they had the gifts, the parents could not cook a meal for them."

More than 150 apartments at 400 Herkimer St. have been without power since an early morning fire erupted in the building's electrical room on Dec. 21, according to officials.

The Bed-Stuy families spent Christmas and New Year's without any electricity and, for the first two days after the fire, no heat or hot water, Cromwell said.

Only about a quarter of the tenants were able to move to a hotel or relative's house when the power was cut and many of those who remain are now relying on local nonprofits for meals, she added.

Tenants still have about two weeks to wait for electricity even after building owners hired extra workers to speed up repairs, according to Cromwell and theDepartment of Housing Preservation and Development, who urged the contractors to speed up the process.

The management company, Surad Realty Corporation, originally said tenants would need to wait another month for the power to turn back on, Cromwell said.

Surad is facing multiple city violations for the incident, according to HPD. They did not respond to a request for comment from Patch.

So far, power has been restored to seven apartments where tenants rely on electricity for medical devices and generators are being used to light the hallways and turn on a building elevator, Cromwell and officials said.

The full restoration of power will require "extensive" repairs to wiring and inspections from the city and Con Edison, which first cut power for safety reasons, according to HPD officials and the New York power company.

“The fire has caused extensive damage to the electrical system at this property," an HPD spokesperson told Patch. "HPD immediately issued violations and has been monitoring the contractor repair work to make sure power is restored as quickly as possible.”

But the month-long wait for power to return has still raised serious concerns for tenants' wellbeing, Cromwell told Patch.

"I'm discouraged. We're really concerned," she said. "The apartments shouldn't stay in the dark this long."

The tenants do not face this struggle alone.

Assembly Member Stefani Zinerman, the Red Cross and nonprofit The Campaign Against Hunger have all brought over meals or non-perishable food for the building and, in Zinerman's case, worked with the city to speed up the repairs.

"We were very grateful for that," Cromwell said.

Cromwell herself has spent time knocking on every apartment door and keep track of those who need meals or other help.

She said being there for her tenants made the choice between her and her husband heading to a relative's house or staying in the building an easy one.

"I wouldn't do that to my neighbors, I'm staying here with them," Cromwell said. "I’m sticking it out."