Across the twelve NYCHA developments in Mott Haven, Melrose and Port Morris, elevators broke down 274 times in September. That was slightly better than August, when they broke down 290 times.
All told, since January there have been nearly 2,700 unplanned outages in local NYCHA buildings since September 2024, according to data kept by the New York City Housing Authority.
Believe it or not, that’s an improvement.
“From January to October 2024, NYCHA has seen 5,143 fewer unplanned elevator outages compared to the same time period in 2023,” Andrew Sklar, NYCHA’s deputy press secretary said in an email. “Our maintenance efforts have both prolonged elevator lifespan and led to a significant drop in mechanical downtime,” he said, explaining that a shift in how NYCHA’s elevator services and repair department operates has allowed technicians to focus on preventative maintenance.
Still, elevator outages and long waits for repairs have become the norm for residents, despite the reduction in outages over the years.
“Everyday it’s like a mind of its own,” said Chucky, a resident of the Patterson Houses in Mott Haven, who declined to give his last name. The frequent elevator problems affect pregnant women, seniors and people with mobility problems the most, trapping some on high floors.
