In the midst of the NYC Council passing the City of Yes legislation to increase housing production, East New York has become a City of NO Heat. Linden Houses, a public housing development, had been without heat in many apartments for weeks. With no other options. families were forced to use stoves and ovens to keep warm. East Brooklyn Congregations (EBC) leader, Tawana Myers, had been calling management over and over to respond with no response. She took all she learned from her experience and from EBC and she ORGANIZED.

She called on Mike Stanley from Metro IAF to report crisis to NYCHA and then St. Paul Community Baptist Church and EBC called on L&M Development to demand action and meet within 24 hours. The next day L&M had repair crews on location trying to restore heat. Rev. Dr. Dexter Henderson, St Paul’s Associate Pastor, and Ms. Myers EBC took L&M senior officials door to door to visit tenants without heat or faulty heat. They didn't stop. That night, Ms. Myers and another St. Paul’s member, Della Davis, interrupted an L&M community meeting and pulled tenants out of the room to meet with L&M’s Regional Director in the hallway. Tenants demanded action and agreed to visit neighbors to open their apartments. Within 2 hours, L&M had repair crews in the identified building. But, heat still wasn't restored. On Friday, EBC escalated and called on L&M to send an army of repair crews and provide emergency portable heaters to every tenant who was with out heat or faulty heat by close of business. Pressure worked. L&M began delivering portable heaters to any tenants who had no heat or faulty heat.

This would not have happened without Tawana Myers and Della Davis of SPCBC putting constant relentless pressure on L&M.  This is only a START. EBC and St. Paul are not done. EBC will continue to hold L&M accountable for fully restoring heat at Linden House. But for now, we have an agreement - every tenant who is without heat should be getting a portable heaters.

On the ground organizing at its best. EBC and the Church in action, standing up together with NYCHA tenants to deliver concrete wins to their families.