Bronx tenants without utilities since July

At 2285 Sedgwick Avenue, a 54-unit apartment building in the Bronx, tenants say they have been without heat or hot water ever since a fire cut off their gas service in July, and now they’re desperate for help. They’ve already called the city’s 311 hotline to report the problem to no avail, and the phone number for the building’s owner, Juan Romero of 2285 Sedgwick Realty Corp., has reportedly been disconnected. The city’s Department of Housing and Preservation says 320 complaints have been filed from the building over the last year, including problems, like the broken elevator, which happened before the fire. Residents have hung banners outside the building pleading for help, and State Senator Pedro Espada visited to show his support. HPD is now working to expedite the repair process on the gas line. [NYDN]