New York City – Nearly a decade of compliance issues surrounding the New York City Housing Authority’s (NYCHA) boilers culminated in a catastrophic explosion on Oct. 1 at the Mitchel Houses in the Bronx. The incident, which resulted in a 20-story chimney collapse, narrowly avoided injuries to residents, prompting urgent calls for accountability regarding boiler safety and inspections.
The explosion was reportedly caused by a buildup of gas in an offline boiler, igniting when a NYCHA worker activated the system. As a precaution, nearby tenants were evacuated and temporarily relocated to hotels, while gas service was shut off for weeks. Investigation into the final cause is still ongoing, but preliminary findings revealed alarming lapses in maintenance and regulatory adherence.
Documents indicate that the boiler involved, along with seven others in the same building, had not only expired its certificate to operate in 2009 but also had not undergone a formal Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) inspection for 17 years. An analysis uncovered that this boiler was among 50 across 14 NYCHA properties operating without valid registrations or operating certificates.
Despite a memorandum of understanding signed in 2016 between NYCHA and the DEP aimed at addressing these deficiencies, compliance remains severely lacking. Officials acknowledge that of the 1,027 boilers under NYCHA’s management, at least 180 still lack valid operational certificates.
NYCHA maintains that while DEP inspections focus on combustion efficiency and overall venting, it is the Department of Buildings (DOB) that manages safety checks. The DOB recently reported no major safety concerns at Mitchel Houses during a June inspection, but critics argue that without regular DEP inspections, potential hazards can go unnoticed.
The agreement between NYCHA and DEP mandated that necessary inspections be conducted every three years, yet ongoing maintenance issues in NYCHA’s approximately 175,000 apartments have hampered compliance efforts. Following the 2016 agreement, an amendment was made in 2019 that stipulates all boilers should have current certificates by July 2021—a deadline now long passed.
Additionally, a concurrent agreement with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) outlined a broader plan for improvements to NYCHA properties, which included replacing 297 aging boilers by the end of 2026. As of now, only 133 replacements have been completed.
In light of these challenges, NYCHA spokesperson Michael Horgan highlighted some progress made under the HUD agreement, though he refrained from discussing specifics relating to the Mitchel Houses incident. He confirmed that NYCHA continues to collaborate with the DEP to address compliance schedules.
As the fallout from the explosion continues to unfold, the circumstances raise serious questions about oversight and accountability. Investigations into the chronically unmaintained boilers may shed light on not only NYCHA’s deficiencies but also the systemic issues plaguing public housing in the city.
With multiple boilers across the city remaining either unregistered or with expired certifications, the risk to resident safety remains a pressing concern. From the Gowanus Houses in Brooklyn, where boiler certificates lapsed in 1986, to the Lincoln Houses in East Harlem, where immediate action has led to the installation of mobile boilers, many buildings are still without a functional heating solution.
The grim reality is that these structural failures, alongside the overarching issues of delayed repairs and inadequate inspections, have left countless residents vulnerable in their own homes. As authorities work to rectify these deficiencies, the urgency for safer living conditions in NYCHA properties cannot be overstated.