WGNO

Ceiling crashes in NY mom’s apartment after she’d complained about leaks for a year

(WPIX) — For over a year, a New York City woman complained to building management that her home’s ceiling had been leaking, she said.

Now, it’s an emergency situation impacting the health and safety of her family, she said.

Tathianna Kinch, of Brooklyn, was sleeping Sunday night when her ceiling collapsed in her fourth-floor apartment in Crown Heights. Her living room floor is covered in debris and garbage bags, and she has buckets everywhere to help soak up the water.

Kinch said she tried reaching out to the New York City Housing Authority for over a year about problems with her ceilings.

“I was told I have to wait for an appointment. They hire outside people. Whenever they have someone,” Kinch said. “But my son’s health is important.”

Kinch has a 6-year-old son and worries about him living with a ceiling constantly falling apart. 

A superintendent visited Kinch’s home Monday, promising her they’d begin working on moving her and her son to another apartment.

An NYCHA spokesperson sent WPIX a statement Monday, saying, “NYCHA staff are on site cleaning up and working with the resident to schedule and make repairs.”