New York Times: A Week Without Heat in New York City

New York Times: A Week Without Heat in New York City

• January 14, 2026
• 2:05 pm

"Real feel" temperatures have been as low as 5 degrees this week, yet far too many tenants across New York City are facing insufficient indoor heating and temperatures lower than those required by law. Anna Luft, NYLAG's Associate Director for Housing Policy and Advocacy, told The New York Times that the more than 200,000 New Yorkers who have reported heating issues each year over the past three winters is likely an undercount.

Unlike with rats, flooding or black mold, the persistence of heating issues may be linked to the idea that being cold at home is not that dire, said Anna Luft, the associate director for housing policy and advocacy at New York Legal Assistance Group, which provides legal help to low-income people.

"There is this idea: 'Oh, well there is a space heater,' or 'Put on a sweater or put on a coat, toughen up a little bit,'" Ms. Luft said. "There is this attitude among landlords, maybe, that they're not taking it seriously, but they should." She added that the cold can have serious effects on physical and mental well-being.

Tenant advocates believe that the tally of complaints is most likely an undercount, since it does not include heat issues in public housing, which are referred internally to the New York City Housing Authority, and because untold numbers of tenants never complain, unaware that they have recourse when the heat falters.

Read the full story, originally published in The New York Times on Jan. 14, 2026.

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