18 Avenue V,

Brooklyn, NY 11223

Very cheap since it's NYCHA

People poop in the stairwells
Frequent domestic violence activity, so cop cars came every night, 365 days per year

No pros at all

Apartment was 100 degrees with all air conditioning on due to a pipe bust almost 3 years ago and they still haven’t fixed our apartment now it’s condemned FILLED with asbestos

1) Insanely cheap rents, 30% of family’s total income. For my family of 4, we have had rents as low as $170! We can actually survive the pandemic thanks to this seriously seriously lenient policy. Thank you NYCHA. Full time students can make an income and not have their income included in the rent as well. Full time students get a $400 annual deduction in rent just as disabled people do!
2) Out of 40+ apartments I’ve lived in New York City, NYCHA’s 3-bedroom is surprisingly the most spacious. Our bedrooms are almost 100sq ft, if not more. Living room must be at least 250sq ft if not more
3) Bathrooms are catered to families — someone’s disabled means a bathroom with handles and bars everywhere
4) Neighborhood isn’t the best but because NYCHA is intended to have a lot of people centered in one area, it’s always safe
5) NYCHA always has lights everywhere outside its buildings and on the streets and surveillance, meaning even if its residents are the worst, it’s hard for real crime to happen
6) Heating is intense — automated heating throughout the winter and it’s perfect for those who get cold. For me, I open the windows to sleep so I can breathe
7) All packages are delivered to our unit door, thank god
8) Honestly, low rents are everything. To have a mental illness means being unemployed, and living in NYCHA gives me a chance to recover without worries about having to succeed ASAP

1) 2 years now and the bugs keep coming. HUGE roaches — bigger than 1 inch. They’ve learned how to climb ceilings and fall on me when I’m sleeping. They’ve even learned to fly. Spider webs all over the apartment. It’s becoming unmanageable. Sprays and traps are now useless. They know how to HIDE
(9/13/2020 I’m fixing this review one day later. The roaches are now 2 INCHES long and seriously fly. This is insane.)
2) Very dirty residents — pee in stairwell, elevators, hallways, streets. Food in random places.
3) Neighbors are so damn invasive — they will knock on the door because they hear your footsteps INSIDE the apartment and won’t stop knocking for over 15 minutes
4) Neighbors are always fighting and throwing glass bottles at each other. Night time in the complex can be dangerous if there’s a domestic couple going through a physical fight
5) Mailboxes NEVER close. Anyone can open anyone else’s without a key. You tell management and they’ll redirect you to each other — I’ve even been yelled at and mocked for the employee’s own incompetency. Sometimes I think we should all record our calls with these customer service people because of how outrageous they are.
6) Noises echo EVERYWHERE. My upstairs neighbors watch TV 24/7 for 2 years now, and I hear it at night in my bedroom. Street noise and fights can be heard inside. Can hear full-blown conversations in the bathroom.
7) Promised maintenance checks that never happen but they claim if you’re not at home, they’ll just break in and you’ll have to get new keys if that does happen. So if you come home to realize they did arrive and it’s after 5pm when the office closes, you’re homeless for a night? It’s illogical, so you have to be home all the time for a scheduled day even if you know no one’s coming. The rare chance they do, hoorah!
8) there’s so much to complain about and I’m in one of the better units. When I first got the notice to move to NYCHA, I was scared away by rumors of gang activity and other delinquents. It’s only because my family got the second notice to move in 6 months after we turned it down the first time that we chose to move in. When we first moved in, someone was murdered on the 7th floor. Local new outlets got the news but major media didn’t report it. Really, to each their own. I know NYCHA has units with leaks and breaks that have never been repaired. Some have heat and water issues. I’m in a decent unit despite the many issues

Honestly, I can’t even give advice. The city doesn’t want to fund repairs so what can I ask for? I’m just grateful there’s a decent place to live *in the time being* until I’m well and can move on. Just remember — NYCHA and other government benefits should be *temporary* solutions, not a permanent lifestyle. Keep striving!