Brooklyn building without heat and hot water for months

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NEWS) - Imagine living without heat or hot water for months at a time. That is happening to people in apartments across New York City. Residents of a building in Brooklyn are still dealing with such a problem months after Fox 5 first looked into it.

At dinner time at 629 Wilson in Bushwick, Ulvia Barcacel Aguirre used the time as a teaching moment for young daughter Kendra. But cooking shouldn't be this tough. The family has been without gas since September. In fact, I stopped by in November. Not much has changed. No hot water and no heat. Life is not easy.

The issues here seem to be connected to her landlord. A complaint is open on the property about repairs that need to be made.

A National Grid spokesperson said the utility is waiting on the Buildings Department in the case of 629 Wilson. The DOB must first inspect the building's plumbing work and issue an authorization to install gas meters. The DOB is looking into the situation.

But this trend happening citywide makes situations like this more prevalent than you might expect. There were 67 gas shutoffs in 2014 in New York City.

But by 2016 the number jumped to 779. Some credit the increase in large part to two high-profile explosions that left 10 dead and gas providers are quick to pull the plug. Others argue that keep the gas off is a way to push tenants out. In any case, real people are involved.