HARLEM, Manhattan (PIX11) — A 103-year-old great-grandmother in Harlem is in need of apartment repairs, as her family hopes to get her transferred to a new home.
Rosalie Wilkerson, 103, lives at the Lincoln Houses and said she has been putting in tickets for repairs since she was 97 years old.
To know Wilkerson is to love her, says her five children. Wilkerson just got out of the hospital last week and returned home. She said she is already stressed out because of chipping paint and a reoccurring leak in her living room ceiling.
Wilkerson said the problems don’t stop there. She also has inconsistent hot water and a rodent infestation. With the help of New York City Council member Kristin Richardson Jordan’s office, Wilkerson got new cabinets, a new stove and a sink. But Wilkerson’s family said more needs to be done.
Wilkerson was a tireless advocate for homeless people, and for decades helped feed families in her Harlem community, working with her church, the Bethel Gospel Assembly. Her daughter is tired of watching her mom fight for repairs over the years and really wants her transferred to a new apartment in a building for older residents.
Wilkerson’s birthday is Oct. 12, and she said her only wish for her 104th birthday is to have a new healthy home.
A NYCHA spokesperson told PIX11 News in a statement:
“NYCHA staff were dispatched to this residence and confirmed that the resident has sufficient heat. Heating staff will follow-up this evening to ensure she has adequate service through the evening hours. The leaks at this residence have been repaired, plaster work has been completed and we are coordinating with a vendor to paint the entire apartment.”
