The cold has been especially difficult on some of those living in public housing complexes here in the city. NY1's Gene Apodaca talked with residents of the Grant Houses in Harlem and filed this report.

Bessie Davis has resorted to using her stove for heat and hot water in her home — the small heater in her bedroom helps there — but she says it's still not enough.

"I'm sleeping in all this with three blankets on top of me," Davis said. "I can't take it. I'm too old for this. I'm 84 years old and this is ridiculous."

Davis lives on the 16th floor of a Grant Houses building on West 125th Street in Harlem.  

Here, residents say the heat has been out for days. Jose Torres, who's portable heater runs 24/7, says he's called the city's 311 line. But still hasn't gotten help. And it's not the first time.

"I want people to get involved I want people to join in maybe wake people up and let them know they have a problem here," Torres said.

At the Patterson Houses in the Bronx, activist Michel Faulkner held a rally to draw awareness to the conditions there. On top of sporadic heat, residents say they're dealing with mold, faulty plumbing and electrical problems. 

Angel and Morarma Morales got their heat late in the afternoon after it had been out all day.

"Wait 24 hours. And how many 24 hours and sometimes they don't even show up," Morales said.

"It's not free housing, it's city housing we can and must do better," said the activist Faulkner.

The New York City Housing Authority issued this statement in part saying:

"After decades of disinvestment from the government, the authority has been forced to do much more with less as our aging buildings continue to decay."

It went on to say it is making meaningful changes to improve conditions.

However, residents like Davis say they wonder for all the rent they pay why they continue to be left in the cold.

"'We'll see you in 24 hours?' So, I'm supposed to freeze? It's 12 degrees out there."

NYCHA says it has 100 workers out handling the cold, planning to monitor nearly 2,000 boilers across the city.