As residents and officials wait for more answers, here is what to know about the collapse. Aging public housingThe building was part of New York City's huge and aging public housing system. Buildings in the system average roughly 60 years old, according to the New York Housing Authority. The highest infrastructure need was listed as “Heating.”Around half a million New Yorkers live in the aging buildings run by housing authority, which is the country's largest public housing system. Iscol said that the city opened up a reception center for impacted residents to receive resources like food and other necessities.