BRONX, NY — Outside the building in Co-op City that Michelle Sajous has called home for more than five decades, you’ll find lots of scaffolding.

Sajous, who is also the community relations director there, says that particular work is being done to maintain the building's façade and it is required by the city every five years. However, she says other necessary repairs and maintenance are repeatedly deferred to spare shareholders the burden of the extra costs.

“It’s important to have new elevators, new lobbies, facades on buildings,” said Sajous. “We also have a big project that we’re trying to do with our convectors, which is hundreds of millions of thousands of dollars."

But now shareholders at the nation’s largest cooperative housing development, which has more than 45,000 residents, are hopeful, after a joint appearance by Senator Chuck Schumer and Congressman Jamaal Bowman.

“He has a lot of power, so we need to ask him for a lot of things. Do not be shy,” said Rep. Bowman.

They said refinancing Co-op City's mortgage could generate up to $100 million in savings. That’s money that could pay for significant repairs and upgrades, at no extra cost to residents.

“NYC desperately needs more places like this,” said Schumer. "And Jamaal and I will fight to make sure that happens."

Schumer said the new Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Marcia Fudge, indicated to him that she will approve the refinancing within the next few months.

Schumer's visit with Bowman, a progressive Democrat elected last fall, marked his latest effort to join forces with allies of Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Such outreach by Schumer could help blunt any potential challenge from the left as he faces re-election next year.

But residents like Debra Jones, who has lived in Co-op City since 1979, have more pressing concerns than politics.

‘’You’re walking on pins and needles when you open your door,” said Jones. "And hope that you do not have flooding."

Jones says the heating and cooling units in the walls of her apartment break down every other year causing flooding. She just hopes the refinancing is approved so the units can be replaced.

“It’s a major drain on your emotional psyche as well as your quality of life," Jones said.