Image Credit: NYCHA.
DOI faulted the failure of NYCHA and the NYPD to enforce lease conditions against criminals and criminal activities at NYCHA projects. In 1996, the NYPD and New York City Housing Authority entered into a Memorandum of Understanding designed to prevent crime and create a safer environment for residents of NYCHA’s public housing developments. NYPD agreed to provide NYCHA with all arrest and complaint reports concerning serious criminal activity committed by NYCHA residents within NYCHA developments. In exchange for this information, NYCHA agreed to ensure that criminal offenders who posed a threat to safety would be removed from public housing. The agreement intended to monitor criminal activity to improve the safety and quality of life for NYCHA residents. (read more…)
Mayor Bill de Blasio. Image Credit: NYC Mayor’s Office.
A $200 million investment will be used to replace boilers and upgrade heating systems at 20 NYCHA developments. On January 31, 2018, Mayor de Blasio announced the investment aimed at assisting NYCHA developments experiencing chronic outages. The $200 million investment is part of the Mayor’s investment in NYCHA including $2.1 billion in capital infrastructure and $1.6 billion in operating funds. The upgrades are expected to save NYCHA approximately $5 million per year in energy costs. (read more…)
Mayor Bill de Blasio and NYCHA Chair & CEO, Shola Olatoye. Image Credit: NYC Mayor’s Office.
Facing the recent below-freezing temperatures, Mayor Bill de Blasio has committed to help with NYCHA’s response to heating emergencies and failing equipment with a substantial investment. On January 18, 2018, Mayor de Blasio announced a $13 million investment to assist the New York City Housing Authority response to heating outages and replace equipment. The investment will allow NYCHA to replace malfunctioning boiler systems, acquire mobile boilers for emergencies, hire repair staff, and repair windows to prevent heat loss. (read more…)
Boulevard Houses in East NY, Brooklyn. Image Credit: NYCHA
Installation of safety lighting part of citywide plan to reduce violence at targeted NYCHA developments. On July 13, 2016, Mayor Bill de Blasio and the New York City Housing Authority announced the completed installation of 504 new lights to improve public safety at Boulevard Houses in East New York Brooklyn. The installation is part of the Mayor’s Action Plan for Neighborhood Safety (MAP) which was initiated in 2014. (read more…)
NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer. Image credit: Office of the New York City Comptroller
Audit shows Housing Department has inadequate controls in place to monitor and keep track of vacant units. On June 24, 2015, New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer released an audit report that examined how the New York City Housing Authority manages vacant apartments in developments throughout the city. The report discussed the process by which an apartment becomes vacant in NYCHA’s system and when certain units are taken off of the rent roll. NYCHA classifies apartments as either being on the rent roll (on roll) or off of the rent roll (off roll). On roll units are those that are either occupied by a tenant or in the process of being turned over to a new tenant. Off roll units are those that are not available for residential use for an extended period of time due to major repair or renovation.
(read more…)
