Broken Spiral Slide. Image credit: City of New York Office of the Comptroller.

549 NYCHA-owned playgrounds have hazardous conditions and lack of repair and maintenance records. On April 4, 2018, Comptroller Scott M. Stringer released an audit of New York City Housing Authority playgrounds’ conditions and maintenance. NYCHA is responsible for the maintenance of each development’s playgrounds. Results from playground inspections are required to be entered into NYCHA’s electronic system for tracking maintenance and physical repair work. However, the Comptroller’s audit shows that NYCHA failed to consistently maintain playgrounds. (read more…)

Mayor de Blasio at the April 5th press conference. Image credit: Mayor’s Office.

Roof rehabilitations are part of the de Blasio administration’s plan to improve NYCHA’s physical infrastructure and safety. On April 5, 2018, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the roofs at 65 NYCHA buildings have been completely replaced as part of the Mayor’s plan to replace the roofs of NYCHA buildings. Mayor de Blasio has invested $1.3 billion so far to repair 950 roofs of NYCHA buildings. The new roofs will reduce mold on NYCHA buildings and provide a long-term, cost-effective solution to improve the quality of life for tenants. (read more…)

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 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…)

Ten Year Projections for Roof Replacements. Image Credit: Mayor’s Office.

City to slate $1 billion in City capital for the replacement of over 700 deteriorating roofs in next decade. On January 24, 2017, Mayor Bill de Blasio and New York City Housing Authority Chair Shola Olatoye announced a capital commitment of $1 billion to replace deteriorating roofs on buildings owned by the NYCHA over the next 10 years. The Mayor had previously committed $300 million in 2015 over three years. The $1.3 billion is expected to fix over 950 roofs for the benefit of over 175,000 residents. (read more…)

Mark Peters, Commissioner of the Department of Investigation. Image credit: CityLand

The Department of Investigation’s Report found that NYCHA maintenance workers were negligent in their duties to ensure smoke and CO detectors were functioning. On October 4, 2016, the Department of Investigation issued a Report finding that New York City Housing Authority maintenance workers frequently ignored their obligation to perform safety checks and often falsified documents to cover up their negligence. DOI Commissioner Mark G. Peters stated in the Report that, “DOI has now found that NYCHA workers blatantly flouted basic precautions, supervisors failed to check on them, and tragedy was the result.” (read more…)