Image credit: Office of the Mayor.

De Blasio Administration will focus on reducing rat population through different extermination measures. On April 17, 2018, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a new rat extermination plan for the NYCHA’s ten most rat-infested developments. The extermination plan is part of the Mayor’s $32 million Neighborhood Rat Reduction Program to reduce rat populations in the most infested City neighborhoods: ­­­­­­­Grand Concourse in the Bronx, Chinatown, East Village, and Lower East Side in Manhattan, and Bushwick and Bedford-Stuyvesant in Brooklyn. This plan is also furthers the de Blasio Administration’s goal to preserve and strengthen public housing. (more…)

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. (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. (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. (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. (more…)