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News of more politicians jumping into the Amazon HQ2 fray today overshadowed another major development that will impact the lives of many more New Yorkers.
This June, the City of New York entered into a consent decree with the federal government requiring $2.2 billion in repairs after the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) was found liable for horrendous health and safety violations (and lying about them), including:
The presence of lead-based paint in more than 50% of all NYCHA developments.
Unhealthy mold overgrowth.
Inadequate heating (in what has to be the understatement of the year).
Broken elevators.
Pest infestations.
They also built fake walls to hide these problems from inspectors.
As Forbes reported at the time:
The decree reported almost 300 cases of mold that covered more than 100 square feet between 2014 and 2016, and around 825,000 calls to NYCHA about inadequate heat between 2011 and 2016. Last winter, 80 percent of NYCHA residents experienced heat loss in their homes.
EIGHTY PERCENT. 8 - 0.
Today, Senior U.S. District Judge William H. Pauley III rejected that consent decree in part because things are actually worse and the decree doesn't go far enough.
From his opinion (PDF download):
This Court does not reject the Proposed Consent Decree lightly. The rejection of this decree will likely delay sorely needed relief for NYCHA tenants ... Any judicial decree entered in this action will have a direct, tangible, and longlasting impact not only on the parties, but most importantly on NYCHA’s tenants.
This action may present the rare instance in which the allegations in the complaint are understated ... NYCHA’s apartments and buildings are literally falling apart—and NYCHA knows it. In March 2018, the New York State Department of Public Health found that 83% of inspected units contained some condition that could pose a health hazard to tenants.
Wow.
I spent the first 17 years of my life in a NYCHA unit. Every single one of the items at the top of this piece was true from my earliest memories until I left for college. I'm 44. NYCHA's criminal treatment of low-income residents in New York City has gone unchecked for over four decades. All while taking money out of the pockets of the poorest residents of this city for living conditions you would never wish upon your worst enemy.
NYCHA is the largest public housing authority in the country. It houses more than 403,000 residents across 326 developments. That's not 326 buildings, but rather clusters of buildings. In all, there are about 175,000 apartments.
Manhattan (102), the Bronx (100) and Brooklyn (98) have the most developments. And while Queens has only 22, the Queensbridge Houses are North America's largest housing project. Queensbridge Houses is located in ... wait for it ... Long Island City, where a certain trillion-dollar company just received a lot of state and city money to open half a headquarters.
In a statement today, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's office doubled-down on its commitment to fixing this mess:
This decision will not affect the record investment Mayor de Blasio has dedicated to reversing decades of divestment and mismanagement of public housing. For the sake of NYCHA’s residents, this Mayor’s reforms – including those outlined in the consent decree – will not stop and will not slow down. We will, at the same time, be responsive to the Court, and we look forward to continuing to partner with the United States Attorney to improve conditions in public housing.
Today's ruling requires the parties to come up with a better agreement by December 14. In the meantime, the City will move forward on its $2+ billion commitment to reforming NYCHA. Unfortunately, the Authority has a list of capital needs alone that have a price tag of almost $32 billion.
On the federal end of things, NYCHA is overseen by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development -- the agency once run by current New York Governor Andrew "Amazon" Cuomo and currently headed up by ... this guy.
It was in the 30s today in NYC. As it will be tomorrow, with the season's first snow on the way.
I live two blocks away from NYCHA's Frederick Douglass Houses. As I write this from a warm Manhattan brownstone apartment that I am blessed to be able to afford I cannot help but wonder how many of my neighbors are freezing in their own homes right now. And will be tomorrow. And the day after.
I remember those cold days and nights growing up when I piled on the blankets. When we waited for the heat to come back on. In those early years, I was too young to understand what was happening on the systemic end of things. I've long since grown up. It is a crime that NYCHA still hasn't.
(cover photo courtesy of amNY.)
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