By Greg B. Smith
The state health department will open an investigation into what impact NYCHA’s lead paint failures have had on public housing tenants in southern Queens.
State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker announced the inquiry during a budget hearing Monday in Albany.
State Sen. James Sanders (D-Jamaica) mentioned problems with lead
paint, as well as mold and heating outages, in NYCHA developments in his
district, which includes South Jamaica, Ozone Park and parts of Far
Rockaway.
“I'm very concerned about what's going on,” Sanders said. “What can you
do about this problem that's in NYCHA? We need to have some type of
resolution to this problem of mold, lead and heating problems.”
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Statement from Alphonso David, Counsel to Governor Andrew Cuomo
"I am in receipt of a letter from Councilman Robert Cornegy dated February 14, 2018, and available here. I am also aware of the public statements of Councilman Cornegy and his colleagues this morning.
"We agree with Councilman Cornegy's assertion that the situation at the New York City Public Housing Authority is intolerable. Public Housing residents pursuant to federal and state law, deserve decent, safe, and habitable housing. The danger posed by lead paint combined with possible mold and heating issues is a threat to public health and an insult to the residents of public housing. The State stands ready to help in any way possible and has provided more than $300 million dollars in financial assistance to NYCHA. This level of support from the State is unprecedented and historic. There are over 150 Public Housing Authorities in the State, and NYCHA is the only one to get significant State financial aid. However, we also agree with the Councilman that the problem is not merely funding, but even more so the management's ability to actually perform the necessary repairs. As we understand, NYCHA's current timeline to actually implement repairs it is approximately three years. Given the urgency of this matter, that is three years too long.
"The State Department of Health has agreed to a request by Senator James Sanders to inspect the housing authority in his district but we agree with the Councilman that the problem is system-wide. The question we pose to the Councilman Cornegy and City Council is how can the State best help to address the issue. This State does have the power to declare an emergency. A Declaration of Emergency can take various forms from expediting contracting mechanisms to intervening with actual task completion. That is the discussion we must now have.
"There are also a number of outstanding New York City related issues that must be addressed and resolved and have been included in the State budget due April 1. We had a productive meeting with the City Councilmembers last week and will be meeting, at their convenience, next week, to further the NYCHA discussion and the other relevant issues. We thank Councilman Cornegy, Speaker Johnson and their colleagues for their diligence and stand ready to be of assistance.
Sources: The New York Daily News and the Press Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
"We agree with Councilman Cornegy's assertion that the situation at the New York City Public Housing Authority is intolerable. Public Housing residents pursuant to federal and state law, deserve decent, safe, and habitable housing. The danger posed by lead paint combined with possible mold and heating issues is a threat to public health and an insult to the residents of public housing. The State stands ready to help in any way possible and has provided more than $300 million dollars in financial assistance to NYCHA. This level of support from the State is unprecedented and historic. There are over 150 Public Housing Authorities in the State, and NYCHA is the only one to get significant State financial aid. However, we also agree with the Councilman that the problem is not merely funding, but even more so the management's ability to actually perform the necessary repairs. As we understand, NYCHA's current timeline to actually implement repairs it is approximately three years. Given the urgency of this matter, that is three years too long.
"The State Department of Health has agreed to a request by Senator James Sanders to inspect the housing authority in his district but we agree with the Councilman that the problem is system-wide. The question we pose to the Councilman Cornegy and City Council is how can the State best help to address the issue. This State does have the power to declare an emergency. A Declaration of Emergency can take various forms from expediting contracting mechanisms to intervening with actual task completion. That is the discussion we must now have.
"There are also a number of outstanding New York City related issues that must be addressed and resolved and have been included in the State budget due April 1. We had a productive meeting with the City Councilmembers last week and will be meeting, at their convenience, next week, to further the NYCHA discussion and the other relevant issues. We thank Councilman Cornegy, Speaker Johnson and their colleagues for their diligence and stand ready to be of assistance.
Sources: The New York Daily News and the Press Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
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