Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams wants to take legislative action so public housing officials can get necessary repairs to residences more effectively.
In a letter to New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) Chairwoman Shola Olatoye, Adams and other elected officials requested the housing authorityto speed up needed replacements on public housing properties. Adams also wants Gov. Andrew Cuomo to pass legislation so that one contractor can design, build, and install an infrastructure project, streamlining and greatly speeding up the construction process, according to a press release.
Gowanus Houses resident Margaret Brishbon told NTD about how she survived the coldest winter nights while her apartment did not have heat. She has been a resident since 1971.
“This is not the first year. I have been having heat problems ever since I’ve been living here,” Brishbon said. “I have to sleep in socks and everything I can think of to keep warm.”
Adams is also seeking to bring private investment to public housing. He has started reaching out to successful people who used to live in public housing asking their help to address the current needs, according to the press release about ongoing projects. This will give residents real-time information on infrastructure and quality of life issues, according to the press release.
“Clearly the starting point is to create a way using technology to do a real analysis on what are the problems in NYCHA. Once we do that, come up with timetables to analyze and ensure we move toward a progressive repair schedule,” Adams told NTD.
Adams also mentioned that the city’s proposed $200 million comes nowhere near the billions that are needed to solve the problems. He said that legislators at the city, state, and federal level need to pay more attention to NYCHA.
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