New York City Comptroller Brad Lander announced a new audit on the New York City Housing Authority after tenants shared their concerns over how the housing authority is running their homes.
This started last summer when Lander’s office held roundtables citywide to speak with tenants firsthand about their main concerns living in NYCHA buildings. Two of the major issues were safety and sanitation.
After those roundtables, the audit committee conducted surveys with hundreds of tenants – 40% of whom were from the Bronx and Brooklyn.
Most of those who took the survey said they have lived in NYCHA housing for over 20 years. Their major points of concern were the lack of speed on repairs and the closing of housing issue tickets before the work is done.
The NYC Comptroller says that one audit will look into the repair process, and a second audit will look at eviction rates at Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) and Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) housing.
These are not the first audits into NYCHA in recent months – at Unity Plaza Houses last summer, one resident suggested the comptroller’s office look at whether doors were working properly – they weren’t. The office then audited 262 buildings across NYCHA and discovered 40% of all entry doors did not lock.
Lander’s office says they hope the new series of audits brings forth results similar to that previous audit.
News 12 received the following statement from NYCHA regarding these audits:
"NYCHA has the lowest eviction rate in New York City and together with its PACT partners, remains committed to providing quality housing for public housing residents. The PACT program has proven to be one of the most successful tools the Authority has for unlocking billions of dollars in funding to address long-overdue repairs, while ensuring resident input regarding the future of their homes."