Council Concerned Over Cameras, Senior Centers at Public Housing Hearing

When the executive budget was first announced by Mayor Bill de Blasio, Chairman of the Committee on Public Housing  Ritchie Torres said the city needed to make a capital investment in resident safety at all New York City Housing Authority buildings. 

That message rang prominently again throughout the joint budget meeting of the Committee on Public Housing and on Finance yesterday. Just two days after the stabbing of 6-year old P.J. Avitto and 7-year old Mikayla Capers in an elevator of the Boulevard Houses in East New York. Councilman Torres reiterated the need for coordinated funding for security enhancements in public housing.  Despite $27 million having been already allocated for the cameras prior to the incident, they have yet to be installed.  NYCHA Chairwoman Shola Olatoye told Council members the task would be complete by the end of the year.

Just hours before the hearing, Mayor de Blasio blasted the authority for the delays in installing the security cameras. He committed to having the cameras in place by the end of the year. 

“I think it was a bad strategic decision by NYCHA to not simply put those cameras in place immediately,” de Blasio said. “I understand cameras are not a panacea but they're part of the process of fighting crime and one of the great tools we have.”

In addition to concerns about resident safety, Council members inquired about the 57 community and senior centers set to close on June 30th if the city does not step in with funding. The committees had been under the impression that NYCHA was only requesting $10 million to keep the centers open. But according to Chairwoman Shola Olatoye, the operating cost of a single center is approximately $300,000, meaning that  NYCHA in fact needs $17.1 million.

The next budget meeting is on Friday in the Council chambers.