Politics
How the Empire State Can Help Fix NYCHA's Decay
New York City’s largest landlord is failing to adequately house and repair its decaying buildings. But there is a solution—even during this time of federal and public housing budget cuts. New York State Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman’s settlement proceeds can help restore the New York City Housing Authority.
At the state level, there is a surplus of funds thanks to record financial settlements from major New York players in the nation’s capital markets industry. Meanwhile, there is only $25 million earmarked for NYCHA capital repair funding in Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s 2015-16 Executive Budget. With over 179,000 apartments, NYCHA has more than 330 developments across the five boroughs—and many are in desperate need of repair and maintenance.
In the Bronx, there are nearly 38,000 Section 8 units under lease—the largest percentage of Section 8 units in New York City. For the 77th Assembly District, this includes thousands of my constituents and nearly 10 NYCHA developments. And these buildings are in bad shape. The Housing Authority notes that more than 75 percent of its buildings are over three decades old. Since 2001, NYCHA says it has lost about $900 million in funding for capital improvements and reductions in federal funding cuts have also led the city’s largest landlord to hold off on accepting and/or processing any new Section 8 voucher applications. The closure of this essential housing program to new applicants has only served to worsen the shortage of affordable housing in New York and is plainly unacceptable.
According to the Community Service Society, a group focused on fighting poverty and strengthening New York, NYCHA’s shortfall is not new—sadly it has lasted for fourteen years. In 2011, even before Superstorm Sandy wreaked havoc and federal funding was cut due to sequestration, the public housing authority’s funding gap was more than $60 million. This does not include the more than $6 billion needed to repair their deteriorating infrastructure. NYCHA even admits that the state of repairs and response times at developments have been dismal. For instance, repair requests for compactors, doors, intercoms, leaks, mildew and roof fans have all lengthened.
Meanwhile, NYCHA Chair and CEO Shola Olatoye has admitted previously that there needs to be a revolution in how funding and proper maintenance are achieved. According to Olatoye, “It’s time to make innovative, practical, difficult choices about how we operate, how we are financed and the ways we rebuild and rehabilitate our 2,500 properties. Creating clean, safe and connected communities has to start from the ground up.”
Funding at the state level may be more readily available to help jump-start these communities. Early last year, Gov. Cuomo and Attorney General Schneiderman broached this idea when additional deposits into the state’s general fund were proposed from a landmark $613 million securities settlement with JPMorgan Chase. It was ultimately allocated for housing-related programs: Schneiderman’s office took a piece in order to create programs aimed at preventing avoidable home foreclosures and future financial fraud. Up to 15 percent of the record settlement was slated for deposit into the state treasury, multiple media accounts stated.
Bronx families that live in NYCHA buildings should not have to accept their current situations when there is readily available funding to help rectify these problems. In Albany, I will work with my Assembly colleagues to push for solutions, and I will urge the attorney general to put money from his office’s settlement proceeds toward the Housing Authority and Gov. Cuomo to prioritize NYCHA properties when divvying up state funding. Community members and families need this influx of cash to help repair and maintain their homes.
Latoya Joyner is the Assembly Member representing the 77th District in the Bronx.
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