The City Housing Authority says it’s on track in its new effort to nearly eliminate a stunning backlog of 422,000 apartment repairs by year’s end.
NYCHA officials on Monday insisted their plan to attack the overwhelming backlog — first announced in January — was on schedule, saying they’ve eliminated 73,000 repair orders since then.
Officials also claimed the agency recently fixed one of the oldest outstanding repair “tickets” in the system — a request for painting at the Melrose Houses in the Bronx that dates back an eyebrow-raising 41/2 years.
Gregory Floyd, president of Teamsters Local 237, said he would begin surveying the 8,000 union members who work for NYCHA to see if the repairs are actually taking place as officials say.
“I’m optimistic, but I’m not going to be swayed. I’m awaiting the data,” he said.
A key complaint in NYCHA apartments is the presence of mold, often caused by leaks behind walls and ceilings.
On Monday, NYCHA General Manager Cecil House said, “We are very close to making our goals” on eliminating mold complaints.
Immediately, a tenants’ group that has criticized NYCHA’s inability to address the mold issue questioned how effective the recent repairs have been.
“We want NYCHA to succeed at eliminating the backlog, and we believe the reported increase in activity is a good sign,” said the Rev. Getty Cruz, a leader of Metro Industrial Areas Foundation.
“On the other hand, NYCHA won’t succeed if it only makes cosmetic changes — which is exactly what we see occurring in its response to the presence of health-threatening mold,” he said.
Metro Industrial Areas Foundation says tenants tell them NYCHA repair crews have shown up recently, but only paint and plaster over problems without fixing leaks behind walls or ceilings that cause mold. The group has threatened to sue, arguing that the slow response violates the Americans with Disabilities Act by subjecting people with asthma to dangerous conditions.
House said that as of Jan. 1, there was a backlog of 422,639 repair requests — far above the 338,000 revealed back in August.
To make the goal of eliminating the entire backlog by 2014, workers — including 400 recently hired tradespeople — will have to collectively average about 1,000 repairs each day.
