NYC Housing Authority Accused of Lying About Poor Living Conditions

On Monday, federal prosecutors charged the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) of lying about lead poisoning numbers at their largest public housing agency. U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York Geoffrey Berman filed the complaints in the Manhattan District Court and afterward required for the city to use 2.2$ billion to fix the mistakes.

Berman accuses the managers of having reported lower than accurate numbers of children poisoned by lead paint. They were exposed to the paint after it peeled, endangering the lives of thousands of families in the buildings. The number of exposed children between 2010 and 2016 was nineteen, but Berman argues that this number undermines the effect that peeling paint has on the tenants. Berman stated to the press after the case was processed: “the 19 cases understate the true extent of lead poisoning likely to have been caused by crumbling lead paint at NYCHA. … There is every reason to believe the true number of children with lead poisoning is materially higher.”

He was quick to publicly blame the NYCHA’s administration for the events, arguing that their agency’s strategy to bend justice was rewarded and they failed to hold them accountable for their actions. He then highlighted the fact that lead poisoning has not been the only problem in this agency; there have also been failing heat machines for elderly citizens during the winter and non-functioning elevators. None of these errors were notified to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; NYCHA stated that they were fulfilling their federal safety regulations.

Mayor Bill de Blasio mentioned that he was angered by the complaint and notification of an unfulfilled standard for public housing. He also stated that his administration could not have noticed these event prior, since they were lied to. He apologized to the tenants because of the inconveniences and danger to their well-being, and encouraged other institutions and groups to apologize as well.

Although Berman has not filed a criminal charge, there is a possibility for the individual managers of the NYCHA to be charged. The claims were the result of a 31-month investigation. Investigators found that the NYCHA hid defective pipes, and left elevators broken for long durations, leaving disabled residents inside their rooms for days. One description reads: “Rather than repair broken doors, managers would summon a ‘magic carpenter’ to cover the area with plywood and paint over it ‘so that the inspector will not know there is a broken door at all.’ ” The report also claims that the authority’s leaders usually dismissed the residents’ complaints and showed a defensive and confrontational attitude towards them.

The complaint further states that “NYCHA’s response to external inquiries is frequently to cover up or minimize problems that it knows to exist, and executives speaking for the agency (at best) fail to conduct basic diligence before providing HUD and the public false assurances of compliance.”

Featured Image via: Flickr/Emilio Guerra