One Brooklyn
“I thank DOI Commissioner Peters and his team for uncovering the failures of NYCHA to conduct mandatory lead testing within their apartments. Along with the City Council, their oversight role is proving critical in addressing fundamental issues facing Brooklyn’s developments. Nothing can be more important than ensuring all of our public housing residents have safe places to raise healthy children and families. There is a systemic problem with lead exposure that our City must show it is serious in addressing, namely with ensuring compliance and enforcement of existing laws and regulations. I have communicated these concerns with City Hall, and my administration will continue to monitor this matter.
“There was a major oversight in NYCHA’s certification of documents to HUD indicating required testing had been completed. The City has a responsibility to get to the bottom of this failure, as well as to ensure the agency’s systems for conducting and reviewing its inspections are working the way we expect. Chair Olatoye has rightfully owned the error. She needs to lead efforts to correct it going forward.
“Decades of mismanagement, and budgetary abandonment from both Albany and Washington, created the crisis facing NYCHA today. We cannot and will not accept anything less than above-and-beyond effort from every agency official in improving the quality of life at our developments. The time is now for answers, and the time is now for results.”
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