NYCHA faces suits from hundreds of tenants over repair delays

Alfred E. Smith Housesin Lower Manhattan
Alfred E. Smith Housesin Lower Manhattan

Hundreds of residents at the Alfred E. Smith houses in Lower Manhattan are joining forces to sue the New York City Housing Authority, the New York Times reported.

In several lawsuits filed yesterday, more than 300 Smith tenants claim the NYCHA takes far too long to make basic repairs. They want the court to impose civil penalties if the agency doesn’t speed up the work on the problems, which includes leaks and holes in walls as well as broken doors and windows.

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NYCHA officials did not comment to the newspaper.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg and NYCHA vowed in January to expedite repairs and reduce a backlog of about 300,000 work orders.. Bloomberg has attributed the slow maintenance system to cuts in in federal subsidies over the last decade. [NYT] –Mark Maurer