NYCHA could still face federal takeover, Ben Carson says

A federal takeover of the New York City Housing Authority is still on the table.

Ben Carson, head of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, commented on the possibility of putting NYCHA into federal receivership during a tour at the Queensbridge Houses, the New York Daily News reported. Mayor Bill de Blasio has said it’s not an option he favors.

“There’s a host of things that are going to be required that I think are reasonable, and that can be accomplished,” Carson told the newspaper. “If it can be accomplished without a receivership, great. If it requires some type of receivership, it requires some type of receivership.”

Carson sent NYCHA a letter requiring that a plan to fix the authority — including milestones and metrics — be submitted by Jan. 31. His visit came after a federal judge rejected an agreement among the city, NYCHA, HUD and the Manhattan U.S. attorney to bring in a federal monitor.

Earlier this month, NYCHA said it plans to sell air rights and open some land to private development in order to raise money for repairs. The authority aims to raise $3 billion — as part of de Blasio’s $24 billion plan to help NYCHA upgrade its 170,000 apartments. [NYDN] — Meenal Vamburkar