The federal government accused the New York City Housing Authority of misconduct that endangered tenants and workers for years and potentially left more children than previously known poisoned by lead paint in their apartments, reports Benjamin Weiser and J. David Goodman in The New York Times. They write:

Federal prosecutors in Manhattan said the housing authority, the nation’s largest with 400,000 poor and working-class residents, also covered up its actions, lying to the government and the public about its failure to comply with lead paint regulations and training its staff on how to mislead federal inspectors.

The accusations were contained in an 80-page civil complaint brought against the authority, known as NYCHA, by the office of Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States attorney in Manhattan, which was filed in federal court. In signing an accompanying consent decree, NYCHA admitted to the conduct, and as part of a broad settlement, the city agreed to spend an additional $1 billion on the authority over the next four years, and $200 million per year after that.

According to a press release by multiple federal agencies, in the consent decree , NYCHA admits, acknowledges, and accepts responsibility for several actions, including:

  • In more than half of NYCHA’s developments, NYCHA’s inspections (including statistical sampling) have confirmed the presence of lead paint somewhere on the premises, and in at least 92 developments, the inspections (including statistical sampling) have confirmed the presence of lead paint inside apartment units;
  • Since at least 2010, NYCHA has not performed most of the biennial lead paint risk assessment reevaluations required by regulation for developments containing lead paint;
  • From at least 2012 to 2016, NYCHA failed to perform visual assessments of apartments for lead paint hazards as required by regulation. In 2016, NYCHA began performing visual assessments in units where children under six reside, but NYCHA has not yet performed visual assessments in the majority of apartments that may contain lead paint;
  • Since at least 2010, NYCHA has not ensured that staff use lead-safe work practices when performing work on surfaces that may contain lead paint.;
  • Currently, after NYCHA has removed mold from apartments, the mold returns at least 30% of the time; and
  • In winter 2017-2018 alone, more than 320,000 residents, 80% of the public housing population, lost heat.

To read The New York Times article, click on the link below.

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