A closer look at repair challenges at NYCHA developments

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In recent years, New York City Housing Authority residents - particularly in Brooklyn, say they have voiced frustrations regarding unaddressed repair requests. While complaints often highlight the delays in receiving necessary services, there is a deeper narrative. Behind the scenes, NYCHA says its employees work tirelessly to manage an influx of service requests. NYCHA says each week, it receives thousands of repair requests from residents facing a range of issues, including leaky pipes, damaged floors and mold infestations. However, developments such as the Roosevelt Houses, are faced with a limited number of skilled tradespeople to address these urgent needs. “I have one carpenter, two plumbing teams, one electrical team, one brick layer team, three plasterers, and two painters," says Kelvin Darby, deputy director of Skilled Trades. The scale of the repairs needed is large, with 1,000 units and more than 2,000 residents living in the Roosevelt Houses alone. Many residents may not realize that delays are often not due to negligence, but rather a combination of aging building structures and a high volume of service requests. NYCHA has reported that the number of repair tickets varies seasonally, reflecting ongoing housing needs. The process of submitting a repair request isn't that easy, too. After filing a ticket online, the request must be categorized based on its urgency and type, which leads to multiple steps, including scheduling, getting the necessary equipment and then carrying out the actual repairs. “It's a multistep process that involves different trades and experts, each supervised to ensure that the work is being done properly," says Daniel Greene, executive vice president of Property Management. Adding to the complexity is NYCHA’s financial landscape, characterized by an $80 billion capital needs assessment. With repair requests on the rise and tight budgets, these requests are not resolved as fast as some residents would like. NYCHA urges residents to continue submitting their repair requests and says it is doing its best to meet the needs of all its residents. "