Ready For NYCHA 2.0? Mayor Promises Public Housing Fixes Are Imminent
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- There are more changes coming to the New York City Housing Authority.
On Wednesday, the city made two announcements, one on how work hours could be extended to make repairs at better hours for residents, and the other on where more of the money for those repairs will come from, CBS2's Alice Gainer reported.
The problems plaguing NYCHA are more than well documented at this point, but Mayor Bill de Blasio swears the fixes are coming.
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Last month it was announced the city would convert 62,000 public housing apartments to Section 8. That would allow developers to lease the buildings, addressing billions of dollars in needed capitol.
The mayor said in addition to that NYCHA will launch three new programs, calling it NYCHA 2.0.
Build to preserve: This will allow new development on NYCHA land, and then the use of that money for repairs.
Transfer to preserve: Acquiring money by selling air rights.
Fix to preserve: Rapidly addressing heating, mold, lead and pests. For example, installing door sweeps and adding 20 new exterminators.
Mayor de Blasio announces new NYCHA plan:
And in a second news conference, a tentative labor deal was announced. If ratified, members of Teamsters Local 237 would see new rules for the first time in about 50 years.
Instead of a Monday through Friday schedule of 8 a.m. to 4:30 pm for caretakers and supervisors, there are now schedules that cover 6 a.m. through 7 p.m., seven days a week.
"That allows the residents of NYCHA the maximum opportunity to be home to open the door for folks coming to make repairs in their own apartment," de Blasio said.
It will come at a cost -- wage increases, weekend differential, and a one-time bonus.
City officials claim this agreement saves them what overtime would have cost them.
NYCHA is also hiring more than 200 new caretakers, with the preference going to NYCHA residents for these jobs.
"To start off as a caretaker and you can actually end up being an administrator in the housing authority and possibly one day running the housing authority," said Gregory Floyd, president of Teamsters Local 237.
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With many hoping by then it's in better shape than it is today.
The city has also waived NYCHA's annual pilot -- or payments in lieu of taxes -- and NYPD payments to the city, which amount to about $100 million a year.
