Residents, Public Advocate Blast NYCHA For 'Unacceptable' Rent Credit Plan
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Large parts of Brooklyn's biggest housing project still have no lights, heat or hot water.
But for now, people still have to pay to live there.
WCBS 880's Alex Silverman reports
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Over the weekend, the vice chair of the New York City Housing Authority announced public housing residents impacted by Sandy will get a break in their rent.
That credit will not appear until the January 2013 rent bills go out, the city announced.
Residents of the Red Hook Houses said that is too little, too late.
"And they think, 'well, you should be appreciative of that.' Well, I'm not," NYCHA resident Nahisha McCoy-Freeman said. "I sprained the entire right side of my shoulder into my back."
New York City Public Advocate Bill de Blasio also criticized NYCHA's plan.
"The decent thing to do is say to these folks, 'you do not have to pay rent,'" de Blasio told WCBS 880's Alex Silverman.
"To wait months for a credit when people have so many other problems and challenges is just unacceptable," de Blasio said. "It's outrageous that NYCHA can't figure out what to do in this situation."
Residents said their biggest concern now is that their power and heat are still out more than two weeks since Sandy hit.
"I don't care about a rent credit. I would pay my rent," Red Hook Houses resident Orlando Berrios told Silverman. "I want results, we need our results. We've been here every day, day in and day out, with our families. People don't deserve this."
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