FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND NEW YORK CITY HOUSING AUTHORITY FILE STATUS REPORT ON EFFORTS TO CORRECT PUBLIC HOUSING FAILURES
NYCHA has until January 31, 2019 to produce a plan of action acceptable to HUD

NEW YORK - The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) and the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) today will file a joint status report with a federal court that updates the courts on the progress being made to fix NYCHA's documented failure to provide decent, safe, and sanitary housing and requests time for further discussions.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) also today sent a letter to NYCHA providing that NYCHA has until January 31, 2019, to produce a plan of action acceptable to HUD that remediates NYCHA's longstanding issues with management, lead, mold, heat, elevators, and vermin. If an acceptable arrangement is not reached, HUD intends to declare NYCHA in substantial default of its legal obligation to provide decent, safe, and healthy housing to its residents. This would provide to HUD Secretary Ben Carson a wide range of remedies under the United States Housing Act of 1937 and other legal authorities.

"Declaring substantial default is never our first choice but unless and until New York City can produce an acceptable roadmap forward, I will not hesitate to exercise my legal authority to impose more serious sanctions," said HUD Secretary Ben Carson. "The families who are enduring unimaginably poor housing conditions deserve better from their housing authority. We need bold new solutions for an old problem and I earnestly hope the City is serious about turning a new page for NYCHA."

HUD will not agree to any arrangement put forward by NYCHA unless it establishes tangible goals and milestones to address serious health and safety hazards in the housing authority's properties, including lead-based paint hazards and mold.

Any plan produced by NYCHA also must address the following set of key principles:

• A sustainable commitment to decent, safe and sanitary affordable housing using all tools available
• Setting specific performance targets for lead, mold, elevator, heat and vermin issues
• Robust oversight to assure remediation objectives are met
• Milestones for measuring meaningful progress toward remediation goals and other institutional improvements at NYCHA
• Reduction of unwarranted costs and elimination of bureaucratic impediments to efficient operations
• Management of the highest quality and commitment
• Local control of day-to-day operations by NYCHA and New York City
• Strong remedies that are immediately available to address any future failure to perform, whether in the case of individuals or organizational structures
• Commitment of all relevant emergency powers available to NYCHA by New York City and New York State
• Commitment of additional financial resources from New York City and New York State for remediation and future sustainability

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HUD's mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and http://espanol.hud.gov.

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