The Mysterious Case of the Disappearing NYCHA Repairs

This article was written by C. Zawadi Morris.

The New York City Housing Authority has canceled so many tenant repair requests since Hurricane Sandy that it has created a huge administrative backlog and mountains of problems for tenants still waiting for fixes, the New York Daily News reported.  

NYCHA cancels repair requests if they determine a problem has been resolved or if they’re unable to gain access repeatedly to the requestor’s apartment. Typically, the agency averages about 25,000 cancellations per month.   

But after Hurricane Sandy on Oct. 29, the number of repair cancellations began to climb. In November, NYCHA cancelled 40,802 repair requests and, in December, 38,440. In January, just before Bloomberg announced the crackdown, NYCHA cancelled 58,000 requests — a record.   

In fact, the growing number of NYCHA residents who have experienced their repair requests– filed months and months earlier—suddenly disappearing have forced more and more residents to live under deplorable conditions, the News reported.   
Tenants are finding themselves trapped in a bureaucratic limbo awaiting repairs of collapsed ceilings, mold-infested walls, busted bathroom fixtures and a host of other problems.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg has promised to slash the backlog of work orders by 2014.