A Manhattan federal judge blasted NYCHA as an agency “in crisis” and raised questions about whether its myriad problems can be fixed, even with a monitor backed by the powerful Manhattan US Attorney’s office.
Judge William Pauley made the comments at a court hearing over legal settlements to fix NYCHA that need to be approved by him, including a deal announced last month by Manhattan US Attorney Geoffrey Berman, which calls for a federal monitor to oversee the agency.
“There is no case of greater public importance pending before this court, as evidenced by the near daily revelations,” the judge said at the start of the hearing. “NYCHA is in crisis and the public-health emergencies arising from the lead and mold problems jeopardize the heath and the well-being of 400,000 tenants.”
Still, the judge said he has “concerns about the ability of the consent decree to meaningfully effect the urgently needed reforms” at the troubled agency.
And when questioning lawyers for the government about their planned settlement, the judge seemed to question whether NYCHA is even fixable.
“Can you explain to me what is the basis for believing NYCHA’s obligations are realistic and achievable — even with a monitor?” he asked the government’s lawyers.
A lawyer with the Manhattan US Attorney’s office’s civil division responded that the monitor would be in charge — not NYCHA.
“This monitor will be working with NYCHA but ultimately with its own authority,” government lawyer Robert Yalen said.
The judge also questioned lawyers about a separate civil settlement over recurring mold in tenants’ apartments, which he previously blasted as problematic in light of NYCHA’s “willingness to agree to anything without regard to whether it can comply.”
He has yet to approve either deal.
The next hearing is scheduled for Sept. 26th.
Also on Tuesday, lawyers for NYCHA tenants’ group City-Wide Council of Presidents argued that they be added to the case, saying “the tenants have a right to play an active role in the management of their homes.”
Scherisce Lewis-Clinton, an 18-year president of the South Beach houses in Staten Island, agreed, saying the tenants are their own best representatives.
“NYCHA has never spoken for the tenants. They make a decision and then tell us about it afterwards,” she said after the hearing.
“For four years my family had mold poisoning,” she said.
Now she needs a kidney transplant and her husband is a match but his blood needs to be cleared of mold before she can receive it.
“We are dying,” she said.