For years, NYCHA tenants have faced a wide range of issues, such as infestation, cracked ceilings, and other horrid living conditions. There has been a pattern of NYCHA attorneys point to the Physical Needs Assessment (PNA) as an excuse for why they will not repair tenants’ apartments, even when those repairs are as simple as putting in a sink or patching a wall so there is no exposed wiring. The Public Housing Justice Project Director Anna Luft and Staff Attorney Sophie Cohen spoke at a rally in front of City Hall and testified in a hearing held by the Committee on Public Housing about these long-standing issues. Below is an excerpt from our testimony:
“The appalling living conditions facing NYCHA residents operate at two levels. The first is systemic. NYCHA’s 2023 Physical Needs Assessment, or ‘PNA,’ estimates 20-year physical needs of $78.3 billion across NYCHA’s current holdings. NYCHA has indicated that 54% of these needs are immediate, requiring repair or replacement in the next year. Likewise, NYCHA has indicated that approximately half of the overall need can be covered through current funding, including capital projects, and privatization schemes.”
