TESTIMONY
Aisha Torres, President, Alfred E. Smith Residents' Association on Resident Exclusion, Rights Violations, and Health Concerns
2:37:49
·
4 min
Aisha Torres testifies on the exclusion of residents from the decision-making process, violations of their rights, and health issues due to the negligence of the regulatory body Nycha.
- Torres emphasizes the necessity of following regulation 964 to include residents in the decision-making process, which is currently ignored.
- She details the residents' efforts to secure their rights, including hiring an attorney, amidst health crises like 911 cancer among residents.
- Torres expresses grievance over the loss of residents to 911 cancer and stresses the impact of environmental issues, like tree removal, on residents with lung diseases.
- She advocates for resident empowerment in assessing and approving developmental decisions to ensure quality living conditions.
- Torres highlights the issues with vendors and the lack of responsiveness from the authorities to the residents' concerns.
Aisha Torres
2:37:49
Good afternoon.
2:37:51
I apologize.
2:37:52
I heard that I was called early this morning, but I was trying to do Zoom versus in person for health reasons.
2:38:02
The problem that Nyingcha has and will continue to have is as long as they don't follow the 964, which is the regulations, that means that we, the residents, are supposed to be part of the process.
2:38:17
From conception are totally excluded.
2:38:21
Right?
2:38:23
I have spent a lot of the resident participation funds acquiring having an attorney so that our rights would not be violated.
2:38:32
And even though NICE has a legal department, it doesn't mean that I feel comfortable with that.
2:38:40
I felt that we needed to have our own attorney and he spoke a little while ago on behalf of some of the things that have happened.
2:38:49
So I'm going to speak never, and I'm not gonna talk long.
2:38:55
Just know that my anger is filled with grief.
2:39:10
At least once a month, I have to go to a funeral for a resident, who's dying of 911 cancer.
2:39:21
And even though we have voiced our concerns, which is why Joel is our attorney and he I will in be indebted to him forever.
2:39:32
It is really really, really hard when we've been ignored, right, about the situation, and I'm just gonna talk as the president of Alberty Smith.
2:39:47
I am now one of the plaintiffs for the concession I am now one of plaintiffs on Beth Israel on behalf of my residence.
2:39:56
It is incredible that when we have complained So what happened last week and everybody's innocent until proven guilty.
2:40:06
Right?
2:40:07
And I and I stand by that.
2:40:09
That that that is something
UNKNOWN
2:40:11
Thank you so much.
2:40:12
Your time has expired.
Aisha Torres
2:40:14
Can I finish?
2:40:15
Because everybody else was allowed to talking.
2:40:17
I'm gonna finish well quickly.
Chris Banks
2:40:18
Yeah, ma'am.
2:40:19
You can just wrap it up.
2:40:20
You can give another minute.
Aisha Torres
2:40:22
Thank you.
2:40:23
Thank you.
2:40:24
Is that we need to make sure that the residents are really spoken to.
2:40:29
And part of the problem with these vendors and things like that and I'm saying this because I've asked, who do I complain to when there's a vendor that I need to throw out of my development?
2:40:42
Who's not doing the right job, who I don't want him to get paid.
2:40:49
Right?
2:40:49
And so to the point that I had to get an attorney so that certain things would get done.
2:40:57
Not take my trees, cut my trees off because it was easier for them instead of protecting them, which the trees help.
2:41:05
All the residents in my development right, who have serious lung disease or some kind of cancer to be able to read crush air.
2:41:15
Right?
2:41:16
And no, that doesn't happen.
2:41:17
And so until until the residents sign off and check off.
2:41:23
What needs to be done, who better than us to assess if the job is well done.
2:41:29
Then the residents were the ones
Gale Brewer
2:41:30
who are living.
2:41:31
And all of
Aisha Torres
2:41:32
the consequences, right, that have happened because unfortunately as the chair of Manhattan South, I had, like, 6 3 board developments that were affected by what happened, I have serious concerns for the resident leaders and for the record very quickly.
2:41:53
1 of the resident leaders was complaining constantly I moved it up, and, yes, it was moved up further.
2:41:59
But I'm just saying, we know what's going on in our developments.
2:42:03
We know what it what it is to live with quality and without quality.
2:42:10
And right now, most of us are living And I mean, you know, we're taxpayers.
2:42:16
We pay rent.
2:42:17
We pay mortgage rents.
2:42:18
And trust you me, we're not getting taxpayers quality, and we are not.
2:42:25
Alright.
2:42:25
Do it Ben Fargo Mortgage.
Chris Banks
2:42:27
Thank you, miss Torres.
Aisha Torres
2:42:28
For your time.
2:42:29
Yes.
2:42:29
Thank you.
Chris Banks
2:42:30
Thank you for your testimony.