PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Darren Sealy, Program Manager of Housing Resource Center at Red Hook Community Justice Center
2:36:55
·
160 sec
Darren Sealy, representing the Housing Resource Center at Red Hook Community Justice Center, testified about critical issues faced by NYCHA residents, focusing on leaks and asbestos abatement. He highlighted the inefficiencies in NYCHA's repair process and the need for more resources to address health hazards.
- 85,000 repair cases have been filed in housing court by NYCHA residents of Red Hook houses since the start of the year, many related to leaks.
- Asbestos abatements are a long-standing issue, with tenants frequently receiving prolonged remediation.
- The neighborhood model has provided increased transparency to tenants around skilled trade tickets and minor repair issues.
Darren Sealy
2:36:55
Good afternoon.
2:36:56
Chair banks and esteemed members of the committee on public housing.
2:36:58
My name is Darren Silly, and I serve as the program manager for the housing resource center at the Rental Community Justice Center And Initiative of the Center for Justice Innovation.
2:37:07
Thank you for the opportunity to testify today.
2:37:09
On behalf of our work supporting Nigeria residents.
2:37:12
Across the center, we work to prevent evictions, respond to hazardous prepared conditions, and increased tenant financial and legal well-being.
2:37:19
The center often serves as a bridge between the court systems, city agencies, legal service providers, and communities.
2:37:25
Our neighborhood based work supports tenants taking actions on repairs, rent, and lease issues, and night shift.
2:37:32
Today, I would like to tell you 2 critical issues we see daily in our court and community stemming from challenges with leaks and asbestos abatement.
2:37:42
Since the start of the year, 85,000 repair cases have been filed in a housing court by nature residents of the Red Oak houses, many evolving, many evolving arising from leaks.
2:37:53
Many of these cases display the inefficiencies of an agency that is not well enough equipped to provide Abu Dhabi housing for its tenants.
2:37:59
An apartment is your home.
2:38:00
It's where you raise your family.
2:38:02
It's where you share those precious moments together.
2:38:04
We all deserve to feel safe and own homes.
2:38:07
Residents should not have to live with the physical, financial, and emotional consequences of reoccurring leaks and mold with no permanent solution in sight.
2:38:14
This is a a reality for many housing residents.
2:38:17
It's far too common for residents to have to submit work order tickets and then file housing repair cases in court when those work order tickets go unaddressed.
2:38:26
And these are reoccurring issues on a daily basis, and these issues are also not isolated just to Redhook.
2:38:33
An action needs to engage a small capital gains small capital plans to resolve leak issues.
2:38:39
Furthermore, while the new adoption of healthy homes as part of night shift transmission plan is good progress and to move in the right direction, we have seen shortfalls in the approach and dealing with asbestos abatements being conducted.
2:38:51
Asbestos abatements are longs long standing repair issues on the Redwood Housing Court docket tenant frequency re received prolonged remediation.
Chris Banks
2:38:59
30 seconds of record.
Darren Sealy
2:39:00
Asbestos abatements for floor titans.
2:39:04
Considering that the mission of healthy homes is to eliminate dangerous health hazards, the program should receive necessary resources to conduct their work expeditiously.
2:39:13
Both of the issues we highlighted today reflect the need for centralized strategy and more targeted resource to resolve pressing health issues residents are living in.
2:39:23
On a more positive note, we have seen how the neighborhood model has provided increased transparency to tenants around skilled trade tickets and minor repair issues.
2:39:32
Thank you again for the opportunity to testify.
