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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Dr. Keisha Crawford, Resident Management Corporation Chair of Stuyvesant Gardens
0:18:51
ยท
7 min
Dr. Keisha Crawford, speaking as the Resident Management Corporation Chair of Stuyvesant Gardens, detailed years of neglect, poor living conditions, and recent intimidation tactics used to force residents into conversion. Dr. Crawford announced a binding resolution rejecting RAD/PACT and threatened legal action if harassment continues.
- Described chronic issues like mold, leaks, and pest infestations in Stuyvesant Gardens
- Alleged violations of federal housing laws, ADA non-compliance, and tenant harassment
- Demanded a freeze on RAD/PACT conversions and an independent oversight body
- Gave NYCHA and involved parties 7 days to correct course before escalating legal and legislative actions
Keisha Crawford
0:18:51
Yes.
0:18:52
Thank you.
0:18:54
Thank you for the opportunity to be heard.
0:18:57
My name is doctor Keisha Crawford, and I stand before you only as long as long as a long time resident of Stuyvesant Gardens, but as the duly elected resident management corporation RMC chair.
0:19:12
Today, I speak on behalf of the residents who have endured years of neglect, deception, and now direct retaliation by RAD PAC and NYCHA.
0:19:24
I have been threatened, lied upon, and retali excuse me, retali excuse me, retaliated and
Chris Banks
0:19:32
Take your time.
Keisha Crawford
0:19:33
Against simply for exercising my rights, advocating for my community and demanding transparency, ability, and fairness.
0:19:43
I I moved into Stuyvesant Gardens with the hope of providing my family with a stable home.
0:19:49
Instead, for decades, I, along with my neighbors, have suffered through deplorable living conditions, the lack of installation installation, malfunctioning malfunctioning radiators that spew steam in the bathroom vents that have never worked have led to chronic mold infestation infestations in our closets and bathrooms.
0:20:15
Leaks for above are routine routinely excuse me, y'all.
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I'm just
Chris Banks
0:20:22
Take your time.
0:20:22
You got that.
Keisha Crawford
0:20:24
Above are routinely patched up without addressing the root cause allowing moisture to fester attracting roaches and mice to scurry through our walls.
0:20:38
When we ask about the future of our development, we we are met sound we are met with silence, have truth, our upright misinformation.
0:20:48
I was personally approached by individuals pushing Radpac's agenda asking asking me I what I wanted.
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My answer was simple accountability.
0:20:59
Instead of a meaningful response, I was told I should simply be happy with a nice apartment and accept whatever is handed to me.
0:21:07
That is that is unacceptable.
0:21:11
Residents are being harassed, intimidated, and told that they must sign documents without being given full and honest disclosures.
0:21:19
We have seniors we have seniors in we have seniors in who were told that their heat the heat would not be turned back on unless they signed new leases.
0:21:32
Where is the morality where is the morality in that?
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Where is the legal justification?
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Where is the oversight?
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We have submitted multiple multiple requests for reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA, and those requests has been ignored or denied without cause.
0:21:55
This is a clear violation of federal law under 24 CFR 42 USC and New York City human rights law.
0:22:08
The My NYCHA system is riddled with conflicts of interest and maintenance tickets are regularly closed without resolution allowing these hazardous conditions to persist beyond the deteriorating excuse me.
Simone Hall
0:22:27
Beyond the
Keisha Crawford
0:22:30
deteriorating conditions, we are witnessing a coordinated effort to silence and coherence residents into compliance.
0:22:38
We have reports of we have reports of tenants being told that if they do not open their doors, their locks will be drilled open.
0:22:46
Let me act let me let me ask you this.
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Is this what transparency looks like?
0:22:51
Why is RadPad threatening residents to force them into conversion?
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Who benefits from this this scheme?
0:22:57
Certainly not the certainly the residents
Chris Banks
0:22:59
You have a minute to
Keisha Crawford
0:23:01
wrap it Instead, NYCHA instead, NYCHA dodges ability developers profit NYCHA dodges accountability developers profit, financial institutions rake in the rewards, antennas are left left and tenants are left in the dark confused, misinformed, and struggling with the mental and emotional toll of this manufactured chaos.
0:23:24
Enough is enough.
0:23:25
The residents of Stuyvesant Gardens have passed a binding resolution rejecting RAD PAC, Coercion, and fraud.
0:23:31
We have asserted our rights, and we will judge we would take judgical legislative and watchdog measures to prevent the conversion of our development.
0:23:43
This letter this letter serve as a form of siege as and desist demand to NYCHA and does all associated into entities after harassment, intimidation, and fraudulently seized within seven business days, we will, number one, file formal complaints with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, HUD, the new the New York controller, the New York attorney general, and federal watch talk agencies.
0:24:13
Two, pursue legal action against NYCHA and all involved parties for violation of federal of federal housing laws, ADA, noncompliance, and tenant harassment.
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Three, petition legislators to conduct to conduct oversight hearings into NYSHA's mismanagement and misconduct under RAD PAC.
0:24:33
Four, mobilize media coverage and expose the corruption, intimidation, and coercing being exposed on tenants.
0:24:42
We would not be forced into conversion against our will.
0:24:46
Other other developments were given the right to choose their future.
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Why is it why is that right being strike stripped from us?
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We demand on on freeze on RAD PAC we demand a freeze on RAD PAC conversions into into a full transparent investigation is conducted.
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And we demand and the and the and we demand an independent oversight body that does not direct conflict and interest with NYCHA or private developer.
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Doctor Martin Luther King doctor Martin Luther King Junior once said, our begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.
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Stuyvesant Gardens matter.
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Our voices matter.
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Our rights matter.
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NYCHA NYCHA, RAD PAC, and all and all involved party.
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You, NYCHA, RAD PAC, and all involved parties, you have seven days to correct your curse, your course.
0:25:46
If not, we will escalate every legal legislative and public action available to us.
0:25:53
We refuse to be ignored, and we refuse to be be silent.
0:25:58
Respectfully, doctor Keisha Crawford, resident management corporation chair, Stuyvesant Gardens.
0:26:04
Thank you.
0:26:04
Thank