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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Rosemary Williams, Public Health Leader and NYCHA Resident
5:10:57
ยท
171 sec
Rosemary Williams, a NYCHA resident, provided testimony about her experiences living in public housing, highlighting issues of safety, health, and unresolved complaints. She shared personal stories of dangerous living conditions in both Eastchester Gardens and Ingersoll Houses, emphasizing the lack of response from various authorities.
- Described being kidnapped and raised in Eastchester projects, with NYCHA failing to question discrepancies in her living situation
- Reported ongoing issues with rats, mice, and dangerous living conditions in her current NYCHA apartment
- Claimed to have made complaints to various officials and organizations, including NYCHA management, politicians, and federal agencies, without resolution
Rosemary Williams
5:10:57
Hello.
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My name is Rosemary Williams.
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I I was a presidential candidate in the twenty two twenty twenty four elections.
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I'm a public health leader.
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I have owned a home based childcare business for fifteen years.
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I've been a lobbyist since I was nine years old.
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I have worked for senator Jesse Hamilton, mayor Tony Harp, senator Mike Fowler.
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I worked at president Barack Obama's first inauguration.
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I currently live in Ingersoll Houses, and before this, I lived in Eastchester Gardens.
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My company and I was featured on NYCHA's journal website.
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So I'm here today to talk about my how public housing has affected me and my family.
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So life has never been easy for me in public housing.
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I was kidnapped and raised in Eastchester project.
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Staff never requested or questioned why my mother's name on the birth certificate was different from my mother's name on the lease.
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Neither did my public school, yet they put me on the lease anyway for sixteen years before I ran away.
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I would wake up wanting to go to the park, and I couldn't go to the park because of a baby being thrown in a trash can in the park or there was dead bodies laying in the middle of a walkway right outside.
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Public housing has never been safe for children, women, or men, or families.
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Residents don't respect staff.
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Residents and visitors are dangerous.
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I was given a substance in the Eastchester apartment, and I blacked out for three days.
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And only after I woke up was I then transported to a hospital where blood result tests said that I was pregnant.
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My handler was on the news for finding a baby on the ground from the adjacent building.
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When I went to the Brooklyn DA's office, they questioned my handlers that raised me in Eastchester projects, and they were told, you're playing with fire.
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Leave it alone.
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Someone in the same family I then went to a DV shelter and got a an apartment with NYCHA on my own.
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Someone in the same family stole this apartment for five years prior to me moving in.
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I've been fighting rats and mice for the last nine years in this apartment.
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The
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5:12:53
wall looks like
Rosemary Williams
5:12:54
this building under me as I'm on the
Chris Banks
5:12:57
first expire expired, if you would like thirty seconds time?
5:13:02
Thirty seconds to wrap it up, ma'am.
Rosemary Williams
5:13:04
Alright.
5:13:04
So in conclusion, I have made, reports to Jermani Williams, Reverend R.
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Sharpton, to the White House, to FBI.
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Nothing has been resolved.
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My housing manager has put his hands on me.
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They have transients that are paid for by NYPD with a partnership with NYCHA, and they refused to move these transients.
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These transients has asked me to sell myself, sell drugs.
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I have a home based childcare business that I've had for over fifteen years.
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I'm not able to do that.
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So I've made all complaints and all human councils, all possible authorities, and nothing has been said.
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I am a mandated reporter, and NYCHA should be shut down immediately.
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I'm done.
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Thank you.
Chris Banks
5:13:48
Thank you for your testimony.