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Q&A
Discussion on NYCHA repairs and maintenance backlog
1:18:38
ยท
3 min
Council Member Banks questions NYCHA officials about addressing the backlog of maintenance requests in his district. NYCHA COO Eva Trimble explains their efforts to improve productivity and work order completion rates.
- NYCHA claims 75% of work orders are completed with work done
- 96% of work orders opened within a given year are closed
- Council Member Banks expresses skepticism about the quality of work and responsiveness to residents
- NYCHA acknowledges the impact of capital needs on recurring maintenance issues
Chris Banks
1:18:38
And when I switching over to a repairs and maintenance backlog.
1:18:43
What steps are included in the current budget to address the backlog of maintenance requests at the developments within the 30 First District.
Eva Trimble
1:18:54
Thank you, council members.
1:18:55
So our right now, our our budget supports our existing staff of skilled trades that we are working with.
1:19:02
As I mentioned, we greatly improved our productivity across all of our areas.
1:19:07
I understand that there's still very many repairs waiting to be done, but we've been
Chris Banks
1:19:12
focused on lots of repairs.
Eva Trimble
1:19:13
Yes.
1:19:13
We understand that it's still a long time to get to repairs.
1:19:19
But we have been working very hard to align our productivity and create improvements so that we are getting to things faster and that we are getting to repairs done with work performed so that the job is getting done quicker.
1:19:32
So as I said, we have 75% of our our appointments are done our work orders are done with with work done, which means they're not getting sequenced further to other other repairs and other trades, and we're able to finish the job there.
1:19:47
For skilled trades, we are trying to stay on top of annual demand.
1:19:51
We're closing 96% of the work orders that are open within a given year, which means we are
Chris Banks
1:19:55
Is that quality work or
Eva Trimble
1:19:57
this patch Yeah.
1:19:58
We have our quality assurance team, which was set up as part of the HUD agreement, one of three oversight teams, does sample and review all of our work areas.
1:20:08
And so they go out, they review work performed.
1:20:11
If anyone has
UNKNOWN
1:20:12
issue with work quality I don't mean
Chris Banks
1:20:13
to touch the roof, but it's it's amazing.
1:20:16
We hear of of of and we see it on paper as to what NYCHA's doing and we talk about quality insurance, but it doesn't trickle down to the developments.
1:20:29
One particular development, Cypress Houses, just had a meeting with the tenant association where the manager and the superintendent basically said there's not enough resources to to fix the repairs and the development.
1:20:47
And not only that, but then you have a high staff turnover rate where you have a superintendent that comes in and and and and and when you ask him about past tickets that were put in, he has no clue.
1:21:01
He comes in and he starts just from where he starts.
1:21:05
How is how is that providing a quality service to the residents of NYCHA?
Eva Trimble
1:21:11
So I I think it's important to understand that a lot of the repairs that that our residents are facing are are really a reflection of the capital need that we've been discussing here.
1:21:21
$78,000,000,000 of capital need means that
Chris Banks
1:21:24
These are maintenance.
1:21:25
These are these are maintenance issues, man.
1:21:28
Are maintenance issues.
1:21:28
Let's be clear.
1:21:29
These are maintenance issues.
Eva Trimble
1:21:30
Repetitive nature of the of the capital need.
1:21:32
So we'll come and we'll fix a leak.
1:21:34
But because these are the original pipes, we will be back again most likely to fix that leak.
1:21:38
And and so that is something we are trying to stay on top of.
Chris Banks
1:21:41
What about a paint job?
1:21:42
What about you know, I know resident well, she's been waiting seven years for towels.
1:21:48
You know, these are things that shouldn't be.
1:21:51
And I know some developments, you know, we we get caught up in, obviously, the grand scheme of things of the budget, but we have a lot of developments that are falling behind.
1:22:01
And this is completely because of the incompetence of NYCHA.
1:22:05
There has there has not been a serious commitment to deal with the repair issues.
1:22:10
So when you talk about quality insurance and the fact that, you know, you you have all these things in place, come and speak to the residents.
1:22:19
And I've invited you out, CEO Bova, to come and do a walk through to Cypress Houses and do the developments in my district, and we have yet to see you come.