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Q&A
NYCHA contractor issues: Trends, uniqueness, and severity
0:37:17
·
3 min
Council Member Chris Banks inquires about trends in NYCHA contractor service quality, whether issues are unique to NYCHA, and the severity of the situation compared to past investigations. Commissioner Jocelyn Strauber provides insights on these topics.
- DOI cannot speak to general trends but notes that lack of oversight may facilitate and allow service failures to go unchecked
- Issues of inadequate oversight and potential for waste, fraud, or misconduct are not necessarily unique to NYCHA
- The situation is considered serious, especially given the vulnerability of residents in senior buildings and the safety risks posed by absent fire guards
Chris Banks
0:37:17
Has the DOI noticed any trends in the quality of service provided by NYCHA contractors?
Jocelyn Strauber
0:37:24
You know, I can't I can't again, I can't really speak to trends in general.
0:37:28
I think we we certainly saw here that there was a lack of oversight, and that lack of oversight may have facilitated and certainly allowed to go unchecked, you know, a failure to provide service at the level that was contracted for, and that was legally required in the case of the fire guards.
Chris Banks
0:37:44
Well, are the issues you've identified in your investigation of NYCHA unique to NYCHA or do you see these issues across agencies?
Jocelyn Strauber
0:37:53
Well, think it's fair to say and and without suggesting that that we've done investigations of exactly this type across other agencies.
0:38:02
I think it's fair to say that when there is a lack of oversight, there is always a risk of some kind of waste, fraud, you know, misconduct, time sheets being falsified, you know, conduct that is allowed to go unchecked
Chris Banks
0:38:17
Right.
Jocelyn Strauber
0:38:18
Right?
0:38:19
You know, kind of perpetuates itself in that sense and and perhaps, you know, comes to to be accepted or acceptable.
0:38:28
So so I can certainly say that I think in any situation where there's a significant contract, particularly one that requires or facilitates compliance with the law like a fire code, when you don't have oversight of it and you don't make sure that it's being enforced, there's a risk that we'll see just this kind, you know, of of failure to comply.
Chris Banks
0:38:46
Before we proceed, my further questions, we've been joined as well via Zoom by council member Sanchez.
0:38:55
A lack of security guards and fire safety guards at a at a critical NYCHA developments, including senior housing and fire watch locations, is incredibly dangerous for public housing residents.
0:39:08
Is a situation as severe as the investigation being discussed comparable to investigations the DOI has conducted in the past?
Jocelyn Strauber
0:39:20
Again, I think, you know, this is it I think that's a diff a difficult question to answer.
0:39:28
I mean, I think this is a serious issue when you have security guards who are not present.
0:39:33
NYCHA has made the point and they're right.
0:39:34
They don't have a legal obligation to provide security guards, but they've chosen to do so.
0:39:39
As you noted earlier, funding's been provided for for that.
0:39:42
Senior buildings have residents that are vulnerable in in unique ways.
0:39:47
So I think it's I think it's critically important that these kinds of services be provided and certainly, obviously, in the fire guard context, it kind of goes without saying.
0:39:56
You only need a fire guard if your fire safety features are deficient in certain ways.
0:40:00
So to have that guard not in fact be present is, you know, a violation of the fire code.
0:40:06
It clearly poses a safety risk.
0:40:08
I think these are very serious issues and I think, you know, as as we heard, I think residents are are certainly entitled to be protected from these kinds of risks.
0:40:17
And when it's NYCHA's intention to protect them and they're spending money to protect them, then the contract should be properly overseen so that that protection is provided.
Chris Banks
0:40:27
Okay.
0:40:27
With that, I'm gonna now allow council member Bacha to start give his questions.
0:40:35
Council member