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Q&A
Council member Banks questions NYCHA on lead remediation costs and tenant relocation
3:14:58
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144 sec
Council Member Chris Banks inquires about the significant cost increase in tenant relocation for lead remediation as reported under Local Law 18. Eva Trimble from NYCHA responds, explaining the scale of lead abatements and the complexities involved in the relocation process.
- NYCHA has completed over 12,000 lead abatements, requiring full household relocations.
- Relocation costs include moving expenses, hotel stays, and gift cards for residents.
- NYCHA aims for a two-week relocation period but acknowledges some have extended beyond this timeframe.
Chris Banks
3:14:58
When it comes to Local 18 sorry, Local Law 18 large project cost increase report.
3:15:07
Local Law 18 of twenty twelve requires reports on cost increase on large city projects and most recent and the most recent report shows that the cost of relocating tenants in order to do a letter remediation increased from 20,000,000 to 43,400,000.0, a jump of a hundred and a 17%.
3:15:32
Can you explain the significant increase and has the cost of the relocation increased or is NYCHA remediating more apartments so that there can be more relocations?
Eva Trimble
3:15:47
Thank you councilmember.
3:15:48
I'm not familiar with exactly that report or that data, but I can share that we are doing a significant number of relocations which is something we're very proud of.
3:15:58
We've done over 12,000 lead abatements which is frankly something that we've worked really hard to scale up over the last few years.
3:16:09
So the number of lead abatements has grown and that is something that requires a full relocation of the household from the apartment in order to do that safely.
3:16:19
And we know that that's tough residents to have to fully move out of the apartment.
3:16:23
All their belongings are fully moved out as well.
3:16:25
They are moved into a hotel, so the relocation costs include both moving hotel expenses as well as gift cards that we give out in order to help with defraying the cost of meals and other amenities.
3:16:38
The costs for relocation and for the lead abatement program are covered as a combination of both federal and city capital costs, and we can get back to you on the cost of relocation.
3:16:51
Some of the work in the apartment after the lead work is completed, the lead abatement work is completed, we do have to have our skilled trades come in and do things like reinstall cabinets, fix tub enclosures similar to our vacant unit work.
3:17:06
And so some of that work relies on our trade availability,
3:17:10
as you know is sometimes tight.
3:17:12
So we admittedly have relocations.
3:17:14
We try to make it within two weeks.
3:17:16
They have lingered past two weeks and that's something that we're working hard to bring back to the two week timeframe.
Selvena N. Brooks-Powers
3:17:10
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