File #: Res 1681-2008    Version: * Name: Congress and NYS to provide a specific allocation of capital funding for elevators at NYC Housing Authority projects.
Type: Resolution Status: Filed
Committee: Committee on Housing and Buildings
On agenda: 11/13/2008
Enactment date: Law number:
Title: Resolution calling upon upon Congress and New York State to provide a specific allocation of capital funding for elevators at New York City Housing Authority projects.
Sponsors: Inez E. Dickens, Gale A. Brewer, Leroy G. Comrie, Jr., Simcha Felder, Lewis A. Fidler, Sara M. Gonzalez, Letitia James, John C. Liu, Michael C. Nelson, Annabel Palma, James Sanders, Jr., Larry B. Seabrook, Albert Vann, David I. Weprin, Alan J. Gerson, Robert Jackson, Maria Del Carmen Arroyo, Rosie Mendez, Daniel R. Garodnick
Council Member Sponsors: 19

Res. No. 1681

 

Resolution calling upon upon Congress and New York State to provide a specific allocation of capital funding for elevators at New York City Housing Authority projects.

 

By Council Members Dickens, Brewer, Comrie, Felder, Fidler, Gonzalez, James, Liu, Nelson, Palma, Sanders Jr., Seabrook, Vann, Weprin, Gerson, Jackson, Arroyo, Mendez and Garodnick

 

Whereas, The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) is the largest public housing agency (PHA) in the country; and

                     Whereas, NYCHA has 344 projects containing 2,691 buildings spread throughout the City; and

                     Whereas, NYCHA provides affordable housing for approximately 414,000 tenants residing in approximately 180,000 apartments; and

                     Whereas, Testimony from the Chairman of NYCHA before the New York City Council on May 29, 2008, indicated that NYCHA was going to transfer $75 million from its capital budget to its operating budget to help balance a budget deficit of $195.3 million in Fiscal Year (FY) 2008, despite the fact that NYCHA has $6 billion in unmet capital needs; and

                     Whereas, NYCHA will receive only 81.7 cents on the dollar through its federal operating subsidy in FY 2008, continuing the decrease in federal funding since FY 2001; and

Whereas, NYCHA has also been shortchanged by $450 million in federal capital subsidies since FY 2001; and

                     Whereas, New York State has not provided operating or capital expenditure funding to NYCHA in FY 2008, while New York City contributed a $34.5 million capital subsidy in FY 2008; and

Whereas, The reduction in federal funding has forced NYCHA to reallocate its existing resources and forego needed capital repairs, including repairs to elevators; and

Whereas, NYCHA maintains 3,335 elevators in 2,600 buildings in all five boroughs; and

Whereas, On August 19, 2008, five- year old Jacob Neuman fell to his death in an elevator shaft in the Taylor Street-Wythe project; and

Whereas, On October 10, 2008, police officers who were rushing a baby to a hospital became stuck in an elevator at the Van Dyke Houses; and

Whereas, The officers were able to pry open the doors, but tragically, the baby was later pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital; and

Whereas, According to a New York Times article published on August 19, 2008, the elevators at the Taylor Street-Wythe projects were scheduled to be modernized in 2004;

Whereas, Due to federal funding cutbacks the planned modernizations have been deferred twice and are now scheduled for next year; and

Whereas, Without the cutbacks in federal funding and lack of funding from New York State, it is possible that the planned elevator modernizations would not have been delayed; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Council of the city of New York calls upon Congress and New York State to provide a specific allocation of capital funding for elevators at New York City Housing Authority projects.    

LS# 6248

BJG

11/3/08