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There are currently over 174,000 people on the NYCHA waitlist. NYCHA, or New York City Housing Authority, is the nation's largest public housing organization, whose goal is to provide affordable housing to low and middle income New Yorkers. Though it might be a company that's trying to do good, people have become frustrated with the lack of transparency and accountability taken within the agency.

According to Betty Bernhart, a resident who has been on the waitlist for over eight years, people don't understand why the wait times are so long and what justification NYCHA could have. Their anger is understandable; in 2023, there were 4,800 vacant apartments, and now there are 5,900, a 23% increase. With hundreds of thousands of people on the waitlist and nearly 6,000 apartments that are unoccupied, why is NYCHA not taking action?

As reported by NYCHA's COO, Eva Trimble, the vacant apartments are currently in hazardous condition and are unsafe to live in. This is due to the apartments being old and containing lead paint as well as asbestos, which can be toxic. In 2023, it took 412 days on average for a toxic apartment to be renovated; now it takes 352, which is still far too long, especially considering that NYCHA officials have stated that removing the toxins should only take six months. While NYCHA executives claim that their focus is to ensure safe living quarters, residents are questioning why a six-month process is taking years.

1 in 17 New Yorkers rely on NYCHA for affordable housing. While it is true that demand exceeds supply by thousands, residents still have a right to know why so many apartments are being unused and should also be receiving updates. While NYCHA does post updates on its Metrics page that is updated monthly, residents want more transparency. They want constant reporting on where these empty apartments are and why they are not being renovated for use. Their exasperation is not surprising; people should not be expected to wait years on a waitlist for houses that can be readily available in months.

This is why we must shift our focus and allow other affordable housing organizations, such as Gravity Foundation, to grow. People should know that there are more options available than they think, and that there are many organizations out there waiting to help them. They do not only have to rely on an organization that is swamped and overwhelmed with demand. Gravity Foundation can help both NYCHA and New York City residents by assisting residents in finding affordable housing, and thus lessening the burden on NYCHA. Take this survey to help us understand your needs for affordable housing.

Article: https://abc7ny.com/post/7-side-new-yorkers-wait-government-housing-5000-empty-nyc-authority-units-sit/17504573/