Gov. Cuomo took another sharp slap at Mayor de Blasio’s oversight of the New York City Housing Authority, saying the agency’s numerous problems stem from poor management, not underfunding.
“The answer’s always more money – failing schools, failing housing,” Cuomo said on WNYC radio. “The politicians say ‘more money.’ NYCHA’s problem is a management problem.”
The scathi༺ng comments come as de Blasio faces calls to fire NYCHA c⭕hair Shola Olatoye.
“When they tell you it takes us three to four years to spend money they get today, that is a problem,” Cuomo said. “People can’t wait three to four years to turn on the heat. Lead paint is a problem today. And, that’s what theꦐ residents are complaining about and I think they’re right.”
Cuomo said 🃏he knows NYCHA inside and out from his time as Secretary of 𒐪Housing and Urban Development for the Clinton Administration.
NYCHA residents have resorted to suing the city to get repairs to life-threatening problems like lack of heat in freezing temperatures and lead paint that can cause children to have lif🧜e-long learꦍning disabilities.
The mayor has blamed Washington and the state foಌr under-fund🅰ing NYCHA.
Cuomo said that’s just passing the buck.
“NYCHA is wholly controlled by New York City,” Cuomo said. ”
All this political ‘Well, it’ꦍs the council. It’s the mayor. It’s Washington. It’s Albany. It’s God. Fix i💮t. Fix it!”
Spokesman Olivia Lapeyrolerie defended NYCHA’s management and its embattled leader Shola Olatoye.
“Chair Olatoye and the team she has built are the ones fixing NYCHA,” Lapeyrolerie said. “It’s not easy and it’s not a straight line. What our public housing residents actually need from the Governor are real resources, not rhetoric.”