INSIDE NYCHA HOUSING: A FIRSTHAND ACCOUNT

> OUR ONGOING COVERAGE OF THE FIGHT BETWEEN THE NEW YORK HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THE RESIDENTS OF THE HOUSING TAKES US TO THE HOUSING PROJECT IN ROCKAWAY.

THEY HAVE REPORTED BUILDING DAMAGE THAT HAPPENED IN HURRICANE SANDY FIVE YEARS AGO.

THIS IS HIS FIRSTHAND ACCOUNT, LET'S TAKE A LOOK.

RIGHT NOW, WE'RE IN FARROCKAWAY, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER SIDE OF QUEENS, AND WHAT WE'RE DOING IS TRYING TO SHED LIGHT ON WHAT'S GOING ON IN OUR COMMUNITY FOR THE WORK THAT'S NOT BEING DONE, PEOPLE PAYING RENT FOR SERVICES THAT THEY'RE NOT RECEIVING.

MY NAME IS GLEN COLLINS AND I AM THE TENNANT ASSOCIATION OF HOUSING, AND WHAT WE DO IS DISSEMINATE INFORMATION AND WE ARE THE LIAISON BETWEEN THE PEOPLE AND NYCHA.

WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED.

YOU CAN SEE THE LIGHT IS ON IN THE DAYTIME, WHEN WE NEED THEM ON AT NIGHT, THEY'RE NOT, BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT IN SYNC WITH THE CITY LIGHTS.

YOU CAN LITERALLY SMELL THE MOLD AS YOU ENTER THE BUILDING.

THIS DOESN'T NEED A TICKET.

THE PROBLEM STAIRCASE.

THAT AIN'T OVERNIGHT.

THAT LOOKS LIKE BLACK MOLD TOO.

SO WE HAVE AN ELECTRICAL BOX WHERE THERE'S WATER DAMAGE BEHIND IT.

OBVIOUSLY, NOBODY CARES, RIGHT?

THERE'S CRACKS IN THE WALLS, LITERALLY.

SO SOMEONE'S CEILING OR THEIR FLOOR ON TOP MAY BE IN JEOPARDY.

THE ONE THING THAT I THINK WE CAN ACTUALLY UTILIZE IS COMMUNICATION, BETWEEN RESIDENTS AND NYCHA PERIOD.

MOLD LITERALLY HANGING FROM THE WALL, FROM THE CEILING, MORE WATER DAMAGE.

NO ONE WOULD HAVE TO LIVE LIKE THIS.

THE PROBLEMS THAT ARE CREATED BY THE HEAT NOW IS YOU CAN'T CONTROL IT, YOU CAN'T TURN IT DOWN, YOU CAN'T TURN IT UP.

ALSO THE PIPES GENERATE MOLD, SO WHEN THE STEAM GOES THROUGH IT, WHAT COMES OUT WITH THE STEAM?

THIS IS WHAT WE'RE BREATHING IN.

WHEN YOU LEAVE YOUR APARTMENT AND THE OUTSIDE OF YOUR APARTMENT IS WORSE THAN THE INSIDE OF YOUR APARTMENT, HOW WOULD YOU FEEL?

IT LIT FEERALLY LOOKS LIKE NEW K CITY IN SOME PLACES.

PEOPLE THAT WORK FOR NYCHA DO NOT LIVE IN NYCHA, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO DISCUSS WHAT YOU'RE DOING TO HELP US OR NOT HELP US.

WE PRESENT 'STREET SOLDIER'S.

I HAD TO GO TO SPEAK TO THE OFFICER OF THE NYCHA.

YOU HAVE MADE CALLS AND COMPLAINTS ABOUT YOUR APARTMENT?

COMPWRITTEN COMPLAINTS--

AND THE BROADER PORTFOLIO ISSUES.

I DON'T KNOW IF SHE TURNED DOWN THE OPTION TO COME TO FARROCKAWAY TO SPEAK WITH THE PEOPLE.

BECAUSE HONESTLY, IF THEY'RE IN MANHATTAN, AND THEY'RE IN FARROCK AWAY, HOW CAN YOU ACTUALLY SEE THAT FAR?

IF PEOPLE ARE BEHIND IN THEIR RENT AND THEY GET TAKEN TO COURT BUT NYCHA HAS BEEN SHOWN TO EMBEZZLE MILLIONS, ALL PEOPLE DO IS RESIGN, THAT'S A PROBLEM.

TRYING TO.

TRYING TO.

KEEP DOING IT MAN, KEEP DOING YOUR THING.

TRYING TO, MAN.

ABSOLUTELY.

THANK YOU.

I HAVE LIVED HERE FROM 1984 UNTIL PRESENTLY.

HURRICANE SANDY HAPPENED.

WE HAD NO REPRESENTATION.

OUR ELEVATORS AND STUFF DIDN'T WORK, A LOT OF PEOPLE DIDN'T HAVE POWER, NOT TO MENTION, MY SON JUST CAME HOME FROM HIS THIRD AND FINAL OPEN HEART SURGERY.

MY WIFE IS INSULIN DEPENDEPENDE TYPE I DIABETIC, SO WE HAD NO REFRIGERATOR, NO INSULIN.

I FELT LIKE SINCE WE HAD NO REPRESENTATION, I FELT LIKE I NEEDED TO SPEAK UP FOR THE PEOPLE.

WE DO HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE SINGLE, WE DO HAVE THE ELDERLY, AND CHILDREN.

AND WE ARE A COMMUNITY FIRST.

WE NEED TO TAKE OUR COMMUNITIES BACK BECAUSE THEY'RE BEING STRIPPED AWAY FROM US.

AND WE NEED THE COMMUNITY OF PUBLIC HOUSING RESIDENTS TO BE MORE INVOLVED WHEN THE NEW YORK CITY HOUSING AUTHORITY RULES AND REGULATIONS, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY'RE BEING MADE.

DON'T HURT NOBODY.

YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE ALONE, AND YOU'RE TALKING ON DEAF EARS, WHAT WOULD IT DO TO YOU?

YOU EVENTUALLY GET NUMB TO IT.

YOU FEEL LIKE THIS IS THE END OF THE LINE WHEN IT'S ACTUALLY NOT.

SEE THIS RIGHT HERE?

SOMEBODY GOT SHOT AT.

AND IT HAS YET TO BE DONE.

NOTHING HAS YET TO BE DONE.

THE INTERCOM SYSTEMS DON'T WORK, AS YOU CAN SEE THE DOOR IS WIDE OPEN.

IT'S LIKE PEOPLE THAT LIVE THERE DON'T CARE ABOUT WHERE THEY LIVE AT AND EVERYBODY'S ON WELFARE, NO, IT'S NOT LIKE THAT.

PEOPLE ACTUALLY WANT TO GET OUT OF THE POVERTY.

THEY KNOW PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES THAT LIVE IN PUBLIC HOUSING.

WHY DON'T WE HAVE ANY SENSIBILITY.

FIRST OF ALL I'M NOT EVEN IN YOUR SHOES, BUT IT HURTS ME TO SEE WHAT YOU GO THROUGH.

WITH MY GROCERIES, IT'S NOT EASY TO HOLD THE DOOR OPEN.

MY LEFT LEG IS WEAK, BUT I HAVE TO DO WHAT I HAVE TO DO TO BRING MEAL TICKETS TO MY KIDS, FOR FOOD FOR MY KIDS TO EAT AND ME.

RESIDENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR CALLING IN -- WHEN WE CALL IN A TICKET, IT GOES TO THE SUPERINTENDENT.

THE SUPERINTENDENT IS SUPPOSED TO SEND A MAINTENANCE WORKER TO OUR APARTMENT TO VERIFY WHAT WE REQUESTED.

A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT TO GET WORK DONE BECAUSE WE HAVE GOT THE MEDIA'S ATTENTION ON WHAT'S NOT BEING DONE AND WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE.

BUT FOR SOME REASON, THEY DIDN'T TAKE US SERIOUS WHEN WE WERE ACTUALLY JUST TRYING TO DO EVERYTHING INTERNALLY.

SO MAYBE THIS IS WHAT WE NEED EVERY DAY.

THERE'S NO EXCUSE WHY THINGS AREN'T BEING DONE IN YOUR APARTMENT.

NOT JUST BECAUSE OF YOUR CONDITION, IT'S BECAUSE YOU ARE A HUMAN BEING.

YOU'RE RIGHT.

WHO REACHED OUT TO YOU?

NO ONE.

WHY?

THEY DON'T BOTHER ME AND I DON'T BOTHER THEM.

YOU GOT A TICKET.

YEAH, I GOT A TICKET NUMBER.

YOU CAN SEE A LITTLE BIT OF REBAR COMING IN THROUGH THE FLOOR.

I GOT THAT WRITTEN DOWN IN MY LITTLE BOOK AND I GOT WHAT I HAVE DONE WITH MY RENT SINCE LIVED HERE, I RECORDED EVERYTHING.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON WITH NYCHA AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE MANAGEMENT, BUT IT'S VERY HARD.

WOULDN'T IT BE BETTER IF PEOPLE THAT LIVED HERE WORKED IN THIS COMPLEX AS CARETAKERS AND THEN HAD ROOM FOR GROWTH TO KNOW THAT THERE WAS AN INSURANCE POLICY WHERE THEY COULD BE TAKEN CARE OF.

THEY REPRESENT US, BUT THEY DON'T WANT TO COME HERE AND TALK TO US ABOUT ANYTHING THAT'S GOING ON.

I GOT A QUESTION FOR NYCHA OFFICIALS, YOU DON'T WANT TO BE CRITICIZED BY RESIDENTS, YOU DON'T KNOW WANT TO KNOW WHO YOU'RE REPRESENTING, WE WOULD LOVE TO KNOW.

BUT YOU GIVE US ANSWERS, WE CAN'T ASSUME.

BEING THAT NO ONE IS SAYING ANYTHING, WHAT ARE WE LEFT TO THINK ABOUT.

WE INVITED NYCHA ON THE PROGRAM AND ARE IN THE PROGRESS OF COORDINATING A DATE FOR THEIR APPEARANCE.

WE'LL KEEP YOU UPDATED AS THE NEWS UNFOLDS.

IF YOU'RE A RESIDENT OF NEW YORK CITY HOUSING AND YOU'RE IN NEED OF REPAIRS, VISIT US AT METROFOCUS.ORG FOR INFORMATION WHERE TO GET HELP.