Demanding Improvements to NYCHA’s Emergency Planning and Response

On January 17, I was joined by New York State Assembly Member Dick Gottfried in submitting joint testimony at a New York City Council committee hearing on the New York City Public Housing Authority’s (NYCHA) emergency planning and management during and after Superstorm Sandy.  In our testimony, we highlighted a number of alarming failures by NYCHA to properly plan for and respond to the storm, thereby leaving tens of thousands of residents without heat, water, electricity, food, means of egress, medical attention, or clear information for days on end.  Certainly, the impacts of Superstorm Sandy were felt by property owners and residents throughout the region, but the disproportionate suffering of NYCHA residents is unacceptable.  Please see our testimony below.