Stringer: Get lead-paint plan

THE CITY controller is demanding that NYCHA explain how it will fix problems inspecting apartments for toxic lead paint — and how much it will cost.

Controller Scott Stringer fired off a letter Friday to NYCHA Chairwoman Shola Olatoye after the Daily News revealed investigators discovered NYCHA falsely claimed to have inspected thousands of apartments for lead paint.The false claims are at the heart of an investigation by the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s office. A report by the city Department of Investigation is also in the works.

NYCHA is required to inspect all apartments suspected of containing lead paint annually, but investigators discovered the housing authority was skipping years for inspections. Last week, Olatoye revealed that in response to these findings, she launched a comprehensive do-over of the authority’s lead paint inspection protocols — providing few details and no cost estimates.

Stringer called the false claims revelations “deeply alarming” and demanded that NYCHA reveal “specific steps” to notify residents in leadtainted buildings that weren’t properly inspected. He also wants to know how much the program Olatoye described as “expensive and important” will cost.

“As you know, exposure to elevated levels of lead can be extremely detrimental, particularly to the health and welfare of young children,” Stringer wrote. “That makes the admission of NYCHA’s failure to comply with regulations all the more disturbing.”