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Cuomo sticks it to Blas, takes control at NYCHA
Saying the “dysfunctional” city housing agency can’t be trusted, Gov. Cuomo said he would put a monitor in charge of spending the state’s money.
Gov. Cuomo on Monday approved an independent monitor to oversee repairs at the New York City Housing Authority — a humiliating slap at Mayor de Blasio, who is supposed to be in control of the troubled agency.
Just months after de Blasio named his own new “chief compliance officer” for NYCHA, Cuomo gathered other top city officials at Harlem’s Johnson Houses and declared that the authority can’t be trusted with its own funds.
“It makes no sense to give a dysfunctional agency money that it can’t spend,” he said after signing an executive order for the new monitor. “Delivering money to NYCHA is like throwing it out the window.”
The new manager will take charge of the unspent portion of $250 million in new funding from Albany for repairs to NYCHA’s dilapidated buildings — plus another $300 million already earmarked — and select a private contractor to perform the work.
Throwing de Blasio a bone, Cuomo said the mayor will get a say in selecting the watchdog — alongside the City Council and a tenants’ representative. Once selected, the monitor will have 30 days to hire a contractor.
“We put our money where our mouth is: $550 million is more than the city has spent,” Cuomo said. “The state has no legal obligation, so we are putting more money on the table than either the city or the federal government — but I want the money spent!”
Cuomo has been railing in recent weeks against NYCHA’s mounting woes under de Blasio’s leadership, including broken boilers, mold and a scandal over false claims of lead-paint inspections.
Asked if he’s lost faith in de Blasio, Cuomo said he hadn’t.
“The mayor doesn’t legally have the authority that I have to declare an emergency and override NYCHA,” he said.
The move comes just days after the US Department of Housing and Urban Development declared that it wants approval of all expenditures from NYCHA’s capital fund.
The governor was joined at the ceremony by high-ranking offi- cials, including Public Advocate Letitia James, city Comptroller Scott Stringer, City Council Speaker Corey Johnson and US Reps. Jerrold Nadler and Adriano Espaillat.
The conspicuously absent de Blasio had preempted the announcement with an open letter from his deputy, accusing the state of not delivering promised funds to NYCHA.
On NY1 Monday night, de Blasio wondered whether an independent monitor wouldn’t just create more bureaucracy and further delay much-needed NYCHA upgrades.
“I just fear this is will be a slower process than a quicker one,” he said.