NYCHA ‘toxic-fix’ numbers double

The Housing Authority found 5,799 apartments with kids under age 6 that needed repairs to prevent possible exposure to lead — more than double the count provided to a federal judge in December.

The number of apartments shot up from the December court filing, in which NYCHA stated 2,862 units with kids under 6 needed repairs.

The filing added that 190 apartments were fixed. NYCHA now claims it has remedied the leadpaint situation in 2,006 apartments. There are still 3,793 apartments that NYCHA needs to repair in 30 days.

“This number is subject to change. NYCHA has attempted inspection at all units, but is not always able to secure access from the resident,” said agency spokeswoman Jasmine Blake. “As follow-up attempts are made and workers enter those apartments, we expect they will identify units in need of remediation.”

In addition, the agency has just a month to deal with the remaining units under deadlines set by the city’s deal with the federal government. Blake maintained, “NYCHA is on track to meet its remediation targets.”

The strict deadlines were set as part of City Hall’s deal with federal regulators to overhaul NYCHA, which provides housing to more than 400,000 New Yorkers in 325 public-housing complexes.

The agreement, struck last Thursday, requires the de Blasio administration to inject $2.2 billion to speed repairs, and requires the appointment of a new federal watchdog to monitor the agency.

The administration has understated the number of children that have tested positive for lead-paint poisoning in NYCHA housing.

In November 2017, the mayor said the number of children exposed between 2014 and 2016 was 4. But in August 2018 the administration said 1,160 children living in NYCHA apartments had tested positive for lead poisoning since 2012.

Questions about NYCHA’s leadpaint figures erupted in 2017 when it emerged that the agency had lied to the federal government about its apartment inspections.

Meanwhile, de Blasio’s latest choice for interim NYCHA chair, Kathryn Garcia, told reporters Hizzoner pushed her to take the gig.

But she insisted the assignment was voluntary, not ordered.

“He needed to do a little convincing,” said Garcia, who is taking a leave from her job as sanitation commissioner. “As you can imagine, NYCHA is a daunting place to take on. It has a history that’s been pretty challenging. It’s not as if it was I who anticipated the request.

She added, “It was an ask but I had to think about it.”

She said she expects her new posting to last about three months.