The city has committed $1 billion to replace roofs at more than 700 Housing Authority buildings in an effort to combat leaks and mold.
Mayor Bill de Blasio and NYCHA chair Shola Olatoye announced the capital plan to replace deteriorating roofs over the next 10 years.
When coupled with de Blasio’s 2015 commitment of investing $300 million over three years, the total amount allocated to the initiative reaches $1.3 billion to fix over 950 roofs.
The commitment will fund the replacement of roofs and parapets and also help reduce mold. Leaky roofs are one of the key sources of the water and excessive moisture that causes mold in apartments as well as physical damage to the building’s structure.
The $1.3 billion investment will allow NYCHA to eliminate the leaking roofs that are one of the root causes of the mold, providing a long-term, cost-saving solution.
“This crucial investment – the largest City investment in NYCHA – will improve quality of life for our city’s children, teachers, firefighters and other public servants who live in NYCHA housing and who keep this city running,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.
“In addition, these roof repairs will provide a long-term solution in our efforts to address mold, eventually saving the City money later down the line so that we can further improve NYCHA housing.”
NYCHA Chair and CEO Shola Olatoye said, “This historic commitment is about more than just bricks and mortar, it’s about investing in New York City’s working families and our city’s most vulnerable. Now more than ever, critical infrastructure upgrades are vital as we continue to implement NextGeneration NYCHA, our long-term strategic plan to create safe, clean and connected public housing.”
NYCHA’s prioritization of mold abatement includes measures to eliminate the root causes of mold rather than just abating mold on a case by case basis in each unit.
Investing in NYCHA roofs will also improve building operations as well as reduce maintenance and repair work orders. When NYCHA made core infrastructure investment in roofs and brickwork in the past, wall-related work orders decreased by an average of 56 percent.
