Friends,
Did you see
[the] Daily News?
An investigation launched by the Office of the Public Advocate and an ensuing
report details a boondoggle that turned a Housing and Preservation Development
(HPD) affordable housing program into a nightmare for a number of families.
The goal of the program was to allow community-based nonprofit groups
to purchase and rehabilitate City-owned one-to-four family homes, and
to sell those properties to income-eligible purchasers.
Instead, our investigation found a program where 17 of the 26 homes that
were supposed to be turned over to families are vacant or in deteriorating
condition.
This failure to deliver affordable housing is a cautionary tale about
why we need oversight over unscrupulous actors who take advantage of New
Yorkers in need and why the Public Advocate's Office will continue
to be a watchdog for everyday people, all across our City.
To see the full story,
click here.
Sincerely,
Letitia James
New York City Public Advocate