NEW YORK—A backlog of 333,000 repair work orders in New York City’s public housing is nearly under control, according to the city.
The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) announced on Dec. 5 that the backlog is now at 48,000. In addition to the backlog, there are 90,000 pending work orders at any given time, including now. The agency expects to still have a backlog of work orders by the end of the year, though it will be at about 32,000.
NYCHA also reported that an annual federal inspection, run by third-party inspectors, saw increased scores. The city said the improvement was based in part on the reduction in backlogged work orders.
The average time it takes NYCHA to respond to a work order request is about 20 days, sometimes less depending on which part of the city it comes from. Typical repairs include repairing intercoms, compactors, and front doors, as well as cleaning mildew and enlisting exterminators.
Carpentry and plaster repair work takes the longest to respond to, sometimes up to 155 days.
The state of NYCHA buildings throughout the city made headlines in 2013. In the summer, several mayoral candidates slept overnight in NYCHA resident housing, in part to draw attention to the conditions of the housing. Many of them posted pictures on social media of crumbling plasterwork, broken front doors, and kitchen mildew from the apartments they stayed in.
