Residents of New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) properties are voicing their frustrations, urging city officials to prioritize basic repairs over new green initiatives. This comes as Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced an ambitious $2.5 billion plan aimed at enhancing the environmental sustainability of public housing.
During an Earth Day event, Mayor Mamdani detailed plans to install energy-efficient water and lighting systems in 45,000 apartments, introduce new heating pumps in 20,000 homes, equip 10,000 units with induction stoves, and set up 150 electric vehicle charging stations in NYCHA parking lots. These efforts are part of the city’s drive to reduce its carbon footprint and promote eco-friendly living.
However, at the Woodside Houses, where the mayor celebrated this green initiative, many residents expressed concerns that more immediate and pressing issues are being overlooked. They cited problems like persistent odors and infrastructure decay as more urgent needs that affect their daily lives.
“The smell from the trash compactor in my apartment is unbearable. It’s so bad that I feel nauseated every day,” said Jennifer Lambert, 50, highlighting the dire living conditions some residents face.
The “Sustainability Agenda” released by Mamdani’s administration outlines a five-year plan with a hefty price tag of nearly $2.5 billion. Notably, around $1.2 billion of the funding required for this initiative is still pending, raising questions about its feasibility and the allocation of resources.
The NYCHA “Sustainability Agenda” released by Mamdani’s administration quietly slips in that the five-year plan is projected to cost nearly $2.5 billion, of which $1.2 billion has yet to be found.
The agenda, which aims to fulfill its green goals by 2031, is a continuation of green energy policies and benchmarks set under Mamdani’s predecessor, Mayor Eric Adams, for the city’s largest landlord.
Mamdani in February also promised to spend $38 million to bring heat pumps â an all-electric, efficient appliance that provides both heat and air conditioning â to the Beach 41st Street houses.
The pledge followed a pilot program that brought 150 heat pumps into the Woodside Houses last year.
Maria Lopez, 73, was one of the residents who received the fancy heating and cooling units â and she hasn’t looked back.
“I donât suffer like I used to, when it got so cold in my apartment that I had to have to plug in a heater and sleep next to it,” she said. “Once they installed this unit, forget it â it was amazing to me.”
But many of Lopez’s neighbors â including Lambert, the resident who said she pukes daily from the garbage stench â complained that the heat pumps and Mamdani’s other green fixes won’t help the actual problems they deal with day-to-day.
“They donât fix things here,” Lambert said. “I appreciate getting better heat and air conditioning, but itâs the small things.
“My heating works. My air conditioning work. Thatâs not the issue here. I care about the environment. Iâm for energy-efficient lights and EV stations. Green is everything, but Iâm sorry to say itâs beside the point right now.”
Likewise, Maritza Lopez, 44, said she’s happy for the upgrades â but she’d prefer the money be spent on better security and exterminators to kill roaches and rats.
“If youâre gonna give me a new unit that heats and cools, Iâll take it,” she said, “but then fix the broken pipes. Fix the boilers.”
Lopez was among several residents who were baffled by the move to add electric vehicle charging stations to NYCHA parking lots, pointing out most residents couldn’t afford even afford gas-guzzling cars.
“Fancy appliances are nice, but the cityâs priorities are off,” said Gloria Carter, 61.
“Iâve got mold. Iâve got tiles falling off the bathroom walls. My windows donât open properly. My walls need painting. I canât get anybody to fix these things,” she continued.
“Thatâs the root of the problem â not efficient lightbulbs, not chargers for electric cars.”
Installing the EV charging stations at NYCHA’s more than 100 housing developments is an apparent bid by the agency to generate revenue, including from taxis and for-hire vehicles.
“Our needs are fundamental, basic needs,” Carter said. “Iâm OK with heat and air conditioning. What Iâm not OK with is mold, cracks in the walls, hinges that donât open. Those are the kinds of things I need the mayor to invest in.
“Donât be spending all this money on stuff I donât need. Spend it on stuff that we need to feel human.â
