By Eric Klein
[email protected]
Public housing complexes in the Bronx has some of the highest totals of work orders for roach and bedbug infestations last year, new data shows.
The Legal Aid Society on Monday released a Freedom of Information Law response revealing that New York City Housing Authority residents filed nearly 60,000 work orders to address roach and bedbug infestations during the first nine months of 2019 alone.
Among the NYCHA developments with the ten highest number of work orders were the Edenwald Houses, Pelham Parkway Houses, Marble Hill Houses, and Castle Hill Houses, according to the data.
On average, it took 9.45 days to close out the roach and bedbug work orders once a report was filed, NYCHA records show.
“The high number of work orders filed by NYCHA residents to remediate insect infestation within their homes is indeed troubling,” said Judith Goldiner, Attorney-In-Charge of the Civil Law Reform Unit. “But it is telling that NYCHA has been able to fully close the majority of these complaints without significant delay. This is a clear byproduct of more staff on the ground and resources. With the Legislature now in session, we again call for increased funding for public housing authorities to address these problems and others facing tenants. Public housing is critical to so many New Yorkers and we must ensure that residents live safely and with dignity.”