Outgoing Public Advocate Letitia James took a parting shot at the de Blasio administration on Wednesday by dubbing the city’s Housing Authority the worst landlord of the year.
James, who becomes the state attorney general next month, placed NYCHA at the top of her annual Worst Landlords Watchlist, which is typically reserved for private landlords.
“The [list] has been an invaluable tool to hold bad landlords accountable and improve living conditions for countless New Yorkers,” said James.
“But for too long, the most glaring example of this ill treatment has been at the hands of the city itself — and this year, we are finally putting NYCHA on notice. New Yorkers deserve better and it is long past time that NYCHA clean up its act.”
By any measure, NYCHA was already at a low point before the latest slight.
A multi-year probe by the Manhattan US Attorney’s Office found widespread fraud and mismanagement. A federal judge is mulling whether to allow the city to settle with the feds in that case, or put NYCHA under federal receivership.
“The problems at NYCHA, brought on by decades of disinvestment and mismanagement, are clear, as is the need for all government partners to help fix and preserve public housing,” responded NYCHA spokeswoman Jasmine Blake.
“We share [James’] hope that the City can forge a productive partnership with HUD as we continue rebuilding NYCHA for its half-million residents.”
Among private landlords, Eric Silverstein was ranked highest on the list for having accumulated 1,449 violations for his 356 units in four buildings.
Private landlords are ranked by the total number of violations, not violations per unit — making those with a larger portfolio more likely to be cited.
Silverstein was No. 5 on the 2017 list.
James and Mayor Bill de Blasio have for years maintained a very cooperative working relationship.
But that closeness was significantly strained during the race for attorney general when Hizzoner’s wife, Chirlane McCray, endorsed James’s primary opponent Zephyr Teachout.
It was de Blasio who created the Worst Landlord list back when he served as public advocate.