Residents of homes served by the housing authority of new York (NYCHA), won in the court proceedings regarding the failure of the company to its duties. We are talking about the annual inspection of homes built before 1960, for their content of lead.
According to the report of the investigation Department of new York (New York City Department of Investigation – DOI), starting in 2013, NYCHA has ceased to carry out checks of this kind. This had a negative impact on the health of residents, especially children. Once against the company was filed several claimsregarding the harm from lead, representatives from NYCHA announced the resumption of inspections in 2017.
It was later revealed that the decision concerned exclusively apartments, which were home to children under 6 years of age. Other apartments in this list were not included. Then people filed a class action lawsuit against the Management of the housing Fund of new York, desiring forcibly to oblige the representatives of the company to carry out the necessary checks. April 17, 2018, the court decided in favor of the plaintiffs.
Adopted judge Carol Edmed regulations require NYCHA to make a list of all not tested earlier premises and to inspect them. To perform these actions NYCHA has received 90 days.
According to Jim Walden, the attorney representing the residents, the number of apartments that had previously been ignored by officials from the housing authority, may reach 10 thousand.
During the hearings on this case lawyers NYCHA said that people had no right to go to court. According to them, the residents had to file complaints solely in the Department of housing and urban development (Department of Housing and Urban Development). However, the judge did not agree with them given arguments.
