New York City Housing Authority Settles $1.2 Billion Lead Case

"The federal government on Monday delivered a withering rebuke of New York City’s housing authority, accusing officials of systematic misconduct, indifference and outright lies in the management of the nation’s oldest and largest stock of public housing.

Federal prosecutors in Manhattan said the authority, which houses at least 400,000 poor and working-class residents, covered up its actions, training its staff on how to mislead federal inspectors and presenting false reports to the government and to the public about its compliance with lead-paint regulations. The failures endangered tenants and workers for years, the prosecutors said, and potentially left more children than previously known poisoned by lead paint in their apartments.

The accusations were contained in an 80-page civil complaint filed against the authority on Monday in federal court by the office of Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States attorney in Manhattan, after a lengthy investigation."

Benjamin Weiser and J. David Goodman report for the New York Times June 11, 2018.

SEE ALSO:

"City Must Pay At Least $1B To Fix NYCHA Nightmare After Feds Cite Daily News Reports Exposing The Agency’S Lies On Housing Conditions" (NY Daily News)

"New York in $1.2 Billion Settlement Over Housing Authority: EPA" (Reuters)

Source: NY Times, 06/12/2018