Councilman blasts NYCHA over unused funds allocated to repair Melrose Houses

Salamanca secured $3 million in 2017 to fix intercoms, lobby doors and install security cameras at the complex.

News 12 Staff

Mar 11, 2022, 1:27 AM

Updated 939 days ago

Share:

City Councilman Rafael Salamanca Jr. is blasting NYCHA over millions in unused funds that were allocated to help make repairs at the Melrose Houses.
Salamanca secured $3 million in 2017 to fix intercoms, lobby doors and install security cameras at the complex. Nearly five years later, Salamanca says no work has been done.
"There's no excuse for this," says Salamanca.
Tenants say the safety repairs are needed at the Melrose Houses. Out of the eight buildings in the development, only one of the four buildings News 12 randomly tested had a front door with a working lock.
NYCHA tells News 12 that the approval, planning, and procurement process was completed between 2018 and 2020 but the start of the repairs were delayed because of the COVID moratorium.
NYCHA released a statement saying, "NYCHA capital projects are subject to multiple oversights and processes, therefore we will be launching a capital projects tracker for greater transparency.
The agency says the repair project will begin in May and will be completed in 2024.