>>> AS PART OF OUR ONGOING

INITIATIVE CHASING DREAM,

POVERTY AND OPPORTUNITY IN

AMERICA, OUR COVERAGE OF THE

FIGHT BETWEEN THE NEW YORK CITY

HOUSING AUTHORITY AND RESIDENTS

OF CITY HOUSING TAKES US TO THE

RED FERN HOUSES IN FAR ROCKAWAY

QUEENS TENANT ASSOCIATION

PRESIDENT GLENN COLLINS TOOK US

ON A TOUR OF THE NEGLECT HE

CALLS HOME.

THIS IS HIS FIRSTHAND ACCOUNT.

LET'S TAKE A LOOK.

>> RIGHT NOW IN FAR ROCKAWAY,

RED FERN FAR ROCKAWAY, THE OTHER

SIDE OF QUEENS.

AND WHAT WE ARE DOING IS TRYING

TO SHED LIGHT ON WHAT'S GOING ON

IN OUR COMMUNITY FOR THE WORK

THAT'S NOT BEING DONE.

PEOPLE PAYING RENT, I'M GLENN

COLLINS I'M THE TENANT

ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT OF RED

FERN HOUSE.

WHAT WE DO IS DISSEMINATE

INFORMATION AND WE ARE LIAISONS

BETWEEN THE PEOPLE AND NYCHA.

WE HAVE A LOT OF ISSUES THAT

NEED TO BE ADDRESSED.

>> HOW YOU ALL DOING?

AS YOU CAN SEE THE LIGHTS IS ON

IN THE DAY TIME.

WHEN THEY ARE OUT WHEN WE NEED

THEM ON ADDED NIGHT THEY'RE NOT.

BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT IN SYNC WITH

THE CITY LIGHTS.

YOU CAN SMELL THE MOLD AS YOU

ENTER THE BUILDING.

IN DOESN'T NEED A TICKET.

LOOK.

THE PRIMARY THING, THAT AIN'T

OVERNIGHT.

THAT LOOKS LIKE BREAD MOLD

WE HAVE AN ELECTRICAL BOX WITH

WATER DAMAGE BEHIND IT.

OBVIOUSLY NOBODY CARES, RIGHT?

THERE IS CRACKS IN THE WALLS,

LITERALLY.

SO SOMEONE'S CEILING OR THAT

FLOOR POPS THEY MAY BE IN

JEOPARDY.

THE NUMBER ONE THING I CAN

UTILIZE, COMMUNICATION BETWEEN

RESIDENTS AND NYCHA, PERIOD.

MOLD LITERALLY HANGING FROM THE

WALL, FROM THE CEILING.

MOLD WATER DAMAGE.

NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO LIVE LIKE

THIS.

>> THE PROBLEMS THAT ARE CREATED

BY THE HEAT NOW IS YOU CAN'T

CONTROL IT.

YOU CAN'T TURN IT DOWN.

CAN'T TURN IT UP.

ALSO THE PIPES GENERATE MOLD.

WHEN THE STEAM GOES THROUGH WHAT

COMES OUT WITH THE STEAM?

THIS IS WHAT WE BREATHE IN.

WHEN YOU LEAVE YOUR APARTMENT IN

THE OUTSIDE OF YOUR APARTMENT IS

WORSE THAN THE INSIDE OF YOUR

APARTMENT, HOW WOULD YOU FEEL?

IT LITERALLY LOOKS LIKE NEW JACK

CITY IN SOME OF THE BUILDINGS.

THAT'S A SAFETY ISSUE.

THERE IS NOT ANY CONNECTED.

MOST OF THE PEOPLE IFG WORKING

FOR NYCHA DON'T LIVE IN NYCHA

THAT MAKE THE DECISIONS FOR US.

WE'RE NOT AT THE TABLE THAT'S

DISCUSSING WHAT YOU'RE DOING TO

HELP US.

>> FOX FIVE AND HOT NUTTY 7

PRESENT STREET SOLDIERS.

>> I HAD TO GO TO "7" TO SPEAK

TO THE CONTROLLING EXECUTIVE

OFFICERED OF NYCHA.

>> KWLAES IT BEEN LIKE FOR YOU,

GLENN?

YOU MADE CALLS AND COMPLAINTS

SPECIFICALLY ABOUT YOUR

APARTMENT.

>> CALLS COMPLAINT, DEVELOPMENT

COMPLAINTS, INDIVIDUAL

COMPLAINTS.

EMAILS TEXT MESSAGES.

EVERYTHING WE COULD DO UNDER THE

SUN.

>> GO AHEAD.

GIVE US A BIG PICKART.

>> I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO

TALK ABOUT THE SPECIFIC

DEVELOPMENT NOT MR. COLLINS AND

HIS FAMILY RESIDE IN AND THE

BROADER PORTFOLIO ISSUESES.

>> I DON'T KNOW IF SHE TURNED

DOWN THE OPTION OF COMING TO FAR

ROCKAWAY TO SPEAK TO THE PEOPLE,

BECAUSE HONESTLY WE'RE IN 7 AND

FAR ROCKAWAY I DON'T KNOW

ANYBODY THAT CAN SEE THAT FAR.

HOW CAN YOU SEE IF YOU DON'T

COME?

IF PEOPLE ARE BEHIND IN RENT AND

TAKEN TO COURT BUT NYCHA HAS

BEEN SHONE TO EMBEZZLE MILLIONS,

ALL PEOPLE DO IS RESIGN, THAT'S

A PROBLEM.

>> TRYING TO.

TRYING TO.

>> I SEE DOING IT MAN.

KEEP DOING YOUR THING.

>> TRYING TO, MAN.

>> ABSOLUTELY, MAN, LOVE YOU.

>> THANK YOU.

>> I LIVED HERE FROM 1984 UNTIL

PRESENT.

HURRICANE SANDY HAPPENED.

WE HAD NO REPRESENTATION.

THE ELEVATORS AND STUFF DIDN'T

WORK.

A LOT OF PEOPLE DIDN'T HAVE

POWER.

NOT TO MENTION MY SON JUST CAME

HOME FROM HIS THIRD AND FINAL

OPEN HEART SURGERY.

MY WIFE IS INSULIN DEPENDENT,

TYPE I DIABETIC.

NO REFRAJ FWRIJ RATER, NO

INSULIN.

SOMEBODY HAD TO SPEAK UP FOR THE

PEOPLE.

WE DO HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE

SINGLE.

WE DO HAVE FAMILIES. DO HAVE TH

MIXED BEST OF YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND

WE ARE A COMMUNITY FIRST.

WE NEED TO TAKE OUR COMMUNITY

BACK.

BECAUSE THEY ARE BEING STRIPPED

AWAY FROM US.

AND WE NEED TO THE COMMUNITY

PUBLIC HOUSING RESIDENTS TO BE

MORE INVOLVED WHERE THE NEW YORK

CITY HOUSING AUTHORITY RULES AND

REGULATIONS, ESPECIALLY WHEN

THEY'RE BEING MADE --

>> YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE ALONE

AND TALKING ON DEAF EARS WHAT

WOULD IT DO TO YOU?

YOU EVENTUALLY GET NUMB TO IT

AND THINK IT'S OKAY.

THIS IS THE EVERYDAY LIFE WHEN

IT'S ACTUALLY NOT.

SEE THIS RIGHT HERE?

SOMEBODY GOT SHOT AT.

AND THAT HAS YET TO BE DONE.

NOTHING HAS YET TO BE DONE.

AND THE CALL SYSTEMS DON'T WORK.

YOU CAN SEE THE DOOR IS WIDE

OPEN.

YOU KNOW THE REPUTATION OF

PUBLIC HOUSING BEFORE YOU GET

HERE IS LIKE WELL PEOPLE LIVING

THERE DON'T CARE ABOUT WHERE

THEY LIVE AND EVERYBODY IS ON

WELFARE.

NO, IT'S NOT LIKE THAT.

PEOPLE ACTUALLY WANT TO GET OUT

OF THE POVERTY.

THEY KNOW PEOPLE WITH

DISABILITIES LIVE IN PUBLIC

HOUSING.

WHY WE DON'T HAVE.

>> IT'S NOT EASY.

>> WELL I'M NOT EVEN IN YOUR

SHOES.

AND IT HURTS ME TO KNOW WHAT YOU

HAVE TO GO THROUGH.

>> WHEN MY CONGRESS RIS IT'S NOT

EASY TO HOLD THE DOOR OPEN AND

JUST PUSH MY LEG AND MY LEFT LEG

IS WEAK.

BUT I HAVE TO DO WHAT I GOT TO

DO TO BRING MALE TICKET TO MY

KIDS, YOU KNOW, FOOD FOR MY KIDS

TO EAT AND ME.

>> RESIDENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR

CONTACTING THE PLANNING CENTER

AND CALLING SKILLED TRADES.

WHEN WE CALL IN A TICKET IT GOES

TO THE SUPERINTENDENT.

THE SUPERINTENDENT SUPPOSED TO

SEND A MAINTENANCE WORKER TO OUR

APARTMENT TO VERIFY WHAT WE

REQUESTED.

A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT TO GET WORK

DONE BECAUSE WE HAVE GOT THE

MEDIA'S ATTENTION ON WHAT'S NOT

BEING DONE AND WHAT SHOULD HAVE

BEEN DONE.

BUT FOR SOME REASON THEY DIDN'T

TAKE US SERIOUS WHEN WE WERE

ACTUALLY TRYING TO DO EVERYTHING

INTERNALLY.

SO MAYBE THIS IS WHAT WE NEED

EVERY DAY.

>> THERE IS NO EXCUSE WHY THINGS

AREN'T BEING DONE IN YOUR

APARTMENT.

NOT JUST BECAUSE YOUR CONDITION,

JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE A HUMAN

BEING.

>> YOU RIGHT.

>> WELL -- WHO REACHED OUT TO

YOU?

>> NO ONE.

>> WHY.

>> THEY DON'T BOTHER ME AND I

DON'T BOTHER THEM.

>> YOU GOT YOUR TICKET.

>> YES I GOT MY TICKET.

>> BEFORE WE LEAVE.

>> SURE.

>> YOU CAN SEE A LITTLE BIT OF

RE-BAR FROM THE FLOOR.

>> I GOT SOME WRITTEN DOWN IN MY

LITTLE BOOK.

AND I GOT WHAT I DID WITH MY

RENT SINCE I LIVE HERE.

I RECORD IT, EVERYTHING.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON

WITH NYCHA.

AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON

WITH THE MANAGEMENT.

BUT IT'S VERY HARD.

>> WOULDN'T IT BE BETTER IF

PEOPLE LIVING HERE WORKED IN

THIS COMPLEX AS CARETAKERS AND

THEN HAD ROOM FOR GROWTH, SO

KNOW THAT THERE WAS AN INSURANCE

POLICY WHERE THEY COULD BE

TOOKEN CARE OF.

>> THEY REPRESENT US BUT DON'T

WANT TO COME HERE AND TALK TO US

ABOUT ANYTHING THAT'S GOING ON.

>> I GOT A QUESTION FOR NYCHA

OFFICIALS.

YOU DON'T WANT TO BE CRITICIZED

BY RESIDENTS.

YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW WHO YOU

ARE REPRESENTING?

WE WOULD LOVE TO KNOW.

BUT IF YOU GIVE US ANSWERS, WE

CAN'T ASSUME.

BUT BEING THAT NO ONE IS SAYING

ANYTHING, WHAT ARE WE LEFT TO

THINK ABOUT?

>> WE HAVE INVITED NYCHA ON THE

PROGRAM AND ARE IN THE PROCESS

OF COORDINATING A DATE FOR THEIR

APPEARANCE.

WE'LL CONTINUE TO COVER THE

ONGOING AND VERY IMPORTANT

STORIES AS FURTHER NEWS ON NYCHA

AND AFFECTS ON NEW YORK CITY

RESIDENTS UNFOLD.

IF YOU LIVE IN NYCHA HOUSINGEN

NEED ASSISTANCE OR REPAIRS

PLEASE VISIT US ON

METROFOCUS.ORG FOR INFORMATION

ON WHERE TO GET HELP.