CCC Testimony: City Council Oversight Hearing: Emergency Planning and Management During and After the Storm: NYCHA Emergency Planning and Response

Published January, 2013

CCC testified about the effects of Hurricane Sandy on residents of New York City public housing and our recommendations for future disaster responses at the New York City Council Committee on Public Housing Hearing related to Hurricane Sandy, on January 17, 2013.

Hurricane Sandy caused unprecedented devastation in New York City, costing the lives and homes of too many New Yorkers and affecting the well-being and economic livelihood of millions. In the preparation for and response to the storm, countless New Yorkers, including NYCHA staff and officials, made heroic efforts to ensure the health and safety of our residents. While NYCHA made strong efforts to evacuate tenants from the mandatory evacuation zone, many residents, both in the evacuation zone and outside of it, faced extremely unsafe living conditions.

CCC’s testimony recommends that NYCHA strengthen evacuation procedures, plan for a timely on-the-ground efforts to meet basic health and safety needs of residents (including special efforts directed towards children), and comprehensively address mold, moisture, and other dangerous conditions in NYCHA units.