Public Housing's Broken. But Did de Blasio Really Break It?

By all accounts, the city's public housing authority is a troubled place: busted boilers, leaky roofs and endemic mold have plagued the complexes, among other problems. Tenant leaders, housing advocates and, lately, Governor Andrew Cuomo have said it's Mayor Bill de Blasio's fault.

But it may not be so simple. The housing authority has seen huge funding cuts from the federal government, state and city for nearly two decades. And, in fact, de Blasio has poured more money into the agency than his predecessors, according to new analysis by CityLimits.org.

In the story, "How De Blasio Bought NYCHA," executive editor Jarrett Murphy argues the reason New York's public housing is in crisis is a complex problem that goes way beyond the mayor. In conversation with WNYC's Jami Floyd, he says critiques of the city's management may have some validity, but the long to-do list within the city's thousands of public apartments is at the core of its issues.

"NYCHA has at least $17 billion in needed capital repairs, maybe as much as $25 billion," he said. " When you have a toll like that you're facing, the management issues really are secondary."

To hear the full interview, click on the "Listen" button.