MAYOR DE BLASIO APPEARS LIVE ON INSIDE CITY HALL RESPONDS TO IDC NYCHA REPORT

Here is the transcript from the NY 1 interview of Mayor Bill de Blasio by host Errol Louis on the question of the IDC report on NYCHA, and the mayor's answer before Mr. Louis could finish the question. The IDC response to the mayor follows.

Louis: I understand there are going to be folks on the steps of City Hall talking about this very issue. As you may know, the IDC issued a statement today calling the lead issues in NYCHA because of the deteriorating housing stock worst that Flint, that there’s high levels of  – 

Mayor: Look, I’m sick of the IDC, period. That’s a highly irresponsible statement on their part. Flint is a national disgrace and horrible damage was done there. In the case of NYCHA, the problem was identified. There have been numerous inspections undertaken, numerous remediation efforts. I wish that had been done in the previous administration. 

It is a fact that those inspections stopped in the last administration. They should not have. I wish we had seen it and understood it earlier. But once it was identified, we swung into action. The inspections have been happening the last two years. The remediation has been happening. Thank God our children have been protected and the incidents of lead poisoning have been going down consistently in New York City.

We have the strongest public health department in the whole country. It is night and day from what happened in Flint and it’s irresponsible of the IDC. And the IDC is simply trying to cover up their own sins.

The IDC really bears a lot of responsibility here having aided and abetted Republicans for all these years. If we had a Democratic State Senate, there would be a lot more support for public housing. There would be a lot more support for affordable housing. There would be support for stronger rent laws.

So, I’m just sick of the IDC. If they don’t come home to the Democratic Party right away, they will suffer the consequences.

Statement from the Independent Democratic Conference

It is regrettable that instead of the Mayor addressing allegations of human rights violations against NYCHA residents committed by New York City under his administration, he rather attack IDC members of the state legislature who are committed to protecting all 400,000 NYCHA residents and trying to do the job that he should be doing. Unfortunately, the only thing progressive that is happening at NYCHA is that the conditions are getting progressively worse.