Many NYCHA buildings have broken locks, audit says

NEW YORK - New York City Comptroller Brad Lander says the city has "to do better" when it comes to securing the entrances to the apartment complexes run by NYCHA, the city's public housing authority.

Almost 58% of the entrance doors to NYCHA buildings either had a broken lock or were just plain left open, according to a new audit conducted by Lander's office. And that is more than double what a similar audit found in 2018.

"People don't feel safe and secure in their homes," Lander said. 

His office looked at two-thirds of NYCHA's more than 300 developments. Lander said he personally went on many of the site visits. He described the Unity Houses in Brooklyn.

"There's eight main building entry doors in that development — and what I found was that seven of them did not lock or close," Lander said.

Overall, the audit found that 37% of buildings had at least one entrance door left open and 40% had at least one door with broken locks. 

We asked NYCHA residents at the George Washington Houses in East Harlem how often they need their keys to get inside their building. 

"Never," said one woman. 

"We haven't in years," said another. 

"Coming here, sometimes I feel a little nervous," a woman who often visits the complex told us. "Something needs to be done, really."

FOX 5 NY asked NYCHA if the agency plan to make any changes, and if so, when. 

"NYCHA takes the safety and security of residents very seriously and will work to repair all of the broken doors and building locks identified in this report," the agency said in a statement to FOX 5 NY.