Embattled chairwoman of NYCHA resigns
NEW YORK (WABC) -- New York City's embattled public housing chief will be leaving her post at the end of the month, after Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Shola Olatoye's resignation Monday.
"This is certainly a bittersweet moment," Olatoye said Tuesday. "I have taken such pride in serving the one in 14 New Yorkers that we house at NYCHA. I will depart this role very proud of the team that I have assembled and the steps that we've taken to support our residents."
The mayor and Olatoye toured the Ocean Bay Apartment Complex in Queens to view improvements made to the complex.
For four years, Olatoye led the city's public housing authority as NYCHA chair, but recently, she's faced scrutiny over how the agency is run.
It includes a major controversy over lead inspections that didn't happen, despite Olatoye signing federal paperwork certifying they had taken place.
There's also anger over the fact the tenants were not notified of the lack of inspections until months after Olatoye knew about the issue.
There have also been complaints about heat and power outages, as well as insect and rodent problems and mold, among other issues.
Related: Audit finds nearly 3/4 of NYCHA playgrounds in unsatisfactory or dangerous condition
But still, de Blasio has expressed confidence in Olatoye in recent months.
The mayor issued a statement Monday night, saying, "The Housing Authority that the Chair inherited four years ago faced bankruptcy, an inability to make basic repairs and an alarming surge in violence. She was a change agent from Day One. Crime is down. Repairs are faster. Finances are stabilized."
Government veteran Stanley Brezenoff will be named interim NYCHA chair, during the search for a permanent replacement.
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