NYC Gets Funds to Fix Neglected Public Housing

Good news for public housing in New York City -- after years of crippling budget deficits, the New York City Housing Authority is finally getting some cash to take care of its buildings.

No matter how you feel about public housing, there's no denying that New York City's public housing has gotten a raw deal for the last decade. Federal and state housing programs have consistently meted out to the Housing Authority a fraction of the cost to properly maintain its apartments.

At the same time, the cash-starved Housing Authority has been blamed for its inability to maintain its own buildings. In 2008, the Authority came come under fire for the condition of its elevators after 5-year-old Jacob Neuman fell to his death while trying to escape a stalled elevator at the Taylor-Wythe houses. In New York City alone, hundreds of buildings are more than 50 years old, and there are $6 billion in backlogged repairs.