Who: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
What: Distributed $81 million in federal stimulus money to New York City slumlords with buildings riddled with housing code violations, including rats, roaches, faulty elevators, lack of heat, and flaking lead paint. One 138-unit building was had 374 violations including missing smoke and carbon monoxide detector.
Why it’s an outrage: TheagencyclaimedtheRecoveryActincludesmeasuresto”protectthoseingreatestneed.” But paying landlords to make repairs they should be taking care of on their own seems like a bad investment.
Where to vent: Call regional HUD spokesman Adam Glantz at 212-264-1100
