Why NYCHA Owes the City Money
July 7th, 2008
The Times is reporting that the New York City Housing Authority owes the city close to $200 million for basic services like utilities and police protection. Those of us wondering how it’s possible for a public agency to be in debt to the government of which it is supposedly a part are given something of a brush-off:
The Housing Authority’s payments are the result of agreements the agency made with the city, some dating back a few years and others several decades….
The Housing Authority, a state-chartered public benefit corporation, is one of the few such entities in the city with Pilots (payment in lieu of taxes) and police service fees.
Hmmm. If NYCHA is state-chartered then why is its Web site under the nyc.gov domain? Who, exactly, is responsible for it, and what sort of arcane loophole in this country’s vaunted federalist system forces a state-chartered city agency to make payments to the city that’s running it?
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