LET'S KEEP FRAUD AND CORRUPTION OUT OF PUBLIC HOUSING
In the last three months alone the City's Department of Investigation (DOI) announced the arrests of 11 Public Housing and Section 8 residents who were caught by a DOI investigation and charged with defrauding the Housing Authority of more then $175,000 by not reporting all of their household income. DOI also arrested a Staten Island development resident who failed to report on her Affidavits of Income that she owned her own home in Staten Island that she rented to her own tenants. Three applicants for NYCHA Section 8 housing were arrested by DOI and charged with submitting false documents with their applications in an attempt to jump the waiting list.
Fraud against NYCHA hurts all of us. As DOI Commissioner Rose Gill Hearn said, "Concealing income to obtain publicly funded housing subsidies is a foolish act. It's also a crime that saps the City's limited supply of housing funds intended for those households most in need." Commissioner Gill Hearn has made it clear that, "Housing fraud is a crime that deprives needy families of limited subsidies and will result in arrest and prosecution."
DOI's Office of the Inspector General for NYCHA investigates corruption, criminal activity, conflicts of interest, and unethical conduct by NYCHA officers, employees, residents, and others who do business with, or receive funds from NYCHA.
Maybe you know someone who lives in public housing but doesn't report their income, or someone who rents or sublets their apartment. DOI also investigates employee fraud and misconduct. If you have seen a NYCHA employee steal time, money or resources from NYCHA, you should report this information to the Inspector General because money is being wasted that could be put to work where it belongs: in your NYCHA development where it can be used for play areas, community centers, landscaping, after-school programs, activities for seniors or hundreds of other things. All residents are encouraged to report fraud, waste and serious mismanagement that occur on NYCHA property, to ensure that your rent money and taxpayer dollars are being well spent.
There are several ways to contact NYCHA's Office of the Inspector General to make a report: You can call (212) 306-3355; Fax: (212) 306-6484; send an email to ig@nycha.nyc.gov ; or fill out a Department of Investigation online complaint form at www.nyc.gov/html/doi . You can also send a complaint by mail to:
City of New York Department of Investigation New York City Housing Authority Office of the Inspector General 250 Broadway, 28th Floor New York, NY 10007 Attn: Complaints
When making a complaint try to give as much information as you have. Who was involved? What happened? When did it happen? Where did it happen? Why was it done? It's best to report incidences of fraud immediately while the facts are still fresh in your mind. All reports will be kept confidential.
The NYCHA Office of the Inspector General works diligently to protect the identities of complainants, or individuals who make reports. You may also ask to be kept anonymous, but by disclosing your identity to the OIG, you can help expedite the pending case by making it easier for the OIG to contact you with follow-up questions. Let's work together to keep fraud and corruption out of public housing.
LET'S KEEP FRAUD AND CORRUPTION OUT OF PUBLIC HOUSING