Overview
- The Department of Investigation reported vacancies rose from roughly 2,800 in January 2022 to about 6,700 by May 2025, with housing authority data showing more than 6,800 unoccupied units as of January.
- Investigators cited security lapses—including shared “move‑out” locks and irregular checks—and urged monthly inspections and unit‑specific locks, recommendations NYCHA has agreed to implement.
- Hundreds of empty apartments were taken over by unauthorized occupants, with authorities reclaiming about 635 units since 2023 and making 81 arrests tied to trespassing, drugs, and weapons offenses.
- The report documents public‑safety risks linked to vacant units, including a 2023 fatal shooting discovered in a Bronx apartment and cases where narcotics were stored in commandeered homes.
- NYCHA attributes prolonged vacancies to extensive, legally required lead and asbestos remediation, funding constraints, and operational changes; average turnarounds are about 326 days and recent estimates put turnover costs near $52,000 per unit.