City Council members Thursday blasted the Housing Authority for spending $10 million on a consultant’s report that was as thin on detail as a PowerPoint presentation.
“That’s $93,000 per PowerPoint page – that’s a lot of money,” said Councilwoman Rosie Mendez (D-Manhattan) who chairs the council’s public housing committee.
“Why was this report necessary?” she asked. “I am wondering why this report could not have been done in-house.”
The News first exposed the $10 million report from the Boston Consulting Group in a series of stories about shocking mismanagement at the 620,000-resident housing authority. The stories led Council to summon NYCHA chairman John Rhea to an oversight hearing on Thursday.
The 111-page report used corporate-speak language to lay out problems with the agency.
When Mendez asked Rhea during the hearing if the agency was going to issue a version of the report “in plain English” so NYCHA’s residents could understand it, he stiffened and replied, “BCG has issued its report.”
After the hearing, Mendez told The News, “To me, it’s not a report. It’s like almost talking points.”
Critics contend that NYCHA stripped the report of important details before releasing it to the public.
“Where are the details?” asked union leader Greg Floyd whose Teamsters Local 237 represents 8,000 NYCHA workers.
The consulting group claimed it surveyed hundreds of NYCHA employees before reaching its conclusions, but Floyd doubted that was true.
“I have yet to find anyone who says they were interviewed,” he said. “The BCG is inconsiderate of NYCHA employees.”
gsmith@nydailynews.com
