Rapidly rising rent prices make it more difficult for New Yorkers to find affordable housing.
Mocha says she is justified in her actions. The single mother says New York City has a housing shortage, and the housing authority should use its vacant apartments to house people experiencing homelessness.
“I truly feel like NYCHA should open up these apartments for people like me, people who are just literally in need of housing,” she told PIX11 News, New York.
Mocha says she and her daughter are now living in a homeless shelter as she petitions for NYCHA to allow her to retrieve their belongings from the apartment.
Representatives from the NYCHA told PIX11 News that they must perform repairs and ensure the units are up to code before releasing them to the next tenants. They also added that units that are illegally occupied can threaten the safety of neighboring residences.
New York District 38 Council member Alexa Aviles says that the agency needs to concentrate on making these repairs.
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Source: Black Enterprise
