Press Releases

Washington, D.C. - 1/15/26… Today, Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17) introduced the Accountability for NYCHA Act of 2026, a bill that would require the Inspector General of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) and report to Congress on the Authority’s compliance with federal housing standards. 

NYCHA is the largest housing authority in the nation, serving over 520,000 residents across 177,000 apartments. Yet, investigations have revealed NYCHA’s failure to comply with safety regulations and other standards. As a result, too many residents live in unsafe and substandard conditions. Rep. Lawler has consistently advocated for transparency at NYCHA to ensure residents have access to safe, decent, and sanitary housing.

“New Yorkers living in public housing deserve safe and sanitary homes. NYCHA has failed to meet these basic standards, leaving residents, many of them children, at risk. After touring both older and updated units in November of last year, I saw first-hand how NYCHA is supporting residents. This legislation ensures federal oversight and accountability so that NYCHA follows through on their assurances made on my visit to make residents feel at home. Congress has a responsibility to ensure that federal resources meant to protect residents are used effectively,” said Congressman Lawler. 

Full text of the bill can be found HERE.

Congressman Lawler is one of the most bipartisan members of Congress and represents New York's 17th Congressional District, which is just north of New York City and contains all or parts of Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester Counties. He was rated the most effective freshman lawmaker in the 118th Congress, 8th overall, surpassing dozens of committee chairs.

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