By Cayla Bamberger, April 8, 2023
The New York City Housing Authority failed to act on perennial maintenance problems at a community center in the East Village, leading to a foul sewage flood that for two months has shut hundreds of children and families out of after-school and other programming at the complex.
The Campos Plaza Community Center at 611 E. 13th St. is a neighborhood hub for young people to do homework and recreational activities, as well as attend classes and events for adults and seniors. It’s one of roughly 100 programs in NYCHA buildings called “Cornerstones,” a vital component of the city’s vast network of free after-school programs because of its unusual hours that stretch into the night.
The situation has caught the attention of local and state lawmakers, including Councilwoman Carlina Rivera (D-Manhattan), who called NYCHA’s “refusal” to fix the issues that plague Campos Plaza “unacceptable.”
“The residents of Campos Plaza, my colleagues and I have advocated for NYCHA to find a permanent solution to the flooding and sewage backflows, and they need to be taking swift action to restore this center,” said Rivera. “Community programs like this one make our city safer and stronger.”