NEW YORK (AP) — New York City’s Department of Investigation says a Superstorm Sandy home-repair effort is improving after a sluggish start but still has a long way to go.
A report issued Thursday says the city has worked to remedy inefficiencies in the Build it Back repair and reimbursement program.
About 20,000 households applied after its June 2013 creation. But there were no repairs or reimbursements for eight months.
The report says about 6,000 households withdrew or stopped responding as of early September, and more than 90 percent of remaining applicants still awaited help.
The DOI credits the city with making changes to accelerate the pace.
City Hall spokeswoman Amy Spitalnick notes that Mayor Bill de Blasio spearheaded the changes after taking office Jan. 1. Work is ongoing or finished at 667 homes.
