Government in My Back Yard is on the lookout for news stories about local governments falling down on the job.  So far that problem — falling down — has hit only one elevator in New York City’s public housing, at least in the last few years.  But as Manny Fernandez and Ray Rivera report in the New York Times, people living in public housing across New York’s five boroughs know how dangerous the elevators are — and they have the cut-off fingers, damaged hands and feet, and broken noses to tell about it. 

The New York City Housing Authority, which receives significant funding from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), is responsible for upkeep and repairs of the elevators in New York public housing.  A representative of the agency insists that "the likelihood of someone getting hurt is one in 34 million trips."  But there have been enough elevator injuries for more than 300 injury reports to be filed between 2001 and 2007.  The Housing Authority has pledged to fix the problem — but observant residents and dedicated reporters can do the best job of keeping the agency on the up and up. -NH

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