Updated 12/23/2012 01:42 PM
Public Advocate Wants To Battle Post-Hurricane Mold With Federal Funds
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Public Advocate Bill de Blasio wants city and federal officials to address what he calls a growing mold emergency in homes damaged by Hurricane Sandy.
De Blasio is pushing a four-point plan which includes giving federal funds to homeowners dealing with the problem.
Federal Emergency Management Agency does not currently reimburse homeowners for mold remediation.
De Blasio also accused the city's Rapid Repairs program of not working hard enough to fight mold.
"I think what's happened here is in their desire to move past Sandy and to reduce the kind of resources they spend the city has tried to make the program less expansive than it could be but what we're saying is you can't be penny-wise and pound-foolish because you're just gonna end up with a lot of people who are sick or can't live in their homes."
De Blasio is also calling for the creation of a mold-specific hotline, the expansion of mold inspections and the establishment of a health monitoring network.
In response, a spokesperson for the mayor's office says, "While mold in homes can exacerbate asthma, it can be successfully managed by homeowners and contractors."
While the Rapid Repairs program does not deal with mold removal, the Bloomberg administration urges anyone with questions about the program to go to nyc.gov.