NYCHA boss Greg Russ to step aside after botched water ‘arsenic’ crisis
Russ #Russ
The Housing Authority’s top boss, CEO Greg Russ, will no longer lead the day-to-day operations of the embattled agency, two sources told The Post on Thursday.
The move — which will leave Russ as chairman of the housing authority’s board — had been in the works since June when NYCHA’s Board of Directors voted to split Russ’ role into two.
But word of Russ ceding control of NYCHA comes after the agency botched water quality tests at the Jacob Riis Houses on the Lower East Side indicated dangerous levels of arsenic, leaving thousands of tenants without drinking water for a week.
The tests subsequently were shown to have been incorrect but residents were then left with concerns over how long the agency delayed notifying them of the potential health crisis.
Russ will be replaced by the agency’s top lawyer, Lisa Bova-Hiatt, one source said.