New city rules aim to speed up scaffolding removal at Marble Hill Houses and beyond

The New York City Housing Authority’s Marble Hill Houses covers about 0.3 square miles, and most of its exterior and inner walkways are covered in scaffolding, some of which has been up since 2018, according to the housing authority.

The complex is currently undergoing major facade and brickwork repairs that should be complete by June 2028, according to the NYCHA Capital Needs and Projects Tracker. Construction started in December 2025 — made possible by state funding NYCHA received that summer — leaving residents frustrated some of the scaffolding, also known as sidewalk shedding, has remained for the past eight years without any visible improvements to their buildings.

Marble Hill Houses isn’t alone, as hundreds of miles of scaffolding adorn structures citywide. Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the city’s department of buildings finalized new rules Aug. 20 that the mayor’s office said will implement less intrusive designs and speed up the timeline of shed removal by requiring building owners to start repairs sooner. The change is an effort to put pressure on owners who keep scaffolding up for extended periods because the city’s fines are cheaper than the cost of repairs.

Starting at the end of August, every sidewalk shed permit renewal must be accompanied by a report explaining what building repair requires the equipment and detailing repair progress since the last renewal, according to an Aug. 20 news release from the mayor’s office. Permits must be renewed every 90 days. New rules also establish stronger penalties for owners that don’t comply, the release said, and the city’s department of buildings will start imposing penalties in early 2027.

The department will also publish a policy document clarifying that sheds should only extend as far as necessary to protect public safety — which will particularly benefit “campuses” like NYCHA properties, hospitals and schools, according to the release. Previously, pedestrian protection was required on any walkway within half the height of a building, the mayor’s office said, which sometimes resulted in a “maze” of sheds covering public walkways with no public safety benefit.

The mayor’s office did not respond to requests for comment regarding how the initiative would impact Marble Hill Houses specifically.

Lucinda Gumbs has lived in building 1 of the complex for nearly 15 years, and said the scaffolding has cut off some access to its amenities, such as benches outside where older adults would often gather. Her grandson, Justhen McSween, said many of the grassy areas where he would normally walk his dogs are also blocked off.

The scaffolding, Gumbs said, has got to go. Regardless of the work that is now underway, there were still years before that when she said it lined her walkway with what she felt was little explanation.

Another longtime resident, Daven Asafo-Adyei, takes care of the complex’s community garden. Asafo-Adyei said rats are nesting in the scaffolding, and residents see the rodents’ tails hanging off the structure. It’s “creepy,” Asafo-Adyei said, raising fears a rat could land on someone’s head. Lack of sunlight is also an issue, Asafo-Adyei said, as some scaffolding blocks rays from hitting the plant beds. Still, it’s something Asafo-Adyei has grown accustomed to.

“At this point, I can’t remember a time when there wasn’t scaffolding,” Asafo-Adyei said.

Marble Hill’s Council member Carmen De La Rosa did not respond to requests for comment.

Marble Hill is one of the NYCHA sites with the longest-standing sheds, a NYCHA spokesperson told The Press, and has been prioritized for facade repairs. According to the authority’s capital needs tracker, repairs are projected to cost more than $29.8 million.

At press time, the construction was 35 percent complete, according to the tracker.

The work may include installing or repairing exterior brick and masonry, including walls, parapets and architectural details, new structural beams and supports above doors and windows, new waterproofing and drainage systems, new concrete or steel-decked balconies and terraces, and installing or repairing fire escapes and chimneys.

A NYCHA spokesperson said in a statement to The Press that resident safety is paramount for NYCHA, and the authority is committed to fostering a sense of security for residents.

“Sidewalk shedding is installed for the safety of residents, to protect walkways and areas along the building when conditions are identified that require repairs, and remain in place to protect public walkways until funding is available to conduct repairs,” the spokesperson said. “There is currently a facade repair project in progress at Marble Hill which, once complete, will allow the shedding that surrounds the buildings to be removed.”

Given the scope of the work, the spokesperson said, repairs are being phased so the facade work can be completed, followed by needed roof repairs. Repairs must be completed before the sheds can be safely removed, according to the authority. The spokesperson emphasized that NYCHA recognizes the impact of sheds on residents and the surrounding community, and is committed to advancing work as efficiently and safely as possible.