Federal Buildings Face $50 Billion Repair Backlog as 435-Day Approval Delays Worsen Risks
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 28
Federal Buildings Face $50 Billion Repair Backlog as 435-Day Approval Delays Worsen Risks
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 28
Summary
$50 billion in deferred maintenance has left federal workers in buildings with leaks, mold, rats and failing elevators, creating persistent health and safety hazards across the government.
A key bottleneck is Congress's approval requirement for major GSA repairs above $3.96 million, a process that takes an average 435 days and lets costs rise as problems worsen.
The strain intensified after the Trump administration pushed employees back to offices last year, sending more workers into buildings whose needs had gone unaddressed for years.
At Boston's John F. Kennedy Federal Building, a repair project first sent to Congress in 2016 has grown more than 400%, while its 30-year-old elevators trapped people at least 49 times in two years.
The Public Buildings Reform Board warned earlier this year that, within several years, repair costs could exceed the entire value of the federal government's real estate portfolio.