Brenda Medina has lived in Patterson Houses for decades.

Her bathroom has been in need of repair for years. Her shower head is loose. Plaster is peeling off the wall. 

She has asked her landlord to repair it multiple times. But her landlord is the New York City Housing Authority.  The agency is in a state of disrepair. Officials estimate it needs $40 billion in funding to get into shape.

"We need help. We cannot live like this anymore,” Medina said on Monday. “Obviously we cannot afford to move right now."

Federal officials claim that help is on the way. 

"We're hoping that once we can get ‘Build Back Better’ passed there is going to be anywhere between $55 to $60 billion set aside just for public housing, just for public housing," Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge said. 

For the first time, President Biden's HUD secretary visited a New York City Housing Authority development. She went to Patterson Houses in the Bronx. 

"One thing is to just fix things that are broken. Let's start there,” Fudge told reporters after her tour. “Let's start with fixing things that people are talking to me about in there. Something simple: fix your sink, fix your shower. Things we know we can do."

As part of her visit, she was pushing for the approval of the president's "Build Back Better" plan — a nearly $2 trillion proposal to greatly expand the country's social safety net. 

As part of that, between $55 and $60 billion have been earmarked for public housing nationwide. A lot of that cash, according to Rep. Ritchie Torres, could come right here to NYCHA. 

"It's going to be distributed on the basis of need and since NYCHA has the greatest need, we're hopeful that NYCHA is going to receive its fair share," Torres said.

Secretary Fudge's tour was not open to the media, but we're told she toured two apartments, examined some of the authority's redevelopment, and met with tenant leaders. 

She was clear about how much work the agency needs. 

Tenants know that already and are waiting for real improvements.