President Joe Biden’s multi-trillion dollar infrastructure package is already facing claims of not going far enough, with some New York Democrats pushing for more funding to deal with an issue that has long plagued the city: the state of public housing.

Biden’s proposal calls for $40 billion to “address longstanding public housing capital needs” nationwide.

However, as those Democrats note, the backlog for upkeep at the New York City Housing Authority alone is $40 billion - a price tag that could only grow without intervention.

“A powerful case can be made that the federal government is the worst slumlord in the United States,” said Congressman Ritchie Torres, a Democrat representing the Bronx.

Torres grew up in a Bronx public housing development. While he has offered praise for Biden’s plan, labeling it “transformational,” he wants to see more money funding for public housing.

Torres joined with Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon in drafting a letter to the president, asking him to nearly double the funding for public housing repairs in the plan, increasing it to $70 billion.

“To address the humanitarian crisis in public housing across the country, the federal government would have to invest $70 billion dollars at least,” Torres said.

Many New York Democrats cosigned the letter, including Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, and Reps. Jerry Nadler, Mondaire Jones, Carolyn Maloney, Nydia Velazquez, Jamaal Bowman, Adriano Espaillat, Yvette Clarke, Grace Meng, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Kathleen Rice.

Torres said he so far has not heard back from the White House. The White House also did not respond to a NY1 inquiry about the letter.

Still, Torres said he is optimistic that they will prove successful in getting additional help for public housing as the negotiation process gets underway on Capitol Hill, pointing to the dozens of lawmakers - including several from outside of New York - who signed onto his letter.

The View from a Public Housing Resident

After more than a quarter century living in public housing, Hector Vazquez has plenty of stories to tell: broken doors, leaking pipes, homeless individuals sleeping in hallways.

“Some of these conditions we're living in are akin to a third world nation,” Vazquez said.

Vazquez said Biden has some “great ideas,” but also indicated he is not getting his hopes up. Promises of help have been broken before.

“We deserve a shot at a safe and fruitful environment, just like anybody else,” he said.