NEW YORK (PIX11) — A collection of more than a hundred congregations and community organizations has teamed up with a local legislator to promote an independent oversight agency to help NYCHA residents get repairs that they say are underused.

PIX11’s Monica Morales got an exclusive chance to see a new social media campaign to help get the word out. The OCC is an independent agency that any NYCHA resident can call or submit an online repair complaint to 24 hours a day. A representative will respond within 1 business day to address your complaint. The problem, Rep. Ritchie Torres says, is in the public relations. Congressman Torres is trying to get the word out, partnering with a nonprofit powerhouse called Metro IAF, a collection of more than a hundred congregations and community organizations, launching a social media campaign starting this week.

Torres says the number one problem is that people might not know about the OCC. Torres says more than 30,000 families have already called and received help since the OCC was created. and hopes more tenants will call for help.

A NYCHA spokesperson tells PIX11 News:

“NYCHA has employed a comprehensive strategy aimed at improving mold and leak compliance, and there has been considerable progress in decreasing verified mold complaints, reducing reoccurrence, improving scheduling, and expediting response times. NYCHA regularly works with the court-appointed, independent Ombudsperson Call Center (OCC) and, together, have assisted over 30,000 NYCHA households with mold-related concerns to date. NYCHA encourages residents to call the Customer Contact Center at 718-707-7771 or submit work tickets through the MyNYCHA application for all repair needs, including mold remediation. Additionally, residents experiencing issues related to existing mold or leak work orders can also contact the OCC hotline at 1-888-341-7152 or at ombnyc.com.”