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De Blasio: Unnecessary Scaffolding Is Gone From Public Housing Projects

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Thursday that all unnecessary scaffolding has been removed from city public housing developments.

The mayor said the city has removed 43,769 feet of scaffolding -- more than eight miles -- since he took office in January 2014.

Residents had complained that scaffolding had been left in place long after construction was completed.

They believed the so-called ``sidewalk sheds'' were a blight and created dark spaces where crime could flourish.

De Blasio said the sheds were ``a vivid, common reminder of neglect.''

The mayor has prioritized speeding up repairs at city housing developments. More people live in public housing in New York than the entire population of Atlanta.

De Blasio spoke at a Brooklyn housing project.

(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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