Community leaders and elected officials gathered on the steps of City Hall Thursday to introduce the "Back Home, Back to Work," new initiative that will partner union laborers with home owners in order to clean and repair their mold-infested homes.

Advocates say the longer it takes to clean, the more of a health risk mold becomes.

"The main impact is respiratory-type illnesses," said Mary Fitzgerald, a registered nurse. "We've seen an increase in the amount of asthma visits to the emergency rooms, and that's the primary thing."

"The fact of the matter is that this was a devastating, devastating storm, and the devastation continues now months later because of dangerous mold that is in people's homes," said Brooklyn City Councilman Stephen Levin.

Organizers said the city's Rapid Repairs program does not cover mold abatements.