Hylan Houses Residents Begin Voting on the Future of Their Homes

The official start of resident voting at Hylan Houses commenced on November 13, following 100 days of public engagement. The vote was first announced in August and will run for 30 days, giving residents the opportunity to have a say in the future of their homes by choosing between three ballot options: joining the New York City Public Housing Preservation Trust or the Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) program or remaining Section 9. Residents of the Brooklyn development may begin voting online or by mail today or can cast their votes in person during the final 10 days of the election period (December 3 through December 12, 2024). A qualified, independent, third-party administrator will conduct and oversee the election.

“The most powerful resource that NYCHA residents have is their ability to make their voice heard at the ballot booth during resident voting,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “For the residents at Hylan Houses, I urge them to take full advantage of this opportunity by deciding the future of their development. Regardless of whether you support the Trust, PACT, or remaining part of Section 9 housing, now is the time to vote and help chart the course forward for Hylan Houses.”

“This administration continues to fulfill its commitment to ensuring NYCHA tenants choose what’s best for their communities,” said First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer. “NYCHA residents’ vote on Hylan Houses is a major step forward in maintaining safe, quality, affordable housing in this neighborhood for generations to come.”

“NYCHA campuses are truly unique,” said NYCHA Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt. “For this reason, resident voting at NYCHA has been an invaluable resource in determining the best path forward for our developments and the residents who call them home. Now, Hylan Houses will begin their next chapter by selecting the ballot option that best meets their community’s specific needs.”

If residents elect to join the Trust or the PACT program, Hylan Houses will convert from Section 9 Public Housing to Project-Based Section 8 and leverage streams of funding available through the federal government. Residents also have the option of remaining within the traditional public housing funding structure, Section 9.

The New York City Public Housing Preservation Trust, a fully public entity signed into law by New York Governor Kathy Hochul in 2022, is expected to unlock billions of dollars in federal funding for comprehensive renovations at NYCHA developments to improve living conditions for residents. Under the Trust, a development is kept 100 percent public and converted to the more stable, federally funded Project-Based Section 8 program, while residents maintain their rights, including permanently affordable rent.

The PACT program similarly transitions developments from traditional Section 9 assistance to Project-Based Section 8 and unlocks funding for designated third-party PACT partners to complete comprehensive repairs. Overall, 139 NYCHA developments (representing over 37,000 apartments) are in pre-development, are under construction, or have completed construction through the program. The Authority is on track to include 62,000 apartments in the PACT program in order to bring the benefits of comprehensive apartment repairs and building upgrades, as well as enhanced property management and social services, to more than 142,000 residents.

According to the official voting procedures, residents are eligible to vote if they are 18 years or older and part of the household composition. Participation from a minimum threshold of 20 percent of all heads of household is required for a vote to be considered valid.

During the 100-day public engagement period leading up to the voting periods at Hylan Houses, NYCHA’s voter engagement team held public information meetings, conducted door-knocking and phone-banking, and distributed informative materials to residents at both developments. NYCHA also hosted office hours and connected with interested residents one-on-one to explain the upcoming vote and the ballot options.

The vote at Hylan Houses follows the inaugural vote at Nostrand Houses and subsequent votes at Bronx River Addition, Coney Island Houses, and Coney Island I (Site 1B). In each case, residents voted in favor of the Trust, except at Coney Island Houses, where residents opted to remain Section 9.

The independent voting administrator will conduct the vote, receive and investigate any allegations of irregularities or misconduct, and certify the voting results. Once the 30-day voting period has ended, the independent voting administrator will tally the votes and announce the results.