The NYCHA Journal

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Randall-Balcom Houses
PACT Public Housing Preservation Trust Top Story 

Throggs Neck Addition and Randall-Balcom Ave Will Vote on the Future of Their Homes

Michael

On December 3, NYCHA announced that Throggs Neck Addition and Randall Avenue-Balcom Avenue will be the next developments to hold official votes, giving residents a say in the future of their homes. The voting process — first launched at Nostrand Houses in 2023, followed by Bronx River Addition, Coney Island Houses, and Coney Island I (Site 1B) earlier this year, and currently underway at Hylan Houses — will provide NYCHA residents with an opportunity to choose whether their development should enter the Public Housing Preservation Trust or join the Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) program, both of which leverage alternative funding streams available through the federal government. Residents can also choose for their development to remain Section 9 housing.

One hundred days of public engagement began with the Notice of Vote sent to residents at both developments on December 3, and will be followed by separate but concurrent 30-day voting periods — expected to run from March 18 to April 16, 2025 — during which residents from both Bronx developments will be able to vote online or by mail, or in person during the last 10 days of the voting period, beginning April 7. A qualified, third-party election administrator will conduct and oversee both elections.

“The Adams administration has maintained dual commitments to prioritize tenant voices and make unprecedented investments in transforming NYCHA,” said First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer. “The beginning of public engagement for Throggs Neck Addition and Randall Avenue-Balcom Avenue, leading to votes on how residents renovate their homes, are yet more proof of these commitments. We look forward to this engagement process as tenants consider how they want to improve the quality of their homes.”

“I’m excited to see engagement kick off at the Throggs Neck Addition and Randall Avenue-Balcom Avenue developments, so that residents can learn about and weigh in on the options for their developments’ future,” said NYC Executive Director for Housing Leila Bozorg. “This administration has been committed to ensuring that resident voices and their input drive the future, as NYCHA homes and developments undergo much-needed planning and investment.”

“Following an earlier vote at Bronx River Addition, we are pleased to be heading back to the Bronx for the next round of resident voting,” said NYCHA Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt. “Soon, NYCHA residents from Throggs Neck Addition and Randall Avenue-Balcom Avenue will also have the opportunity to choose the next chapter for their apartments, buildings, and campuses.”

“This is an amazing opportunity for the Throggs Neck Addition community,” said Throggs Neck Tenant Association President Lehra Brooks. “We’ve never been asked to cast our votes on the conditions or the future of our homes, so we are deeply appreciative and very excited. What’s most important now is that we all take advantage of the opportunity before us and vote.”

“It’s the beginning of a new chapter for the senior residents of Randall-Balcom Houses,” said Randall Avenue-Balcom Avenue Tenant Association President Emily Bautista. “We have the chance to cast our ballots for what gets fixed in our homes and how, which is an invaluable opportunity. I cannot urge my fellow seniors enough to vote, whether in person, online, or by mail.”

Home to 631 residents in 287 apartments, Throggs Neck Addition has an estimated 20-year capital need of $134 million, while Randall Avenue-Balcom Avenue is home to 247 residents in 252 apartments and has an estimated 20-year capital need of $121 million. NYCHA estimates needing nearly $80 billion for repairs across its portfolio.

The New York City Public Housing Preservation Trust is a fully public entity signed into law by New York Governor Kathy Hochul in 2022 following extensive advocacy from the Adams administration and NYCHA. The Trust 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 ensuring residents always 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. 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.   

Since the creation of the Trust, Mayor Adams and NYCHA have taken a series of steps to stand up the fully public entity, including the establishment of a board and official voting procedures, which were finalized in 2022 after receiving more than 300 comments from members of the public. 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. The independent voting administrator will conduct the vote and certify the results. Once the 30-day voting period has ended, votes will be tallied and announced.