Vote Tally Begins After the Resident Vote Concludes at Isaacs Houses

The voting period for residents of Isaacs Houses concluded on March 17, and an independent, third-party election administrator has started tallying the votes. Notices of Vote were mailed in November, kicking off 100 days of public engagement. Residents of the Manhattan development began voting online February 13 and started receiving ballots to vote by mail in the days following. In-person voting was available to eligible residents from March 12 through March 16, 2026. Isaacs Houses is the eighth development to hold a vote of this kind, in which residents had the opportunity to cast their ballots regarding the future of their homes. Residents were able to choose 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. Final results are expected on Tuesday, March 24, once any additional mail-in votes (marked no later than the final day of voting) have been received and counted.  

The election administrator’s count of resident votes has begun, and it is confirmed that it achieved the minimum threshold of 20 percent of all heads of household required to be considered valid. Votes from 60 percent of all Isaacs Houses heads of household have been received and counted thus far.  

“The conclusion of voting at Isaacs Houses is a milestone we’ve been looking forward to,” said NYCHA Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt. “Residents have made their voices heard and cast their ballots to help shape the future of their homes. No matter their choice, we remain dedicated to continuing our support of Isaacs Houses residents.” 

Isaacs Houses, home to 869 eligible voters, had a preliminary tally of 493 ballots, which included 380 from heads of household. By the election administrator’s count, there are currently 280 votes to remain in Section 9, 200 votes to join the Public Housing Preservation Trust, and 12 votes to enter the PACT program. Ballots marked with more than one selection, or that were left blank or incomplete, were considered invalid. There was one invalid ballot. 

It is estimated that Isaacs Houses, home to 1,131 residents in 633 apartments, has a 20-year capital need of approximately $248 million. Portfolio-wide, a Physical Needs Assessment (PNA) released by NYCHA in 2023 estimates the Authority’s total capital needs are nearly $80 billion following decades of federal disinvestment.    

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 allows NYCHA to unlock funding to complete comprehensive repairs or build new, modern homes at NYCHA properties. Through PACT, developments are included in the federal Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) and transition to a more stable, federally funded program called Project-Based Section 8. PACT ensures that homes remain permanently affordable and resident rights are fully preserved. Developments will remain under public control. After conversion, NYCHA will continue to own the land and buildings, administer the Section 8 subsidy and waitlist, and monitor conditions at the development. 

To date, 169 NYCHA developments (representing over 44,000 apartments) are in pre-development, are under construction, or have completed construction through the program. This represents over $16 billion in capital repairs for the Authority. The Authority is working 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.   

NYCHA’s Voter Engagement Team conducted 100 days of engagement at Isaacs Houses, which included door-knocking, phone-banking, and distribution of physical materials to residents. Seven public information sessions were held to explain the vote and ballot options to residents. These and other engagement efforts amounted to nearly 1,300 total touchpoints with a total of 869 eligible voters. 

Once all votes have been tallied, the selections made by the residents of Isaacs Houses will be announced.