The NYCHA Journal

The NYCHA Journal has informed and inspired residents since 1970, covering the news, contributions, and uplifting stories of the NYCHA community while providing the latest information on Authority initiatives.

COVID-19 Featured New York City News NYCHA Residents 

City’s New Plan to Combat COVID-19 at NYCHA Developments

LaToya

Ensuring NYCHA Residents are Safe and Supported

The COVID-19 pandemic is increasing the challenges New Yorkers are facing, including for NYCHA’s 400,000 residents. On April 22, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a new plan to expand the City’s response to COVID-19 at NYCHA to ensure that these hardworking New Yorkers are safe and supported during this crisis.   

“NYCHA residents are the backbone of New York City, but for decades they have not received the support they deserved from all levels of government,” Mayor de Blasio said. “We refuse to continue this pattern, and this new plan will provide residents with the support they need to protect themselves and their families during this crisis. My promise to the New Yorkers who call NYCHA home: We will have your back, no matter what.” 

The new plan will provide the following services to NYCHA residents: 

Access to Free Testing: In addition to the five community-based testing sites already established, the City is increasing access to free testing for NYCHA residents by opening six additional sites at or near NYCHA developments. The six sites operated by NYC Health + Hospitals will offer free walk-in COVID-19 testing prioritized for NYCHA residents. Click on “Testing Sites” in this link for more information. 

Testing sites near NYCHA developments that opened on April 24:

Cumberland Health Center – Fort Greene/Downtown, Brooklyn 
100 N Portland Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11205 
Hours: 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. 
No appointment necessary 

Belvis Health Center – Mott Haven, Bronx 
545 East 142nd St., Bronx, NY 10454 
Hours: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.  
No appointment necessary 

Gouverneur Health Center – Lower East Side, Manhattan 
227 Madison St., New York, New York 10002 
Hours: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. 
No appointment necessary 

Testing sites opening the week of April 27: 

Jonathan Williams Plaza – Williamsburg, Brooklyn 
333 Roebling St., Brooklyn, NY 11211 
Hours: 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.  
No appointment necessary 

Woodside Houses (NYCHA) – Woodside, Queens 
50-53 Newtown Rd., Queens, NY 11377 
Hours: 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. 
No appointment necessary 

St. Nicholas Houses (NYCHA) – Harlem, Manhattan 
281 West 127th St., New York, NY 10035 
Hours: 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. 
No appointment necessary 

Personal Protective Equipment: The City has already provided NYCHA staff with 60,000 masks and 10,000 pairs of gloves. Beginning the week of April 27, the City will work with a vendor to mail face coverings and gloves to all NYCHA residents to help them protect themselves and their families during this crisis. Residents will receive one mask and one pair of gloves for each member of the household. The mailings will begin on April 29 and all deliveries are scheduled to be completed by May 8. Any packages that cannot fit in mailboxes will be hand delivered.

The City has provided NYCHA with 30,000 individual 8-ounce bottles of hand sanitizer, which will be distributed at senior residences. NYCHA is working with community-based organizations, the NYC Department for the Aging, and the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development to help distribute the sanitizer. NYCHA is also going to install hand-sanitizing dispensers at each of its 69 senior buildings.

Food for Seniors: To fulfill the pledge to provide food to all New Yorkers in need, all residents in NYCHA’s senior buildings will be enrolled in the City’s food delivery program over the coming weeks. This will make it easier for residents to get food delivered directly to their door. The City has already delivered 288,000 meals to 24,000 NYCHA households over the past month. 

Wellness Checks: The City is expanding NYCHA’s wellness call program to all seniors and vulnerable residents. These live telephone calls are made to check on residents’ health and well-being and ensure they have all their basic necessities (such as medicine and groceries). Since the start of the outbreak, NYCHA has made 40,000 wellness calls. 

Free Tablets and Internet Service for Seniors: The City is investing $5 million to provide free tablets and internet service for 10,000 senior residents to help them stay connected with their loved ones. In partnership with T-Mobile, the City will start rolling out this service during the week of April 27 for seniors in Brownsville, Brooklyn, followed by NYCHA developments in Central Brooklyn, the South Bronx, Eastern Queens, and Upper Manhattan. Training will also be provided to seniors on how to use these devices. 

Cleaning Schedule: NYCHA’s third-party vendor is sanitizing common areas three times a week at family developments and five times a week at senior developments. View the cleaning schedules on NYCHA’s website: on.nyc.gov/cleaning-schedule. 

Information about the new COVID-19 plan for NYCHA residents will be shared with residents through robocalls, direct calls to seniors and vulnerable residents, and through other outreach methods. Updated information will be made available on NYCHA’s COVID-19 website: on.nyc.gov/nycha-covid.