COVID-19 Update for NYCHA Residents
Dear Residents,
We know the last several months have been difficult as we navigate the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout this time, we’ve seen how NYCHA residents have worked as a community to help keep their fellow residents safe and supported. We’d like to thank and acknowledge you for your partnership as we address this crisis together.
While New York City continues to make progress every day and is in Phase Four of re-opening, the pandemic is not yet over. As we have promised since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’d like to provide you with an update on NYCHA’s continuing work to protect your health and safety, which is our top priority.
Repairs, Services, and Maintenance
- Planned outages have resumed at NYCHA developments, which includes annual preventative maintenance and capital improvement work. These outages are important for the health and safety of NYCHA residents because they help preserve equipment and infrastructure. This maintenance was delayed due to COVID-19 but resumed during the week of July 13.
- NYCHA continues to enter apartments for:
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- Emergency work orders: no heat and hot water conditions, water leaks, gas leaks or smell, flooding conditions, stoppages, electrical issues, interior rat infestations, high severity bed bug or mice infestations, and other hazardous conditions;
- Work orders for specific conditions: no power in apartment, partial outages affecting kitchens or bathrooms, no electrical power to life-sustaining equipment, cabinets falling off of walls, stoves or refrigerators not working, smoke/carbon monoxide detectors not working, window guards missing or loose, apartment door not working;
- Critical work orders as a result of a court order; and
- Lead or mold remediation.
- Emergency work orders: no heat and hot water conditions, water leaks, gas leaks or smell, flooding conditions, stoppages, electrical issues, interior rat infestations, high severity bed bug or mice infestations, and other hazardous conditions;
When our staff is in your apartment, we request that you and your family wear face coverings and maintain social distancing.
In addition to emergency repair requests, the Customer Contact Center (CCC) has resumed taking all calls related to maintenance repairs, public housing, and Section 8. However, if your call is for a non-emergency maintenance request, CCC representatives will take your request, which will be scheduled at a later date once NYCHA staff resume routine maintenance repairs inside apartments.
The CCC can be reached at 718-707-7771; trained representatives are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Residents may also submit emergency repair requests through the MyNYCHA app, however routine maintenance repairs can not be scheduled at this time.
Rent, Evictions, and Terminations
- Residents who have had their hours cut or lost their jobs may apply for a Rent Hardship by filling out an Interim Recertification. If you have no income at this time, your rent will be zero. There are three ways to apply: visit the Self-Service Portal (selfserve.nycha.info), call the CCC at 718-707-7771 (option 5), or contact your Property Management Office to have a paper application mailed to you.
- All residential evictions are suspended until at least October 1.
- NYCHA’s Office of Impartial Hearings continues to be closed until New York State’s “Stay at Home” order is lifted for New York City. All hearings and conferences scheduled during this time period are adjourned. Residents will receive a letter with a new hearing or conference date.
Re-Openings
NYCHA’s playgrounds re-opened in June as per guidance from Mayor Bill de Blasio. Any playgrounds that were closed due to safety concerns will remain closed until those issues can be addressed. Basketball courts are also open; however, the City is still in the process of re-installing rims. Visitors to playgrounds and basketball courts must continue to wear face coverings, maintain social distance of 6 feet between each person who does not live in the same household, and avoid high-contact pick-up games. Please also remember that NYCHA playgrounds and basketball courts are not regularly sanitized like NYCHA’s indoor common areas, so please be sure to wash your hands and/or use hand sanitizer after each visit.
NYCHA’s Walk-in Centers remain closed.
Resources
- NYCHA residents who want to get a COVID-19 test can visit the following link to find testing sites that prioritize NYCHA residents: https://portal.311.nyc.gov/article/?kanumber=KA-03322. You may also text COVID TEST to 855-48 or visit http://nyc.gov/covidtest to find a testing site near you.
For the latest updates on NYCHA’s response to the COVID-19 crisis, please visit our website at on.nyc.gov/nycha-covid-19-resources. We will continue to communicate with you whenever new information is available.
Please keep in mind that although COVID-19 numbers continue to decline, it is still important for New Yorkers to be safe and cautious by practicing good hand hygiene, maintaining social distance, and wearing a mask or face covering that covers both the nose and mouth.
Together, we will continue to overcome these challenges, and we will recover from this pandemic stronger than ever.
Sincerely,
Greg Russ
Chair & Chief Executive Officer
Vito Mustaciuolo
General Manager