COVID-19 updates and resources
Dear Residents,
Happy New Year! We thank you for your partnership and efforts in 2020 to help keep our NYCHA communities safe during an unprecedented health crisis. We look forward to working together in the New Year with renewed focus and the hope of recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
New York City has begun distributing the first phase of COVID-19 vaccines to healthcare workers and other essential medical staff, and Governor Cuomo recently announced that adults age 65 and older, teachers, public transit workers, and other front-line essential workers are eligible for the vaccine beginning January 11. (See below for more information about the COVID-19 vaccine.) Even though people are being vaccinated, it is still important for everyone to take steps to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 by practicing good hand hygiene, maintaining social distance, and wearing a mask or face covering that covers both the nose and mouth. Additionally, residents age 65 and older and those with underlying health conditions should continue to limit their activities outside of their home.
As we have promised since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’d like to update you on NYCHA’s continued work to protect your health and safety.
Repairs, Services, and Maintenance
Our top priority is keeping our residents and employees safe while continuing to provide you with necessary services. Staff performing work in apartments must wear a face covering such as a surgical/dust mask. When our staff is in your apartment, we request that you and your family members over the age of 2 wear face coverings and maintain social distancing.
NYCHA employees ask residents three health screening questions over the telephone prior to the appointment or at the door before entering the apartment. If the resident chooses not to allow a staff member into their apartment, or follow these instructions, we will work to reschedule the appointment for a later date.
- “Will you maintain six feet distance while work in your apartment is being performed?”
- “Will you and all other occupants wear a face covering while work is being performed in your apartment?”
- “Does anyone in the household have a fever, cough, or shortness of breath, or confirmed to have been infected with coronavirus?”
In September, NYCHA began expanding the work that employees perform inside of residents’ apartments for some health and safety-related non-emergency work, such as extermination, broken windows, lead paint assessments, leaks, kitchen appliances, and other items. NYCHA staff has and will continue to respond to and perform emergency maintenance and repair requests in apartments during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Apartment work may also be performed by outside vendors and contractors. Vendors and contractors working with NYCHA must wear surgical/dust masks and provide the Authority with a COVID-19 health and safety plan with information on measures they will take to keep residents and their staff safe.
Additionally, you may ask NYCHA staff, vendors, and contractors about their health before allowing them into your apartment. Residents with concerns about COVID-19 safety practices by NYCHA staff, vendors, or contractors may make a confidential report to NYCHA’s Compliance Department at on.nyc.gov/Submit-Concern.
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 (https://selfserve.nycha.info), call the Customer Contact Center at 718-707-7771 (option 5), or contact your Property Management Office to have a paper application mailed to you.
Residential evictions for those who have experienced COVID-19-related hardships are suspended until May 1, 2021. To prevent eviction, residents must submit a document explaining the source of the hardship.
Resources
Get tested: There are COVID-19 testing sites in all five boroughs. To find a site, visit nyc.gov/covidtest, text “COVID TEST” to 855-48, or call 212-COVID19 (212-268-4319) or 311. There are also sites that prioritize NYCHA residents; visit: https://portal.311.nyc.gov/article/?kanumber=KA-03322 for more information.
COVID-19 vaccine: The vaccine is currently being provided to healthcare workers, staff with direct patient contact, and other essential medical staff; adults age 65 and older; teachers and education workers; public safety workers; public transit workers; first responders; and more. To make an appointment, visit nyc.gov/vaccinefinder. If you would like to make an appointment by phone, or need language assistance, please call the Vaccine Reservation Call Center at 877-VAX-4NYC (877-829-4692). The Vaccine Reservation Call Center can schedule an appointment for you for Health + Hospitals and NYC Health Department vaccination sites only. Appointments must be made in advance.
Before your appointment, complete the New York State COVID-19 Vaccine Form found at vaccineform.health.ny.gov. Remember to bring ID that shows proof of age and/or employment, wear a face covering to your appointment, and reschedule if you are not feeling well. To stay up to date on the COVID-19 vaccine and vaccine eligibility, visit nyc.gov/covidvaccine.
NYCHA is hosting a series of virtual “Community Conversations on COVID-19 Vaccines” for NYCHA residents age 65 and older in partnership with the NYC Health Department. We invite you to attend these presentations to learn more about the vaccine and ask questions. The presentations will be held on Zoom, which must be downloaded to your device before the event.
| Friday, Jan. 15, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (with Spanish interpretation) | Register here |
| Friday, Jan. 15, 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. (with Mandarin interpretation) | Register here |
| Wednesday, Jan. 20, 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (with Russian interpretation) | Register here |
| Friday, Jan. 29, 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. (with American Sign Language) | Register here |
If you have any questions or need help registering, contact Kim Truong at ttruong1@health.nyc.gov or 929-459-1900.
Food assistance: NYCHA residents in need of food and other resources can email NYCHA’s Family Partnerships Department (nychafamilypartnerships@nycha.nyc.gov) to ask to be enrolled in the home food delivery program or connected to other services. You may also call your borough office for assistance: Bronx: (718) 409-8699; Brooklyn: (212) 306-6027; Manhattan: (212) 306-6717; Queens: (718) 969-6240; Staten Island: (718) 816-1521.
For the latest updates on NYCHA’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, visit our website at on.nyc.gov/nycha-covid-19-resources. We will continue to communicate with you whenever new information is available.
We thank you for your continued cooperation and support. Together, we can keep our NYCHA community safe and supported, and we will recover from this pandemic stronger than ever.
Sincerely,
Greg Russ
Chair & Chief Executive Officer
Vito Mustaciuolo
General Manager