Get Out the Vote Event at Nostrand Houses, First Development to Decide Its Future
Following 20 days of online and mail-in voting, 10-day period of in-person voting begins
Residents can choose between joining the New York City Public Housing Preservation Trust or the PACT Program, or Remaining Section 9
On November 28, Mayor Eric Adams walked NYCHA residents to the polls at Nostrand Houses in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, where NYCHA’s first-ever vote to determine the future of the campus is currently being held. Mayor Adams joined Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Maria Torres-Springer, Nostrand Houses Resident Association President Barbara McFadden, and NYCHA Chief Executive Officer CEO Lisa Bova-Hiatt to deliver remarks and accompany residents to the polling station, kicking off the development’s 10-day in-person voting period. The vote, which was announced for the site in August 2023 and began with 20 days of online and mail-in ballots, will run for a total of 30 days, providing an unprecedented opportunity for residents 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.
“The future of Nostrand Houses should be decided by Nostrand Houses. And starting today, Nostrand Houses residents make history by casting votes that will help shape the future of public housing in New York City,” said Mayor Eric Adams. “Growing up on the edge of homelessness, I had to take a trash bag full of clothes to school, because we didn’t know where we would sleep the next night — no child should have to feel that way. That is why NYCHA is the backbone of our administration’s affordable housing strategy — and we have delivered critical financial relief for residents along with tools like the Trust and the PACT program to ensure NYCHA residents have the same safe, high-quality, affordable homes that all New Yorkers deserve.”
“Nostrand Houses residents are the very first NYCHA residents to vote on whether to join the Preservation Trust, which would unlock millions in federal funding for renovations and repairs” said Deputy Mayor of Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Maria Torres-Springer. “But the most important part of this vote is that no matter which path residents choose, they will remain our number one priority and we will always center resident voices in the decisions that impact their well-being and future.”
“We are witnessing history unfold at Nostrand Houses,” said NYCHA CEO Lisa Bova-Hiatt. “I hope each and every resident who casts a vote, whether in-person, online, or by mail, realizes not only the gravity of the choice they are making, but also its historical significance. Never before have residents been provided with the opportunity to determine the future of their homes and community.”
“This is the opportunity we have been waiting for,” said Nostrand Houses Resident Association President Barbara McFadden. “I urge my family, my friends, and my neighbors to join me in making our voices heard. Not only is this the very first vote of its kind at NYCHA, with residents deciding the future of our homes, but Nostrand is leading the way for others as the very first development to vote in this brand-new process. We must make it count.”
The first NYCHA development to hold a resident vote, Nostrand Houses, is home to 2,173 residents in approximately 1,150 apartments across 16 buildings. It is estimated that Nostrand has more than $600 million in 20-year capital needs and ranks in the 80th percentile of NYCHA buildings for immediate physical needs. Portfolio-wide, a Physical Needs Assessment (PNA) released by NYCHA this summer estimates the Authority’s total capital needs to be at $78.3 billion following decades of federal disinvestment. If selected by residents, both the Public Housing Preservation Trust or the Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) program would convert the development from Section 9 Public Housing to Project-Based Section 8 and leverage alternative streams of funding available through the federal government to renovate the development. Residents also have the option of remaining within the traditional public housing financing structure, Section 9. The voting process was memorialized in July 2023 through the development of Voting Procedures, which were developed in consultation with residents and resident advocates. After consideration of more than 300 comments from residents, elected and government officials, advocates, and members of the public, the final Voting Procedures address all elements required by the New York City Public Housing Preservation Trust Act, including how NYCHA will inform residents of an upcoming vote at their development, the information to be provided on each option residents will consider, the criteria used to determine voter eligibility, how and for how long residents may cast a vote, the minimum resident participation required for the vote results to be valid, as well as how the vote results will be determined, to ensure transparency into the voting process as well as provide confidence in the ultimate vote results. No development will be transferred to the Trust without a resident vote opting for this measure.
During the 100-day public engagement period leading up to the vote at Nostrand Houses, residents had the opportunity to attend meetings in person or virtually and interact with NYCHA’s voter engagement team, who were available on-site, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., to speak with Nostrand residents and answer any questions. In an effort to meet residents where they are, NYCHA’s voter engagement team conducted door-knocking and phone-banking and distributed informative materials on the Nostrand campus – they connected with interested residents one-on-one and explained the upcoming vote and the ballot options. These and other engagement efforts amounted to over 3,200 individual conversations with eligible voters. The voter engagement team will continue its efforts to reach Nostrand residents throughout the voting period.
Residents of Nostrand Houses are eligible to vote if they are 18 years or older and on 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 and binding. An independent voting administrator will conduct the vote, receive and investigate any allegations of irregularities or misconduct, and certify the voting results.
Voting at Nostrand Houses will conclude on Thursday, December 7, 2023. Once the 30-day voting period has ended, votes will be tallied and announced.
Photo credits: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office