Happy New Year
Dear Residents,
As we approach the New Year, this is an excellent opportunity to reflect on our efforts in 2023 as well as the advancements we’d like to make in the months ahead. It’s an honor to lead an organization whose top priority is improving the quality of life in NYCHA communities, and I’m proud of the dedication and hard work of NYCHA staff, and our partnership with you, which has made our progress possible. This was truly a year of transformation at the Authority, with residents deciding the future of their homes, record-breaking investments, and trailblazing sustainability initiatives.
An especially exciting milestone that we celebrated earlier this month was the certification by a third-party election administrator of the results of the first resident vote at NYCHA. Nostrand Houses residents selected the Public Housing Preservation Trust as the path forward for their homes. I’m pleased that the Trust will fully renovate Nostrand residents’ homes and buildings from top to bottom. A 100-day public engagement period has begun at our next resident voting site, Bronx River Addition, which will be followed by a 30-day voting period, just like at Nostrand Houses.
The Trust is just one of our innovative and impactful housing preservation programs. The Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) initiative is already revitalizing our buildings and benefitting thousands of residents. So far, 20,000 apartments have been converted to PACT, and a record $1.8 billion in financing for capital repairs was closed this year across four PACT deals. And after five years of extensive resident engagement and planning, residents of Fulton and Elliott-Chelsea Houses expressed through a survey their preference to entirely rebuild their campuses as part of PACT.
Developed in collaboration with residents, both the Trust and PACT bring developments the more stable Section 8 federal funding, which is worth nearly double what Section 9 apartments receive. These initiatives also ensure that NYCHA developments remain public and that residents maintain their rights and protections, including permanently affordable rent.
As part of our Comprehensive Modernization program at Saint Nicholas and Todt Hill Houses, design-build teams were recently selected to carry out $740 million worth of renovations at those developments. And we are on track to utilize $1 billion in funding for capital projects this year, the most that NYCHA has ever spent in a single year – funding that will address the areas that matter most to residents, including heating, elevator, waste management, and plumbing systems; facades and roofs; safety and security infrastructure; flood resiliency; as well as community centers and playgrounds.
With more than $78 billion in capital needs across NYCHA developments, all these efforts are helping us achieve our mission to dramatically improve residents’ quality of life by investing billions of dollars in our buildings.
Transformation is happening in other significant ways across the Authority as well. Our various sustainability initiatives are helping to address the climate crisis while improving residents’ quality of life. This work includes the Clean Heat for All Challenge to develop a new energy-efficient heating and cooling product for apartments; the Induction Stove Challenge to produce energy-efficient electric cooking systems; the graduation of the first two cohorts of residents from the Clean Energy Academy (which prepares participants for “green-collar” careers); and millions of dollars in grants that we obtained for resiliency work as well as the installation of e-bike storing and charging infrastructure.
Our Operations team continues to enhance service to residents by fundamentally changing the way we do business – that’s demonstrated by tangible achievements such as a significant reduction in the work order backlog and improved performance in tackling mold, pests, heat and elevator outages, and lead paint.
NYCHA’s Resident Services, Partnerships, and Initiatives team continues to engage residents across the city to strengthen our collaboration and our communities. As part of this work, this year they trained nearly 500 resident leaders and over 1,000 staff on how we can work together to transform the Authority, as guided by HUD regulations on resident engagement and the Memorandum of Agreement recognizing the role of the Citywide Council of Presidents (CCOP) as a voice for residents; launched dozens of new partnerships; facilitated resident association elections across the city and established resident associations at PACT developments; graduated hundreds of residents from entrepreneurial and job training programs; awarded the largest number of NYCHA-CUNY Scholarships ever; connected more than 2,500 residents to jobs; and facilitated a total of hundreds of thousands of connections to life-changing services and resources for residents.
And another example of the success we create when we work together is that NYCHA residents are beginning to receive their fair share of ERAP funding from the State – thanks to the advocacy of NYCHA leadership, the CCOP, residents, elected officials, and other partners. I’m especially proud that many families are receiving vital COVID-related rental assistance as a result of our efforts.
I wholeheartedly believe in the power of our partnership to strengthen communities. In 2024, I will continue to meet and speak with you, to hear your priorities and your input that will help us put the Authority on a better and more sustainable path for the future.
On behalf of my colleagues at NYCHA, I’d like to wish you and your family a happy and healthy New Year!
Sincerely,
Lisa Bova-Hiatt, Chief Executive Officer