Making a Difference for Residents

Every month, we feature the hardworking staff members who are making a difference for residents. Learn more about how we’re becoming a better landlord through their efforts. In this installment, meet Marlon Forbes, Deputy Director of the Compliance Integration Reporting and Evaluation Unit.

Marlon Forbes has been working at NYCHA for the last 15 years. Before joining the Authority, he oversaw programs and operations for incarcerated and detained youth in various community initiatives. In 2006, he joined NYCHA as a Deputy Director in Brooklyn Community Operations to be able to continue working with youth on a larger scale. 

“I came to NYCHA because at the time NYCHA ran probably 125 community centers and 75 senior centers,” Mr. Forbes explained. “They also organized programs for youth and seniors. I saw those programs and activities as an opportunity to help youth stay on, or get back on, the straight and narrow and give them a shot and a good future. Understanding that NYCHA wanted the same thing – and how big NYCHA is and how many young people live in NYCHA developments – that was a chance that I couldn’t pass by. It was a great opportunity to do the same job and impact more people.”

Mr. Forbes likes to reminisce about when he was a young boy and used to visit youth centers himself: “I had fun as a teenager and I always remember the young person that I was and those programs, Boys & Girls Club, the YMCA, youth centers or community centers, sports and activities in general. They kept me off the streets and kept me involved in school, so I’ve always seen them as an important beacon for youth. And as I got older, thinking back about my younger self and how critical those programs were, that’s what got me involved. I wanted to run those programs for the teenage version of me.”

Currently, Mr. Forbes oversees a unit within the Compliance Department that supports the Authority’s transformation efforts as well as the implementation of new laws and regulations into policies.

Mr. Forbes said that the most important qualities needed to succeed are the ability to learn quickly and communicate clearly and to incorporate structure, project management fundamentals, and networking skills into one’s everyday work.

“Another strength that we have at NYCHA is our ability to get together people who don’t normally work with each other and have them focus on a shared goal for the sake of the residents and our organization,” noted Mr. Forbes.  

Mr. Forbes says that while his work is challenging and demanding, at the end of the day he finds it extremely satisfying.

“What inspires me every single day, even though this might sound cliché, is that I am in a position to help people, whether it is to work more efficiently, work more transparently, help them solve their problems, help them prioritize their work, or provide the necessary information,” said Mr. Forbes. “What motivates me is being able to help people to do their job easier, to do their job more efficiently, to do their job more intelligently, and to help them to meet all the priorities and deadlines. That’s extremely satisfying for me.”