Meet Kimberly Taylor, Director of Public Housing Tenancy Operations

Kimberly Taylor, who grew up at Manhattan’s Johnson Houses, is now the Authority’s Director of Public Housing Tenancy Operations. But when her NYCHA career journey began nearly four decades ago, she was an Emergency Services Aide in the Emergency Services Department (ESD). Back then, in 1984, work tickets were written out by hand and then sent to dispatchers via a conveyor belt; rent payments were collected at the development’s bookkeeping office; messages traveled round robin-style between locations; and annual recertifications – which consisted of one legal-size document with questions on both sides – were calculated manually. 

From ESD, Ms. Taylor climbed the property management ladder, serving as a Housing Teller, Senior Teller, Supervising Teller, Housing Assistant, Assistant Manager, and Housing Manager at developments such as Baruch, Betances, and Patterson Houses, and she was also an Administrator in the Bronx. Highlights of her contributions in those roles include helping to reduce rent delinquency in the Bronx, chairing quarterly legal meetings with property managers and the Law Department, and providing legal training for new Housing Assistants.  

“My love for legal work led to an opportunity to head up the Housing Court Unit from 2018 through 2021,” Ms. Taylor noted. “In 2021, I was appointed Director of Public Housing Tenancy Operations. My department provides critical support and serves as a liaison between Real Estate Development, Property Management, Leased Housing, and PACT Development Teams to ensure that RAD/PACT conversions close promptly and successfully. We are also responsible for monitoring NYCHA’s compliance with the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program, and we provide support and oversight to the developments that were formerly funded by the City and the State.” 

She credits her supervisors for helping her progress in her career: “I’d like to thank leadership for providing training and clarity on NYCHA’s policies and procedures, and for leading by example and taking the time to not only point out the errors and what was going wrong but for also encouraging, motivating, and thanking staff when things were going well. I strive to incorporate those same qualities in my style of supervision. And I believe wholeheartedly that knowledge is power. As a supervisor, it is my responsibility to train, lead, motivate, mentor, and encourage staff to help them succeed. The most rewarding part of my job is when a resident lets me know that someone on my team was able to resolve their issues or when I get a call from one of my former colleagues to let me know that they are getting promoted and wanted to thank me for the leadership and encouragement.” 

Ester Tomicic-Hines, Vice President of Public Housing Tenancy Administration, made it clear why Ms. Taylor’s former teammates are so quick to give her a ring: “Ms. Taylor approaches her work with positive energy, great passion, and always a bright smile!”