New On-Site COVID-19 Testing and Vaccine Center Opens at Astoria Houses

April 19, 2022April 19, 2022 LaToya

A new temporary COVID-19 testing and vaccination services center opened on April 14 at Astoria Houses in Queens. The center, located in a 40-goot long repurposed shipping containers, is a partnership between NYCHA, Congressmember Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-12), and The Floating Hospital — a local non-profit that provides medical services to underserved areas.

The center will be open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is expected to operate through March 2023. It is on-site at Astoria Houses and will serve a neighborhood that includes Astoria residents, as well as Ravenswood and Queensbridge Houses residents.

This important new health initiative for residents was made possible through a public-private partnership and joint marshalling of resources and coordination. Congressmember Maloney worked closely with NYCHA, the City of New York, the State of New York, the New Jersey Institute of Technology, the Tuchman Foundation, and The Floating Hospital to secure the donation of the medical unit. NYCHA contributed nearly $100,000 to install and prepare the facility and will also support the ongoing maintenance of the site. Medical professionals from The Floating Hospital will staff the facility to ensure that COVID-19 detection and treatment is even more accessible to public housing residents.

In attendance at the opening, were New York State Governor Kathy Hochul, Congressmember Maloney, Astoria Houses Resident Association President Claudia Coger, residents, and partner organizations.

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Astoria Houses Floating Hospital

woman: Governor Hochul at podium with group of people — Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Astoria Houses Floating Hospital

Governor Kathy Hochul shakes hands with a woman outdoors — Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Astoria Houses Floating Hospital

Woman at podium with group of people — Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Astoria Houses Floating Hospital

shipping container transformed into a clinic inside the grounds of Astoria Houses — Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Astoria Houses Floating Hospital

group of people wearing medical scrubs and masks — Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Astoria Houses Floating Hospital

1of7

“We need to make sure New York’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic is inclusive, equitable and fair,” said New York State Governor Hochul. “That’s why it’s so important to have sites like this new medical care unit at the Astoria Houses, bringing much-needed resources and services to communities that had been left behind for far too long. I’m grateful to the hard-working medical professionals who will ensure local residents have tests and vaccines, and thankful to my friend Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney whose advocacy has been instrumental in making this project a reality.”

“The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the importance of bringing healthcare facilities capable of coronavirus detection and treatment to as many communities as possible,” said NYCHA Chair & CEO Greg Russ. “We are grateful to Congressmember Maloney and The Floating Hospital for working with us to establish this testing and vaccine clinic– which will ensure that the continued health and safety of public housing residents is a top priority.”

“I am proud to have partnered with The Floating Hospital, the New York City Housing Authority, the New Jersey Institute of Technology, and the Tuchman Foundation to bring this temporary medical care unit to Astoria Houses,” said Congressmember Carolyn Maloney. “Health care is and always should be a human right. This has not been more evident than in the past two years, as we confronted the coronavirus pandemic and millions of people were unable to access COVID-19 tests and vaccinations. Currently, there is only one permanent vaccination site within half a mile of Astoria Houses, and two permanent vaccination sites in the 11102 zip code. The lack of access to vaccines at Astoria Houses has led, in part, to a COVID-19 case rate within this zip code that is more than double the Queens and New York City case rates. No one should be denied healthcare based on where they live, and that is why I worked so hard to get this temporary medical care unit on the ground at Astoria Houses for COVID-19 tests and vaccinations.”

In January 2021, NYCHA worked with city and state authorities to open vaccination clinics close to multiple developments throughout the five boroughs, particularly at sites with high concentrations of seniors. That effort soon expanded into a long-term vaccination plan for all NYCHA residents, with the Authority partnering with nonprofit organizations, testing services, and area health providers to operate roving pop-up vaccination clinics at 69 different campuses throughout the city. The Authority also worked to ensure that residents had access to reliable information about the importance of getting tested and vaccinated.

“Everyone should have immediate and easy access to the lifesaving COVID-19 vaccine. I am incredibly proud of the effort by NYCHA to invest in this vaccine center and to work so closely with Rep. Maloney to make this a reality,” said New York City Chief Housing Officer Jessica Katz. “We will continue to work with our partners in the federal government to not only put the pandemic completely behind us but to also continue fighting for a healthy, safe and stable NYCHA for the hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers who live there.”