NYCHA Reopens Annual Request for Qualifications Process for PACT Partners

NYCHA has already pre-qualified 138 entities, 40 percent of which are minority- and women-owned firms or non-profits, in the effort to bring comprehensive renovations and enhanced property management to 62,000 apartments through PACT 

On January 18, NYCHA announced the re-release of a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to solicit partners for the Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) program. After a historic year for PACT, with record $1.81 billion in financing for capital repairs closed in 2023 across four PACT deals, and the program having converted more than 20,000 units to Section 8 Project-Based housing, NYCHA is reopening the RFQ to partner with diverse teams. Pre-qualified partners will be able to respond to future projects in providing residents with comprehensive renovations and upgrades to their living spaces, buildings, and grounds. The PACT RFQ enables NYCHA to streamline the PACT procurement process by creating pre-qualified lists of developers, property managers, and general contractors who are eligible to partner with NYCHA on PACT projects. The pre-qualification list is currently refreshed annually. Interested partners are encouraged to attend the pre-submission conference being held at 10 a.m. on January 25, 2024.

“It is imperative, when putting together the best PACT partner teams, that they are not only skilled at their respective trades, but also that they understand the PACT program’s mission of enhancing the quality of life for residents,” said NYCHA Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt. “That’s why we place such an emphasis on working with M/WBEs, non-profit agencies, and firms that will ensure that the end results are representative of the needs of NYCHA residents.”

“NYCHA is able to deliver on our mission – to provide safe, healthy, affordable homes – because of our partnerships and the significant financial investments and expertise they bring to the PACT program,” said NYCHA Executive Vice President for Real Estate Development Jonathan Gouveia. “We are excited to release this RFQ to identify the partners who will work directly with our residents to reinvest, restore, and rebuild NYCHA’s buildings to address community-specific needs and goals.”

The PACT program provides developments with comprehensive apartment renovations and building upgrades, as well as enhanced property management services, all while retaining tenant protections and public control of NYCHA’s housing stock. Since the program’s inception in 2016, PACT has closed on financing $5.2 billion for capital repairs across the city. Over 20,000 apartments have converted to Project-Based Section 8 and over 17,000 units are in the planning and engagement phase of the program.

Following the release of the RFQ, the Authority will make its pre-qualified lists of partners public in order to facilitate the creation of comprehensive development teams. The RFQ will be followed by solicitations for specific PACT projects involving NYCHA developments. Once proposals for each project are received, resident leaders will work with NYCHA to select partners for their development.

Through PACT, developments are included in the federal Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) and transition to a more stable, federally funded program called Project-Based Section 8. PACT depends on partnerships with private and non-profit development partners. Once the property is converted to Project-Based Section 8, NYCHA leases the land and buildings to the development partners, who will conduct the repairs and serve as the new on-site property manager. NYCHA will continue to own the land and buildings, administer the Section 8 subsidy and waitlist, and monitor conditions at the development. More information on the PACT program can be found here.

The RFQ outlines how developers, general contractors, and property managers can become official partners with NYCHA to rehabilitate and financially stabilize properties. Interested entities can learn more about the PACT program; specific opportunities for developers, general contractors, and property managers; and the RFQ at an upcoming virtual pre-submission conference scheduled for Thursday, January 25, 2024, at 10 a.m. For access to the pre-submission conference, please RSVP through this link.

Developer, general contractor, and property manager responses are due by 2 p.m. on Friday, March 8, 2024. To view and respond to the RFQ, interested parties should download the RFQ from NYCHA’s PACT website and register for NYCHA’s iSupplier system. The RFQs are on the NYCHA Procurement Opportunities website, listed under Negotiation Number #502073 for developers, general contractors, and property managers.

Photo caption: Example of renovations accomplished at Baychester Houses as part of NYCHA’s PACT initiative.