NYCHA’s Family Partnerships Department Connects Residents to Vital Services

Besides being the largest provider of affordable housing in the nation, did you know that NYCHA also offers an array of critical services to its residents? Thanks to the regular online info sessions held by NYCHA’s Family Partnerships Department (FPD), more and more New Yorkers are learning about these offerings.

The FPD connects residents to invaluable services and implements programs and policies that support and enhance household stability, tenancy, individual advancement, and aging-in-place. It helps manage partnerships with external providers and City agencies offering youth, senior, and social service programs. FPD also serves as program liaison to all the community-based organizations operating in over 400 NYCHA community facilities (such as senior centers, community centers, childcare centers, and health clinics).

The FPD aims to reach NYCHA’s most at-risk and vulnerable populations who have requested assistance or may be experiencing challenges related to the following:

Child or elder abuse/neglect,
Elderly disabled,
Extreme hoarding,
Mental or physical impairment,
Rental arrears, or
Substance abuse.

“In many cases, FPD involvement makes all the difference,” said Ukah Busgith, Senior Director of Family Partnerships. “For the elderly and mentally challenged and those who find themselves in need of help in these difficult times, we are often the only place they can turn for effective advocacy.”

Rodney Gwyn, FPD Supervisor, credited the virtual sessions as “the most effective way to deliver the message that Family Partnerships is here to help. Especially with the onset of the pandemic, we’ve seen a rise in crises across the board. People are struggling, and we try to make as much of a difference in their lives as possible.”

One of the most successful programs that FPD operates is the Family Reentry Program (FRP), which reunites people with justice histories with their family in public housing. This opportunity keeps them from being homeless, helps them to successfully reenter the community, and allows stable and affordable housing to reduce recidivism. FRP participants, sometimes as young as 16, are released with little guidance about what to do next. Many of them wish to reunite with their families who reside in NYCHA developments.

“Of the 166 formerly incarcerated people accepted into the FRP program, only 5 have been convicted of a violation or new offense – a clear indication of the success of the program,” said Yolanda Johnson-Peterkin, NYCHA’s Chief of Housing and Community Activities. “These are people who committed offenses in the past, served their punishment, and deserve to reunite with their families. NYCHA is proud of this opportunity to bring families back together, especially during times like this, where family support is needed in the community.”

To register for an upcoming Family Partnerships info session, click on the relevant link below:

Wed, Mar 31: http://on.nyc.gov/fp-mar31 
Wed, April 14: http://on.nyc.gov/fp-apr14 
Wed, May 12: http://on.nyc.gov/fp-may12 
Wed, June 9: https://on.nyc.gov/fp-june9 
Wed, July 14: http://on.nyc.gov/fp-july14
Wed, Aug 11: http://on.nyc.gov/fp-aug11 
Wed, Sept 8: http://on.nyc.gov/fp-sept8  
Wed, Oct 13: http://on.nyc.gov/fp-oct13 
Wed, Nov 18: http://on.nyc.gov/fp-nov18
Wed, Dec 8:  http://on.nyc.gov/fp-dec8

Photo Caption: The FPD Team