NYCHA’s “Permanent Affordability Commitment Together” (PACT) Progress Report: Summer 2021

September 2, 2021September 2, 2021 Michael

Boiler room upgrades — “Before and after” photos of a boiler room at PACT Hope Gardens

Renovated apartment — Newly renovated apartment at Twin Parks West

Renovated common areas — Modernized entrances and hallways at Betances

Food drive for residents — Food drive by Catholic Charities for Betances households (photo credit: Takao Araki)

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NYCHA’s “Permanent Affordability Commitment Together” (PACT) Progress Report: Summer 2021

PACT Is Generating Investments & Preserving Apartments

NYCHA’s PACT initiative, which transitions certain NYCHA developments to a more stable, federally funded program called Project-Based Section 8, allows the Authority to unlock funding for comprehensive repairs and upgrades to apartments, buildings, and grounds. At the same time, PACT ensures that the homes remain permanently affordable and that residents maintain the same basic rights that they have in the public housing program. In total, PACT will repair, modernize, and preserve 62,000 apartments, ensuring that they can continue to serve as affordable, stable homes for the generations to come. So far, more than 9,500 apartments are in construction or have been renovated through PACT, totaling more than $1.7 billion in major upgrades. More than 65,000 residents are currently participating in the PACT program; there is significant excitement about the meaningful, long-lasting investments to their homes and communities.

PACT depends on partnerships with private and non-profit development partners who are selected based on resident input. Once the property is converted to Project-Based Section 8, NYCHA leases the land and buildings to the PACT partners, who complete the repairs and upgrades, serve as the new on-site property manager, and provide on-site social services and community programs to residents.

Public housing has been underfunded for decades, and NYCHA’s buildings need a total of more than $40 billion in major repairs. PACT is a critical way to deliver long overdue renovations to residents while protecting their rights – it provides billions of dollars of investments backed by a new, long-term, and higher-paying funding agreement with the federal government.

PACT Is Creating Safe & Healthy Homes

As part of any PACT project, NYCHA is required to address all documented repair needs and works closely with residents to prioritize investments that meet their community’s needs. PACT is comprehensive in nature and focuses on the following key areas:

Public spaces and grounds, including plazas, playgrounds, landscaping, pedestrian areas, and lighting and security systems.
Buildings, including lobbies, hallways, and stairwells in residential buildings, as well as community centers.
Systems, such as heat and hot water plants, roofs, facades, elevators, and electrical equipment.
Apartments, where all kitchens, bathrooms, floors, and windows are replaced, among other improvements. Any lead, mold, or other hazardous conditions must also be abated.

Typically, all renovations are completed while residents remain in their homes. However, if there is hazardous work taking place or if a resident does not feel comfortable at home due to a health concern or disability, PACT partners make furnished hospitality units available within each development. Partners assist residents with any temporary moves and pay for all expenses during the process.

PACT Is Preserving Resident Protections

The PACT program offers the same basic rights and protections that residents have in the public housing program – most critically, permanently affordable rent. Rents are capped at 30 percent of household income, family members can be added to the lease, resident associations continue to receive funding, and NYCHA residents have priority for construction or property management jobs created at PACT developments. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and NYCHA monitor each property to ensure rents remain affordable, repairs are made in a timely manner, and residents have access to a wide range of supportive services.

PACT Is Preserving Public Oversight

NYCHA administers the Project-Based Section 8 program for the PACT properties, overseeing Housing Quality Standards inspections, completing annual recertifications, and managing the site-based waitlists for each property. Existing residents have the right to remain in their homes and benefit from the PACT upgrades and investments. New residents applying to live in any vacant apartments must qualify for the Section 8 program (including meeting income-eligibility requirements) and come from the waitlist that is managed by NYCHA. NYCHA also monitors our PACT partners and their compliance with the PACT agreements and all applicable federal regulations.

PACT Is Supporting Housing Stability for Residents

NYCHA aims to maintain housing stability for all our residents. In support of that goal, NYCHA provides free legal services in connection with PACT lease signings so that residents can get independent, professional advice about their new PACT lease and transition seamlessly into the Section 8 program. NYCHA also requires our PACT partners to conduct proactive outreach to help families resolve rent arrears (i.e., outstanding rent that is owed) or other breaches of their lease before starting a formal legal proceeding in housing court. That includes connecting families to social services and resources like emergency assistance (including the State’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program and the City’s HomeBase program) and setting up payment installment plans for families who have fallen behind on their rent. Additionally, residents have the right to grieve any decisions made by the PACT property manager and have access to the City’s Right to Counsel program if their case moves into housing court.

In fact, eviction rates across NYCHA public housing and PACT properties are very low. In 2018, the annual eviction rate in New York City was 1 per 168 households*; NYCHA’s eviction rates were much lower that same year – 1 per 302 households in public housing and 1 per 257 households in PACT. And NYCHA recently conducted an analysis that showed an overall reduction in the number of evictions following the transition from public housing to Project-Based Section 8: over similar time periods, there were 84 evictions at PACT properties prior to their conversion versus 65 evictions after conversion.

It should be noted that for NYCHA’s PACT properties, more than half of all evictions have been “holdover” cases where the tenant of record died or vacated the property. In these instances, a formal legal proceeding in housing court is required to terminate the lease before the apartment can be leased to a new household from NYCHA’s waitlist. NYCHA and our PACT partners conduct extensive outreach to ensure that households understand the requirement that all apartment occupants must be on the lease in order to ensure succession when the tenant of record dies or moves.

*As published on their website, the New York City Council’s eviction rate is the percentage of tenants who received an eviction judgment from the housing court and were ordered to leave as compared to the total number of rental housing units in the city. Note, we cannot verify the accuracy of the data used by the Council website.

For more information about PACT, visit NYCHA’s website, call the PACT Hotline at 212-306-4036, or send an email to PACT@nycha.nyc.gov.

Photo caption: Baychester Houses was renovated as part of NYCHA’s PACT program