Passage of the Public Housing Preservation Trust Legislation 

Dear Residents, 

The passage this month of the Public Housing Preservation Trust by the State legislature was a big step forward for NYCHA residents and a momentous day in the history of public housing – here in New York City and across the nation. The Trust will allow us to complete billions of dollars in top-to-bottom building renovations while maintaining residents’ rights, keeping our properties 100 percent public, and preserving NYCHA employees’ jobs. 

The Trust gives residents a true voice in the future of their homes. Over the past two years, we have been speaking with residents and listening to your ideas, feedback, and recommendations on the Trust idea. From these conversations, it was clear that residents must have more control, ownership, and decision-making over the future of their developments. 

The updated version of the Trust legislation that recently passed enables residents to choose whether or not to move forward with the Trust at their developments. The new legislation also allows residents to be part of the process for selecting vendors to rehabilitate their developments and serve on committees that check the quality of this work. 

We would like to thank you for your input and for making possible real change and lasting solutions for NYCHA. Your role and voice are vital in building this Trust, and we will continue to incorporate your ideas. In the coming weeks and months, we will be in touch with residents and community partners with information on how, together, we will establish a model for the Trust, collaborating on details regarding its board, resident voting process, and other elements that provide a critical platform for residents. 

Developing the Trust will take time, and it will require input from residents and other partners. Once the Trust is established, the work to renovate the first 25,000 apartments will begin. Again, we will keep you informed of the latest updates, including opportunities to participate, through town halls and other communication. 

We are excited to continue engaging with you as we move forward together to improve residents’ quality of life in a meaningful and equitable way. 

To learn more, please read this one-pager and these frequently asked questions (FAQ) about the Trust. If you have any questions about the Trust, please feel free to reach out to trust.comments@nycha.nyc.gov. 

Sincerely, 

Greg Russ 

Chair & Chief Executive Officer