Resident Vote Begins at Isaacs Houses
On February 13, NYCHA announced the start of resident voting at Isaacs Houses following 100 days of public engagement. The vote was first announced in November 2025 and will run until March 16, 2026, giving residents a say in the future of their homes by choosing between three ballot options: joining the New York City Public Housing Preservation Trust or the Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) program or remaining Section 9. Residents can begin casting their ballots online and by mail today. In-person voting will be available to eligible residents during the final five days of the voting period, beginning March 12. A qualified, independent vote administrator is conducting and overseeing the election.
“This election gives residents an important chance to determine the future management of their homes,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning Leila Bozorg. “I encourage all Isaacs Houses residents to turn out and vote in the coming month so that their voices can shape the future of their community.”
“We’re very excited to be kicking off the first resident vote of 2026 at Isaacs Houses in the Yorkville neighborhood of Manhattan,” said NYCHA Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt. “We’ve just wrapped up 100 days of engagement to inform residents about the ballot options available to them, and now we’re looking forward to seeing what decision the residents of Isaacs Houses make for the future of their homes.”
“The time to vote on the future of Isaac Houses has come,” said Isaacs Houses Resident Association President Rose Bergin. “Beginning today, we will use our voices to decide the next chapter for our homes. I sincerely hope that my neighbors will take full advantage of this opportunity to weigh in on a brighter future for our development by casting their votes.”
If Isaacs Houses residents elect to join the Trust or the PACT program, the development will convert from Section 9 Public Housing to Project-Based Section 8 and leverage streams of funding available through the federal government. Residents also have the option of remaining within the traditional public housing funding structure, Section 9.
The New York City Public Housing Preservation Trust is a fully public entity, signed into law by New York Governor Kathy Hochul in 2022, which is expected to unlock billions of dollars in federal funding for comprehensive renovations at NYCHA developments to improve living conditions for residents. Under the Trust, a development is kept 100 percent public and converted to the more stable, federally funded Project-Based Section 8 program, while ensuring residents always maintain their rights, including permanently affordable rent.
The PACT program transitions NYCHA developments from traditional Section 9 assistance to Project-Based Section 8, unlocking funding for resident-selected PACT partners to complete comprehensive repairs or build new, modern homes while enhancing property management. Overall, 169 NYCHA developments (representing over 44,000 apartments) are in pre-development, are under construction, or have completed construction through the program. This represents over $16 billion in capital repairs for the Authority. NYCHA is working to include 62,000 apartments in the PACT program in order to bring the benefits of comprehensive investments and upgrades, as well as enhanced property management and social services, to more than 142,000 residents.
According to the official voting procedures, residents are eligible to vote if they are 18 years or older and part of the household composition. Participation from a minimum threshold of 20 percent of all heads of household is required for a vote to be considered valid.
During the 100-day public engagement period leading up to the voting period, NYCHA’s voter engagement team held public information meetings, conducted door-knocking and phone-banking, and distributed informative materials to residents at Isaacs Houses. NYCHA also hosted office hours and connected with interested residents one-on-one to explain the upcoming votes and the ballot options.
The vote at Isaacs Houses follows the inaugural vote at Nostrand Houses and subsequent votes at Bronx River Addition, Coney Island Houses, Coney Island I (Site 1B), Throggs Neck Addition, Randall Avenue-Balcom Avenue, and Hylan Houses. Residents have voted in favor of the Trust at the majority of sites, except at Randall Avenue-Balcom Avenue (where residents chose to enter the PACT program) and Coney Island Houses and Throggs Neck Addition (where residents opted to remain Section 9). An independent voting administrator will conduct the vote, receive and investigate any allegations of irregularities or misconduct, and certify the voting results. Upon the conclusion of the voting period, the independent voting administrator will tally the votes and announce the results.