Resident Voting Begins at Throggs Neck Addition and Randall Avenue-Balcom Avenue

On March 24, NYCHA announced the start of resident voting at Throggs Neck Addition and Randall Avenue-Balcom Avenue following 100 days of public engagement. The separate but concurrent votes were first announced in December and will run until April 22, giving residents from both developments the opportunity to have 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 of the Bronx developments began voting online March 19, and receiving ballots to vote by mail in the days following. In-person voting will be available to eligible residents April 7 through April 22, 2025, with a brief pause from Friday, April 18 through Sunday, April 20 for the Easter holiday. A qualified, independent vote administrator is conducting and overseeing the election.

“The most powerful resource that NYCHA residents have is their ability to make their voice heard at the ballot booth during resident voting,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “For the residents at Throggs Neck Addition and Randall Avenue-Balcom Avenue, I urge them to take full advantage of this opportunity by deciding the future of their development. Regardless of whether you support the Trust, PACT, or remaining in Section 9, now is the time to vote and help chart the course forward for your home.”

“Uplifting the voices of local communities is at the center of this administration’s commitment to delivering for hardworking New Yorkers,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Adolfo Carrión Jr. “After 100 days of educational resident engagement, community members of these crucial developments in the Bronx are now empowered to decide the future of the buildings many have called home for decades. I strongly encourage all eligible residents to make their voices heard.”

“I am excited to see NYCHA continuing their progress at Throggs Neck and Randall-Balcom,” said Executive Director for Housing Leila Bozorg. “Over the next weeks, hundreds of Bronx residents will have the opportunity to determine how their homes will receive much-needed renovations, ultimately securing the long-term stability of their housing. I look forward to seeing the results of this engagement and voting process.”

“NYCHA residents from two Bronx developments are beginning to cast their votes,” said NYCHA Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt. “Residents at Throggs Neck Addition and Randall Avenue-Balcom Avenue have spent the last 100 days learning about their options in order to make informed decisions at the ballot box, and I look forward to seeing what the future they envision looks like for their homes.” 

“My neighbors and I at Randall Avenue-Balcom Avenue have spent the last 100 days learning about the ballot options,” said Randall Avenue-Balcom Avenue Resident Association President Emily Bautista. “And now, we’re ready to cast our votes. Whether residents choose the Trust, PACT, or Section 9, what is most important is that we let our voices be heard!”

If residents of either development elect to join the Trust or the PACT program, it 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, a fully public entity signed into law by New York Governor Kathy Hochul in 2022, 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 residents maintain their rights, including permanently affordable rent.

The PACT program transitions developments from traditional Section 9 assistance to Project-Based Section 8 and unlocks funding for resident-selected PACT partners to complete comprehensive repairs and to oversee daily property management of the campus. Overall, 146 NYCHA developments (representing nearly 39,000 apartments) are in pre-development, are under construction, or have completed construction through the program. This represents over $13 billion in capital repairs for the Authority. The Authority is working to include 62,000 apartments in the PACT program in order to bring the benefits of comprehensive apartment repairs and building 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 periods at Throggs Neck Addition and Randall Avenue-Balcom Avenue, NYCHA’s voter engagement team held public information meetings, conducted door-knocking and phone-banking, and distributed informative materials to residents at both developments. NYCHA also hosted office hours and connected with interested residents one-on-one to explain the upcoming votes and the ballot options.

The votes at Throggs Neck Addition and Randall Avenue-Balcom Avenue follow the inaugural vote at Nostrand Houses and subsequent votes at Bronx River Addition, Coney Island Houses, and Coney Island I (Site 1B). In each case, residents voted in favor of the Trust, except at Coney Island Houses, where residents opted to remain Section 9. A tiebreaking runoff election at Hylan Houses is currently underway.   The independent voting administrator will conduct the vote, receive and investigate any allegations of irregularities or misconduct, and certify the voting results. Once the voting period has ended, the independent voting administrator will tally the votes and announce the results.