Mayor Adams, HUD, NYCHA Announce Program To Improve Living Conditions

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Regional Administrator Alicka Ampry-Samuel.

Including the interim New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) CEO Lisa Bova-Hiatt today announced that 36,103 apartments, across 137 NYCHA developments, have been renovated, are under construction, or are in the community planning and design process under NYCHA’s Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) program from its inception through the end of 2022.

Once complete, these renovations will improve quality of life for more than 76,000 NYCHA residents and address $7.2 billion in capital needs through building upgrades. In 2022, the PACT program drove $2 billion in large-scale improvements for NYCHA residents in 8,531 apartments across 17 developments.

The PACT program transitions developments from traditional public housing assistance to the more stable, federally funded Project-Based Section 8 program — unlocking funding for designated PACT partners to complete comprehensive repairs. With strong support from Mayor Adams and HUD, PACT is a key tool in the city’s strategy of preserving and upgrading New York City’s aging public housing stock. Photos of 2022 projects are available online.

“We have been clear since day one of this administration that NYCHA residents deserve the same quality of life as every New Yorker, and, in 2022, we delivered results,” said Mayor Adams. “Thanks to the PACT program, more than 76,000 New Yorkers will have safe, high-quality, affordable homes with all the tenant protections of public housing. As we continue to take major steps forward on the Public Housing Preservation Trust, we are giving residents a real menu of options to deliver much-needed repairs while always ensuring residents are at the center of the process.”

“Residents deserve to live in quality, safe, and affordable homes, and that is what the PACT program is about. In 2022, we saw thousands of New Yorkers finally receive the repairs they have been waiting years for, while keeping their public housing rights and permanently affordable rents,” said Chief Housing Officer Jessica Katz. “As we continue to fight for full funding of NYCHA, we will use every tool available to ensure our neighbors have homes they can be proud of. PACT delivers for NYCHA residents.”

“Since the creation of HUD’s Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program, public housing authorities across the country have generated over $15 billion for construction investment. NYCHA’s RAD/PACT program has addressed housing in dire need of repair and transformed it into homes NYCHA residents can be proud of,” said Alicka Ampry-Samuel, regional administrator for New York and New Jersey, HUD. “Utilizing readily available resources to improve the lives of NYCHA residents is imperative to preserve affordable housing for future generations.”

“2022 saw the continued utilization of the PACT program in providing public housing families with the resources, renovated apartments, and thriving communities they need,” said NYCHA Interim CEO Lisa Bova-Hiatt. “We are committed to realizing the unparalleled potential of this program to meaningfully improve the quality of life for NYCHA residents, and look forward to bringing even more comprehensive apartment upgrades, building modernizations, and enhanced services on-line in the coming year.”

Mayor Adams, HUD, and NYCHA announced the completion of a $434 million full-scale revitalization of nine NYCHA developments under the PACT program, including at Independence Towers Community Center in Brooklyn. Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office

Through PACT, a total of 22 NYCHA developments have been completely revitalized, and 36 more developments are in the process of being renovated. An additional 79 developments are in pre-development, where NYCHA and its PACT partners collaborate with residents to design detailed rehabilitation, property management, and social service plans that meet the needs of each community and ensure they thrive for years to come. The city has committed an additional $1.5 billion in capital funding for fiscal years 2023-2026 to help NYCHA continue this critical work. A breakdown of NYCHA’s PACT projects citywide — and the associated minority- and women-owned business enterprise partners involved — is available online.

“The authority has continually looked for ways to make the PACT program more reflective of the urgent priorities and lived experiences of NYCHA residents,” said Jonathan Gouveia, executive vice president, real estate development, NYCHA. “The host of innovative rehabilitation plans and full-scale modernizations that were delivered and committed to over the past year are indicative of that resident-centered focus, a process that provides NYCHA residents with homes they can be proud of for generations.”

“Every New Yorker deserves a safe place to call home, and under this administration’s ‘Housing Our Neighbors’ blueprint, HPD, HDC, and NYCHA will continue to work together to advance our shared goals of providing affordable housing and economic opportunity to all New Yorkers,” said New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Adolfo Carrión Jr.

“As a key financing partner for PACT, HDC is proud to support the effort to secure guaranteed affordability and improved housing quality for New York City’s public housing residents,” said New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC) President Eric Enderlin. “Today’s announcement is indicative of the city’s commitment to bring essential building repairs and upgrades, alongside expanded social services, to thousands of NYCHA residents across New York. Thank you to all the residents, as well as the incredible teams at NYCHA and HDC, for their dedication to ensuring the ongoing success of this crucial program.”

PACT achievements from 2022 include:

• The beginning of construction to renovate 5,216 apartments across six NYCHA campuses in Brooklyn. This includes work at Williamsburg Houses, Linden Houses, Penn-Wortman Houses, Boulevard Houses, Fiorentino Plaza, and Belmont-Sutter Area.
• The closing of a $236 million project to fund comprehensive renovations for 690 apartments at Harlem River Houses and Harlem River II. The conversion enabled NYCHA’s PACT partners to begin comprehensive upgrades to apartments and common areas; modernize building facades and provide facade repairs to landmarked buildings; upgrade elevators and security and heating systems; abate environmental hazards, such as lead-based paint; and invest in energy- and sustainability-related improvements.
• The selection of partners to provide $360 million in comprehensive building and apartment upgrades for Reid Apartments and Park Rock Consolidated. The development team selected to deliver upgrades and social services included the experienced minority-owned business enterprises BRP Companies and Urbane, as well as the Local Development Corporation of East New York.
• The $434 million revitalization of nine public housing developments across 37 buildings and over 2,600 apartments, collectively known as the Brooklyn Bundle. Renovations included full-scale replacements of kitchens, bathrooms, and electrical panels, as well as the installation of new flooring for living rooms and hallways and the installation of new roofs, elevators, windows, doors, plumbing fixtures, and trash removal systems across 37 buildings and 2,600 apartments that are home to more than 6,000 public housing residents.
• The selection of a development team to deliver $166 million in comprehensive upgrades across 18 buildings at Union Avenue Consolidated. The team was selected after a year-long resident-led engagement process in which a resident review committee analyzed submitted proposals, interviewed the development teams, and made the selection in partnership with NYCHA.
• The selection of new partners to design and implement an $80.7 million comprehensive rehabilitation plan for approximately 850 residents at Sack Wern Houses. Residents of the development also engaged in a year-long review process in which they outlined priority improvements and organized a resident review committee to analyze proposals, interview the development teams, visit recently completed projects, and select the team that best suited their needs.

The PACT program is the result of New York City’s implementation of HUD’s Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program, which has spurred construction investment at public housing authorities nationwide. The PACT program is designed to ensure that the homes of NYCHA residents are permanently affordable by maintaining public control of converted developments. Residents who transition to the Section 8-based PACT program will continue to pay 30 percent of their adjusted gross household income towards rent and have the right to renew their lease and call for grievance hearings. NYCHA continues to monitor conditions at PACT developments after conversion.

NYCHA ensures that PACT investments respond to the lived experiences of residents and, through a robust community planning process, engages them to learn more about each development’s needs. Through the PACT Resource Team, launched in 2022, resident leaders can work with independent advisors and consultants to help advocate for resident priorities and support them through the PACT planning process. Resident Review Committees analyze proposals submitted by potential PACT partner teams, conduct interviews with potential partners, and visit similarly renovated sites in each developer’s portfolio. Once that process is complete, residents rank the best proposals and make a selection.

“I am incredibly proud of our residents for our collaboration and determination to identify a partner that will most effectively meet our communities’ needs and improve our lives,” said Darlene Waters, president, Chelsea-Elliott Houses Tenant Association. “Our voices have guided the conversation throughout the entire recommendations and RFP processes. Bringing NYCHA residents to the table to make decisions gives us dignity, the power of choice, and autonomy over our homes.”

“Residents should remain central to every decision that NYCHA makes for its properties, and we are honored to be part of a group that drove each step of the decision-making process to make a substantial, lasting impact on our communities,” said Miguel Acevedo, president, Fulton Houses Tenant Association. “We look forward to partnering with our PACT partners to address urgent concerns, long-overdue repairs, and critical infrastructure upgrades for our homes.”

“NYCHA took us to visit other developments that have gone through PACT. They looked beautiful and great! For residents at Moore Houses, we’re looking forward to improvements to our buildings, like the plumbing behind the walls,” said Rosa Pinero, president, Moore Houses Resident Association. “We’ve been complaining about leaks for years. PACT will also provide new and improved social services and that is another thing that we’re looking forward to.”

“The Sack Wern TA Board and I appreciate the way the PACT program is being planned,” said Loretta Masterson, president, Sack Wern Houses Tenant Association. “We really enjoyed being able to interview the partner teams that chose to be a part of this process. Meeting people and seeing faces was very important. We liked the fact that they listened and took what we had to say about the problems we are trying to address seriously.”

“On behalf of the Williamsburg Houses residents and the board members, we are excited for the PACT program to come to Williamsburg Houses,” said Lavonne McLamb, president, Williamsburg Houses Resident Association. “Our residents are overdue for major improvements to our development. We are looking forward to the transformation to our apartments and being part of the revitalization of our community.”

“I’m pleased with how NYCHA, the PACT partner team, and the resident association have worked together to make the PACT conversion happen,” said Clara Woods, president, Boulevard Houses Resident Association. “The PACT partner at Boulevard Houses took special care and time with each resident, giving them one-on-one time, letting them have a chance to ask questions that are personal to their specific needs. They also worked with residents to add family members to their lease who had to return home due to the pandemic.”

“As the first federally funded public housing development in the country built for African-Americans, Harlem River’s history is incredibly important, not only to NYCHA but to the city at large,” said Michelle Grant, president, Harlem River Houses Resident Association in Harlem. “The PACT program represents a historic new milestone for Harlem River — and our residents have played an integral role in working to ensure that the renovations planned for our community are reflective of the changes they would like to see while respectful of our proud heritage.”

“I’m looking forward to Edenwald’s rehabilitation through the PACT program,” said Walter McNeill, president, Edenwald Houses Tenant Association. “In addition to the major repairs that will be coming to our development through this program, we’re looking forward to the reopening of our senior center, which has been closed for several years. We’re also looking forward to the reopening of our laundry rooms, continuing with the resident watch program, and increasing the capacity of our compactor yard.”

“The PACT program will create a host of benefits for our residents, in areas ranging from workforce development and social services to sustainable urban design,” said Diana Blackwell, president, Frederick Samuel Apartments Tenant Association. “We believe in the PACT program and that this partnership will provide our community with services to meet our many needs. These needs are critical and are known firsthand by our residents.”

“I strongly feel this is the best thing that has happened to Manhattanville,” said Veronica Nieves, president, Manhattanville Houses Resident Association in Harlem. “We need a change quickly. The PACT process has been great and has always met our needs. I am very thankful for the support provided to us through this process.”

“Once new management started to operate at the development, things greatly improved,” said Sharon Nesmith, president, Twin Parks West Resident Association. “Resolving NYCHA work order tickets was an extremely slow process that could take weeks, months, and sometimes years to complete a repair. Residents are very pleased with the conversation and their apartment upgrades.”

“I am enthused about the PACT program,” said Gloria Tull, president, Claremont Parkway Tenant Association. “It’s nice to see solutions for our concerns about safety and comfortable living spaces addressed. I am looking forward to better flooring, heat, and improved security. Our residents are excited to see the conversion completed.”

“I am looking forward to a new management team that interacts with residents and is equipped to provide better security, reasonable response times with repairs, and dependable heat,” said Santiago Valentin, president, 1325 Franklin Avenue Tenant Association.

“The staff at Stebbins-Hewitt are awesome, but I understand that there are bigger issues, and they don’t have the funding they need,” said Raymond Serrano, president, Stebbins Avenue-Hewitt Place Tenant Association. “I’m looking forward to our residents having more resources and improved living conditions.”

“The process is long, but the experience so far has been positive,” said William Betancourt, president, Gaylord White Houses Resident Association. “Residents are excited for the conversion to take place and they look forward to the benefit of having better security and more regularity with getting the repairs done in a timely manner.”

“Residents are very pleased with new management staff and are happy that Baychester development is part of the PACT conversation,” said Sandra Gross, president, Baychester Houses Resident Association.

“Since the PACT conversion has taken place, the overall experience has been satisfying,” said Visol Smith, president, Ocean Bay Apartments (Oceanside) Resident Association. “Buildings are cleaner, and we are able to maintain a healthy relationship with our PACT partners.”

“The PACT program will provide residents at Rangel Houses a better quality of life,” said Bernadette McNear, president, Rangel Houses Resident Association in Harlem. “This program will directly improve our living conditions and will be used for the betterment of our community.”

“I’m looking forward to the building improvements for the residents at East 152^nd-Courtlandt,” said Cassandra Bowlin, president, Melrose Houses Resident Association. “NYCHA has explained the PACT program to residents, and I look forward to seeing the work completed and followed through on.”

“The Eastchester Gardens Resident Association and residents are looking forward to the PACT/RAD program to help fund the much-needed repairs that we deserve,” said Keith Ramsey, president, Eastchester Gardens Resident Association.

“Residents are looking forward to an engagement process that continues to be transparent, and I’m looking forward to a West Brighton community that’s safe and secure for our residents,” said Shekina Butler, president, West Brighton Houses Resident Association.

“I am hopeful that our development will remain livable for generations to come and that the quality of repair work will be durable,” said Robin Davis, president, South Bronx Area (Site 402) Tenant Association.