EVP for Real Estate Nicole Ferreira Receives Prestigious Award

On April 20, Chair & CEO Shola Olatoye presented Nicole Ferreira, Executive Vice President (EVP) for Real Estate, with the prestigious Citizens Housing Planning Council’s 2017 Ibo Balton Community Planner Award at the awards luncheon. This award recognizes individuals who rebuild and revitalize low-income communities. Since her appointment as EVP for Real Estate in 2016,… MORE

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Employee Voices: NGO – A New Model for Managing NYCHA Developments

NextGen Operations (NGO) is a new model for managing NYCHA’s developments. Launched in January 2015 at 18 developments as the Optimal Property Management Operating Model (OPMOM), the program aimed to empower property managers to truly manage their developments. Senior Vice President (SVP) Janet Abrahams joined NYCHA in September 2015 to run this program, bringing with… MORE

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NYCHA Wins Prize for Public Service Innovation

The Citizens Budget Commission (CBC) recently awarded NYCHA its 2017 CBC Prize for Public Service Innovation for its NextGeneration NYCHA Digital Initiatives. As part of NextGen NYCHA, our 10-year strategic plan, the Authority has implemented several digital initiatives that increase efficiency, reduce operating costs, and improve customer service. These initiatives include the MyNYCHA app, smart… MORE

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National Retirement Planning Week

Have you begun planning for your retirement? This year, National Retirement Planning Week will be celebrated from April 3–7. One-third of American workers have no retirement savings plan besides Social Security. Fortunately, NYCHA and other City employees can become members of the New York City Employees’ Retirement System (NYCERS), the largest municipal public employee retirement… MORE

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Hispanic Society Invites ESD Director to Celebrate Womens’ History Month

NYCHA’s Hispanic Society held a general membership meeting on March 8 in the Ceremonial Room at 90 Church Street, where guest speaker Erenisse Tavarez, Director of the Emergency Services Department (ESD), provided an overview of its operations. A critical aspect of ESD’s mission is to address highpriority emergencies during after-hour operations, such as weekends and… MORE

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Find Out About Free Pre-Diabetes Programs

The Office of Labor Relations offers two programs for New York City employees with pre-diabetes or diabetes: • National Diabetes Prevention Program (NDPP): This program helps people who are overweight and have pre-diabetes take important steps to delay or avoid developing diabetes in the future. Pre-diabetes occurs when your blood glucose (sugar) level is higher… MORE

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Protecting the Privacy of Our Customers

Some NYCHA employees handle documents or files that contain personally identifiable information (PII) about applicants, residents, Section 8 participants, and other customers. If this information is lost, compromised, or disclosed without the individual’s permission, it could be used to substantially harm their reputations, violate their privacy, and put their assets at risk. Federal law requires… MORE

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Employee Voices: One-Stop Kiosks Put the Customer in Control

NYCHA’s residents, Section 8 tenants and other customers now have more access to information and self-service features thanks to approximately 150 one-stop kiosks installed in property management offices (and soon to be installed in customer walk-in centers in Brooklyn and the Bronx). The kiosks increase access to NYCHA’s ever-growing list of online services by allowing residents to interact with… MORE

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Employee Voices: Transforming Business Operations

by Chloe Gutelle, Senior Administrator Last year, NYCHA residents made over 2.8 million requests for repairs. Over half of open repair requests are for skilled trades. In some cases, residents wait months for even one trade to service their apartment. The wait to complete a repair increases when two or three skilled trades must be sequenced to complete the… MORE

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Find Out About Free Pre-Diabetes Programs

The Office of Labor Relations offers two programs for New York City employees with pre-diabetes or diabetes: National Diabetes Prevention Program (NDPP): This program helps people who are overweight and have pre-diabetes take important steps to delay or avoid developing diabetes in the future. Pre-diabetes occurs when your blood glucose (sugar) level is higher than… MORE

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Free Tax Services

2017 Tax Preparation Sites These tax prep services are fast, FREE, local and available to anyone earning $54,000 per year or less. Free tax preparation and e-file services will be available at select NYCHA community centers and Jobs-Plus sites starting the week of January 30th to April 13, 2017. BRONX Morrisania – Davidson Community Center… MORE

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Best Wishes 2016 Retirees—Thank You For Your Service!

Elizabeth Acevedo Ronald Michael. Adams Ekhtear U. Ahmad Kamal Ahmed Joseph C. Akasalayil Timothy G. Alapo Raymond Alequin Cornelio Alvarado Miguel Alvarez Georgia Amin Marino Amparo Astor Anderson Denise Anderson Ana Antequera Marcos Aponte Santo Araujo Rodney Armanie Dele Arowolo Roger Arrington Jesus Astacio Diane Babb Florence Balan Joyce Barcliff Ida Barnes Ronald Barreau Patricia… MORE

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Language Services Unit Provides Crucial Customer Assistance

Good communication is the foundation for all our work with customers, including those who are hearing impaired or have limited English proficiency (LEP). As NYCHA employees, we are responsible for ensuring that all residents, applicants, and Section 8 voucher holders are able to fully participate in all of the Authority’s programs and activities. NYCHA’s  Language… MORE

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NYCHA Celebrates Black History Month With Four Employee Profiles

Social Worker Yolanda Johnson-Peterkin spent 26 years in the criminal justice arena with non-profit agencies that bridged the transition between incarceration and the community. When NYCHA started its Family Re-entry Pilot Program three years ago, Ms. Johnson-Peterkin left her position as director of operations for re-entry at the Women’s Prison Association to manage the Authority’s… MORE

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Three NYCHA Residents Appointed to NYCHA Board

More than 500 applications to serve on the NYCHA Board were received from residents last year. Coordinated with the Mayor’s Office of Appointments, the extremely competitive application process selected three members to replace resident board members whose terms had all expired. After reviewing applications and conducting a thorough interview process, the Mayor’s Office of Appointments… MORE

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NYCHA Launches Employee Engagement Committee

Applications have been received from throughout the Authority to serve on NYCHA’s new Employee Engagement Committee (EEC). The EEC will develop plans that can help us work together more effectively and efficiently, feel empowered to make positive changes in our workplace, and take ownership of NYCHA’s success. At regularly scheduled meetings, employees working in property… MORE

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Update Your Beneficiaries in 2017

Here’s one resolution that everyone should add to their list: Don’t forget to update your beneficiaries. Every employee should complete a Designation of Beneficiaries form to ensure that any monies due upon the employee’s death are given to only the individuals they have selected. Updating your pension beneficiaries does not change beneficiaries for other payments… MORE

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NYCHA Gets an “A” for Its Section 8 Program

The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded NYCHA’s Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program its highest designation for outstanding performance, underscoring NYCHA’s efficiency and effectiveness administering Section 8. “This designation demonstrates how we are succeeding in fundamentally changing how we do business and becoming more efficient,” said Chair & CEO Shola… MORE

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“I Am NextGen” Honorees Bridge the Digital Gap for Queensbridge Residents

NYCHA continues to bring outstanding employees, residents and other stakeholders to the attention of the public through its popular “I Am NextGen” campaign. Our latest honorees, Shameya Muniz and April Andrews, are helping their fellow residents at Queensbridge Houses go digital. In the summer of 2015, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a $10 million investment… MORE

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New Exterminator Services Program

To improve service to our residents and reduce rodents, NYCHA is reinstating routine extermination treatments on a quarterly basis, beginning January 23, 2017. Routine apartment extermination will treat “wet” areas, such as the kitchen and bathroom(s). As part of this initiative, NYCHA will schedule comprehensive building “clean-out” extermination treatments. A clean-out is a thorough extermination… MORE

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Employee Voices: Connecting Residents to Community Resources

NextGeneration NYCHA mandates the use of data to support decision making and help NYCHA become a more transparent organization. The Performance Tracking and Analytics Department (PTAD) has taken a critical role in supporting the Next Generation NYCHA goal of operating as an efficient and effective landlord. Our mission is to provide performance management and business… MORE

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A Message to Immigrant New Yorkers from Mayor de Blasio and Speaker Mark-Viverito

In keeping with New York City’s historic role in welcoming and supporting immigrants to our shores, Mayor Bill de Blasio and City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito have issued the following statement: “During these uncertain times we must remind ourselves of who we are as a city, and hold steadfast to our values. Hard work, respect… MORE

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DOC’s Leticia Barboza Featured in City Hall Exhibit

Congratulations to Department of Communications’ photographer Leticia Barboza, whose photograph, at left, is featured prominently in the “City at Work: Portraits in Civic Pride” exhibit in City Hall. The images of City employees and residents provide a collective portrait of the individuals that City Hall and its agencies advocate for on a daily basis.

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Toy Drive Makes Holidays Merrier

Twenty volunteers from NYCHA’s employee associations, the Department of Community Engagement and Partnerships, and the Office of Intergovernmental Relations joined with volunteers from Hillsong Church on December 21 to help Santa distribute gifts to more than 150 children living in NYCHA developments. A toy drive spearheaded by Marcela Medina, in Intergovernmental Relations, and Alicka Ampry-Samuel,… MORE

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NYCHA Closes First RAD Agreement Bringing Repairs to 3,700 Residents

On December 30, 2016, NYCHA closed a groundbreaking agreement under the Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) program to bring significant financial resources and desperately needed renovations to the Ocean Bay (Bayside) Apartments in the Rockaways. PACT is New York City’s implementation of the federal government’s Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD), which includes collaboration between NYCHA, residents,… MORE

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Chair Olatoye Announces Historic Changes to Operations with New Expanded Service Hours

Chair Shola Olatoye addressed staff in a video presentation on March 21 to announce NYCHA’s historic FlexOps initiative. You can see the video presentation at http://on.nyc.gov/FlexOps. Following are her remarks. The problems NYCHA faces have been building up for decades. For years, we’ve been caught between decaying buildings, money shortfalls and ineffective management. These past… MORE

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Employee Organization Focuses on Shared Concerns

The Coalition of NYCHA Employee Organizations (CoNEO) held its first open house membership meeting in the 90 Church Street Ceremonial Room on January 29. One of several new employee organizations, CoNEO was formed with the unique mission of providing all employee organizations with a forum to identify and address shared concerns. The group will encourage… MORE

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First NextGen Quarterly Report Demonstrates Progress

On January 21, the Authority released its NextGeneration NYCHA 4th Quarter 2015 Report, citing progress made during the first eight months implementing the Authority’s 10-year strategic plan. The report focuses on the plan’s 15 strategies that will transform the way NYCHA does business to create safe, clean, and connected communities. “By changing how NYCHA is… MORE

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Webinar on Rent Collection Improvements

The Department of Intergovernmental Relations (IGR) launched a NextGeneration NYCHA Webinar Series on January 12 with a presentation by Director of Management Services Lillian Harris on NYCHA’s new tools and approaches for rent and fee collection. “This initiative will help us become more effective in collecting rent and identifying ways to better assist residents falling… MORE

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Rent Collection Training Provides Staff with New Tools and Insights

The first two weeks of the new year began with training for property managers, assistant property managers and housing assistants across NYCHA for one of the most important and sometimes sensitive jobs—collecting the rent. NYCHA’s Rent Collection Initiative is a key part of NextGeneration NYCHA, as rent and related fees provide about one third of… MORE

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Congratulations

Karen Caldwell, former Managing Director of Amundi Alternative Investments, was appointed Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President in January 2016. Ms. Caldwell is responsible for all financial planning, accounting, and reporting, as well as payroll, insurance, energy, and treasury activities for NYCHA’s annual operating budget of $3 billion and five-year capital budget of $2.45… MORE

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Senior Leadership Meeting Features NY1 Anchor Errol Lewis

The final Senior Leadership Meeting of 2015 held on December 8 was designed to provide managers with a key competency to meet NextGeneration NYCHA’s challenging goals: collaborative leadership. The training—previously suggested by the managers—included group exercises on planning effective meetings, stakeholder analysis, and task delegation. “The possibilities for how you can creatively apply these tools…are… MORE

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“I am NextGen” Jasmine Williams and Michael Kmiec

The “I am NextGeneration NYCHA” campaign continues to bring to the attention of the public outstanding employees, residents, and supporters of NYCHA who embody the commitment to service that’s required to transform our NextGeneration NYCHA vision of safe, clean and connected communities into a reality. The December issue of NYCHANow featured Technical Resource Advisor Denise… MORE

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Congratulations

Kerri Jew, former Deputy Commissioner at the NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS), has been appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, effective January 4, 2016. Ms. Jew oversees major components of NYCHA’s organizational redesign, labor relations, and agency-wide process improvements. While Deputy Commissioner at SBS, Ms. Jew oversaw the City’s Minority and… MORE

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NYCHA Takes Major Steps to Improve Emergency Response

As NYCHA continues to fundamentally change the way it does business as part of NextGeneration NYCHA, the Authority released an end-of-year report detailing NYCHA’s responses to emergency events in 2015 and other preparedness updates. The NYCHA Office of Emergency Preparedness, which was created last year, has taken major steps to overhaul NYCHA’s planning for major… MORE

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