NYCHA Recognized as Leader in Information Technology
Three innovative digital initiatives by the IT department have received awards for Outstanding Achievement in Administrative Innovation at the Middle Atlantic Regional Council Conference of the National Association of Housing and Development Officials (MARC NAHRO) in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on April 28.
“We are extremely proud that NYCHA is being recognized for the hard work of both IT and our business partners in delivering these NextGen solutions,” said Chief Information Officer Bob Marano. “These initiatives are both transformative to our business processes and empowering to the residents NYCHA serves.”
Award-Winning Initiatives
• Mobile Digital Vans for Public Housing: The Digital Vans––computer labs on wheels––bring technology directly to NYCHA communities. The vans are equipped with eight laptops, a printer/scanner, wireless Internet and an instructor, and visit 18 developments biweekly. Due to popular demand from our residents, a third digital van was recently introduced.
• NYCHA Self-Service Portal: Launched in 2013, the Self-Service Portal allows applicants, public housing residents, and Section 8 voucher holders to complete many transactions online, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
• MyNYCHA Mobile App: MyNYCHA is NYCHA’s free mobile app that puts the repair process in residents’ hands by empowering them to create service requests 24/7. MyNYCHA—which works on mobile devices, smartphones, and tablets—can be used to manage work orders, receive alerts for development outages, select times for repairs, and reschedule repair dates. A web version of the app was deployed for residents seeking to utilize MyNYCHA’s features from a computer in their homes, the library, or NYCHA’s Digital Vans.
A Spanish-language feature has also been incorporated into the web version of MyNYCHA. Approximately 45 percent of NYCHA’s population is Hispanic.
