Devoted Staff at the Heart of ‘Maintenance Cares:’ Meet Cordell Percival  

They’re on the frontlines of ensuring critical repairs are completed so NYCHA residents can live safely and comfortably in their homes.  

Across the city, the Authority’s highly dedicated maintenance staff are equipped and ready to take on a range of apartment fixes that may need their urgent attention. Ask many experienced maintenance employees – such as Cordell Percival in Queens – what motivates them every day, and they’ll say that it’s the opportunity to help maintain safe, decent living spaces for residents. 

“The joy about the work is that you get to help others,” said Mr. Percival, who has worked in maintenance at Queensbridge South Houses for nearly two years. “You get to take care of the things they need fixing – and when you’ve done your job, you are pleased and satisfied.” 

A native of Guyana, Mr. Percival emigrated to New York City in 2014. He joined the NYCHA workforce as a Plumber’s Helper in late 2022, but he is now relied upon to resolve a variety of maintenance needs, from plumbing and electrical issues to light fixtures.  

Serving the largest public housing development in North America, the veteran repair specialist is among a team of hard-working staff who have been commended for their efforts under the Authority’s “Maintenance Cares” initiative. Maintenance Cares launched across NYCHA in 2025 to expedite apartment repairs that need immediate attention by skilled trades employees or vendors. When Maintenance Workers visit apartments for repairs, they will immediately report an issue for escalation if it meets one of 10 serious conditions that could impact health and safety, including loss of power, significant leaks, damaged ceilings, open walls, or excessive hoarding.  

Workers will document the issue with photos and a brief description and submit the report via a dedicated Maintenance Cares email address. While some minor repairs may be performed by maintenance crews on the spot, repairs that require more complex work or expertise are addressed by skilled trades staff, including plumbers, electricians, plasterers, carpenters, and painters.   

“If I see something that needs to be addressed urgently, I will submit it to the Maintenance Cares email,” Mr. Percival said. 

A key to providing good customer service during the process, the worker notes, is letting residents know how the program works and that the maintenance issue will be handled in a timely manner. As a result, residents have expressed gratitude and are pleased to know that NYCHA is taking action.  

“You want to make sure that you explain to them that we’re going to try our best to see how fast NYCHA can take care of the situation,” Mr. Percival said.    

Mr. Percival and his colleagues are proud to be part of the force behind Maintenance Cares – and the prompt progress to improve living conditions for residents.  

“Maintenance Cares is great,” Mr. Percival said of the program’s efficiency. “When I’ve seen how fast the work is being done, it’s very satisfying.”  

As it’s fittingly stated on the back of their Maintenance Cares-branded T-shirts, the work done by NYCHA’s maintenance teams “starts with caring.” For Mr. Percival at Queensbridge, and other experienced colleagues across NYCHA, their maintenance careers are not just a job but a passion – one that comes with the added benefit of providing a critical service to the resident community.  

“I just come to work and I want to serve the residents,” Mr. Percival said. “It’s a satisfying feeling to know that you can help others.”