Meet Carlos Falu, Neighborhood Administrator in Staten Island

With a combined 45 years as either a NYCHA resident or employee, Carlos Falu has been connected with the Authority for most of his life.  

He grew up at Moore Houses in the South Bronx and has been a member of NYCHA’s workforce for nearly 30 years: he started out as a heating plant technician and is currently a neighborhood administrator overseeing all developments in Staten Island. 

“NYCHA has been my life since I was 5 years old,” said Mr. Falu, who also lives in Staten Island. “I eat, sleep, and breathe NYCHA.” 

It’s that close bond with the Authority, in which he has been in the shoes of both a resident and employee, that he believes makes him a good fit to serve the community as a neighborhood administrator.   

“That’s what’s been driving me to do as much as I can for every resident who I come into contact with in my area,” he noted. “My goal is to make sure that the residents get their services and they are happy where they live, and I try to do everything possible to get that done.”  

The neighborhood administrator role was formerly known as regional asset manager (RAM); it was established as part of NYCHA’s Neighborhood Model, which seeks to improve oversight and provide increased attention to NYCHA developments by creating smaller property management portfolios.    

Under the Neighborhood Model, an initiative of the Transformation Plan, NYCHA’s property management operations have been restructured into the four geographic boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Queens/Staten Island. Mr. Falu serves as one of 30 neighborhood administrators who oversee portfolio “neighborhoods” across the city, each with 4,000 to 7,000 apartments.   

He is the only administrator serving Staten Island, where he said he works closely with the property managers, property maintenance supervisors, and resident association leaders to address issues and concerns at the borough’s seven NYCHA developments. Property managers at each NYCHA development report to the neighborhood administrator, who reports to the borough’s vice president of operations.  

“My role is to be their support system to get what they need and to assist every resident to the fullest,” Mr. Falu explained. “For me it’s about helping out and making sure that at the end of the day, residents are satisfied with the services that are being done in their apartment.”  

Through the Neighborhood Model’s change in operational structure, NYCHA aims to have improved accountability and a deeper understanding of its developments’ unique needs and challenges. According to Mr. Falu, the Neighborhood Model is functioning the way it was intended. 

One of the key goals of the new model is to cut down on travel times between developments for neighborhood administrators by creating portfolios where properties are located closer to each other. Mr. Falu applauded this move, saying he no longer has to commute for hours to Far Rockaway, Queens, and has more time to visit his Staten Island properties and attend to their needs.     

Additionally, Mr. Falu said his relationships with property staff and residents have improved due to this enhanced oversight, which has led to better communication on which measures need to be taken to support the community.  

For Mr. Falu, the opportunity to serve his fellow Staten Island residents in the role of neighborhood administrator has been a unique chance to give back to the organization that has accompanied him throughout his life.   

“NYCHA has been a home, it’s been a provider, and it’s a great agency,” he said.