NYCHA Now

Author: Jacqueline Broner

Employee VoicesMay 2017

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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May 2017NYCHA Notes

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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April 2017NYCHA Notes

Thank You to Staff

Winter Storm Stella couldn’t prevent Emergency Services Department Maintenance Workers Rastislav Kovalcik and Estaben Cadiz from reporting to work on March 14 and responding to emergencies despite snow conditions and slippery roads. More than 3,100 snow removal staff worked in frigid temperatures on March 14 to keep sidewalks, stairs and public spaces safe for residents,… MORE

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April 2017Highlighted

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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April 2017IT News and Notes

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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April 2017Employee VoicesHighlighted

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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April 2017Employee VoicesHighlighted

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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April 2017

NextGen Office Is Coming

Beginning this month, IT will install new computers for all field and central office users. The computers will include new software such as Windows 10, Office 365 and the instant messaging (IM) capability of Skype for Business. Check out these links for more information on everything that Office 365 can do. Office 365 Overview Office 365 Improvement… MORE

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March 2017

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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March 2017

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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March 2017

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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March 2017

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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March 2017NYCHA Notes

Happy Chinese New Year

Chair and CEO Shola Olatoye wished NYCHA’s Chinese-American Association (CAA) and its many friends “Sun Lin Figh Loke” (Happy New Year) at the CAA’s 24th Chinese Lunar New Year celebration on February 9. Almost 250 employees celebrated the occasion with a nine-course banquet at the Jing Fong restaurant in Manhattan’s Chinatown. The festivities included performances… MORE

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January-February 2017

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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January-February 2017

“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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January-February 2017

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 VoicesJanuary-February 2017

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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January-February 2017NYCHA Notes

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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January-February 2017

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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March 2016

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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February 2016

Best Wishes 2015 Retirees

Rodolfo Abraham Edward Acevedo Melvin V. Akerman Elie Akke Louis F. Albani Brenda Alexander Francisco Alvarez Eddie Alvelo Lucy Andrews Richard Apfelbaum Anthony Aran Joseph L. Aresco William Armstrong Hiram Arocho Luis A. Arriaga Lewis Ashley Juan Aybar Mauricio Aybar Diana Badillo Charles Bailey Violet Balducci Clement Barley Brian Barry David Bartolomey Javan Beeks Patricia… MORE

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February 2016NYCHA Notes

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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January 2016

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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January 2016

“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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January 2016NYCHA Notes

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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