NYCHA Now

Author: Michael Corwin

March 2020

NYCHA Launches Fourth Digital Van

More NYCHA residents will be able to access technology essential to making the connections they need, thanks to the rollout of a fourth Digital Van. This means more job searches and applications filled out, resumés updated, annual certifications filled out online, and more. Launched in 2012, NYCHA’s Digital Vans are free computer labs on wheels that bring… MORE

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March 2020

Bright Lights, Big Library

On January 30, the New York Public Library (NYPL) celebrated the grand opening of the new Macomb’s Bridge branch, located at NYCHA’s Harlem River Houses. The new library, at 3,375 square feet, is nearly five times larger than the one it replaced at its previous location across the street. The bright, attractive facility offers more… MORE

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March 2020

Equal Opportunity at NYCHA

Dear Colleagues, As we continue our collective work to transform NYCHA into an organization of excellence, we must fully integrate equal opportunity into NYCHA’s vision, mission, and strategic plan. Discrimination, harassment in the workplace, and retaliation are contrary to our core values of respect, diversity, inclusion, and collaboration. As Chair and Chief Executive Officer, I… MORE

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March 2020

NYCHA Developments Named after Women

To celebrate Women’s History Month, we are highlighting the Authority’s developments named after notable women. These trailblazing women made remarkable contributions to American life and are an inspiration to all residents who reside in their namesake developments. Bethune Gardens: Mary McLeod Bethune (1875-1955) – An educator who founded the National Council of Negro Women and was vice president of… MORE

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FeaturedMarch 2020

Providing Excellent Service to Residents

We’re periodically featuring the hardworking staff members who provide excellent service to residents. Learn more about how we’re improving residents’ homes and becoming a better landlord through their perspective. In this installment, meet Anneliee Almonte, an Administrative Community Relations Specialist who coordinates dust wipe sampling as part of NYCHA’s work to address lead at our… MORE

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February 2020

New MyNYCHA Features

Good news, NYCHA residents! The MyNYCHA app and website have been upgraded with new features. Available in English and Spanish, MyNYCHA allows residents to create, schedule, and manage work orders from their smartphones or computers at any time of day. In addition to managing work orders, residents can view service interruptions regarding heat, hot water,… MORE

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February 2020

Clear Channels, Safe Residents

To improve the way it manages wide-scale incidents, NYCHA’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) launched a six-month pilot program based on NYC’s Incident Command System, which employs on-call field coordinators to coordinate efforts and communications between responding agencies. “It has been an effective emergency response model for the city,” said Rudy Murillo, Director of NYCHA’s… MORE

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February 2020

Inspiring a Compliance Culture

PHAS Inspections for 2017 In July 2019, HUD restarted its 2017 Public Housing Assessment System (PHAS) Real Estate Assessment Center (REAC) inspections. The last of these inspections concluded at the end of September 2019. Fifty-seven developments were inspected across the five boroughs. The Compliance Department worked with development staff to ensure the integrity of PHAS… MORE

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February 2020

Celebrating Black History Month

To commemorate Black History Month, we are highlighting the Authority’s developments named after prominent Black Americans. Residents of these developments have permanent reminders of these trailblazers who made considerable contributions to American life throughout our nation’s history. “Those who have no record of what their forebears have accomplished lose the inspiration which comes from the… MORE

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February 2020

Celebrating Black History Month

To commemorate Black History Month, we are highlighting the Authority’s developments named after prominent Black Americans. Residents of these developments have permanent reminders of these trailblazers who made considerable contributions to American life throughout our nation’s history. “Those who have no record of what their forebears have accomplished lose the inspiration which comes from the… MORE

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February 2020

Celebrating Black History Month

To commemorate Black History Month, we are highlighting the Authority’s developments named after prominent Black Americans. Residents of these developments have permanent reminders of these trailblazers who made considerable contributions to American life throughout our nation’s history. RALPH J. RANGEL (1923 – 1975) – An energetic Central Harlem community worker, Rangel became a director of Community… MORE

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February 2020

Celebrating Black History Month

To commemorate Black History Month, we are highlighting the Authority’s developments named after prominent Black Americans. Residents of these developments have permanent reminders of these trailblazers who made considerable contributions to American life throughout our nation’s history. “Those who have no record of what their forebears have accomplished lose the inspiration which comes from the… MORE

Read More
February 2020

Celebrating Black History Month

To commemorate Black History Month, we are highlighting the Authority’s developments named after prominent Black Americans. Residents of these developments have permanent reminders of these trailblazers who made considerable contributions to American life throughout our nation’s history. “Those who have no record of what their forebears have accomplished lose the inspiration which comes from the… MORE

Read More
February 2020

Celebrating Black History Month

To commemorate Black History Month, we are highlighting the Authority’s developments named after prominent Black Americans. Residents of these developments have permanent reminders of these trailblazers who made considerable contributions to American life throughout our nation’s history. “Those who have no record of what their forebears have accomplished lose the inspiration which comes from the… MORE

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February 2020Highlighted

Ready to Lead

For two years, 11 NYCHA residents sharpened their knowledge of public housing, leadership skills, and organizing as part of NYCHA’s first cohort of the Resident Leadership Academy. They graduated from the program in December, ready to put their skills into action at their developments and in their communities. The Resident Leadership Academy (RLA) is a… MORE

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January 2020

Residents Can Visit the Digital Van to Join Census 2020

NYCHA’s Digital Vans provide residents the opportunity to search for jobs, browse the internet, complete annual online recertifications, and more. Now they offer residents a new opportunity: gaining employment as 2020 U.S. Census Bureau employees. Census 2020 is recruiting for temporary and flexible jobs as census takers, recruiting assistants, office staff, and supervisory staff. A… MORE

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HighlightedJanuary 2020

A Healthy Diversion

As part of the NYCHA 2.0 Waste Management Plan and related efforts to better manage waste across the Authority, NYCHA’s Sustainability Programs Department coordinated the installation of in-sink food waste disposers at three initial developments: Meltzer Tower, Baruch Addition, and Two Bridges in the Lower East Side. Food waste disposals reduce the amount of organic… MORE

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HighlightedJanuary 2020

Recognizing James Secreto, NYPD Housing Bureau Chief

At the December NYCHA Board meeting, General Manager Vito Mustaciuolo announced the retirement of James Secreto, Chief of the NYPD’s Housing Bureau, whose 2,100 officers patrol NYCHA developments. Following the announcement, Chair Greg Russ presented Chief Secreto with a plaque recognizing his work in maintaining safety at our developments. Chief Secreto began his NYPD career… MORE

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January 2020

Breaking Ground in Brooklyn

Construction has begun on Van Dyke III, a building on the campus of Van Dyke Houses that will bring 180 affordable apartments to the Brownsville, Brooklyn, community. “Every apartment will be reserved for low-income households, with 54 apartments exclusively for formerly homeless families,” said Matthew Charney, NYCHA’s Director of Real Estate Development. “One out of… MORE

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January 2020

Celebrating the Festival of Lights

On December 18, Batei Tsibur, NYCHA’s organization of Jewish employees, hosted its annual Chanukah candle-lighting ceremony at 90 Church Street. The guest speaker, Rabbi Kasriel Kastel, Program Director of the Lubavitch Youth Organization in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, discussed the importance of incremental change in his talk, “Illuminate Your Life – One Candle at a Time.”… MORE

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January 2020

Helping Seniors at Home

Apartment 2K at LaGuardia Houses Addition is not the average studio apartment: it’s a space where residents of the senior development receive the social services and maintain the community connections that help them live independently. LaGuardia Houses Addition is home to almost 200 residents ages 55 and up – many are Chinese and have limited… MORE

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January 2020

Growing Stronger Together

In November, more than 120 NYCHA residents from the Bronx were recognized by NYCHA for their efforts to beautify their communities while promoting safety, healthy living, and community pride. The honored residents were from Betances, Patterson, Moore, Mill Brook, Saint Mary’s Park, and Adams Houses. Throughout 2019, they organized and participated in the Grow Stronger… MORE

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HighlightedJanuary 2020

Opportunity, Transformation, and Excellence

On December 16, about 230 NYCHA staff came together at the NYPD headquarters’ cavernous auditorium to discuss “opportunity, transformation, and excellence,” the theme of the Quarterly Leadership Meeting. Director of Community Development Leroy Williams kicked off the daylong event: “We’re bringing back this NYCHA tradition because it’s a great way to discuss where we are… MORE

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FeaturedJanuary 2020

Providing Excellent Service to Residents

We’re periodically featuring the hardworking staff members who provide excellent service to residents and exemplify NYCHA’s core values. In this installment, meet John Kolomechuk, Housing Manager in the Customer Operations Department: “In my 25-plus years at NYCHA, I have served as a housing assistant, assistant manager, development manager, and borough manager. I’m now a housing… MORE

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December 2019Highlighted

NYCHA Employee Receives Public Service Award

Denise Guess, Administrative Community Relations Specialist in the Resident Engagement Department, was honored on December 11 with the prestigious 2019 Isaac Liberman Public Service Award. Sponsored by The Hundred Year Association of New York, comprising companies, religious institutions, and non-profit organizations that are over 100 years old, the award has been presented to outstanding New… MORE

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December 2019

DEO Office Move

NYCHA’s Department of Equal Opportunity (DEO) is moving to 90 Church Street on Friday, December 6, 2019. The office will be open at this location on Monday, December 9, 2019. DEO is moving as part of the Authority’s cost-savings initiative to consolidate central office locations. The overall consolidation initiative will save approximately $20 million annually in… MORE

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December 2019

Thankful for Community

NYCHA is thankful to its employees, residents, elected officials, and partner organizations for working together to ensure that public housing residents across the city, including those affected by gas outages, had Thanksgiving meals. On the evening of November 27, for instance, NYCHA staff delivered 1,300 meals to residents at 25 developments in all five boroughs.… MORE

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December 2019Featured

Providing Excellent Service to Residents

We’re periodically featuring the hardworking staff members who provide excellent service to residents. Learn more about how we’re connecting residents to opportunity through their perspective. In this installment, meet Erica DeJesus, Community Coordinator in the Resident Engagement Department: “I started at NYCHA nine years ago as a community center director in the Bronx. When I… MORE

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November 2019

Taking Action Together

NYCHA is participating in an international campaign, “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence,” which runs from November 25 to December 10, 2019, to raise awareness about gender-based violence and encourage discussions and activism on ways to eliminate it. In NYC, the campaign is led by the Commission on Gender Equity and the Mayor’s Office… MORE

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November 2019

A Day of Music

NYCHA hosted its second “Music and Health Festival” for older adults at the Johnson Community Center on October 11, 2019. About 300 seniors from developments across the city attended the event and spent the day dancing and listening to musical performances from their fellow seniors, participating in games, and enjoying lunch together. Participants also had… MORE

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November 2019

Getting NYCHA Residents Registered

NYCHA marked National Voter Registration Day on September 24 by encouraging Bronx residents to register to vote. Working with the Office of the Mayor’s DemocracyNYC initiative and resident associations, NYCHA’s Resident Engagement staff were on site at six developments: Claremont, Webster Houses, Morrisania Air Rights, Moore Houses, Millbrook Houses, and Teller Avenue-East 166th Street with… MORE

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November 2019

NYCHA-CUNY Scholar

As a 10-year-old living in the African nation of Gambia, Fatoumatta Drammeh’s mother enrolled her in school for the first time, making her the first girl among her 23 siblings to attend school. Ms. Drammeh credits that first step into school with shaping her lifelong quest for knowledge. The 36-year-old mother of two who lives… MORE

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November 2019

NYCHA-CUNY Scholar

Young children often dream of being superheroes like Superman, Batman, or Wonder Woman, but when Mohammed Islam was a child, his superheroes didn’t wear capes, they wore scrubs – they were the doctors and nurses he met accompanying his mother to her medical appointments to act as her translator. “I was a kid still learning… MORE

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HighlightedNovember 2019

Practicing Preparedness

Every September during National Preparedness Month, Americans are encouraged to get prepared for disasters or emergencies in their homes, businesses, and communities. Since 2013, NYCHA’s Emergency Services Department (ESD) has actively promoted that effort by ensuring its staff is well trained and properly equipped to address challenges that arise from gas leaks, floods, power failures,… MORE

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HighlightedNovember 2019

NYCHA’s New Departments

To improve service to residents and their quality of life, NYCHA is implementing significant health and safety-related improvements Authority-wide while continuing its focus on accountability and integrity. As part of this work, NYCHA created three new departments: The Compliance Department, which ensures that the Authority meets its legal, regulatory, and ethical responsibilities; The Environmental Health… MORE

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FeaturedNovember 2019

Providing Excellent Service to Residents

We’re periodically featuring the hardworking staff members who provide excellent service to residents. Learn more about how we’re improving residents’ homes and becoming a better landlord through their perspective. In this installment, meet Matt Dixon, Senior Project Manager in the Capital Projects Division: “As a senior project manager, I oversee a team that completes capital… MORE

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October 2019

Equal Opportunity at NYCHA

Dear Colleagues, As NYCHA’s Chair and Chief Executive Officer, I firmly believe that discrimination and harassment are contrary to the values we promote in the workplace and are detrimental to our success as an agency. With the passing of new laws in New York strengthening anti-discrimination and anti-harassment protections, I want to take this opportunity… MORE

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HighlightedOctober 2019

Announcing the 2019 NYCHA-CUNY Scholars

They are the next generation of social workers, advocates, journalists, IT professionals, doctors, teachers, and public servants – NYCHA residents pursuing their degrees at City University of New York colleges, and this year’s recipients of NYCHA-CUNY Resident Scholarships. On September 17, NYCHA and CUNY celebrated 25 residents for their academic excellence, leadership, and contributions to… MORE

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FeaturedOctober 2019

Providing Excellent Service to Residents

We’re periodically featuring the hardworking staff members who provide excellent service to residents. Learn more about how we’re improving residents’ homes and becoming a better landlord through their perspective. In this installment, meet Jaison Buchanan, an Oil Burner Specialist for nearly three years: “I perform repairs, from boilers to within tank rooms, to ensure efficient… MORE

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September 2019

5,900 Apartments Will Receive Major Repairs

Residents of the following developments in Manhattan and Brooklyn will benefit from major repairs to their apartments and buildings thanks to NYCHA’s Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) program: Linden, Boulevard, Williamsburg, Harlem River I and II, Audubon, Bethune Gardens, and Marshall Plaza. PACT is part of the Authority’s NYCHA 2.0 long-term plan; it shifts apartments… MORE

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September 2019

National Night Out

On August 6, NYCHA staff helped celebrate National Night Out events with residents, NYPD officers, community board representatives, and elected officials in Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan, and Queens. For 36 years, National Night Out has brought together residents and their local police precincts to strengthen relationships and promote safer communities. At St. Nicholas Houses in… MORE

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