NYCHA Now

Author: Michael Corwin

August 2019

Partnering to Change Lives

“Life changing” is one of the most common words graduates of the Family Self-Sufficiency program use to describe the HUD-funded initiative that supports Section 8 voucher holders in achieving economic independence. Both Shanti McGhee and Elizabeth Ramos, two graduates of the program, credit FSS for where they are today: college graduates gainfully employed and proud… MORE

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August 2019Featured

Providing Excellent Service to Residents

We’re periodically featuring the hardworking men and women who provide excellent service to residents, including through the NYCHA Cares and weekend maintenance work order blitz initiatives. Learn more about how we’re improving residents’ homes and becoming a better landlord through their perspective. In this installment, meet Robert Rodriguez, a Maintenance Worker since 2010: We go… MORE

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HighlightedJuly 2019

Rapid Response

NYCHA activated its Situation Room at 90 Church Street from Thursday, July 18 through Sunday, July 21 to centralize its efforts to handle issues arising from the heat wave that struck the city during that time. It included representatives from departments such as the Office of Emergency Management; Emergency Services; Operations; Capital Projects; Maintenance, Repairs,… MORE

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July 2019

What Creates Health at NYCHA?

Healthy and safe housing is linked to healthier, longer lives. To empower and support resident leaders, NYCHA and the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Center for Health Equity recently hosted the “What Creates Health @ NYCHA?” summit, which connected participants to resources and activities for creating healthier communities and indoor environments. Nearly 120… MORE

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July 2019

Celebrating NYCHA’s Dads

Looking good, dads! Fun was had by all at NYCHA’s Father’s Day Celebration at Johnson Houses on June 14. The program included a fashion show and performances of ‘oldie-but-goodies’ tunes. Attendees were also treated to lunch, gift baskets, health resources to encourage men to be more proactive about their health, and grooming services from barbers… MORE

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July 2019

Extended Hours on Wednesdays at Property Management Offices

NYCHA is providing extended office hours on Wednesdays at Property Management Offices to assist residents with all tenancy-related inquiries. Extended Hour Wednesdays are 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. until August 28, 2019. Residents can visit the property management office anytime until 7:30 p.m. to get help with: • Rent payment issues • Annual recertifications • Interim recertifications… MORE

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HighlightedJuly 2019

Reducing the Rat Population

As part of NYCHA’s efforts to reduce the rat population, 57 developments are receiving extra help tailored to each development’s specific needs – that includes dry-ice abatement treatments, more exterminators, new trash bins, and new interior and exterior compactors. In addition, NYCHA is replacing 50 dirt basements with concrete and installing 8,000 door sweeps on… MORE

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June 2019

Celebrating Jewish Heritage

Batei Tsibur, NYCHA’s organization of Jewish employees, held its annual Jewish Heritage Celebration on May 22 at the 90 Church Street Ceremonial Room. Guest speaker Joel Leyden, Director of the organization “Jews Against Hate” (at the podium in the photo above), presented on the topic of “Anti-Semitism: Security Realities.” It was a compelling and timely… MORE

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June 2019

Building Their Careers

Twenty-seven NYCHA residents took their first steps toward careers in construction: They successfully graduated from the NYCHA Resident Training Academy (NRTA) Construction track. The NRTA, managed by NYCHA’s Office of Resident Economic Empowerment and Sustainability (REES), provides residents with training opportunities and job placement assistance for careers in the construction, janitorial services, and maintenance fields. REES partners… MORE

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HighlightedJune 2019

Beneficial Connections

On May 2, NYCHA’s M/WBE & S3BC Procurement Fair at the Johnson Community Center at Manhattan’s Johnson Houses drew over 260 M/WBE and S3BC vendors looking to learn about the numerous contracting opportunities available at NYCHA and other organizations – one of the biggest turnouts ever for the annual event. M/WBEs are “minority- and women-owned… MORE

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June 2019

New B-ball Court at Ravenswood

The community voted, and Ravenswood Houses won. The development now has a new basketball court thanks to Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer, Participatory Budgeting, and the youth of the development. The basketball court was funded through Council Member Van Bramer’s participatory budgeting process, in which a district’s members vote on community improvement projects to be… MORE

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May 2019

Alternative Work Schedule Rollout Continues

Alternative Work Schedule (AWS) launched April 1 at 13 consolidated developments: Farragut, Ingersoll, Marcy, Stuyvesant, Tompkins, and Whitman Houses in Brooklyn and Clinton, Dyckman, Harlem River, Polo Grounds Towers, Rangel, Riis, and Saint Nicholas Houses in Manhattan. It’s a new way of scheduling certain front-line staff: caretakers, their supervisors, assistant resident building superintendents, and resident… MORE

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May 2019

April Work Anniversaries

Each month, NYCHANow recognizes the staff who’ve achieved more than five years of service, in multiples of five. Congratulations to the employees who reached these milestones in April! 5 Years of Service 10 Years of Service 15 Years of Service 20 Years of Service 25 Years of Service 30 Years of Service 35 Years of Service 40… MORE

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May 2019

Green City Force 2019 Graduation

Over the course of four to ten months, 47 young NYCHA residents from 31 developments served their fellow residents; by managing the Authority’s six Farms at NYCHA sites, distributing free organic produce, or going door-to-door to collect recyclables, they worked together to help make NYCHA communities greener and healthier. On April 12, those residents, Corps… MORE

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February 2021

NYCHA Celebrates Kick Butts Day

On March 20, NYCHA recognized “Kick Butts Day” with multiple events at developments across the city. Led by Youth Leadership Council (YLC) members, Senior Champions, and partner organizations, the activities highlighted the dangers of smoking as well as NYCHA’s smoke-free policy. Kick Butts Day is an opportunity for young people to speak out about the dangers… MORE

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FeaturedMay 2019

Elevating Social Workers

March was National Social Work Month and, in recognition, the Family Partnerships Department hosted a ceremony for all of NYCHA’s social workers and social service coordinators on March 28 in the 90 Church Street Ceremonial Room. This year’s national theme – Elevate Social Work – provided an opportunity to highlight the vital role social workers… MORE

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April 2019

Over 27,000 Repairs Completed via “NYCHA Cares” to Date

Through NYCHA Cares, an innovative approach to skilled trades repairs, the Authority has completed more than 27,000 work orders across the city to date, benefitting nearly 11,000 residents. Mayor Bill de Blasio committed $20 million to target more than 50,000 open work orders requiring skilled trades workers, which include plumbers, electricians, plasterers, carpenters, and painters… MORE

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April 2019

Voices of Queensbridge

“I love Queensbridge, there’s no place like it,” Karen Alston, a Queensbridge Houses resident for 57 years, says at the beginning of a short documentary, “Voices of Queensbridge.” The film tells the story of a year-long project to collect oral histories from long-time Queensbridge residents. The project is a partnership between LaGuardia Community College’s Gardiner-Shenker… MORE

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April 2019

Ready to Improve Community Health

On February 25, NYCHA staff joined partners from the College of Staten Island and Staten Island Performing Provider System (SI PPS) to celebrate five residents who completed Community Health Worker training and will soon be out in their communities helping residents navigate the healthcare system and working to improve health outcomes in Staten Island. The residents, who… MORE

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April 2019

Meet Curtis Williams

Through this new NYCHANow feature, employees write about their careers at the Authority. If you’d like to share your story, please send an email to nychanow@nycha.nyc.gov. Since July 2016, I have had the privilege of working in the Resident Engagement Department at our Long Island City facility (and temporarily at 250 Broadway). As a Manager, I… MORE

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April 2019Highlighted

Women’s History Month: A Spotlight on Women at NYCHA in Non-Traditional Careers

For the past 85 years, tens of thousands of women have worked at NYCHA, helping the Authority provide affordable housing to low- and moderate-income New Yorkers. Currently, women make up nearly half of NYCHA’s employees. This year, we closed Women’s History Month by featuring interviews with NYCHA employees working in non-traditional careers for women. The… MORE

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April 2019Featured

Alternative Work Schedule Launches

Alternative Work Schedule (AWS) launched April 1 at 13 consolidated developments: Farragut, Ingersoll, Marcy, Stuyvesant, Tompkins, and Whitman Houses in Brooklyn and Clinton, Dyckman, Harlem River, Polo Grounds Towers, Rangel, Riis, and Saint Nicholas Houses in Manhattan. It’s a new way of scheduling certain front-line staff: caretakers, their supervisors, assistant resident building superintendents, and resident… MORE

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March 2019

Visionary Women

NYCHA’s NAACP Chapter celebrated Women’s History Month in the 90 Church Street Ceremonial Room on March 15, recognizing the accomplishments of visionary women throughout history who championed peace and non-violence – women who led efforts to end war, violence, and injustice and pioneered the use of nonviolence to change society. The event focused on both famous… MORE

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March 2019

Saturday Work Blitzes Continue

NYCHA is bringing repairs to residents faster through the ground-breaking Saturday work blitz initiative. Since the program’s launch in December 2018, NYCHA maintenance workers working twice a month on weekends have completed nearly 8,000 repairs at over 50 developments. In addition, housing assistants helped residents complete more than 1,500 annual recertifications. “Our Saturday blitzes continue… MORE

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March 2019

Senior Care Right at Home

Residents of the Conlon-Lihfe Towers senior development in Queens now have access to important health services right in their building. Preferred Home Care of New York is collaborating with NYCHA’s Family Partnerships Department to improve the health and quality of life for residents by increasing access to information and resources that support wellness at every… MORE

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HighlightedMarch 2019

Lead-Based Paint Testing of 135,000 NYCHA Apartments

This spring, NYCHA will begin lead-based paint testing of approximately 135,000 NYCHA apartments citywide. NYCHA recently selected seven contractors to provide lead-based paint inspection services: Airtek Environmental, Arc Environmental, ATC Group, JLC Environmental, Lew Corporation, The ALC Group, and TRC Environmental. The $88 million contract starts April 1 and continues through September 30, 2020. Contractors… MORE

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HighlightedMarch 2019

Happy Lunar New Year

General Manager Vito Mustaciuolo ushered in the Lunar New Year with NYCHA’s Chinese-American Association on February 14 at the Jing Fong restaurant in Manhattan’s Chinatown. About 200 employees and guests enjoyed a nine-course banquet, Chinese dance performances, a tai chi demonstration, and a visit from ancient China’s “King of Fortune.” General Manager Mustaciuolo delivered greetings… MORE

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February 2019HighlightedIT News and Notes

NextGen 2019: Communication & Collaboration

As part of the NextGen Office initiative, NYCHA’s IT Department continues to improve the technology available at development offices to help staff work more efficiently. Below are some programs that will launch this year; each involves virtual training, help desk support, and, in some cases, on-site training. NextGen Smart Screens: A 55-inch, interactive touch screen… MORE

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February 2019Highlighted

Launching Alternative Work Schedule (AWS)

Dear Colleagues, We are pleased to announce the launch of Alternative Work Schedule (AWS), a new way of scheduling certain front-line staff that ensures greater coverage at our developments. For the first time in about 50 years, we will have caretakers, their supervisors, assistant resident building superintendents, and resident building superintendents working at our developments… MORE

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