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. Our first profile is of Taiesha Andino, a Caretaker P who’s been with… MORE

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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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Fostering a Discrimination-Free Workplace

NYCHA’s Employee Engagement Committee (ECC) monthly meetings provide us with the knowledge needed to help create a more productive and collaborative work environment. So it wasn’t a surprise that an area of concentration that is sometimes overlooked was highlighted for EEC members by Celeste Segure, NYCHA’s Director of Equal Opportunity, at the EEC’s February meeting. Ms.… MORE

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NYCHA Begins Lead-Based Paint Testing at 135,000 Apartments

On April 15, Mayor Bill de Blasio joined Interim Chair and CEO Kathryn Garcia and General Manager Vito Mustaciuolo at the Williamsburg Community Center in Brooklyn to kick off NYCHA’s new lead-based paint testing program. For the first time ever, 135,000 apartments will be tested with portable X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzers. Surpassing local and federal… MORE

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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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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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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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Kudos to NYCHA’s Financial Planning & Analysis Team

For the fourth consecutive year and for the fifth time, NYCHA received the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) last August. GFOA created the award program in 1984 to recognize state and local governments that prepare budget documents of the highest quality, as established by the National Advisory Council on… MORE

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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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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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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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Important Deadlines for Accessing Your Commuter Benefits Account

Attention City government employees: Your ability to make changes to your commuter benefits plan will be limited while the City of New York transitions our commuter benefits program provider from WageWorks to Edenred Commuter Benefit Solutions.  From March 25 – March 31, you will NOT be able to: Make any changes to your commuter benefits plan  From… MORE

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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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A NYCHA Black History Month Celebration

NYCHA residents ended Black History Month with a musical celebration that highlighted legends and the achievements of African Americans throughout the country’s history. On February 28, more than 300 residents from developments across the city filled the Johnson Community Center in Harlem for the event hosted by NYCHA’s Family Partnerships Department. Audience members were treated… MORE

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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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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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Kathryn Garcia Appointed NYCHA’s Interim Chair

On February 5, Mayor Bill de Blasio appointed Kathryn Garcia as Interim Chair of NYCHA, succeeding Stanley Brezenoff, who will depart later this month. Under Interim Chair Brezenoff’s leadership, the Authority launched a comprehensive plan to deliver $24 billion in vital repairs for 175,000 residents, achieved a historic contract agreement with Teamsters Local 237 that provides… MORE

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NYCHA Heat Team Preps for Cold Spell

On January 30, NYCHA activated its Situation Room in Long Island City in anticipation of dangerously low temperatures affecting New Yorkers starting Wednesday through Friday. The Authority’s heating response teams and developments will also be fully staffed to ensure any issues with heat or hot water are addressed quickly and efficiently, continuing NYCHA’s ongoing strategy… MORE

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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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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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First Saturday Work Blitz of 2019 Closes Nearly 1,000 Work Orders

NYCHA closed nearly 1,000 maintenance work order requests across five developments in its first Saturday blitz of 2019, marking the most closed work orders on a single Saturday since the start of the Authority’s proactive initiative to eliminate its repair backlog. While NYCHA developments have limited staffing during weekends, Wagner Houses in Manhattan, Albany Houses… MORE

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Visiting the Past

Two staff from NYCHA’s Department of Communications, Senior Manager for Events and Communications Services Millie Molina and Photographer Leticia Barboza, toured the La Guardia and Wagner Archives, located at La Guardia Community College in Queens, on December 6. According to Ms. Molina: “We got a glimpse of the Archives’ wonderful historical collection of NYCHA photos,… MORE

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Safety and Security Upgrades at 7 Manhattan Developments

Seven NYCHA developments across Manhattan will receive $13 million in safety and security upgrades thanks to a new grant from the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC). More than 6,000 public housing residents will benefit from upgrades that include new facades, exterior LED lighting, and CCTV cameras at seven developments. As part of the new upgrades… MORE

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All in a Day’s Work: Mentoring and Inspiring

This past summer, Joseph Luciano, Senior Digital Producer in the Department of Communications, hosted two high school interns at NYCHA, providing them valuable guidance and hands-on experience as part of Futures and Options’ internship program. Due to the students’ successful engagement, the non-profit organization invited Mr. Luciano to be part of its “Careers in Technology”… MORE

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Opportunity through Diversity

Chirag Patel, Senior Project Manager in NYCHA’s Capital Projects Division, was awarded the “2018 Outstanding Achiever” award by the National Association of Minority Contractors’ (NAMC) New York Tri-State Chapter during its Inaugural Gala on November 16. According to the NAMC, the award recognizes “people and organizations that have demonstrated innovative and creative strategies to remove… MORE

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Changing the Way NYCHA Does Business with a Can-Do Attitude

The Employee Engagement Committee (EEC) held its monthly meeting the week before Thanksgiving, on November 14. The first item on the agenda was requests for volunteers to deliver Thanksgiving dinners to residents experiencing gas outages. This endeavor embodies an EEC principle: giving back to the community and helping those less fortunate. Next up was a… MORE

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NYCHA’s Language Liaisons Help Provide Access to All

The Authority is committed to ensuring that all NYCHA residents, applicants, and Section 8 voucher holders, regardless of their proficiency in English, have access to quality customer service. In support of that commitment, NYCHA’s “Language Liaisons” convened on December 10 to discuss updates to the Authority’s language policies. These employees represent various departments at NYCHA… MORE

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NYCHA 2.0: New Comprehensive Plan to Fix & Preserve Public Housing

Today, Mayor Bill de Blasio and Interim Chair and CEO Stanley Brezenoff unveiled NYCHA 2.0, a comprehensive plan to preserve public housing. This plan will address $24 billion in vital repairs to New York City’s aging public housing and ensure residents have the safe, decent, and affordable homes they deserve. The 10-year plan will deliver… MORE

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Saturday Work Order Blitz

NYCHA closed more than 800 maintenance work order requests in one day at five developments as part of the Authority’s proactive initiative to eliminate repair backlogs. While developments have limited staffing during most weekends, Patterson Houses in the Bronx, Kingsborough Houses in Brooklyn, Baruch Houses in Manhattan, Ravenswood Houses in Queens, and West Brighton Houses… MORE

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An Outstanding Collaborator

As part of a lively celebration at City Hall on December 5, Kim Truong, Community Coordinator for NYCHA’s Health Initiatives unit, received the “Outstanding Agency Collaboration” award from the City’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) for her work on Thrive NYC’s Mental Health First Aid program. ThriveNYC is a multi-agency initiative spearheaded by First Lady… MORE

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NYCHA Celebrates Hispanic Heritage

NYCHA residents celebrated National Hispanic Heritage Month with an event showcasing the people, history, music, food, dance, and achievements of the Latino community – emphasizing the fact that, regardless of country, todos somos familia(“we are all family”). On October 25, more than 200 NYCHA residents filled the Johnson Community Center in Harlem, where the celebration was… MORE

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$105 Million in Energy-Efficiency Upgrades Coming to 15 Developments

As part of NYCHA’s Energy Performance Contact (EPC) program, $104.6 million in upgrades are coming to 15 developments in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens, home to 15,000 families. In partnership with Ameresco, an energy services provider, NYCHA will upgrade heating, lighting, and building ventilation systems and implement water conservation measures at these developments. Over… MORE

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NYCHA Staff Get Educated about Intimate Partner Violence

On October 30, Kevin Morris, a community liaison from the Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence (ENDGBV) presented a workshop, Intimate Partner Violence 101, for property management and community center staff at Van Dyke Houses in Brooklyn. Since many NYCHA residents regularly meet with and confide in property management staff, NYCHA partnered with… MORE

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