Bricks and Mortar Meets Silicon Alley
As part of its NextGen work to become a more modern landlord, the Authority is looking to collaborate with some of New York City’s most cutting-edge technology companies.
On June 6, NYCHA and the Fund for Public Housing, a nonprofit created to fundraise for the agency and forge public-private partnerships, hosted an event called 2017 NYCHA Tech Pilots. It gave real estate tech startups the opportunity to pitch new and innovative ways to improve NYCHA’s aging buildings.
Ten companies gave brief presentations on how their technology could aid NYCHA leadership, maintenance workers, and residents. At the end of June, NYCHA staff will choose three proposals to pilot in a handful of NYCHA buildings from July to October. The companies Citiesense, Carbon Lighthouse, Numina, BlocPower, Radiator Labs, ThinkEco, hOM, Panosofik, onTarget, and enertiv presented on issues such as conserving wasted energy, streamlining project management, and easing resident stress.
“Through our collaboration with the Hub @ Grand Central Tech and MetaProp NYC, we have identified some of the strongest tech startups in New York City,” said Rasmia Kirmani-Frye, President of the Fund for Public Housing. “We are excited to see the positive impacts new technology can have on helping NYCHA better serve its residents.”
Each finalist had six minutes to explain why their technology would be beneficial for NYCHA. After the pitches, NYCHA staff asked each company up to three questions. Chair Shola Olatoye, General Manager Michael Kelly, and colleagues will select three winners to conduct a three-month pilot of their product with NYCHA to demonstrate its value.
“NYCHA is changing the way we do business, and that means finding creative and modern solutions to help us solve public housing’s greatest challenges,” said NYCHA Chair & CEO Shola Olatoye. “The Fund for Public Housing’s 2017 NYCHA Tech Pilots is an innovative way to help the Authority discover new approaches to better deliver on its mission. There are many ways NYCHA and the tech sector can partner and innovate to provide safe, clean, and connected communities for our residents.”
