NYCHANow is introducing a new feature in which 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 October 2007, I have worked at REES’s central office at 787 Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I conduct one-on-one assessments and use… MORE
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Dear Colleagues, I am excited to introduce myself as NYCHA’s new Interim Chair & CEO. For years, I have worked on behalf of my fellow New Yorkers to ensure they receive the best essential services from the City. As Senior Advisor for Citywide Lead Prevention, I led the development and launch of LeadFreeNYC, a comprehensive… MORE
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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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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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Dear Colleagues, On January 31, Mayor Bill de Blasio, HUD Secretary Ben Carson, and the Southern District of New York (SDNY) announced a settlement to improve the lives of the 400,000 New Yorkers who call NYCHA home. As part of this agreement, the City will invest an additional $2.2 billion in the Authority, and HUD… MORE
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NYCHA’s Executive Vice President (EVP) for Leased Housing Lakesha Miller recently participated in three events hosted by partner organizations who opened or are in the process of building new affordable housing in the city. As the largest Section 8 program in the country, NYCHA is providing project-based Section 8 vouchers for these developments to help… MORE
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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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For five weeks, Evan Solomon experienced the ins and outs of a large, fast-paced governmental agency, when he worked at NYCHA as part of the Coro Fellows Program, a post-college leadership program where the city is the classroom. Mr. Solomon is a Public Affairs Fellow in the program, which was founded in 1942 to prepare… MORE
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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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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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As part of Mayor de Blasio’s OneNYC goal to make New York the most equitable city in the world, City government has pledged to award $20 billion in contracts to minority- and women-owned business enterprises (M/WBE) by the year 2025. NYCHA is an important contributor to this effort: Since the goal was announced, it has… MORE
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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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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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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 November!
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The years of disinvestment have eroded our buildings and, in a similar fashion, our morale. The conditions and the times we face can be summed up in one word: adversity. NYCHA is facing a critical time of adversity and all of us in the room for the Employee Engagement Committee’s (EEC) monthly meeting were aware.… MORE
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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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NYCHA is working to update its urban design with residents and their neighbors in mind. Through the Connected Communities initiative, the Authority is comprehensively addressing the community connectivity of over 300 public housing developments across New York City. NYCHA’s new Connected Communities initiative seeks to make big changes to better connect NYCHA residents physically to… MORE
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The MyNYCHA portal and mobile app was recently recognized as a digital tool that improves services for residents when it was named winner of a 2018 Government Experience Award by the Center for Digital Democracy. The Center is a national organization focused on technology policy and best practices in government. Its Government Experience Award is… MORE
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Innovative public-private partnerships, including the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program, are bringing extensive repairs to 62,000 NYCHA apartments, home to about 140,000 residents. This will address nearly $13 billion of much-needed repairs. These apartments will be converted to Section 8 funding and will remain permanently affordable. Residents will keep all their rights as public housing… MORE
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The Employee Engagement Committee’s (EEC) October meeting was filled with enthusiasm. Meeting once a month with colleagues in all lines of work can be the best way to learn how to improve our workday. Chatting before the meeting started, EEC members shared stories of what each of us does at NYCHA. Although we were unaware that the… MORE
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In partnership with the Police Athletic League, NYCHA hosted the “Senior Health and Musical Festival” at Polo Grounds Towers’ community center in September. Seniors from a variety of developments got everyone moving by performing jazz, blues, gospel, and opera classics. Participants also got access to a range of health resources, including blood pressure, asthma, and… MORE
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The total renovation of Harlem’s historic Randolph Houses is now complete, thanks to the efforts of NYCHA and a range of partners from the public and private sectors. Randolph Houses’ 36 buildings on West 114th Street were built in the 1890s and acquired by NYCHA in the 1970s. The first phase of the renovations, which… MORE
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NYCHA Management Trainer Sue Ellen Doria kicked off a recent “Exceptional Customer Service” training class with an essential, and not so theoretical, question: “What does exceptional customer service mean to you?” She then summed up the purpose of the day: “We want you to have the courage, wisdom, and heart to provide that service. We… MORE
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They are the next generation of community advocates, social workers, medical staff, teachers, accountants, and public servants. But first, they’re NYCHA residents in pursuit of their educational dreams at City of University of New York colleges — and the 2018 recipients of NYCHA-CUNY Resident Scholarships. The scholarships are given to residents who are full-time CUNY students displaying… MORE
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Although it was a sweltering day in August, the Employee Engagement Committee (EEC) was out in full force for a walking tour of First Houses in Manhattan, NYCHA’s first development. This was our first activity as a group since the EEC’s initial cohort “passed the torch” to us, the second cohort, in July. At first… MORE
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Whitman Houses resident Skye Carson, 14, wants to be a writer or a lawyer in the future, two careers that require good communication skills. This summer, she greatly improved those skills while working at NYCHA through the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP). SYEP, which is is operated by the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development, provides… MORE
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For the first time in their five-year history, NYCHA’s softball team, the Skyliners, made it to the top of the NYC Government Softball League, with 10 wins and only 2 losses! For the team’s players, it’s not just about playing a softball game but a way to get together after work, relieve some stress, and… MORE
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About 300 NYCHA employees attended the Authority’s fifth annual Safety Symposium on June 28 at the Johnson Community Center in East Harlem. Interim Chair and CEO Stanley Brezenoff and Teamsters Local 237 President Gregory Floyd and Vice President Ruben Torres welcomed attendees – property managers, supervisors, and safety associates from across the city as well… MORE
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You may have met him – for 35 years, Senior Photographer Pete Mikoleski, armed with his trusty Canon camera, has chronicled important events at the Authority, capturing also the hard work of the employees who make it all happen. His work appeared in The NYCHA Journal, this publication, and a variety of informational materials for… MORE
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One of the goals of NYCHA’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is to help residents stay resilient and safe when faced with emergencies or disasters. OEM partnered with the New York State Citizen Preparedness Corps, which offers courses led by National Guard troops on how to prepare for emergencies. On June 19, seniors at the… MORE
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NYCHA developments are now smoke-free, a policy that provides healthier homes for residents and healthier working environments for employees. The “Smoke-Free NYCHA” initiative was developed as part of a new U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) rule for public housing nationwide that prohibits smoking in apartments and buildings or within 25 feet of… MORE
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Waldina Benedith, a Section 8 voucher holder in Brooklyn, was so pleased with her recent experience using one of NYCHA’s Digital Vans that she took the time to send NYCHA an email praising the van’s operator, Malin Bey: This morning I found out about the Digital Van through NYCHA’s website, including its location on Warren… MORE
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NYCHA employees are getting some valuable information about housing court proceedings. This spring, Deputy General Counsel Sam Mordi, along with Landlord and Tenant Division Chief Tracy Forrest, brought some clarity to a complicated process. In nine sessions covering all five boroughs, more than 500 property managers, assistant property managers, and housing assistants got tips on… MORE
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On June 13, NYCHA’s Chinese-American Association (CAA) and more than one hundred guests and participants gathered at 90 Church Street for a Dragon Boat Festival, a vibrant, annual celebration of Chinese history and culture. Nancy Lam, CAA Chair and Chief of NYCHA’s Leased Housing Department, kicked off the event by informing attendees that they could… MORE
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On May 30, nearly a dozen members of NYCHA’s Running Club took part in the annual J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge in Central Park, and it was a good time for all. From left to right in the photo above, Maintenance Worker Alonzo Floyd, Senior Advisor Xiomara Carcamo, HR Deputy Director Robin Yudkovitz, Construction Safety &… MORE
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Through day-long, weekly workshops each spring, the City’s Management Academy helps new and emerging leaders in city government become better managers. NYCHANow spoke with a recent graduate, Alex Mathew, Deputy Director in the Leased Housing Department, about his experience in the program. Why did you decide to participate in the Management Academy? I first learned… MORE
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Evelyn Melendez was born and raised in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, one of the neighborhoods she serves as a REES Zone Coordinator (the others are Bed-Stuy and Bushwick). She connects residents of 30 developments to partner organizations in their communities, enabling residents to pursue careers and empower themselves and their families economically. Her dedicated service has not… MORE
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Deputy Director for Real Estate Development Polina Bakhteiarov has been recognized as one of Real Estate Weekly’s 2018 “Rising Stars of Real Estate.” “As a public servant, I am very grateful to be recognized by the real estate industry,” Ms. Bakhteiarov told NYCHANow. “I am passionate about our work to preserve public housing and ensure… MORE
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On a monthly basis, 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 May!
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In April, the NYCHA community lost a beloved colleague. Kisha Jackson changed the lives of thousands of employees and residents during her more than 20 years of service. Over the past four years, Ms. Jackson connected residents to life-changing opportunities in her role as a REES Zone Coordinator for Downtown Brooklyn. She was also lauded… MORE
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Get to know the first group of NYCHA Changemakers – employees who use our core values to create meaningful, sustainable change in every aspect of their work.
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Tammy Daniels certainly knows good customer service when she sees it – she’s a customer service supervisor in NYCHA’s Human Resources Department. She’s also a lifelong resident of Riis Houses in Manhattan who was in need of some assistance during Winter Storm Toby, one of the many Nor’easters to bring snow and icy conditions to… MORE
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More than 180 job seekers attended a job fair at 90 Church Street’s 5th Floor Ceremonial Room on April 11, hoping to get a position at NYCHA as a maintenance worker, heating plant technician (HPT), oil burner specialist, or housing assistant. And almost all of them received job offers by the end of the event.… MORE
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Erenisse Tavarez, Acting Senior Vice President for Operations, was honored as the first-ever recipient of NYCHA’s Women’s History Month award. Chair Shola Olatoye presented the award to Ms. Tavarez along with a proclamation of gratitude from Council Member Alicka Ampry-Samuel, Chair of the Council’s Committee on Public Housing. “We are so honored to thank you… MORE
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On April 5, Leroy Williams received the 2017 Excellence in Customer Service Award from the Mayor’s Office of Operations at a ceremony at NYPD headquarters. Over his 20 years of service, Mr. Williams has become known to many employees and residents alike. NYCHANow spoke to him about the award, his career at NYCHA, and what… MORE
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Roseann and Kenneth Case are celebrating their 42nd wedding anniversary in October. And on March 30, they celebrated their last day of work at NYCHA. Both worked for the Queens/Staten Island Property Management Department – Kenneth as a supervisor painter and Roseann as a secretary. Between the two of them, they have 50 years of… MORE
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On a monthly basis, 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 March!
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NYCHA staff arrived to work at 7 a.m. the morning of the March 21 nor’easter to begin snow removal, keeping our residents safe. Chair and CEO Shola Olatoye checked in with Smith Houses staff and Resident Association President Aixa Torres. Chair Olatoye and General Manager Vito Mustaciuolo also visited Jefferson Houses with Mayor Bill de Blasio and… MORE
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Dear Colleagues, Today is International Women’s Day, an annual commemoration to celebrate women’s accomplishments and bring worldwide attention to discrimination against women. NYCHA’s creation is in large part due to the work of larger-than-life women like Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady of New York and then the United States, and Mary K. Simkhovitch, president of the… MORE
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As a member of NYCHA’s IT Project Management Office, Nina Winer knows that information security is the responsibility of every single NYCHA employee. She strives to show employees how, through careful and intelligent use of technology, we can help safeguard NYCHA’s systems and data while fulfilling our mission of providing safe, clean, and connected housing… MORE
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Over the past four years, under the leadership of Chair and CEO Shola Olatoye, NYCHA has made critical advancements to improve customer service, repairs, and permanent renovations. Listen to NYCHA employees and residents talk about the Authority’s progress.
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In October, Deputy Director for Community Safety Strategies Andre Cirilo organized a fundraiser on Staten Island that raised more than $1,000 and collected nearly two dozen boxes of supplies for victims of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. Recently, he and members of NYCHA’s Culture & Arts Exchange employee organization partnered with Why Not Care, a… MORE
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Dear Colleagues, February is Black History Month, a time to celebrate the major contributions African Americans have made to all facets of American life, from the advancement of equal rights to excellence in the arts and sciences. We remember those who came before us, whose perseverance in the face of adversity continues to inspire. And… MORE
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Daryl Grey, a 14-year NYCHA veteran, supervises a team of four technicians who configure and deploy Android smartphones and tablets and perform high-level repairs at the Authority. As a volunteer, Mr. Grey also commands a U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Auxiliary flotilla (unit) based in Sheepshead Bay. He appoints the Flotilla Staff Officers, leads and supervises… MORE
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On a monthly basis, 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 January!
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Even before “Bomb Cyclone” Grayson arrived in New York on January 4, many NYCHA residents were struggling with heat and hot water outages across the five boroughs due to an early cold spell that began just after Christmas, testing NYCHA’s aging infrastructure. In response to the extremely cold weather, NYCHA staff have been working 24/7 to… MORE
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It was a typical day for Dominique Derville, a housing assistant at the CCC Walk-in Center in Brooklyn, as she cheerfully answered the questions of residents and Section 8 voucher holders and made sure they understood the information she provided. Little did she know, however, that some of these residents were really staff from the… MORE
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This fall, NYCHA’s softball team, the Skyliners, really knocked it out of the park. This is the first time in their four-year history that the Skyliners won an NYC Government Softball League playoff game, beating the Human Resources Administration. The weekly games aren’t just a good way to show off athletic skills and blow off… MORE
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Chair & CEO Shola Olatoye discussed NYCHA’s lead-based paint compliance program with Cheryl Wills on “In Focus,” a NY1 news program. The segment aired on December 10, but you can watch it below. Cheryl Wills grew up in Hammel Houses in the Rockaways.
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On November 20, 2017, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the appointment of Edna Wells Handy to the New York City Housing Authority’s Executive Compliance Department as Acting Chief Compliance Officer. Handy will begin full-time in December. Handy currently serves as legal Counsel to the NYPD Commissioner, and previously served as Commissioner of the City’s Department… MORE
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J.A. Stakenburg, Director of NYCHA’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM), spent 15 days in Puerto Rico to help the island recover from the catastrophic destruction of Hurricane Maria. The co-lead and operations section chief of an interagency team sent by the State of New York to assist, Mr. Stakenburg managed the efforts of experts from… MORE
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James Scanlon, Vice President, Capital Projects/Planning and Design: On October 19, several staff members from the Capital Planning Group in Capital Projects accompanied me on a site visit to Rutgers Houses to spend time with frontline staff and to acknowledge Customer Service Week. We were greeted professionally and enthusiastically by the management office staff, including… MORE
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NYCHA’s Language Bank Volunteers provide language assistance to the Authority’s limited English proficient residents, applicants, and Section 8 voucher holders, ensuring they have access to information and resources in their original languages. On October 20, 2017, these employee-volunteers were recognized for their service. NYCHA’s Language Bank began in 1990 with 44 employee-volunteers who spoke eight… MORE
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On November 4, volunteers transformed an unused recreational area at Pomonok Houses in Queens into a safe, fun, beautiful playground. It took just six hours for residents, neighbors, and volunteers from NYCHA, KaBOOM!, Playworld, and JetBlue to pour and lay concrete, paint a basketball court and playground floors, and assemble playground equipment to build a… MORE
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Janitorial staff at Ingersoll Houses spent a day learning how to use new floor-cleaning machines that will save them hours of labor. NYCHA plans to buy over 1,000 machines so that all NYCHA developments have access to this time-saving equipment. All janitorial staff will be trained on how to use the machines by the end… MORE
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On September 13, Employee Engagement Committee (EEC) members met to discuss how we personify NYCHA’s core values in our daily work lives. One group’s conversation centered on what it means to be “a collaborative workforce, accountable to ourselves and to our residents.” It was fitting that during this discussion we were joined by the leadership… MORE
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On October 9, 2017, I had the privilege and once-in-a lifetime opportunity to be honored at the 73rd Columbus Day Parade – the largest celebration of Italian-American heritage and culture in the United States – for my memoir, “Deformed: My Remarkable Life.” The parade’s Grand Marshal, Leonard Riggio, Founder and Chairman of Barnes & Noble,… MORE
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On September 20, NYCHA and the City University of New York (CUNY) celebrated 23 residents for their academic excellence, leadership, and contributions to their communities at the 12th annual NYCHA-CUNY Resident Scholarship Program awards ceremony, held at Borough of Manhattan Community College. The NYCHA-CUNY Resident Scholarship is awarded to residents in full-time CUNY programs with… MORE
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Thomas Johnston started his NYCHA career in 1994 and rose through the ranks to become a deputy director in the Bronx Property Management Department. With two brothers and a father who were also Authority employees, he came from a true-blue NYCHA family. Mr. Johnston passed away from cancer in May. At Claremont Consolidated’s Family Day… MORE
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In a June 9 ceremony at the Williamsburg Community Center, NYCHA and nonprofit partner GrowNYC celebrated the exceptional work of Latimer Gardens staff in properly setting out their development’s recyclables. Latimer Gardens met Department of Sanitation pick-up and quality control standards 100 percent of the time. NYCHA’s recycling program was launched in 2015, and now… MORE
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More than 200 vendors, contractors and consultants attended NYCHA’s 2017 Minority-and Women-owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE) and Section 3 Business Concerns (S3BC) Trade Show at BNY Mellon in Manhattan on May 4. “Our trade show features representatives from New York City and New York State agencies who, like NYCHA, want to benefit from your expertise in… MORE
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To celebrate the two-year anniversary of NYCHA’s strategic plan, the Department of Communications organized a week of media events from May 15-19: Monday, May 15 Our resident board members published a letter in the Gotham Gazette discussing NYCHA’s accomplishments to date and the threats we face if our budget is cut by the Trump administration.… MORE
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“Life is full of stress… But the thing about handling stress well is being able to appraise it, react to it appropriately, and put it behind you.” Dr. David Spiegel, Stanford Center on Stress and Health There are many factors that can affect how safely you perform daily tasks—like driving, drilling, mowing or mopping. One… MORE
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Amidst the chaos of my final semester of college—trying to do well in my classes, creating new memories with my friends, and enjoying my last few months before I had more responsibilities—my successful application to become an urban fellow was welcomed stability. New York City was my next stop and I was ready to experience… MORE
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Five years ago Andy Destin, a private-sector management expert with 10 years of retail industry experience, decided that he wanted a stable career at the Housing Authority. So he accepted the first position offered to him: clerical aide in General Services. It didn’t take long, however, for Robin Wall and Alexander Ho, Andy’s supervisors, to… MORE
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In a message to staff on April 4, Chair Shola Olatoye described the severe fiscal challenge NYCHA faces from proposed federal budget cuts and our determination to launch a national campaign to win support for public housing. Dear Colleagues, March 2017 will likely go down as one of the most significant months in NYCHA history.… MORE
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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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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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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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What is your role at NYCHA? I started at NYCHA more than a year ago. My first task was coordinating the development of the Sustainability Agenda, which was released last year on Earth Day. There are a lot of initiatives that came out of the Sustainability Agenda that are new to this agency that I’ve been… MORE
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