February 2018

Dear Colleagues, Black History Month is an opportunity to remember our past and celebrate our accomplishments. This history is all of our stories — hard work in the face of unimaginable obstacles, ordinary lives lived, and extraordinary achievements that continue to shape every aspect of the American experience. We need to look no further than… MORE

On February 14, NYCHA released a 2017 End of Year Report on the $3 billion FEMA grant to the Authority to repair and renovate the 33 NYCHA developments devastated by Superstorm Sandy. The FEMA grant, awarded in December 2015, is the largest in history. NYCHA’s report accounts for all money previously spent on recovery and resilience… MORE

“Public Housing is a critical resource which keeps New York City running by providing affordable homes for both the City’s public servants, like our nurses, teachers, and police officers, as well as seniors, veterans, and the disabled. No one should be displaced from their community because the federal government has turned its back on them,… MORE

“City & State” published an op-ed written by Hazel N. Dukes, President of the NAACP New York State Conference, on February 7, 2018: There is a special vitriol our media and political class reserve for powerful women of color. Today, New York City’s Public Housing Authority Chairwoman Shola Olatoye is on the receiving end of it.… MORE

Over 65,000 residents can look forward to upgrades to the lighting, heating, building ventilation, and water conservation systems at their developments. In March 2018, NYCHA will begin construction on two new Energy Performance Contracts (EPC) at 41 developments worth $103 million. The upgrades will save NYCHA $8.6 million a year and reduce energy use at… MORE

NYCHA has chosen three developers (see list below) to provide $300 million in repairs and renovations to 1,700 apartments at 17 developments in the Bronx and Brooklyn, improving quality of life for 4,000 residents by replacing elevators, boilers and heating systems, and renovating bathrooms and kitchens. Residents in these developments will see $316 million invested… MORE

Applications are being accepted now through April 6 for affordable apartments in a newly renovated building, Randolph Houses North, which was once part of the Authority’s Randolph Houses development. Through a partnership of NYCHA, the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development, the NYC Housing Development Corporation, Trinity Financial, West Harlem Group Assistance, Red Stone… MORE

From the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene comes a new tool in the battle to quit smoking: the NYC HelpMeQuit app. Developed with input from smokers trying to quit, HelpMeQuit includes tips to stop cravings; social support from other people using the app and Facebook friends; connection to existing smoking cessation resources (such… MORE

Nearly 45,000 NYCHA residents at 20 developments with chronic heat outages will see their aging boilers replaced and heating systems upgraded by 2022. Mayor Bill de Blasio pledged $200 million for repairs and new equipment, which will also save about $5 million per year in energy costs. The funding will be used to: Replace outdated boilers: 10… MORE