Chair Announces Launch of NextGeneration NYCHA
Dear Colleagues:
I am proud to tell you about NextGeneration NYCHA, the New York City Housing Authority’s 10-year strategic plan to create safe, clean, and connected communities and to protect and preserve the City’s vital public housing resource for today and the next generation of New Yorkers.
Since it was established 81 years ago, NYCHA has provided a pathway to opportunity and a better life for millions of New Yorkers. We are the City’s largest landlord and affordable housing resource–– managing 178,000 apartments in 328 developments in every borough—and we are, by far, the nation’s largest public housing authority. Our residents are teachers, taxi drivers, hospital support staff, and restaurant workers—in short, people who make our city run.
Yet, years of diminished support for public housing at every level of government has severely challenged NYCHA’s ability to provide our residents with safe, decent housing. Since 2001, Congress has underfunded NYCHA by more than $2 billion—money that should have gone toward repairs and major capital work. Indeed, our fiscal challenges are immense and our current operating model is unsustainable.
NYCHA is too important to the vitality and success of New York City for there to be any way but transformation. Crafted with input from thousands of NYCHA residents, employees, community and government partners, and advocates, NextGeneration NYCHA is a long-term, strategic plan that will guide us in changing the way we do business as a landlord. Next Generation NYCHA is also an ongoing process: We will continue to seek input from all of our stakeholders as we move forward to achieve our goals, adjusting our strategy to reflect the changing needs of our employees, residents, and stakeholders when necessary.
NextGeneration NYCHA focuses on four goals:
- Achieve short-term financial stability and diversify funding for the long term;
- Operate more efficiently and effectively;
- Rehabilitate and harness NYCHA’s real estate assets; and
- Develop sustainable resident services and engagement models.
We have already begun to transform the way we do business. For example, the City Council provided funding to enable us to complete 49 additional CCTV projects by the end of 2014. In January, we launched a new management model at 18 developments that will improve customer service and response time by shifting decision-making on purchasing to property managers. In line with Mayor de Blasio’s goals for a healthier, more sustainable New York, NYCHA is launching a recycling initiative this month that will make our developments cleaner places to live and work. Citi and NYCHA have created a public/private partnership to launch Doorways to Opportunity, a $1.4 million suite of programs that will provide NYCHA residents with access to employment training, jobs, financial counseling, tax preparation services, and business development support.
NextGeneration NYCHA is not just for NYCHA residents, but for all New Yorkers who value safe, clean, and connected communities and our city’s exceptional diversity. Join us and support NextGeneration NYCHA to ensure that every New Yorker is proud to call this city home.
In partnership,
Shola Olatoye
