Chair Russ Featured on “YIMBY Nation” Podcast
NYCHA’s Chair and Chief Executive Officer Greg Russ was recently featured in an episode of “YIMBY Nation,” a podcast hosted by Jimmy Lee Miller, Vincencia Adusei, and Peter J. Wood that provides a forum for affordable housing professionals to discuss their work. During the half-hour conversation, Chair Russ highlighted the Authority’s efforts to revitalize its buildings, the need for additional federal investment, and the future of public housing.
Chair Russ noted that NYCHA’s portfolio needs comprehensive modernization: “I go in a boiler room, and the boiler is as old as I am. The mechanical technologies are historic, and we are still using them. We have made significant investments, but we still have a lot to do.”
“We want the additional money that PACT/RAD can bring in, either in the form of equity or other kinds of investments, and we want to maintain all the public housing rights that residents currently have,” Chair Russ explained. “We’re 60 years behind in capital investments – we missed three cycles of investments. It’s very powerful when you put the money back into the buildings. In many markets, especially today, the cost of real estate is far exceeding what people can afford, and public housing fills a really essential gap. I believe if we can solve the capital problem, public housing will continue to support our communities in such a significant way.”
