Chair Russ Participates in “City Hall Stories” Podcast

NYCHA Chair Greg Russ was recently featured in an episode of “City Hall Stories,” a podcast hosted by Jack English about leaders in local government from cities all over the world. During the half-hour conversation, which was part of the podcast’s series on New York City, Chair Russ discussed the Authority’s plans to address its buildings’ massive repair needs as well as public housing’s critical role. Here are some of the highlights from Chair Russ’s comments:

“The public housing program never included, at least in the beginning, a way to recapitalize or reinvest in its buildings. If you look at a typical multifamily building, whether it’s public or private housing, you have a 20-year reinvestment cycle. There was no way to make that investment in NYCHA in the beginning, and by the 1960s the building systems began to show significant wear and tear. This continued for decades with minor exceptions, and we inherited distressed properties that were in really bad shape. We arrive here at NYCHA at the present day with $40 billion in capital needs because the prior programs did not provide what NYCHA’s buildings needed. And you can’t maintain these buildings with the rent money and federal operating funding alone.“

“The public housing program was created to do a good thing, and we have to remember its purpose. But, again, it didn’t provide reinvestments into the buildings to keep them fresh, new, and in good condition over 70-plus years of use. And if we’re successful at NYCHA [with our Blueprint for Change proposals], we can provide quality housing for the generations to come.“

“If we bring capital into public housing, I believe we also bring with it the obligation to make a social investment in the families who live there. We’re using that capital to make the building conditions better while also using it as an economic lever to generate jobs, training, and other opportunities for a better life.”