Debunking the Top 10 Myths about NextGen Neighborhoods

1. Eviction Myth: Plan will evict residents; force NYCHA families to move or be displaced.
FACT: The purpose of NextGen Neighborhoods is to keep NYCHA residents in their home, by preserving public housing and improving resident quality of life with major repairs. NextGen Neighborhoods will not and cannot raise NYCHA rents or displace residents, and it will not lead to the demolition of public housing.

2. Affordability Myth: NYCHA residents can’t afford to live in the affordable apartments; NYCHA is building luxury apartments.
FACT: The new affordable housing units created will serve families earning no more than 60 percent of the area median income (AMI) – which is approximately $46,600 for a family of three in 2015. This is the minimum affordability, and NYCHA will pursue the deepest affordability possible as the program moves forward.

3. Secrecy Myth: NYCHA is being secretive about its real plans, attempting to deceive residents.
FACT: NYCHA is seeking resident input at the front end to inform residents about what the final plan looks like. Not having specifics at this stage of the process isn’t secrecy; it’s the result of a genuine community engagement process for an affordable housing and public housing preservation program, which is the first-of-its kind in New York City.

4. Engagement Myth: Resident engagement isn’t real; resident input doesn’t matter.
FACT: NYCHA has approached resident engagement on NextGen Neighborhoods in two steps: 1) Informational meetings to dispel misinformation and explain the need for and intentions of this program and what it means for the community. 2) Engagement meetings for residents to provide feedback on their priorities and community vision; inform the character of the residential/ commercial mix at sites, along with its design and landscape; and identify the upgrade priorities for their buildings.

5. Funding Myth: The Authority could find money if it really wanted to; residents pay rent which should pay for repairs.
FACT: NYCHA is on the brink. NYCHA is confronting about $17 billion in major repair and construction needs across the City. On average, the rent paid by residents plus the government subsidies that NYCHA receives from HUD do not fully cover the operations costs of NYCHA apartments. Moreover, rent and subsidies do not cover major upgrades, rehabilitation, and construction needs.

6. Same Plan Myth: The de Blasio administration’s NextGen Neighborhoods program is the same infill plan as the Bloomberg administration.
FACT: NextGen Neighborhoods Program vs. Infill Program

	NextGen Neighborhoods Program	Infill Program
Market rate units	50%	80%
Affordable units	50%	20%
Presented without resident input	No	Yes
Portion of generated revenues dedicated to upgrades at existing NYCHA buildings at the same location as the new buildings	Yes	No
Residents able to provide input on upgrades to their buildings; look and feel of new construction (commercial mix, building location, design	Yes	No
Creation of standing stakeholder committee for each site, which includes resident and community representation	Yes	No
Resident employment focus as part of new construction	Yes	No

7. Revenue Myth: Money generated from new construction won’t go to impacted developments the way residents want it to.
FACT: Current resident parking will be addressed as part of the new construction and playgrounds impacted will be moved and improved. Improvements to existing NYCHA buildings will proceed concurrently with new construction. Residents will have a voice in determining how revenue is spent. Additionally, a Stakeholder Committee, which will include resident and community representation, will hold NYCHA accountable to spending those revenue dollars accordingly.

8. Management Myth: NYCHA can’t take care of the buildings it already has; it shouldn’t build more until it takes care of its existing buildings.
FACT: The program will help NYCHA take better care of its buildings using revenue generated from the market-rate apartments in the newly constructed buildings. NYCHA will continue to operate its public housing buildings, while the construction, management, and operations of the new buildings will be handled by the developer.

9. Negative Myth: There are no benefits for residents in this program — only negative impacts.
FACT: Really tough problems are rarely solved with popular solutions. NextGen Neighborhoods is a balanced solution (among many) to save the home of NYCHA residents; it’s not a penalty. This program will help preserve public housing; give residents the opportunity to more directly guide NYCHA dollars and work to improve the quality of life in their buildings; provide much-needed affordable housing options; and create job opportunities.

10. Selling Myth: NYCHA is selling its property; this program is privatizing public housing.
FACT: NextGen Neighborhoods is not selling NYCHA property or privatizing public housing. NYCHA will be retaining the rights to the land where there is new construction through a long-term lease agreement and will continue to operate public housing at the developments.