335 Elevators Will Be Replaced at Developments Serving Nearly 34,000 Residents
335 Elevators Will Be Replaced as Part of Large-Scale Modernization Work That Will Improve Elevator Service at 20 Developments
$300 Million Funding Agreement Between NYCHA and DASNY Will Deliver Much-Needed Repairs to Developments in All Five Boroughs
Mayor Eric Adams, Governor Kathy Hochul, and NYCHA Interim CEO Lisa Bova-Hiatt announced on January 6 that Phase I planning for critical capital work has begun to replace 335 elevators at 20 NYCHA developments, as part of a $300 million funding agreement with the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) that was signed in April 2022. The financing was made possible through close collaboration between NYCHA, the New York State Legislature, and Governor Hochul — who all worked together to develop a framework for modernizing NYCHA’s elevator infrastructure, as outlined in the 2019 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development agreement.
“Every day, NYCHA residents experience the consequences of decades of underinvestment and tens of billions of dollars in capital needs. Providing them the quality of life that every New Yorker deserves requires creativity and partnership — and this agreement represents both,” said Mayor Adams. “With the Public Housing Preservation Trust, the PACT program, and programs like this, we are giving residents a true menu of options to get the repairs they need in their homes in the way they prefer. I want to thank all of our partners in Albany for their investment in NYCHA, and I look forward to getting this work done to help 34,000 New Yorkers avoid dangerous broken elevators.”
“With this important milestone, NYCHA is set to begin major building improvements, leveraging $300 million in state investment to improve the homes and lives of thousands of New Yorkers,” said Governor Hochul. “Right now, as our state faces a dire shortage of safe, stable, and accessible housing, my administration is committed to preserving our housing stock — which is why I signed legislation to create the New York City Public Housing Preservation Trust last year. I am proud to partner with NYCHA, its residents, and local and state officials, and look forward to even more opportunities to grow and support NYCHA communities.”
“Bringing critical repairs to NYCHA requires an all-hands effort, and we are incredibly grateful for the partnership of the state for this $300 million in capital funding. Soon, 34,000 New Yorkers will have the relief that everyone should enjoy with reliable and safe elevators,” said Chief Housing Officer Jessica Katz. “We look forward to continuing to work with the State and all other government partners to bring NYCHA residents the quality of life they deserve.”
“The funds provided through this agreement will enable us to address a key physical element of our building infrastructure: the elevator service that our residents need and depend on,” said NYCHA Interim CEO Bova-Hiatt. “We are incredibly grateful for the support and advocacy of Governor Hochul, the leaders of the New York State Senate and Assembly, and DASNY for executing this funding agreement and allocating these vital streams of capital financing at a critical time in the life of the Authority.”
“DASNY is proud to play a role in supporting this fundamental and essential improvement to the Authority’s infrastructure,” said DASNY President and CEO Reuben McDaniel III. “We are grateful to Governor Hochul for her leadership and to the Legislature’s support in addressing these needs. We look forward to NYCHA moving this portfolio swiftly forward to the benefit of NYCHA residents.”
“I am pleased to hear that these much-needed elevator replacements are being brought to NYCHA developments across the city,” said Danny Barber, President of the Jackson Houses Tenant Association and Chair of the Citywide Council of Presidents. “I am confident that once completed, these improvements will bring major relief to public housing residents.”
Nearly 34,000 residents living in almost 16,000 apartments will benefit from improved elevator service at the 20 developments, which include six senior-designated campuses. Consistent elevator service is particularly important for seniors and residents with mobility impairments; NYCHA has over 78,000 residents above the age of 62, and nearly 40 percent of NYCHA households are headed by a resident over the age of 62. NYCHA elevators also serve more than 31,000 mobility impaired residents.
NYCHA’s elevator stock is old, with the longest-running traction elevators in the portfolio installed 32 years ago in 1990. All the elevators identified in the State Capital Revitalization Plan are at or beyond the typical useful life of 15-20 years for a multifamily residential property.
The New York State Legislature allocated $300 million to NYCHA in the 2020 and 2021 state budgets to upgrade the oldest elevators in the Authority’s portfolio. NYCHA first presented the State Capital Revitalization Plan in September 2021 to outline its approach to achieving this goal, and it was approved by DASNY in the most recent funding agreement.
The funding allowed the planning process for elevator replacement to begin in early April. The timeline for elevator replacement work across the 20 different sites is estimated to range from 49 months (Cassidy-Lafayette Houses) to 81 months (Marcy Houses), depending on the number of elevators that need to be replaced and the age of the relevant developments. All elevator construction work is scheduled to be completed by early December 2028.
A full list of the developments that will receive elevator upgrades is available here.
