NYCHA Now

NYCHANow chronicles the hard work of the men and women who make the New York City Housing Authority run, reporting the latest news and happenings.

NYCHA Now
graphic with headshot of a man
August 2025 Exceptional Colleagues Highlighted 

Eric Phillips Named 2025 Big Swings Fellow

Latoya Jordan

A new cohort of professionals has been chosen for a fellowship to tackle the housing challenges facing New York City today — and one of those leaders is NYCHA’s Vice President of Policy Eric Phillips. 

The nine-month Big Swings fellowship, led by the Urban Design Forum, invests in 40 rising NYC leaders across various sectors, including housing, urban planning, law, journalism, and philanthropy, to foster relationships between New York City and peer cities around the world, discover innovative housing and planning solutions, and champion bold public policy. 

Mr. Phillips brings nearly 15 years of experience in law, policy, and city government. He joined NYCHA in 2022 as Chief of Policy in the Law Department’s Office of Legal Counsel and was promoted to Vice President of Policy in the Chief Executive’s Office in 2024. In this role, his team manages agencywide policy development and implementation, including key initiatives such as overseeing an $185 million rental arrears relief program and leading development of tenant-facing policies and protections under the Public Housing Preservation Trust. Previously, Mr. Phillips served as Assistant Corporation Counsel at the New York City Law Department and Deputy Policy Director in the Chicago Mayor’s Office. 

“It’s an honor to join this fellowship and work alongside talented colleagues who share a commitment to solving housing challenges in New York City,” Mr. Phillips said. “I look forward to learning from other cities, building new partnerships, and bringing back ideas that can help NYCHA residents.” 

As part of the fellowship, Mr. Phillips and his cohort will travel to Tokyo to learn more about Japan’s approach to housing and urban planning. Over the course of the program, fellows will collaborate with global experts, publish their research and insights, and meet with policy makers to advocate for reform. 

NYCHA’s Deputy Chief of Real Estate Development Heather Beck was also a Big Swings Fellow, participating in last year’s cohort.