Inspiring a Compliance Culture: Read the Compliance Department’s Summer 2025 Newsletter
Updates and Alerts
During the past quarter, the Compliance Department published one new and one updated Standard Procedure, made updates to the Management Manuals, and posted two new Advisory Alerts. This newsletter focuses on the key takeaways in these documents, so be sure to read the alerts and procedures (available on Connect) for the complete information.
Standard Procedures
Standard Procedure 050:25:2, Leak and Moisture Control in NYCHA Residential Buildings, is a new procedure that details how NYCHA responds to floods, standing water, leaks, excessive moisture, and their root causes in public housing locations. It complements Standard Procedure 040:14:1, Mold/Mildew Control in NYCHA Residential Buildings, by outlining how to address, reduce, and prevent leaks, excessive moisture, and related water damage, as well as minimize mold growth.
The procedure references the following service level agreement goals for leaks:
- Floods and emergency leaks must be abated within 24 hours of being reported to NYCHA, and standing water must be removed within 48 hours.
- Simple repairs should be completed within seven calendar days, while complex repairs must be completed within 15 calendar days.
- If these timeframes cannot be met, NYCHA makes every effort to complete the repairs as quickly as possible.
The procedure highlights the importance of clear and effective communication with residents to help identify leaks and carry out necessary repairs; it includes the following processes:
- Work Orders
- Creating and scheduling work orders for emergency and non-emergency leaks.
- Initial Leak Inspection (performed by maintenance staff or trained personnel)
- Accessing the affected apartment(s) and discussing the leak history with residents.
- Determining whether the leak originates from the impacted apartment (the apartment that reported the leak) or from an adjacent or above unit.
- Evaluating conditions, performing basic repairs, and documenting findings and work completed in the iWM app, including photographs.
- Creating child work orders for any required follow-up work.
- Issuing “Repairs to Schedule” slips to residents when skilled trades are needed.
- Reviewing inspection results and next steps with affected residents.
- After-Hours Emergency Response
- Responding to emergency leak situations outside normal business hours and documenting all actions and repairs in the iWM app.
- Leak Source Identification
- Performing inspections (leak tracing) in other units as needed to locate root causes.
- Quality Assurance
- Performing quality assurance checks on closed leak work orders.
Standard Procedure 040:09:6, Customer Contact Center, establishes the responsibilities of staff working for the Customer Contact Center (CCC) and for Applications and Tenancy Administration, Leased Housing, and General Services units working within the CCC walk-in center locations. Updates to this Standard Procedure include:
- Reorganizing the procedure to better reflect the separate responsibilities of employees at the CCC call center and the CCC walk-in centers.
- Clarifying processes that have changed at the CCC walk-in centers since COVID, including meeting and greeting customers, providing language services, and guidance for customers to use the Self-Service Portal at a walk-in center kiosk or via their home computer.
- Revisions to how call agents process maintenance and non-maintenance service requests, including scheduling appointments and notifying residents of the response and resolution to service requests.
Manuals
Management Manual – Chapter I – Occupancy outlines the policies and procedures related to living in NYCHA apartments. It covers topics such as receiving certified applications and transfer requests, selecting residents for rentals, occupancy standards, appropriate use of facilities, and the move-out process.
The update to the Management Manual included adding a new section, Over-Income Non-Public Housing Households (Section XVI).
- The Housing Opportunity and Modernization Act of 2016 (HOTMA) established a new category for public housing tenants who exceed 120 percent of Area Median Income for 24 consecutive months. When tenants exceed this, they have the choice to move out or sign a Non-Public Housing Over-Income (NPHOI) Lease.
- NPHOI households can continue living in public housing units, but they do not receive a public housing subsidy and are not entitled to rights and benefits designed to primarily benefit public housing tenants.
- These households pay an alternative rent that is the higher of the fair market rent for the area or the operating subsidy for the public housing unit. In New York City, fair market rent is the higher of the two.
The Manual was also updated extensively throughout, including:
- Adding Section XX, Trash Disposal, detailing NYCHA’s trash disposal policy.
- Adding Appendix CC, Tenant Folder Maintenance, which describes how to organize tenant folders.
- Updating Section IV.N, the list of forms given to residents in new rental and lease agreement packets.
- Adding Section X, Electric Micromobility Devices, which describes NYCHA’s policy on keeping and charging electric mobility (e-micromobility) devices in public housing.
- Adding Section XVII.H.3, Abandoned Pets, explaining what to do when staff observe or are informed of a household pet left in an apartment following abandonment or move-out.
- Updating Section VI.B.2, stating where smoke detectors must be located in apartments.
Management Manual, Chapter III – Income Verification and Recertification details the policy and procedures for reviewing and verifying the tenant’s household composition and income, along with the process for setting rent. An update in Section XIV.E, Completion and Cancellation Period, revised the time allotted for staff to complete processing of the Interim Recertification request to 30 calendar days from the date the change is reported by the residents. This update is the result of the Fields Settlement in 2021.
Compliance Advisory Alerts
Compliance Advisory Alert #78 – Unauthorized Occupants details inconsistencies observed by the Compliance Department with the process that identifies and documents unauthorized occupants, uncertainty regarding the steps required to address unauthorized occupants, and questions about when to contact the Law Department to start the removal process for unauthorized occupants.
Compliance Advisory Alert #79 – Alternative Strategies for Micro-Purchases follows guidance from the New York City Department of Investigation (DOI) in the aftermath of the events of February 2024 (see Compliance Advisory Alert #57, The Duty to Report Allegations of Bribery and Gratuities, for context). NYCHA investigated the procurement process for 21 of the items NYCHA developments most acquired in 2024 using the micro-purchase method. The investigation identified alternative procurement strategies that ensure operational efficiency and prompt vendor selection but lessen the risk of employees using their own discretion when selecting. At the bottom of this Compliance Advisory Alert is a link to an acknowledgment portal. All NYCHA employees must read this Compliance Advisory Alert and use the link to acknowledge their receipt and review of the alert.
Conclusion
The Compliance Department will continue working with our colleagues to ensure that NYCHA is a safe and healthy place for our residents, staff, and vendors. If you have any concerns or complaints, or if you see anyone engaging in a deceptive practice, you can make a confidential and anonymous report by calling the Customer Contact Center at (718) 707-7771 (select menu option 7) or by visiting the Compliance Department section of NYCHA’s website. Complaints can also be reported to any other federal, state, or local government agency. Remember, the Compliance Department is here to help.
