Making a Difference for Residents

Meet Linda Padilla

NYCHA is celebrating National Customer Service Week 2021 during the week of October 18-22. This year’s theme, “Power of Service,” reaffirms and celebrates our commitment to excellent customer service. As part of the celebrations, we are highlighting NYCHA Changemakers – employees who use our core values to create meaningful, sustainable change in every aspect of their work. In this installment, meet NYCHA Changemaker Linda Padilla, Secretary with Manhattan Property Management.

Once a resident herself (of Baruch Houses in Manhattan), Ms. Padilla has been assisting NYCHA residents with apartment repairs for the last 20 years. Every day she responds to about 40-60 requests from residents, scheduling skilled trades repairs involving bricklayers, exterminators, plumbers, electricians, and others.

“I decided to work at NYCHA because I love helping people” Ms. Padilla said. “When I was offered a job, the most important aspect for me was to help the senior citizens. At first, it was vendor/contractor work – a pilot for a seniors building where elevators were being replaced. NYCHA hired residents to assist the elderly. I wanted to help my neighbors. That’s how I became a NYCHA employee.”

Ms. Padilla moved out of her NYCHA apartment some time ago, but still treats every resident who calls her as a neighbor or a family member.

“I treat them as if they’re my family: I want to do whatever I can in order to help them,” Ms. Padilla remarked. “Sometimes, residents will call and say that someone else referred them to me, and even though they know that that particular thing is not my job, they hope that I can help to get the job done.”

Besides scheduling and prioritizing repairs, Ms. Padilla said it is her job to effectively communicate with residents about the repair process and its timelines.

“I have been doing this for so long that I learned to be patient, passionate, and more understanding,” Ms. Padilla noted. “I always put myself in residents’ shoes. I used to be a resident, so I know exactly what they are going through.”

“Even though I don’t live in NYCHA housing anymore, I still do what I love to do – help people on a daily basis.”