Passage of the Public Housing Preservation Trust Legislation
Dear Colleagues,
The passage this month of the Public Housing Preservation Trust by the State legislature is truly a momentous occasion in the history of public housing – here in New York City and across the nation – and a big step forward for NYCHA residents. The Trust will allow us to complete billions of dollars in top-to-bottom building renovations while keeping a public workforce and preserving NYCHA employees’ jobs, maintaining residents’ rights, and keeping our properties 100 percent public.
The Trust also gives residents a true voice in the future of their homes. Over the past two years, we have been speaking with residents from around the city to get their feedback and recommendations on the Trust idea. From these conversations, it was clear that residents must have more control, ownership, and decision-making over the future of their developments.
And so, the updated version of the Trust legislation that recently passed enables residents to choose whether or not to move forward with the Trust at their developments. The new legislation also allows residents to be part of the process for selecting vendors to rehabilitate their development and serve on committees that check the quality of this work.
We would like to thank you, as well as our partners in State government, for making possible real change and lasting solutions for NYCHA residents. Your role is vital – there is much work ahead that requires everyone’s collaboration, and we will keep you updated on the Trust in the months to come. As always, staff with questions about the Trust or other transformation efforts can reach out to transform@nycha.nyc.gov. We look forward to continued progress on this incredibly important initiative to improve residents’ quality of life in a meaningful way.
Sincerely,
Greg Russ
Chair & Chief Executive Officer
