Two NYCHA Employees Named 2026 Hayes Prize Finalists 

New York City’s Hayes Innovation Prize is awarded each year to honor the extraordinary contributions of City government employees in the early stages of their careers.  

The Prize – named after former NYC Budget Director Fred Hayes – recognizes innovative efforts, game-changing projects, or problem-solving initiatives by employees working across the City to improve the lives of New Yorkers. On March 31, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Chief Technology Officer and Office of Technology and Innovation Commissioner Lisa Gelobter, and the Frederick O’Reilly Hayes Prize Foundation celebrated recipients and finalists of the fourth annual NYC Hayes Innovation Prize. Honorees were selected from 74 nominations across more than 30 agencies. 

Representing NYCHA among the award finalists this year were Ayesha McHugh, Senior Monitoring and Reporting Manager in the Compliance Department, and Courtney Yu, Director of Voter Engagement. Ms. McHugh was recognized for her work with the Authority’s On-Site Monitoring (OSM) program, while Ms. Yu was recognized for her efforts in engaging residents who have voted on the future of their homes at eight developments across NYCHA so far.  

The OSM program started in January 2020 with goals including providing a “360-degree view” of NYCHA properties to executive leadership, improving administrative and maintenance performance at properties, and evaluating properties’ performance through the federally regulated framework. During the program’s early phases, Ms. McHugh helped drive the innovation for Compliance to prioritize the largest, highest risk properties and aimed for geographic diversity among the five boroughs.  

As the program evolved, Ms. McHugh recognized the need to pivot to maintain maximum impact for core constituents and shift focus on evaluating smaller high-risk properties, while deprioritizing geographic diversity. As a result of the OSM program, nearly 100 property management teams have been taught how to complete forms like the fire safety vendor release requests, schedule dust wipe testing, and navigate the human resources system for backfilling positions.  

“It is a true honor for the OSM program to be recognized among the city’s best government innovations,” Ms. McHugh said. “This recognition reflects not only our team’s commitment to continuous improvement when highlighting the current conditions at our properties, but also the invaluable partnership of teams like the Office of Quality and Cost Control and Environmental Health and Safety, whose collaboration strengthens this work. What makes the OSM program impactful is not just the process itself, but the relationships and shared knowledge it fosters across departments and with our property management partners. Together, we are able to identify challenges, create solutions, strengthen operations, and advance our shared mission of providing safe and affordable housing for our residents.” 

Since the first resident voting campaign at Nostrand Houses in 2023, Ms. Yu and the Voter Engagement team have managed outreach efforts at eight developments, where residents have weighed in on the future of their homes. The voting process provides residents with an opportunity to choose whether their development should enter the Public Housing Preservation Trust, join the Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) program, or remain Section 9 housing. Isaacs Houses was the latest development to hold a vote of this kind in March.  

“To be recognized as a Hayes Prize finalist is an extreme honor,” Ms. Yu said. “NYCHA’s Development Vote program is about more than just a process, it’s about making sure residents feel empowered to have a say in decisions that affect the future of their homes. The root of our program is listening closely, building trust with residents, and creating space for voices when they haven’t always felt heard. To see that effort recognized among the city’s best government innovations is both humbling and energizing. It reinforces why this work matters and motivates me to remain dedicated to public service.” 

Photo caption: Courtney Yu, Director of Voter Engagement, (left) and Ayesha McHugh, Senior Monitoring and Reporting Manager in the Compliance Department, were among this year’s finalists for the NYC Hayes Innovation Prize.