Current Information for NYCHA Residents and Their AdvocatesApril 2019 Newsletter
Oversight Hearing: NYCHA's Administration of Tenant Participation Activity (TPA) Funding (Details) When: Monday, April 15th, 10 a.m.
Where: City Hall, Committee Room
Who: NYC Council Committee on Public Housing
The Monitoring Agreement Kicks Off - The appointed federal monitor, Bart Schwartz, is assembling a monitoring team to help meet the terms of the HUD-NYC agreement.
- Resident leaders and activists are seeking a key role in the Community Advisory Committee required under the agreement.
- In a note to TA presidents, the monitor opened e-mail and website access for communication with residents:
“Today, the office of the NYCHA federal Monitor Bart M. Schwartz launched an official phone number, website and an email address where residents and other stakeholders can submit feedback and concerns in regard to the systemic issues and procedures at NYCHA. This information will help the Monitor in his work to achieve the Agreement's purpose. We hope that you can help us spread the word to all the residents.
Website: www.nychamonitor.com E-mail: monitor@nychamonitor.com Phone: 347.809.5555 Toll-Free
Number: 844.309.6080
We look forward to speaking with you and visiting your development over the coming weeks and months.”
- The Citizens Budget Commission, a fiscal watchdog organization, has released its recommended guidelines for the federal monitor.
- As laid out in the agreement, Mayor de Blasio will appoint a new NYCHA chair from a short list developed by HUD and the Southern District of NY. The appointment is overdue, expected any day now.
The Bad News From Washington - President Trump’s just-released budget for 2020 once again proposes to:
- Slash HUD’s budget (by about 16%).
- End public housing capital subsidies (despite a national backlog of about $60 billion).
- Raise rents in federally-assisted housing to 35 percent of gross income. (In NYCHA the rent increases may average about 20 percent.)
- The proposal comes despite strong criticism from NYC leaders that HUD failed to invest additional capital dollars for NYCHA in the HUD-NYC monitoring arrangement. Monitoring alone will not solve NYCHA’s capital shortfall.
- We must count on Congress to repudiate the President’s proposal, as they have for the last two years, and provide additional funding for public housing operations and capital subsidies.
- Some of the name-throwing dynamics in the federal-local controversy over HUD funding for NYCHA are captured in this City and State article that focuses on HUD Regional Director Lynne Patton.
The Bad News From Albany - The newly released New York State budget for 2020 again appropriates the $450 million already promised to NYCHA for capital improvements, but it does not commit to release the withheld funds.
- There's not a single new dollar in the budget designated for NYCHA, despite the current crisis, or for other capital-starved public housing authorities across the state.
- Below is a statement put together by a coalition of public housing advocacy organizations:
“Today, we are disappointed to learn that the Governor, Senate, and Assembly failed to take action to provide any capital funding to the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) in the state budget. Given the long list of progressive accomplishments in the budget, it is shocking that funding critical repairs in public housing didn’t make the cut.
“NYCHA is at a crossroads and in dire need of funding. The agency has taken steps to raise $24 billion of the $32 billion for critical repairs, but a budget gap of at least $8 billion remains. Due to the State’s inaction and inability to make public housing a priority, the 400,000 New Yorkers who call NYCHA home will have to go without critical repairs and upgrades for safer living conditions.
“At a time when the federal government has refused to provide much-needed funding, New Yorkers should be able to count on their state representatives to ensure they have decent, safe homes.”
Pact Update: Converting Public Housing to Public-Private Management - The Brooklyn Bushwick bundle of conversions are expected to close in May 2019.
- New PACT “megabundles” for Brooklyn (2,625 units) and Manhattan (1,718 units) conversions are now in process. NYCHA expects to close these deals by December 2019.
- Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer wants to open up PACT conversions to bids from smaller community-based development organizations.
- At present NYCHA requires bidders to demonstrate prior experience in similar projects on a scale of at least $75 million (reduced from $300 million). Most community developers, which have won the confidence of their communities, would be excluded under that standard.
With NYCHA in flux, this is a crucial time. Residents and their advocates need to know what’s happening and how they can have a stronger voice in decisions that affect them. That is why the Community Service Society (CSS) has launched "NYCHA Need to Know," a monthly newsletter that will provide: - Current, reader-friendly information about policy issues and changes—city, state, and Washington—that impact NYCHA residents.
- Action alerts about upcoming hearings, press conferences, mobilizations, forums, and other events.
- Easy ways to send messages to elected officials and decision-makers.
- Links to articles, reports, other more detailed information sources.
You will receive "NYCHA Need to Know" unless you ask to be taken off our email list. Please ask your neighbors and friends if they want to be plugged in and added to our email list. Contact info@cssny.org
|