Your Home, Your Vote

A Voting Guide for NYCHA Residents

 

New York City's public housing faces a crossroads. Decades of disinvestment at every level of government have left the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) and its residents with a housing stock in disrepair and financial stress.

But now there's hope on the horizon. For the first time, NYCHA residents can choose their own path to housing preservation. They will decide how they want their development to be treated through a democratic voting process with three options.

 

     

 

The Ballot: What Options Are On The Table?

1. Renovation through RAD/PACT conversion

2. Renovation through Preservation Trust conversion

3. Remain HUD Section 9 public housing

 

Nearly 40 percent of NYCHA residents say they don't have enough information to vote

This is a concerning problem that our 2022 Unheard Third survey uncovered. When we asked NYCHA residents in August 2022 which of the three options on the ballot they preferred, these were the results:

  • Not enough information to answer (39%)
  • Renovations through the RAD/PACT program (29%)
  • Renovations through the Trust (18%)
  • Keep my development in the Section 9 program (13%)

Before any development faces the preservation decision process, it is crucial that residents are informed and provided with evenhanded, reliable, resident-friendly information about their choices.

That's why we created "Your Home, Your Vote." This voting guide takes an objective, in-depth look at all three options comparing each's potential advantages and disadvantages.

 

What Happened to Public Housing in New York? The Past, Present, and Future of Government-Built Housing in Our State

Across New York State, public housing residents often face similar issues whether it's long-needed repairs, lapses in accountability, or a host of other problems. A movement for the preservation and transformation of public housing in New York must leverage New York City’s strong foundation of resident advocacy and the 36,000 public housing residents across the state, from Long Island’s Gladys Gardens in Hempstead to the Packard Court of Niagara Falls.

This report provides an understanding of the current status of New York State’s public housing stock, changes that have occurred over the past decade, and what the future may hold.

 

 

 

Preserving New York City’s Public Housing: Future Choices

For decades, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) and its residents have been facing a difficult present and an uncertain future. Nevertheless, in the past two years, there have been reasons for cautious optimism.

Beginning in 2023, NYCHA residents will have the opportunity to vote on the future of their developments. They can decide to renovate through RAD conversion, renovate through the new Preservation Trust, or remain HUD Section 9 housing. However, 39% of residents say they don't have enough information to make a decision.

This report lays out the pros and cons of each option to ensure residents are informed for this new democratic process.

 

 

 

NYCHA In Flux: Public Housing Residents Respond

Before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, NYCHA was already in a state of acute crisis. NYCHA In Flux: Public Housing Residents Respond attempts to capture the views and experiences of residents as of late 2019, marking a period of enormous institutional change for public housing in NYC.

This report was the starting point of an annual tracking of resident views and experiences as NYCHA undergoes major change.

 

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