NYCHA Preservation Rally Coming To Harlem Amid $78B Needed In Repairs

EAST HARLEM, NY - A “major rally” demanding full state funding and preservation for New York City public housing is coming to East Harlem next week, organizers said.

Organized by the East Harlem Committee For Good Government Democratic Club, the rally is scheduled for Dec. 5 at 1 p.m. at the corner of East 115th Street and Madison Avenue in East Harlem. The planned rally comes on the heels of a reported $78.3 billion necessitated in capital repairs and an ongoing vote among residents at select New York City Housing Authority, or NYCHA, campuses regarding which funding model the housing authority should pursue in the future.

Voters at participating campuses have three options: stay under the federal Section 9 program, or switch over to a Section 8 model through either a Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) initiative or NYCHA’s new Preservation Trust.

The East Harlem Committee For Good Government Democratic Club is supporting the first option, with the planned rally advocating for the abolition of the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD)/Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) program and The Trust model "which have significant implications for public housing in New York State.”

“The rally aims to mobilize community members and stakeholders in a call to action, urging the New York State Assembly and State Senators to fully fund Section 9 housing,” organizers said in a statement. Section 9 includes NYCHA, which has the most housing stock in the U.S. with more than 400,000 tenants.

Under a 2019 deal with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, NYCHA is obliged to address unsafe living conditions in its derogating building (a majority of which were constructed before the 1970s) ranging from lead paint, toxic mold, pests and broken elevators, as reported by THE CITY. However, a review from public housing officials published earlier this year revealed the estimated cost to make the repairs was $33 billion more than initially projected.

Enter the proposed solutions to NYCHA's necessitated $78.3 billion in repairs:

Also known as the PACT program in New York City, the RAD model was first proposed in 2015 by then-Mayor Bill de Blasio to convert public Section 9 housing into Project-Based Section 8 properties, allowing for tax credits, bank mortgages and bonds to help fund repairs, City Limits reported. All the while, NYCHA maintains building ownership while maintenance services are handled by developers.

The Trust model would access funding through a new public entity which can issue bonds, receive more federal funding and ensure public units stay publicly owned with protections, NY1 reported. Under the model, NYCHA will own and manage the properties after entering into a lease with the Preservation Trust. Per legislation signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul last year, up to 25,000 public housing units can be transferred to the trust should residents vote in favor of the model.

NYCHA residents will keep the same rights and protections such as capped rents, lease renewal rights and tenancy termination protections under the proposed Section 8 models, BK Reader reported.

NYCHA tenants at the first voting campus, Nostrand Houses in Brooklyn, have until Dec. 7 to make a decision by mail or in-person at 2344 Bragg Street, Apt. 1C. Ballots can also be cast at nyc.gov/nycha.

The Dec. 5 rally is slated to feature speeches from community leaders, housing advocates and residents affected by current housing policies.

“This event is a critical moment for the community to voice concerns about the ongoing displacement of public housing residents and to seek sustainable, long-term solutions for NYCHA housing,” organizers added.