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VOL. 47 NO. 5 JULY 2017 INSIDE THIS ISSUE 3 4 8 NextGen Digging in at Less energy, Neighborhoods Coney Island more comfort Breaking Ground on a New Future Al-tabar Hudgins SAFETY IS HIS MISSION Al-tabar Hudgins Is Walking the Talk MARINER’S HARBOR RESIDENT Al-tabar Hudgins, 23, is a young man with a mission to spread the word to his N JUNE 19, NYCHA launched con- Hurricane Sandy and other emergencies. peers about keeping themselves and struction work at Ocean Bay (Bayside) Residents will not have to move while their communities safe. O Apartments in Far Rockaway, a their apartments are being renovated, As a member of the Mayor’s Office of development that houses 3,700 residents. which should take about three years in total, Criminal Justice’s (MOCJ) Peer Leader- Under U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban instead of the 20 years it would have taken to ship Committee for the past three years, Development (HUD)’s Rental Assistance complete this work without PACT. Mr. Hudgins has been getting people Demonstration (RAD) program—known as “Through PACT, we are able to provide talking about gun violence. Peer leaders Permanent Affordability Commitment Togeth- our residents with the necessary repairs while are NYCHA residents under the age of er (PACT) in New York City—a new public- also preserving public housing for future 24 who receive training to become ad- private partnership will provide $325 million generations,” NYCHA Chair and CEO Shola vocates and activists for peace in their to renovate the development’s 24 buildings. Olatoye said. “This innovative partnership will communities. Renovations will include better heating strengthen the Ocean Bay community and “This is something I’m very passionate systems, new roofs, safety upgrades, and new provide almost 1,400 New York families with about. Gun violence is something a lot of kitchens and bathrooms. A portion of the much-needed upgrades and improvements people are dealing with, so to be able to restoration funds includes $194.4 million from for their homes.” talk to them, to see everyone very much FEMA for resiliency improvements including All of the Ocean Bay (Bayside) apartments engaged to talk about (CONTINUED ON PAGE 3) rooftop boilers and solar energy panels that will be converted to Section 8 and managed will help safeguard residents in storms like by Wavecrest Management (CONTINUED ON PAGE 6) FIND OUT MORE AT WWW.NYC.GOV/NYCHA LETTER FROM THE CHAIR FIGHTING FOR PUBLIC HOUSING UNFORTUNATELY, the news out of Washington remains Through the federal Rental Assistance Demonstration grim. For the coming year, NYCHA stands to lose program, known as RAD, we’re investing more than $210 million in funding for major repairs, up to $130 million to $325 million at Ocean Bay (Bayside) Apartments by maintain our developments, and 13,000 Section 8 vouchers. converting the property to Section 8 funding. In May, we There is also a proposal to increase residents’ rent. We will released a request for proposals to do the same for another continue to fight these cuts in partnership with our allies who 1,700 apartments across the city, benefiting more than understand the importance of an affordable home. 4,000 residents with elevator replacements, new boilers and These cuts come on top of years of severe underfunding: heating systems, and roof replacements. Since 2001, NYCHA has lost nearly $3 billion in federal Mayor de Blasio continues to lead the way in ensuring funding, and our buildings need $17 billion worth of major that NYCHA is here for the next generation. He announced repair work. To provide the quality of life that residents deserve, we a $355 million investment in façade improvements, on top of the must come up with new and creative sources of revenue. $1.3 billion he committed for more than 950 roof replacements. We’ve made strides in recent months to do just that. As part of the We’ve made a lot of progress over the past few years with our NextGen Neighborhoods program, we announced the developer who NextGeneration NYCHA plan, but there is still so much to be done. will build a 50/50 mix of affordable and market-rate housing at Holmes We will keep working tirelessly to deliver on our promise of safe, clean, Towers on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. We are excited that the and connected communities, and we will not let Washington turn its developer’s plan will connect and benefit NYCHA residents, with more back on public housing. than 14,000 square feet of new playground and open space and a new, Onward, 18,000-square-foot recreational and community center operated by a non-profit partner. This will also generate an expected $25 million in new revenue for NYCHA, half of which will be invested in the repair Shola Olatoye needs at Holmes Towers. Chair and CEO NYCHA BOARD MEETINGS YCHA’S BOARD MEETINGS, open to the public, take five business days prior to the meeting. For additional information place on Wednesdays at 10 a.m. in the NYCHA 12th floor regarding the calendar of meetings, dispositions, dates, and times, N conference room at 250 Broadway. People who wish to please call 212-306-6088. speak during the public comment period must pre-register at least For those unable to attend the board meetings, please visit 45 minutes before the meeting is scheduled to begin and can only http://on.nyc.gov/boardmeetings at the time of the meeting to comment about items on that meeting’s agenda. Each speaker’s time watch live. You may also watch past board meetings by visiting is limited to three minutes. The public comment period concludes NYCHAnnel, NYCHA’s YouTube page at either when all speakers are finished or after the 30 minutes allotted https://www.youtube.com/c/nycha. by law for public comment, whichever comes first. Copies of the calendar for the upcoming board meeting are Upcoming Meetings: available on NYCHA’s website or can be picked up at the Office of the Corporate Secretary, 250 Broadway, 12th floor, after 3 p.m. on September 27, 2017 November 29, 2017 the Monday before the meeting. Copies of the dispositions of prior October 25, 2017 December 20, 2017 meetings are available on NYCHA’s website or can be picked up from the Office of the Corporate Secretary no earlier than 3 p.m. on the * Note: There will be no board meeting in August. The May Thursday after the board meeting. Any person requiring reasonable and December board meetings are scheduled for the accommodation in order to participate in the meeting should contact second-to-last Wednesday. the Office of the Corporate Secretary at 212-306-6088 no later than 2 FIND OUT MORE AT WWW.NYC.GOV/NYCHA First NextGen Neighborhoods Developer Selected HE DEVELOPER FOR Half of the revenue raised from the first NextGeneration the new building will be used to T(NextGen) Neighborhoods address Holmes Towers’ most development, at Holmes Towers critical capital needs. in Manhattan, is Fetner Proper- Fetner Properties was chosen ties, which proposed a 47-story, after an unprecedented commu- mixed-income building. The new nity engagement process dedi- building will bring in money for cated to understanding resident repairs at Holmes and provide concerns. NYCHA held 23 resi- new affordable housing units at a dent meetings, distributed over time when New York City cannot 1,000 notices, and went door to keep up with demand. door to speak with more than Half of the apartments will be 400 residents. In addition to the affordable to residents earning new units, Fetner will provide an less than $41,000 for an individual 18,000-square-foot recreational or $52,000 for a family of three, and community center, to be and NYCHA residents will have a operated by local non-profit preference for 25 percent of those Asphalt Green. Fetner will also units. Holmes Towers’ residents work with NYCHA to fill a mini- will not need to move or pay in- mum of 50 percent of all per- creased rent. NYCHA retains own- manent jobs at the community ership of the land and will provide center with NYCHA residents. a 99-year lease to the developer. An onsite workforce recruitment With $17 billion in capital center will ensure that residents needs, NYCHA is looking to can easily receive information creative, new sources for funding. on these job opportunities. In Holmes Towers has $35 million in addition, Fetner will build 14,500 capital needs alone. NYCHA ex- square feet of new playgrounds, pects to receive a projected $25 new outdoor seating areas, light- million through this transaction. ing, and plantings. (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1) SAFETY IS HIS MISSION gun violence and the value of life, “We talk about healthy rela- defense attorney. He’s work- that’s the most meaningful part.” tionships, empowering people ing on a bachelor’s degree in His experience with MOCJ our age and younger to know political science at the College There’s value in led him to an opportunity with what they want out of a rela- of Staten Island and plans to conversation,“ the Mayor’s Office to Combat tionship, the reason they start then attend law school. Domestic Violence. In January, relationships, the type of signs “When I go to talk to some of because saying it Mr. Hudgins started working to look out for in an abusive re- these kids, especially Black and out loud creates there as a peer educator. As lationship, and just to know how brown kids, it’s the first time a a whole new part of the NYC Healthy Rela- to have a healthy relationship.” lot of them have ever had these tionships Training Academy, he Mr.