NYCHA residents in Brooklyn vote to enter Public Housing Preservation Trust
SHEEPSHEAD BAY, Brooklyn (WABC) -- Mayor Eric Adams and New York City officials are celebrating NYCHA's historic year that they say gives residents a say in the future of their homes.
On Friday, residents at the Nostrand Houses made history by voting to enter the NYCHA Public Housing Preservation Trust.
The initiative, created by the Adams administration and signed into law by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, will increase the city's ability to borrow money and provide a massive new funding stream for repairs to public housing.
"Today we are celebrating a year of victories for the working people of NYCHA," said Mayor Adams. "With the certification of voting results, residents at Nostrand Houses made history and voted to enter the Public Housing Preservation Trust - ensuring residents get their fair share. This vote builds on the transformational year we've had in breaking records, making historic investments, and improving sustainability for our critical public housing system."
Residents at the Nostrand Houses said there are plenty of problems at the complex, including exposed wires, infestations, security, infrastructure, heat and hot water issues and lead.
Now residents will have more control of repairs and decisions that impact their future.
Residents on Friday said they weren't confident that the trust will help them fix their problems.
"I don't think it's gonna help at all... they're gonna do the exact same thing they're doing here, they're just trying to pretty it up," one resident said.
Hochul released a statement saying the residents have taken a bold step toward strengthening public housing by joining the trust.
"This vote will not only improve living conditions for the hundreds of residents at the Nostrand Houses - it paves the way for major improvements at more than 25,000 apartments across the NYCHA system," Hochul said. "My administration brought stakeholders to the table to establish our first-in-the-nation Trust, and after meeting with residents, tenant leaders, members of the Legislature, and others, I was proud to sign landmark legislation to fund the critical repairs that residents have demanded for years. The Nostrand Houses' historic vote reflects years of partnership between my office, the Mayor, NYCHA, and the tenant community, and I look forward to continuing to work with them as we start this new chapter for public housing in New York."
The residents of Bronx River Addition will vote next after 100 days of engagement.
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