The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) is New York City’s largest landlord, with more than 2,000 buildings in its portfolio housing over 350,000 authorized residents. It has long been an essential source of permanently affordable housing in NYC, with NYCHA public housing units representing 7.7% of the city’s rental apartments and serving 4.3% of the city’s population. Today, we have reached an inflection point for NYCHA and need to make progress quickly to preserve, improve and sustain the largest source of affordable housing in New York. More than 70% of NYCHA buildings are at least 50 years old. NYCHA’s housing stock requires critical investment if it is to remain habitable. As NYCHA residents are almost 95% people of color, this is as much about racial equity as it is about housing affordability. Significant investment is necessary to address racial inequities and environmental hazards that are disproportionately affecting New Yorkers living in public housing.
CPC’s “Ending the NYCHA Blame Game” identifies the main strategies for the long-term preservation of NYCHA’s housing.