Transforming NYCHA Through Public Private Partnerships
Ocean Bay (Bayside) is the next development scheduled for major renovations
Ocean Bay (Bayside) is the next development scheduled for major renovations
Lolita Miller, 71, has lived at Ocean Bay Apartments (Bayside) in the Rockaways for almost 50 years. She raised seven children there, watching as the conditions of the buildings steadily worsened due to years of lack of funding—but now she’s watching the development change for the better.
In December 2016, NYCHA closed a groundbreaking deal under Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program, known as Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) in New York City. The deal will provide $325 million to renovate 24 buildings including 1,400 apartments that house over 3,700 residents. Renovations will include better heating systems, new roofs, safety upgrades, and new kitchens and bathrooms. Residents will not have to move while their apartments are being renovated, which should take about three years in total, instead of the 20 years it would have taken to complete this work without PACT.
“Families depend on NYCHA to make necessary repairs and protect public housing for future generations,” NYCHA Chair and CEO Shola Olatoye said. “This type of innovative partnership presents an opportunity to ensure the long-term affordability and future of our developments.”
All of the Ocean Bay (Bayside) apartments will be converted to Section 8 and managed by Wavecrest Management in partnership with NYCHA. NYCHA will keep ownership of Ocean Bay and continue to administer the Section 8 contract, ensuring that the apartments stay permanently affordable and guaranteeing the developments can never be privatized. All rents will remain the same.
Ms. Miller, Treasurer of the Resident Association and a retired 20-year NYCHA employee, participated in numerous resident engagement meetings about changes at the development. She said she’s already seen great changes to the development and can’t wait to see its beauty fully restored.
“NextGeneration NYCHA is coming to life—the things that were neglected are coming back,” Ms. Miller says. “I don’t want things as usual; it’s time for a change here. I want to see the good come back, and maybe be even better. I want the kids in this neighborhood and my neighbors to be happy to come home, to say, ‘Wow, this is where I live.’”
In January, NYCHA received more good news about the PACT program: the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development approved an expansion to raise $300 million for extensive repairs and quality of life improvements for 1,700 apartments in 17 developments throughout Brooklyn and the Bronx.
NYCHA has begun the resident engagement process at these developments and will hold regular meetings with residents to make sure that not only are their questions answered, but that they have meaningful input in the process. Ms. Miller advises residents go get involved in the process—“you get to sit at the roundtable and list all the things that need to be done and help make decisions.”