NYCHA’s Second ‘Trust’ Vote Poses Unique Challenge: Scattered Tenants
For NYCHA tenants, choosing between PACT, Preservation Trust and Section 9 is a decision that can impact the future of their homes. Some seniors from Bronx River Addition—the next campus selected to vote on which funding model they want for their campus—haven’t seen theirs in over a year, after NYCHA deemed their building uninhabitable in 2022 due to a faulty heating system. About 60 tenants are now living in temporary apartments in Manhattan, Brooklyn and elsewhere in the Bronx.
"This is a seniors development and we don’t know what mobility and health issues might prevent residents from being able to attend information sessions, get their questions answered, or cast a vote," said Juanita Lewis, the executive director of Community Voices Heard, which has been doing outreach around the coming vote.
Opinion: Bronx Building Collapse is a Wake-Up Call
“It will happen again. It’s not a matter of if, but when. The average building age in New York City is around 90 years, and we’re grappling with a shortage of building inspectors as well as an ongoing housing crisis—giving building owners little to no incentive to address violations.”
