Fund For Public Housing Launches Innovative Tech Competition 20170609 - NYCHA

NYC Housing Authority


Press Release


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 9, 2017
CONTACT: media@nycha.nyc.gov

THE FUND FOR PUBLIC HOUSING LAUNCHES INNOVATIVE TECH COMPETITION TO PARTNER WITH CITY’S STARTUPS AND BENEFIT PUBLIC HOUSING

The Fund for Public Housing, along with MetaProp NYC and The Hub @ Grand Central Tech, identified top real estate technology companies in the City for a unique pitch event.

Three innovative companies will be selected for three-month pilot programs with NYCHA.

2017 NYCHA Tech Pilots demonstrates the Authority’s creative new approach to managing public housing in the face of critical budget cuts.

NYCHA Chair and CEO Shola Olatoye (6-L in yellow), NYCHA General Manager Michael Kelly (center in jacket and tie) and The Fund for Public Housing’s President Rasmia Kirmani-Frye (center in white) with the ten shortlisted companies for the 2017 NYCHA Tech Pilots.

NEW YORK–– The Fund for Public Housing, a non-profit organization founded to facilitate public-private partnerships in support of public housing, is helping the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) think outside the box through the newly launched 2017 NYCHA Tech Pilots, which brings New York City’s technology industry together with public housing.

“NYCHA is changing the way we do business and that means finding creative and modern solutions to help us solve public housing’s greatest challenges. The Fund for Public Housing’s 2017 NYCHA Tech Pilots is an innovative way to help the Authority discover new approaches to better deliver on its mission,” said NYCHA Chair and CEO Shola Olatoye. “There are many ways NYCHA and the tech sector can partner and innovate to provide safe, clean and connected communities for our residents.”

“Through our collaboration with the Hub @ Grand Central Tech and MetaProp NYC, we have identified some of the strongest tech startups in New York City,” said Rasmia Kirmani-Frye, President of the Fund for Public Housing. “We are excited to see the positive impacts new technology can have on helping NYCHA better serve its residents.”

The 2017 NYCHA Tech Pilots launched this week to discover new ways for NYCHA to improve how it manages its 326 developments and serves its residents. NYCHA is facing over $17 billion in unmet capital needs and potentially devastating budget cuts. As NYCHA’s infrastructure is crumbling, the Authority has to start thinking creatively with a shrinking budget.

Looking to technology and previously untapped resources, the Fund is dedicated to developing public-private partnerships that can help the 1 in 14 New Yorkers living in public housing. As the country’s largest residential landlord, NYCHA plays a critical role in the lives of hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers, and the 2017 NYCHA Tech Pilots demonstrates the Authority’s commitment to building a housing authority that is successful into the future.

The 2017 NYCHA Tech Pilots was launched at The Urban Tech Hub @ Grand Central Tech with a formal pitch event from 10 shortlisted finalists. The invitation for applicants was left intentionally broad to encourage as many creative responses as possible. Each finalist had six minutes to pitch why their technology would be a great fit for NYCHA. Topics covered issues such as conserving wasted energy, streamlining project management and easing resident stress.

After the pitches, NYCHA staff was able to ask up to three questions to each company. Staff, led by Chair Olatoye and General Manager Michael Kelly, will deliberate and announce the three winners later this month. The selected companies will then have the opportunity to run a three-month pilot program with NYCHA to demonstrate the utility of their product.

The Fund’s partners, MetaProp NYC and Grand Central Tech, helped find the right companies to apply for the pilot program through their networks of New York City startups. MetaProp NYC and Grand Central Tech are leading tech accelerators who support startup companies by connecting them to advisors and coworking spaces to develop their products. The applicants were chosen for their understanding of how technology can support public housing into the future.

Participants in the pilot receive no financial reward and NYCHA is not under any guarantee to enter into a formal, long-term contract with the selected pilot programs. The startups will have the opportunity to demonstrate the strength of their product with the country’s largest residential landlord while also benefitting the hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers who rely on NYCHA.

The ten companies shortlisted were (in the order of their presentations): Citiesense, Carbon Lighthouse, Numina, BlocPower, Radiator Labs, ThinkEco, hOM, Pansofik, onTarget, and enertiv.

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About the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA)
NYCHA’s mission is to increase opportunities for low- and moderate-income New Yorkers by providing safe, affordable housing and facilitating access to social and community services. More than 400,000 New Yorkers reside in NYCHA’s 326 public housing developments around the five boroughs, and another 235,000 receive subsidized rental assistance in private homes through the NYCHA-administered Section 8 Leased Housing Program. For more information, visit www.nyc.gov/nycha and for regular updates on NYCHA news and services, connect with us via www.facebook.com/NYCHA and www.twitter.com/NYCHA.

About the Fund for Public Housing

Never before has there been an organization that exists solely to address the priorities of New York City public housing communities. The Fund for Public Housing is an independent not-for-profit organization that invests in the well-being of New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) residents and their communities. The Fund collaborates with public and private partners to reimagine and improve the way public housing works. For more information, visit www.fundforpublichousing.org or follow the Fund on Twitter, www.twitter.com/Fund4PH