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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 12, 2024
CONTACT: media@nycha.nyc.gov | (212) 306-3322

Voting Concludes at Bronx River Addition and Tally of Resident Vote Begins

Thirty-day voting period concludes for residents of the second NYCHA development to hold a vote of this kind, with final results expected on Friday, April 19

If selected, the Trust or PACT could unlock necessary funding to comprehensively renovate the development

NEW YORK – The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) today announced that, as of April 11, voting has concluded for residents of Bronx River Addition, and votes have begun to be tallied by the third-party election administrator. Following Nostrand Houses in Brooklyn, Bronx River Addition is the second development to hold a vote of this kind, in which residents had the opportunity to cast their ballots regarding the future of their homes. Residents were able to choose between three ballot options: joining the New York City Public Housing Preservation Trust or the Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) program, or remaining Section 9.

The election administrator's count of resident votes has begun, and the vote is confirmed to have achieved the minimum threshold of 20 percent of all heads of household required to be considered valid and binding, with 61 percent of all Bronx River Addition heads of household counted thus far. With Bronx River Addition being home to 199 eligible voters, the preliminary turnout yielded a total of 122 valid resident votes, including 112 heads of household. By the election administrator's count, there are currently 84 votes to join the Public Housing Preservation Trust, 22 to enter the PACT program, and 16 to remain Section 9. Additional mail-in ballots postmarked by April 11 will be counted on Friday, April 19, with final results expected to be certified the same day.

"We at NYCHA are ecstatic to mark the close of voting at Bronx River Addition and are eager to find out which path residents have selected for the future of their homes," said NYCHA Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt. "As we did with Nostrand Houses, we hope that Bronx River Addition residents have made a choice that will allow us to provide much-needed, comprehensive renovations to the campus and address both buildings' considerable needs. Whatever the result may be, NYCHA will remain committed to serving these and all residents to the absolute best of our ability."

With 199 residents from two residential buildings — including one building's population that had to be relocated due to severe issues affecting the aging and deteriorating heating distribution system — it is estimated that Bronx River Addition has $66 million in 20-year capital needs. Portfolio-wide, a Physical Needs Assessment (PNA) released by NYCHA in 2023 estimates the Authority's total capital needs to be at $78.3 billion following decades of federal disinvestment.

A fully public entity signed into law by New York Governor Kathy Hochul in 2022 following extensive advocacy from the Adams administration and NYCHA, the Public Housing Preservation Trust is expected to unlock billions of dollars in federal funding for much-needed, comprehensive renovations at NYCHA developments to improve living conditions for residents.

The PACT program transitions developments from traditional public housing assistance to the more stable, federally funded Project-Based Section 8 program — unlocking funding for designated PACT partners to complete comprehensive repairs. Overall, 138 NYCHA developments (representing over 37,000 apartments) are in pre-development, are under construction, or have completed construction through the program. The Authority is on track to include 62,000 apartments in the PACT program in order to bring the benefits of comprehensive apartment repairs and building upgrades, as well as enhanced property management and social services, to more than 142,000 residents.

NYCHA's Voter Engagement Team conducted 100 days of engagement prior to the 30-day voting period, which included door-knocking, phone-banking, and distribution of physical materials to residents on the Bronx River Addition campus and to the development's relocated population. Four public information sessions were held to explain the vote and ballot options to residents, and transportation was provided for relocated residents to help facilitate their attendance. These and other engagement efforts amounted to over 520 total touchpoints with 199 eligible voters, including 92 percent of relocated eligible voters.

In the coming days, additional mail-in votes may arrive and will be counted toward the final result if postmarked no later than the final day of voting, April 11, 2024. Once all votes have been tallied, Bronx River Addition residents' definitive selection will be announced by Friday, April 19.

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About the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA)

The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), the largest public housing authority in North America, was created in 1935 to provide decent, affordable housing for low- and moderate-income New Yorkers. NYCHA is home to 1 in 17 New Yorkers, providing affordable housing to 528,105 authorized residents through public housing and Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) programs as well as Section 8 housing. NYCHA has 177,569 apartments in 2,411 buildings across 335 conventional public housing and PACT developments. In addition, NYCHA connects residents to critical programs and services from external and internal partners, with a focus on economic opportunity, youth, seniors, and social services. With a housing stock that spans all five boroughs, NYCHA is a city within a city.