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NYCHANow


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 16, 2024
CONTACT: media@nycha.nyc.gov | (212) 306-3322

Resident Voting Concludes for Two Coney Island Developments as Initial Tallies Begin

Thirty-day voting period concludes for residents of Coney Island Houses and Coney Island I (Site 1B), with final results expected on Friday, August 23 once mail-in ballots have been counted

NEW YORK – The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) today announced that the 30-day voting period has concluded for residents of both Coney Island Houses and Coney Island I (Site 1B), also known as Unity Towers, and an independent, third-party election administrator has started tallying the votes. Following Nostrand Houses and Bronx River Addition, Coney Island Houses and Coney Island I (Site 1B) are the third and fourth developments to hold votes of this kind, in which residents had the opportunity to cast their ballots regarding the future of their homes. Separate, simultaneous votes were held at the two Brooklyn developments, and 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. Final results are expected on Friday, August 23.

The election administrator's count of resident votes for the two developments has begun, both of which were confirmed to have achieved the minimum threshold of 20 percent of all heads of household required for the vote to be considered valid and binding. Votes from 57 percent of all Coney Island Houses heads of household and 59 percent of Coney Island I (Site 1B) heads of household have been received and counted thus far.

Coney Island Houses, home to 767 eligible voters, had a preliminary tally of 406 valid resident votes, which included 276 from heads of household. By the election administrator's count, there are currently 239 votes to remain Section 9, 125 votes to join the Public Housing Preservation Trust, and 42 to enter the PACT program. Coney Island I (Site 1B), home to 328 eligible voters, had a preliminary tally of 188 valid resident votes, which included 109 from heads of household. The election administrator has counted 106 votes to join the Public Housing Preservation Trust, 71 to remain Section 9, and 11 to enter the PACT program. Additional mail-in ballots for both developments that are postmarked no later than August 15 will be counted on Friday, August 23, with final results expected to be certified the same day.

“It's very exciting to have completed two more successful resident votes,” said NYCHA Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt. “We're building on the momentum of the votes held at Nostrand Houses and Bronx River Addition, and the enthusiasm residents at Coney Island and Unity Towers have had for the opportunity to shape the future of their homes has been palpable. It is an honor and privilege to facilitate this voting process, because resident voices are absolutely crucial in developing strategies to address the needs of these two developments that are home to nearly 1,500 New Yorkers.”

It is estimated that Coney Island Houses, home to 1,030 residents, and Coney Island I (Site 1B), home to 446 residents, have a 20-year capital need of over $230 million and $83 million, respectively. Portfolio-wide, a Physical Needs Assessment (PNA) released by NYCHA in 2023 estimates the Authority's total capital needs to be nearly $80 billion following decades of federal disinvestment.

Public Housing Preservation Trust

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

PACT

The PACT program transitions developments from traditional Section 9 assistance to the more stable, federally funded Project-Based Section 8 program — unlocking funding for designated PACT partners to complete comprehensive repairs. Overall, 139 NYCHA developments (representing nearly 38,000 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.

Section 9

Residents are also able to vote to have their development remain under the traditional Section 9 model. If selected, the development will not be converted to Project-Based Section 8 through the Trust or PACT at this time and additional funding for comprehensive renovations will not be unlocked. Traditional Section 9 receives capital and operations subsidy from the federal government, which has disinvested in public housing in New York City and across the nation for several decades. If residents from either development elect to remain Section 9, NYCHA will continue to deliver repairs as it did prior to the vote.

NYCHA's Voter Engagement Team conducted 100 days of engagement at Coney Island Houses and Coney Island I (Site 1B) prior to the 30-day voting period, which included door-knocking, phone-banking, and distribution of physical materials to residents of both developments. Seven public information sessions were held to explain the vote and ballot options to residents. These and other engagement efforts amounted to over 2,054 total touchpoints with a total of 820 eligible voters across both voting sites.

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, August 15, 2024. Once all votes have been tallied, the definitive selections made by Coney Island Houses and Coney Island I (Site 1B) residents are expected to be announced on Friday, August 23.

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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 520,808 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.