Mayor Bill de Blasio, NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and a number of city and state officials announced the creation of a working group to address the future of the Fulton Houses, Elliot-Chelsea Houses and Chelsea Addition NYCHA developments. The working group will be facilitated by Hester Street and take place over the course of ten weeks to produce community-driven recommendations for actionable approaches by NYCHA that will improve the properties and residents’ quality of life.

The Chelsea developments face a capital deficit of $344 million to reach a state of good repair.  Currently over 5,000 people live across the three developments and, without action, residents’ housing quality will continue to deteriorate further. The group will launch in late October and will be comprised of NYCHA residents, elected officials, community representatives and housing organizations.

“Our city and state’s approach to public housing has been failing for many years, and it is past time to correct these failures and improve the lives of nearly half a million people living in NYCHA. My office and I will be glad to work with our partners in government and with the residents of NYCHA toward meaningful solutions – creating change with people, not imposing actions on them,” said Public Advocate Williams, who Hester Street also honored at our 2019 Benefit.

Read more about the news from the Mayor’s Office here