The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) is the largest public housing authority in North America. Created in 1935 to provide decent, affordable housing for low- and moderate-income New Yorkers, NYCHA currently houses one in every 17 New York City residents through public housing, Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) programs, and Section 8 rental assistance. The agency’s housing stock spans all five boroughs and includes 177,569 apartments in 2,411 buildings. In addition to providing housing, NYCHA connects residents to services with a focus on economic opportunity, youth, seniors, and social programs. 

Based in the agency’s Long Island City offices, NYCHA’s Asset & Capital Management division conducts planning, design, and construction for capital improvements to public housing, including comprehensive renovation of whole developments, community space and ground improvements, resiliency programs, and infrastructural upgrades. 

Completed projects include:

Queensbridge House Solar Panels NYCHA worked with a solar development team to design and install 1.8 megawatts of rooftop solar arrays on 27 buildings across Queensbridge North and South Houses. The project generates lease revenue for the agency and has provided workforce development opportunities for NYCHA residents. 

Baychester Houses PACT Facilitated by the PACT program in partnership with Camber Property Group, L+M Development Partners, and MBD Community Housing Corporation, this major rehabilitation of 12 buildings in the Bronx included interior renovations, roof replacement, facade repairs, and an expansion of outdoor recreation areas.

Gravesend Utility Annex This mechanical, electrical, and plumbing annex contains equipment that automatically activates generators within 60 seconds of detected service loss and features brick facing that blends into the facade of the adjacent Gravesend Houses building.

Current projects include: 

Comprehensive Modernization Program Launched in 2022, this program enables NYCHA to address the renovation needs of an entire property through a single, integrated project, allowing developments to more effectively utilize capital funding. 

Staten Island’s Todt Hill Houses, one of the first developments to be part of the program, will undergo a $150 million interior renovation based on resident-selected designs. 

Clean Heat for All In 2021, NYCHA, New York Power Authority (NYPA), and New York State Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) partnered to fund the development, demonstration, and purchase/installation of 30,000 window heat pumps in NYCHA buildings.

In July 2023, NYCHA installed the first heat pumps in Woodside Houses in Queens. The pumps yielded more than 87 percent energy savings and cut costs by half compared to natural gas heating, according to an analysis by NYCHA.