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Q&A
NYCHA's authority to initiate PACT conversions without resident votes
1:35:00
ยท
4 min
Council Member Chris Banks questions NYCHA's authority to initiate PACT conversions without resident votes. NYCHA officials emphasize their engagement process but maintain final decision-making authority.
- NYCHA acknowledges early PACT conversions lacked robust engagement
- Officials claim current process involves extensive resident engagement before conversion
- NYCHA asserts it has the final decision on moving forward with PACT conversions
- Council member argues residents should have more say in the decision-making process
Chris Banks
1:35:00
Alright.
1:35:01
Given that the RAD program does not have a resident voting requirement, NYCHA has previously stated it may transition developments to PAC on its own initiative even absent of a resident vote.
1:35:17
Under what circumstance will NYCHA initiate a PAC conversion without a vote?
Jonathan Gouveia
1:35:26
Well, Simon walked through the engagement process that we've been following over the last few years.
1:35:31
Again, we have been in various hearings in the past where we have acknowledged that some of the early packed conversions, we didn't have the same level of engagement.
1:35:39
Over the last three or four years, we do this robust engagement before we even contemplate a conversion, and Simon outlined that.
1:35:47
So what we want to do when we're doing that engagement process is see that there's support from the tenant leadership as well as the broader community.
Chris Banks
1:35:55
Okay.
1:35:56
What criteria does NYCHA consider in making when making a decision of such?
1:36:02
And are those criteria is it made public?
Jonathan Gouveia
1:36:06
Yes.
1:36:07
And again, Simon mentioned earlier, it's looking at the the physical conditions of each of the buildings
Chris Banks
1:36:12
Is it made public?
Jonathan Gouveia
1:36:14
Yes.
1:36:15
We we disclose this all the time.
1:36:16
Absolutely.
Chris Banks
1:36:18
Once a NYCHA development has been selected for PAC transition, what resource, if any, does residents have to pause or stop the transition?
Jonathan Gouveia
1:36:30
I mean, once we've made the decision collectively with our residents to move forward, we will move forward.
1:36:35
We don't have the luxury of
Chris Banks
1:36:36
Collectively with the residents, the decision is made?
1:36:40
Yes.
1:36:40
How does that process look?
Jonathan Gouveia
1:36:42
Well we described it earlier, right?
Chris Banks
1:36:43
Oh, want you to explain it.
Jonathan Gouveia
1:36:45
I'd to walk through the process again.
Chris Banks
1:36:46
How does that process look?
Simon Kawitzky
1:36:51
So again, I want to emphasize that it's NYCHA's duty, right, to invest in our properties, to make sure that this is a resource for residents into the future.
1:37:01
While we value and very strongly prioritize the input and partnership with our residents, it ultimately is NYCHA's decision to move forward with a packed transaction.
Chris Banks
1:37:12
So so your testimony is that the residents don't have a say as to direction or how their community looks.
1:37:20
NYCHA can usurp their input and move forward with the program.
Simon Kawitzky
1:37:24
That's not what I'm saying.
1:37:26
What I'm saying is that we seek partnerships with our residents to help inform the future of their community.
Chris Banks
1:37:32
Well, you just said that NYCHA it was it's NYCHA's decision to make.
1:37:36
They have the final decision.
Simon Kawitzky
1:37:38
In the context of making critical investments that we are responsible for making.
Chris Banks
1:37:43
Right.
1:37:43
So my question to you is, should the tenants should the tenants make that final decision?
1:37:50
Should that decision be made by the majority of the tenants and not NYCHA?
Simon Kawitzky
1:37:54
It is NYCHA's responsibility and NYCHA's decision.
Chris Banks
1:37:57
So it's it's so the tenants have no the level of engagement.
1:38:03
Once the engagement is done, once input is given, they basically it's advisory, and the the NYCHA can just make a decision.
Simon Kawitzky
1:38:13
These projects are not gonna be successful without resident support and resident input into the plans.
1:38:20
So, again, that is a critical facet of what
Chris Banks
1:38:22
we're doing and what we're
Simon Kawitzky
1:38:24
prioritizing as part of the PACT
Chris Banks
1:38:26
But the support comes after, it seems like once you tell them that they're selected to this program, then you want them to comply.
Jonathan Gouveia
1:38:34
That's not accurate.
1:38:36
Again, we go through our portfolio planning process and we identify sites that we think would be good candidates for PACT.
1:38:41
And then Simon and his team begins the engagement process and talks about what PACT could potentially do.
1:38:48
And as those conversations evolve, as Simon mentioned, we are hoping that we will get to a place of partnership.
1:38:53
And over the last several years, for the most part, that has been the case.
1:38:56
We have been in partnership with our residents.
1:38:58
They sit on our review committees and help select the PAC partners.
1:39:02
And that very much demonstrates that level
Jeannie Lopez
1:39:05
of
Jonathan Gouveia
1:39:05
partnership and the agreement to move forward with PACT.
Chris Banks
1:39:08
How are the developers selected?