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Q&A
Council Member Banks questions NYCHA representatives on state budget allocation and capital funding
3:03:51
·
4 min
Council Member Chris Banks engages in a Q&A session with NYCHA representatives, primarily focusing on the recent state budget allocation of $225 million for NYCHA and the process for determining how these funds will be used. The discussion covers capital projects, vacant unit turnover, and the grant disbursement agreement (GDA) process with the state.
- NYCHA received $225 million in the state budget, with $200 million for capital projects and $25 million for vacant unit turnover.
- The process for allocating funds involves internal prioritization, engagement with state elected officials, and formalization through the State Department of Budget and DASNY.
- The GDA process typically takes about two years, but efforts are being made to expedite it to 9-12 months.
Chris Banks
3:03:51
Let me move on to the state budget for NITRA.
3:03:56
In the state budget, it appears that the state's 1,000,000,000 contribution to the city of yes slash city of yes city of yes for all and city for all includes 200,000,000 for capital projects and other improvements as NYCHA developments.
3:04:15
How do you anticipate this funding impacting your capital budget in the coming fiscal year?
3:04:53
Yeah, $225,000,000 is not a lot of money, but we're glad that the state has stepped up and I'm also glad to hear that the funding is to preserve section nine housing.
3:05:11
Do you have any plans to allocate this additional cap any additional capital funding, and what's the process for determining those allocations?
3:05:22
Do you have any plans to allocate this additional funding, this additional capital funding, the 225,000,000, and what's the process for determining those allocations?
3:05:46
Well, know the list of needs are long, so yeah.
3:05:49
Okay.
3:05:52
What role will the state play in determining how you use these funds?
3:05:58
And we know that the state budget also includes 50,000,000 for mold and mold lead and asbestos abatement in New York City.
3:06:07
Would NYCHA be able to access any of this funding or do you feel that NYCHA has sufficient capital funding in these areas for other funding sources?
Annika Lescott-Martinez
3:04:24
Thank you for the question council member.
3:04:26
We are really thankful for the support of our state representatives and for city council for the advocacy.
3:04:32
We were awarded 225,000,000 in the recently announced state budget plan as you mentioned.
3:04:37
200,000,000 of that is for capital projects and other improvements.
3:04:41
We'll work with our state partners to identify the projects and execute a GDA agreement to begin that work and there's also 25,000,000 in capital for our vacant unit turnover program.
3:05:21
Can you repeat the question, sir?
3:05:34
So, that's a great question.
3:05:36
It's very new.
3:05:37
It was only awarded on May 9, and so we've only begun very preliminary conversations internally, but we will have a list of projects shortly and we're happy
3:06:20
So the funding that you mentioned is statewide.
3:06:23
We do anticipate that NYCHA will be able to access some of that funding.
3:06:27
We can't speak to the exact amount and I'll turn it over to my colleague Sean Movani who can speak to the GDA process that we go through with the state to identify Yeah,
Pamela Herrera
3:05:45
to share those with you.
Shaan Mavani
3:06:38
so just to be clear, think your question relates to the additional 200,000,000 that came out in the state budget separate from City of Yes.
3:06:45
So the way that process works as we've had these allocations annually for a few years now, we would prioritize internally the best use of those funds from our perspective.
3:06:57
And then we'll engage with electeds on the state side who have allocated that funding to understand how that aligns with their views on our priorities.
3:07:06
And then we develop a list of projects.
3:07:08
So typically earlier allocations after the HUD agreement we focused on heating and elevators as part of the agreement.
3:07:16
More recently we focused the GDAs again on heating but also some of the brickwork and facade work we need to do at our properties that's typically not city capital eligible.
3:07:24
And similarly we'll identify what we think are the one or two major priority areas, work with the electeds to align on that and what that plan looks like.
3:07:32
How residents would benefit.
3:07:34
And then once that's kind of agreed, that goes to the State Department of Budget.
3:07:39
It's formalized with them.
3:07:40
They then transfer a package over to DASNY, the dormitory authority that administers the grant.
3:07:48
And then we work with DASNY to execute an actual grant disbursement agreement or a GDA.
3:07:55
That process usually takes about two years.
3:07:58
In the last few years we've tried hard to expedite that with state partners.
3:08:02
For example, last year we were able to ex two years ago we were able to get it done in nine months and have over $485,000,000 available.
3:08:10
The allocation last April we're still working through to try to get that executed, but we similarly try to get the money available to NYCHA within nine to twelve months so that