Picnic August 15 + GND4PH Strategic Surveys
Aloha Neighbors,
This past Saturday I joined Mill Brook Houses for their family day along with our summer interns Diana and Fatu. I don't have a favorite family day BUT if I did Mill Brook would be a top contender. The tenant association and volunteers work for months to create a stress free day for their neighbors and you can feel it. Families enjoy food, music, activities, and it all feels seamless. Family days represent the best of NYCHA, and we must protect them. So of course we were there to educate tenants on the threat of privatization and how Zohran is starving Section 9.
Back to our interns, they have been here since June but we've been so busy that I forgot to introduce them to the community. So this Saturday we want be say goodbye to them in community.
Saturday, August 15th, 12PM. SS9 trip to Governors Island for a potluck picnic followed by a tour of The Oyster, a new public art installation, and to spend some time together outside!
The Oyster is a monumental outdoor sculpture by Mohawk artist Alan Michelson, commissioned by @moreartnyc. Part landform, part amphitheater, The Oyster invites visitors to gather within and around the work and to reflect on the interwoven histories of extraction, trade, nourishment, displacement, and environmental change embedded in the harbor itself. The installation references pre-colonial Lenape oyster middens—vast accumulations of shells reflecting long histories of habitation, stewardship, and reciprocal relationship in the region.
We will be taking the 12pm ferry from the Battery Maritime Building at 10 South Street in downtown Manhattan. NYCHA residents ride the Governors Island ferry for free! If you’d prefer to take the ferry from Brooklyn, you can find the schedules here: govisland.com/plan-your-visit/ferry
On the island, we’ll have a picnic, take in the views, and enjoy a tour of The Oyster and the surrounding environment led by More Art. Make sure to bring a dish to share.
DO SOMETHING
NYCHA tenant Survey. Fill it out HERE. Every year we affect the questions NYCHA ultimately asks. Our participation has led to less questions vilifying our communities and more questions about the future of NYCHA. So participate honestly. Answer based on your actual experience, and don't give NYCHA credit for services or conditions that you have not actually experienced. The most powerful responses will reflect your experience as a tenant!
Link: surveymonkey.com/r/nycharesidentsurvey
For every open-ended question think about framing your answers the following way:
MY EXPERIENCE → THE ROOT PROBLEM → THE SOLUTION FOR SECTION 9
For example:
Experience: "My building has had recurring leaks and mold."
Problem: "Years of piecemeal repairs have not solved the underlying building problems."
Solution: "We need comprehensive modernization of our Section 9 development, including the building facade, plumbing, heating, elevators, apartments, and common areas."
That is much more powerful than simply writing "NYCHA needs to fix my building."
Additional Guidance:
Question 8. What can NYCHA do to serve residents better? Think about what NYCHA needs to do systemically, not just what you want your property manager to fix tomorrow. This is an opportunity to tell NYCHA what you want the future of your development to look like.
Include the following points:
Comprehensive Modernization for Section 9
keeping their development Section 9
resident participation in modernization decisions
funding based on the physical needs of each development
city/state/federal investment
a dedicated "Save Section 9" funding stream
stopping the assumption that privatization/PACT is necessary to get repairs
Suggested answer: NYCHA can serve residents better by fully investing in Section 9 public housing instead of making residents choose between keeping our homes public and having them properly modernized. My development needs Comprehensive Modernization based on its actual physical needs, not piecemeal repairs. Residents should participate in decisions about the rehabilitation of our homes, while retaining the rights and protections of Section 9. The City, State, and federal government should provide dedicated funding for this work, including a “Save Section 9” funding stream, rather than relying on privatization to finance needed repairs. NYCHA should preserve and modernize public housing for the next generations.
Question 11. How could NYCHA improve communications and management of the project(s), including disruptions during construction? We believe that residents should not be informed about modernization after decisions have already been made. They should participate in planning it.
Include the following points:
Tell residents what work is happening, why, when, and how long it will take.
Give residents meaningful notice about disruptions.
Provide a clear point of contact for construction questions and complaints.
Explain changes in schedules rather than leaving residents guessing.
Hold regular resident meetings throughout construction.
Provide information in residents' preferred languages and accessible formats.
Explain how residents can report construction-related problems and receive a response.
Involve residents before the scope and sequencing of major rehabilitation work are finalized.
Coordinate construction so residents aren't subjected to unnecessary or prolonged disruptions.
Use Comprehensive Modernization so rehabilitation is planned around the whole development's physical needs, rather than a series of disconnected repairs.
Suggested answer: NYCHA should involve residents before major project decisions are made, not simply notify us after plans are finalized. Residents need clear information about what work is being done, why it is needed, when it will occur, how long disruptions will last, and who is responsible for responding to problems. NYCHA should hold regular meetings with residents throughout construction, provide timely updates when schedules change, and make information accessible in residents’ languages and for residents with disabilities. Comprehensive Modernization should be resident-informed from the beginning, with tenants participating in decisions about the rehabilitation of their homes. Construction should be planned around the physical needs of the entire development and managed in a way that minimizes unnecessary disruption.
The survey then invites you to fill out the NYCHA Pet and Assistance Animal Policy Survey.
EVENTS
August 13, 2026, 6:00–8:00 PM, Inspiration Point 710 Tiffany Street, Bronx, NY 10474. Bronx Residents join us for a community listening session on N.Y.C. Groceries, a new City initiative aimed at making everyday groceries more affordable while expanding access to fresh, culturally relevant food and supporting local businesses. Residents are invited to learn about planned store locations and share questions, concerns, and feedback directly with the city. RSVP HERE today and be part of shaping this important effort for your neighborhood.
Thursday, August 13 4:30PM. Rally across the street from Gracie Mansion @ E 88th st and East End Ave. Mamdani’s Block-by-Block plan threatens public housing with more privatization, infill, and demolition. Join NYCHA residents in telling the Mayor NO privatization, NO demolition, PROTECT AND FULLY FUND SECTION 9 PUBLIC HOUSING!
Tuesday, August 18 · 3–7 PM · Coffey Park. Have a Say: NYCHA Participatory Budgeting at Coffey Park. Your voice, real dollars. At this NYCHA Local Neighborhood Stat Participatory Budgeting event, community members get to vote on how $30,000–$50,000 is invested in Red Hook Houses. Come decide what your neighborhood needs most — this is direct democracy at the block level. Bring a neighbor!
Wednesday, August 19, 2026, 1PM - 2PM ET on Zoom. My Dog Is My Home's FREE webinar The Path to Pet-Inclusive Housing: How You Can Keep People & Pets Together. This live webinar is especially for homeless services providers and other organizations that would like to learn more about how to offer pet-inclusive emergency and permanent housing.
August 19. 7PM. Zoom. Save Section 9 Leadership Meeting. Join HERE. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83727429468
Saturday, August 22, 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM, Back to School Block Party. 100th Street between Lexington Ave. & Park Ave. Join Life Changers Church for a family-friendly back-to-school celebration featuring music, food, performances, and community resources.
Saturday, August 29, 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM, Art in the Park – 5th Annual Back to Beautiful! Guns Down! Brushes Up! 128th Street between Lexington Ave. & 3rd Ave., New York, NY 10035. Enjoy a free community event featuring arts activities, resources for families, and a school supply giveaway. The event promotes safe spaces for youth and families through the arts. School supplies are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Red Hook Tenant Survey!
Council Member Alexa Avilés and Assembly Member Marcela Mitaynes are gathering tenant feedback on proposed property management changes in Red Hook. The survey takes about 2 minutes and is available in English, Spanish, and Chinese — please share it with your Red Hook neighbors. Your voice helps shape decisions about the homes and community we share. Share your voice:bit.ly/RedHookTenant2026 Questions? District38@council.nyc.gov · AD51@nyassembly.gov
En español: La Concejal Alexa Avilés y la Asambleísta Marcela Mitaynes están recopilando las opiniones de los inquilinos sobre los cambios propuestos en la administración de propiedades en Red Hook. La encuesta toma unos 2 minutos y está disponible en inglés, español y chino. bit.ly/RedHookTenant2026
中文： 市议员 Alexa Avilés 和州众议员 Marcela Mitaynes 正在收集租户对雷德胡克拟议物业管理变更的意见。问卷大约只需 2 分钟，提供英语、西班牙语和中文版本。bit.ly/RedHookTenant2026
YOU SHOULD KNOW
The GND4PH has been reintroduced! I am super excited to have worked with AOC's office and our coalition members to ensure the GND4PH gets introduced. The GND4PH would provide comprehensive modernization for Section 9. It would restore our communities, expand Section 9 all while provide union employment and truly affordable housing. You can read more about the bill HERE and HERE. The GND4PH has been endorsed by three building trades unions: the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (IUBAC), the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART), and the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT).
The legislation is cosponsored by 40 representatives, including Representatives Brendan Boyle (PA-02), André Carson (IN-07), Troy Carter (LA-02), Greg Casar (TX-35), Judy Chu (CA-28), Yvette D. Clarke (NY-9), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10), Jesus Garcia (IL-04), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Dan Goldman (NY-10), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Adelita S. Grijalva (AZ-07), Jonathan L. Jackson (IL-01), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Hank Johnson (GA-04), Summer Lee (PA-12), Ted W. Lieu (CA-36), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Jim McGovern (MA-02), Grace Meng (NY-06), Jerold Nadler (NY-12), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-00), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Emily Randall (WA-06), Jamie Raskin (MD-06), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Adam Smith (WA-09), Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), Mark Takano (CA-39), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Paul D. Tonko (NY-20), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Nydia Velázquez (NY-07), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), & Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24).
The legislation also has 6 cosponsors in the Senate, including Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Peter Welch (D-VT).
Don't see your congressional and senate representatives supporting this bill? Call them and ask them to adopt it.
IN CLOSING
I am impatient and often need to remind myself that progress only appears linear when we look back. Because while in the fight it often feels like we aren't moving forward. We are stumbling, and reacting, and retreating... But the thing is change takes a long time! Even common sense changes like banning child labor.
"What sparks progress? The right political conditions? Social pressure? Economic upheaval? In response to two listeners’ questions, we say… both none of those and all of the above. As an example, we talk through just one bit of the New Deal in the 1930s, which was the law to limit child labor. That movement started decades earlier, and continued decades afterward. For those keeping score at home, this a sneaky third installment of Kathryn’s 68-part series on the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938" Progress is a Long Game Podcast https://optimisteconomy.com/episodes/progress-is-a-long-game .
In solidarity,
Ramona
Tenant, Mitchel Houses
Founder
