Zohran is Starving Public Housing
Aloha neighbors,
I am confused by the NYCHA resident council presidents that attended the luncheon at Gracie Mansion with Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani. Some are proudly releasing pictures with Zohran as if being around him is something to be happy about.
To be clear: I believe that every resident council president should have attended. However, their responsibility in that space was to tenants, tenants that are suffering under HIS budget and HIS public housing policy.
Zohran is starving public housing, investing ONLY in properties slated for privatization via PACT and supporting the demolition of Fulton, Elliot, Chelsea, Meltzer and Red Hook West Houses. He is the worst mayor public housing tenants have EVER had.
Yes, in the past we have been ignored; overlooked; undermined... But NEVER have we had a mayor so aggressively and deceivingly invest in our destruction. And destruction is the correct word as we know that PACT/ RAD is harmful.
For almost a decade RAD/ PACT have been "reformed" by HUD. Layers of protection have been added. Changes have been legislated. None of it has changed a dam thing. Evictions increase, rents increase, repairs are shoddy and tenant quality of life and rights are eroded.
We also know what demolition has done to black and brown families in St Louis, Chicago and Miami over the last 30 years. Demolition displaces, and gentrifies. Destroying public housing in NYC is Zohran's legacy. How will all of these joyful images of resident council leaders look when we look back in 10, 15, 20 years and we've lost Section 9?
Being a resident council president is a BENEFIT of Section 9 housing. It is a position given to a select few by their neighbors. It is a hard role but one that expects representatives to represent the wishes and concerns of the tenants you represent.
Collectively tenants have said that they want repairs and investment. Tenants have rejected the Trust and PACT. This means that they reject Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani his budget and his public housing policies. So WHY are resident council leaders smiling?
If Zohran is successful their role as resident council president will disappear, along with the other benefits we enjoy as Section 9 tenants. So in our September monthly meetings make sure to ask them:
"What the hell are you so happy about when it comes to Zohran?"
In solidarity,
Ramona
Tenant, Mitchel Houses
Founder, Save Section 9
YOU SHOULD KNOW
The American Civil Liberties Union of New Hampshire and New Hampshire Legal Assistance filed a lawsuit last week against the Concord Housing Authority. It alleges the Authority started to install surveillance devices inside residents' apartments in 2024, collecting hundreds of millions of data points from tenants' homes. Read more here: https://www.wmur.com/article/lawsuit-concord-housing-authority-spy-residents/73608599
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NLIHC has released Out of Reach: The High Cost of Housing. This new report highlights the gulf between the wages people earn and the price of decent rental housing in every state, metropolitan area, and county in the U.S.
Nationally, a full-time worker must earn $29.19 per hour to afford a one-bedroom rental home and $34.73 per hour to afford a two-bedroom rental home at Fair Market Rent (FMR).
Seventeen of the nation’s 25 largest occupations pay median wages less than what a full-time worker needs to afford a two-bedroom rental home at the national average FMR. Approximately 74 million people, or almost half (48%) of the entire workforce, work in these 18 occupations.
A family of four living at the federal poverty line earns just $2,750 per month. To rent a modest two-bedroom apartment at FMR—an average of $1,806 per month—they would need to spend 66% of their income on rent.
In 49 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, renters earning the average renter wage must work more than 40 hours per week to afford a two-bedroom rental home at FMR. In 36 states, the average renter wage is not enough to afford even a modest one-bedroom rental home with a standard 40-hour workweek.
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The federal debt is now $40 trillion, and the deficit is $2 trillion. There is little money left for new infrastructure spending. The National Infrastructure Bank (NIB) is the only source of financing to build everything. Support for the NIB Infrastructure Bank is rapidly expanding. We have the only plan to build the real economy, finance 5 million new units of truly affordable housing, build a high-speed rail system, and more. . . The bill in Congress, H.R.5356, is pro-labor. It will create 20 million new jobs and pay Davis-Bacon wages. It mandates Project Labor Agreements and Buy America for the inputs. Attached is a flyer explaining the NIB that you can share with your elected officials! Save Section 9 is a supporter of the NIB as it would fund the repairs our community deserves!
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Get ready to vote on November 3rd! Check out the nonpartisan voter guide by Saver Life. It brings the essentials together in one place, from checking your registration and seeing what’s on your ballot to learning about voter rights. https://saverlife.org/saverhub/2026-voter-guide-your-vote-is-more-important-than-ever
DO SOMETHING
Right now, the NYC Department of City Planning is conducting a study on waterfront public access, and they want to learn about your experiences. The information you provide in this survey will help create ways to enhance these spaces and deliver more inclusive and resilient waterfront public access across the five boroughs. Take the survey HERE.
EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
Wednesday, September 9th. 10:00am E.T. NYC Committee on Housing and Buildings is holding a hearing on Zohran's housing plan. Zohran's Block by Block fails public housing tenants; we encourage you to attend the hearing to learn more. 250 Broadway - 8th Floor - Hearing Room 1.
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Wednesday, September 9th. 3:00pm E.T. Brooklyn Educational Opportunity Center Info Session: The Brooklyn Educational Opportunity Center will host an in-person information session on September 9 at 3 p.m. to provide an overview of course offerings and application guidelines to NYCHA residents interested in trainings for construction, security, hospitality and tourism, high school equivalency prep, and more. Register online or call the REES hotline at (718) 289-8100.
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Saturday, September 12th. 1:00 - 4:00pm E.T. Free Veterinary Clinic! Veterinarians with Project Street Vet, a nonprofit organization that provides free veterinary care, treatment, and support to the pets of individuals experiencing homelessness. Vocal-NY 300 Douglass Street, Brooklyn, NY 11217. Register Here: https://bit.ly/3NSPvAg
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Sunday, September 13th. Time & Location TBA. Urban Heat Walk: Join Resilient Red Hook — in partnership with Water & Climate Justice at John Jay College — for an interactive Urban Heat Walk through our neighborhood. Together we’ll explore how shade, trees, pavement, buildings, and public spaces shape our experience of extreme heat. Walk, observe, and share your perspective on creating a cooler, healthier, and more equitable Red Hook. This is climate justice you can feel underfoot — and your voice helps shape what comes next. Click here to register.
NEXT WEEK’S EVENTS
September 16th, 2026. 6:30 - 8:30pm E.T. Gowanus Oversight Task Force (GOTF) Meeting: NYCHA will share the latest updates on Comprehensive Modernization (Comp Mod) renovations at Gowanus Houses and Wyckoff Gardens, including how the agency and its team are addressing concerns about the process raised by residents, our office, and the GOTF. Click here to register for the September 16 Gowanus Oversight Task Force meeting.
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September 16th, 2026. 6:00 - 8:30pm E.T. NYCHA in Your Neighborhood Queens: NYCHA residents are invited to attend NYCHA in Your Neighborhood, a series of forums hosted by the Mamdani administration and NYCHA which builds on NYCHA’s commitment to resident engagement. September 16 at the Academy of American Studies (40-11 28 St., Queens, NY 11101), Queens, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. (doors open at 6 p.m.). Register for a forum at on.nyc.gov/niyn-registration.
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September 19th, 2026. 10:00am - 4:00pm. MET Council Annual Meeting: You’ll hear updates on our campaigns, connect with other tenants, and join breakout discussions focused on housing issues and organizing. 114 W 26th Street, 3rd Fl. Register HERE.
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September 20th, 2026. 12:00pm E.T. SAY NO! TO RAD/PACT AND THE PRESERVATION TRUST: CICA activists and residents will march against privatizing public housing in the African American Day Parade on Sunday, September 20th! Meet at 12 noon 110th Street and Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Blvd on the northeast corner. Wear your red t-shirt if you have marched with us before. To sign up for the parade or more information or to request fliers: RSVP to this email, or call Allen at 347-451-1000 or Harriet at 212-662-6973
