On April 10, NYCHA announced the final results of the tie-breaking runoff vote at Hylan Houses (131 Moore Street). Residents have decided to enter the Public Housing Preservation Trust.
The Public Housing Preservation Trust is a new State-created public entity. It will keep rents capped at 30% of income, preserve all resident rights and protections, fix residents’ homes through capital repairs, and maintain a public workforce. Resident voices will be a critical part of the Trust and be heard from via resident representation on the publicly appointed nine-member board to resident partnership during renovation projects. The Trust was born of NYS legislation S.9409-A /A.7805-D; the NYS Senate bill was sponsored by NYS Senator Julia Salazar and signed into law on June 16, 2024 by NYS Governor Kathy Hochul.
The original vote that took place at the end of last year resulted in a tie between the Trust and the Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT). In accordance with the protocol for breaking a tie, as outlined in the voting procedures, a runoff vote was held between these two ballot options, during which residents were able to cast their votes online, in person, or by mail. An initial tally of votes was conducted and preliminary results were announced on April 4. Hylan Houses is the fifth development to hold a vote of this kind, and the fourth to select the Trust, following Nostrand Houses, Bronx River Addition, and Coney Island I (Site 1B).
“I am so proud of my community at Hylan Houses,” said Hylan Houses Tenant Association President Audrey Fraser. “The majority of eligible voters showed up to have their voices heard not just one time but two times, and I feel like that says it all. Our community is ready to work with the Public Housing Preservation Trust to bring real change to our homes, and we cannot wait to begin seeing much-needed renovations being made.”
The final, certified results for the runoff vote at Hylan Houses yielded a total of 176 resident votes, including 129 heads of household, representing 58 percent of all eligible voters and 62 percent of heads of household from the development. By the election administrator’s count, the development’s residents have voted to join the Public Housing Preservation Trust with a total of 150 votes, while 25 voted to enter the PACT program. One ballot could not be counted due to unclear voter intent. Hylan Houses will now begin the process of converting to Project-Based Section 8, unlocking millions of dollars in much-needed funding for capital renovations to 209 apartments.
“I’m happy to see that after a thorough community engagement and planning process with NYCHA, residents at Hylan Houses have voted to ensure the long-term stability of their homes,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Adolfo Carrión, Jr. “I look forward to seeing the renovation of over 200 homes and I congratulate the residents and the NYCHA team for reaching this crucial step in preserving these homes and improving quality of life at Hylan.”
It is estimated that Hylan Houses, home to 410 residents, has a 20-year capital need of nearly $90 million. Portfolio-wide, a Physical Needs Assessment (PNA) released by NYCHA in 2023 estimates the Authority’s total capital needs to be nearly $80 billion following decades of federal disinvestment.
“What the vote at Hylan Houses showed us is that the residents of this development are ready for something new,” said NYCHA Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt. “Hylan residents showed up to cast their ballots, not just once but twice, to make it known that they’re ready to bring change to their lives and their homes. We are very much looking forward to working in close collaboration with Hylan residents as we start a brand-new chapter at their campus through the Public Housing Preservation Trust.”
NYCHA’s Voter Engagement Team conducted 30 additional days of engagement at Hylan Houses following confirmation of the tied vote, which included door-knocking, phone-banking, and distribution of physical materials to residents. A total of eight public information sessions were held to explain the vote and ballot options to residents during the public engagement periods at Hylan Houses. These and other engagement efforts amounted to over 607 total touchpoints with a total of 220 eligible voters.
The Greenline 