For a glimpse into New York’s housing outlook, it’s crucial to consider not only the buildings under construction but also those that are crumbling. The partial collapse at the Mitchel Houses in the Bronx earlier this year serves as a stark reminder of policy failures, overshadowing mere construction shortcomings. The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) is grappling with a colossal $78 billion capital backlog, which accounts for half of the nation’s public housing capital needs. This staggering figure translates into tangible hardships for NYCHA residents, such as malfunctioning elevators, collapsing ceilings, and heating systems that fail during cold spells.
Historically, NYCHA has been perceived as a distant bureaucracy or a problem to be managed rather than embraced. As Zohran Mamdani steps into leadership at City Hall, he faces not only a housing crisis but also the chance to recognize NYCHA as a cornerstone of New York’s housing framework. It is the most critical piece of housing infrastructure in the country. Without a robust NYCHA, the effectiveness of other affordable housing policies—be it preservation, production, vouchers, or tax credits—diminishes significantly.
For the current administration to make strides in affordable housing, it must start by envisioning a brighter future for NYCHA. Over the years, NYCHA has been expected to function in isolation, like a separate city, disconnected from the planning, zoning, and financial mechanisms that underpin other housing policies. The new administration must weave NYCHA into the city’s comprehensive housing and planning strategy, treating it as an integral partner. In the past, initiatives like the “City of Yes” overlooked NYCHA because of its perceived complexity. Moving forward, every substantial rezoning effort should prioritize the voices and needs of NYCHA residents.
Additionally, modernizing the regulations that immobilize NYCHA is essential. Granting zoning flexibility for NYCHA campuses can pave the way for infill projects, adaptive reuse, and community amenities—small yet impactful modifications that can stabilize entire developments.
For too long, we’ve asked NYCHA to operate in a silo: a city within a city, cut off from the planning, zoning, and financing tools that every other piece of housing policy depends on. The next administration must integrate NYCHA into the city’s broader housing and planning framework as a core partner. The “City of Yes” left NYCHA behind because it was too complicated. From here on out, every major rezoning should center the voices and needs of NYCHA residents.
We also need to modernize the rules that keep NYCHA frozen in place. Zoning flexibility for NYCHA campuses can open doors for infill, adaptive reuse, and community facilities — the kinds of modest but transformative changes that stabilize entire developments.
The same is true for capital investment. We know what works: the PACT program and the Preservation Trust. And we know the pace isn’t fast enough. The city needs to double the current conversion rate to 10,000 units a year because it’s the only way to prevent another catastrophe. That requires real coordination between NYCHA, HPD, HDC, and City Planning, with the same urgency and staffing that we give to new construction. NYCHA’s future depends on treating preservation as infrastructure, not a favor we extend when budgets allow.
Ten years ago, PACT renovations could go on with tenants in place. These days, that option is rare: most of the time, tenants need to move for a significant period of time. Buildings are too distressed, costs are too high, and relocation logistics are already similar to new construction.
A build-first model, creating off-site or adjacent housing before full reconstruction, will let tenants return to brand-new homes, designed for today’s climate and accessibility standards, combined with site planning that reflects current needs rather than the old “towers in the park” approach that separate so many NYCHA developments from the neighborhoods that surround them.
Of course, capital alone won’t fix decades of disinvestment. Producing trust takes more than community meetings. It requires the power to make decisions about your home. Tenants should continue to choose their PACT partners and vote on Trust conversions, but those decisions must be supported by data, technical assistance, and funding for resident partnerships.
The next administration should establish a citywide PACT Resident Governance Council to ensure PACT residents have the same formal voice and authority as Section 9 tenant leaders. When residents lead, projects move faster, with better outcomes.
Governance matters. NYCHA is the size of a major U.S. city but operates with a seven-member board — half the size of agencies with a fraction of its budget. Albany should expand the board and modernize its composition to reflect NYCHA’s scale and complexity. A stronger, more representative board could help bridge the gap between residents, policymakers, and the private sector.
And finally, we need new allies. Philanthropy has long supported schools, parks, and cultural institutions — imagine what it could do for public housing. A coordinated effort from foundations could fund resident education, innovation pilots, and planning tools, especially as Washington continues to gut funding for public housing.
Regenerating NYCHA is too big for government alone — it has to be a civic project that brings multiple partners to the table.
The real test of this administration’s housing policy will be whether it embraces a plan for public housing that is worthy of the people who call NYCHA home.
Katz leads the NYCHA Regeneration Initiative and was formerly the chief housing officer for the City of New York.
