Chelsea tenant development plan looks
to change way NYCHA repairs are made
BY DEAN MOSES
The fi rst group of tenant associations
to ever lead both a NYCHA review
and developer selections announced
Wednesday over $366 million in repairs set
to be completed for 2,054 apartments in
the Chelsea area.
At the offi cial unveiling of the multimillion
dollar tenant overseen project
inside of the Fulton Senior Center at 119
9th Ave. on Dec. 1, speakers boasted that
the world would take notice of residents
choosing their own developer for their own
desired improvements. Tenant leaders said
the road to the announcement was paved
with raised voices and fi nger pointing,
but they also believe the struggle was well
worth it.
“I cannot reiterate enough how much
of a momentous occasion this is for the
entire neighborhood, but especially for
the residents of Fulton Chelsea, Chelsea
Addition and Elliot houses,” said Miguel
Acevedo President of the Fulton Houses
Tenant Association. “Nobody understands
the need for upgrades and improvements
in increased security like our residents
throughout the entire proposals, review
and selection process, NYCHA residents
Assembly member Richard Gottfried.
were not just briefed from time to time.
The team of residents spearheaded the
conversations, asked questions, and ultimately
made the decision. This is why truly
about residents for tenants by tenants about
tenants.”
After 2 1/2 years, history has been made
as residents from NYCHA’s Fulton Houses
and Elliott-Chelsea Houses tenant association
partnered with Essence Development
and Related Companies to address repair
PHOTO BY DEAN MOSES
issues for housing units in the Fulton,
Chelsea, Chelsea Addition and Elliott
Houses—effecting some 4,500 residents
across 18 buildings in the process.
Rather than simply demolitions buildings,
a tenant review committee met and
drafted the Request for Proposals (RFP),
then assessed applications and made a
fi nal decision for the selected proposal—
which was a fi rst in NYCHA’s history.
In April 2019, the proposed framework
was released, addressing both the current
repair needs and efforts needed for the future.
Additionally, the efforts made by the
tenants have helped underscore fi nancial
necessities, expand resident rights, and
safeguard a community by prioritized
measures.
“I think that’s what’s so remarkable
about you know about this process. The
working group recommendations, all that
we heard from the residents that, all of
the work that we did, for example, on the
resident protections in the leases and in the
rules and regulations. All of that helped
drive the RFP and the participation of the
residents in the RFP process. All of that
was driven by the working group,” said
Vicki Been, New York City’s Deputy Mayor
for Housing and Economic Development.
Both Tenant Association Presidents Darlene
Waters of the Elliott-Chelsea Houses
and Miguel Acevedo of the Fulton Houses
acknowledged that this level of resident
engagement had never been done before
within public housing, and they believe
it should be considered a model moving
forward across the country.
“I certainly hope this model is followed
all around the city. You know what this
shows? I say this have to say this on many
occasions, when you work with this community,
when you work with Board 4 and
you work with community groups, with
the tenants in this community good things
happen,” said Assembly member Richard
Gottfried.
Disabled rights advocates seek end to
corporate parking violation fi ne discounts
BY DEAN MOSES
Public Advocate Jumaane Williams
joined disabled individuals outside
City Hall on Nov. 29 to push for the
passage of a bill that would eliminate parking
fi ne discounts for mega corporations.
The legislation (Intro. 1141) would
prohibit any city agency from agreeing to
reduce parking violation fi nes in exchange
for a waiver of the right to contest parking
violations. Additionally, it would require
any fi ne dismissal (other than a specifi c
technical reason) to be reviewed in a hearing
and include a written determination by
an administrative law judge.
According to Michael Schweinsburg of
the 504 Democratic Club, New York City
elected offi cials often rally behind the injustices
of the Big Apple, but rarely do they
stand behind the needs of the disabled.
However, Schweinsburg lauded Williams
on Monday afternoon for speaking up for
a minority group who seldom gets a voice.
“We have endorsed this bill and
have been fighting four years now,”
Individuals with disabilities called for fair fines.
Schweinsburg said, pointing out that the
holiday season unleashes fl eets of delivery
trucks on almost every New York City
street for the next few weeks.
“Imagine if you’re disabled. If you’re
PHOTO BY DEAN MOSES
lucky enough to have a disability parking
placard it is useless because you can’t
either get to your parking spot, or having
found one, you can’t leave because you’re
blocked by one of these trucks. Now for
the 100,000 Access-A-Ride drivers, you depend
on Access-A-Ride to leave them safely
curbside, but it becomes nearly impossible
for them to do so. And why is that? Because
of a proposal that did not garner the approval
of the city council, yet was enacted
anyway by the Department of Finance. It’s
called the stipulated buying program. The
very companies that benefi ted from the
reduction in fi nes are the mega rich companies
that during the pandemic received
enormous windfall profi ts. Companies like
UPS, FedEx, Amazon, etc.,” Schweinsburg
said.
Sponsored by Council Member Ydanis
Rodriguez and 38 other elected offi cials,
Schweinsburg and Williams want the City
Council to pass this legislation that would
expand curbside access for Access-A-Ride
and individuals with disabilities.
Williams believes that Into. 1141 has
been left languishing in the City Council
for far too long now, and it’s time to lift
the burden.
“Not only are you blocking New Yorkers
from being able to access the curb,
being able to actually go somewhere, you
are overburdening New Yorkers who are
from the disabled community,” Williams
said.
Schneps Mediia December 2, 2021 3