Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 27, 2017
CONTACT: media@nycha.nyc.gov

NYCHA BEGINS $123 MILLION SANDY RECOVERY PROJECT AT REDFERN HOUSES IN QUEENS

This project will strengthen Redfern Houses, repairing and replacing vital infrastructure and protecting buildings from future storms, benefitting nearly 1,500 residents.

NYCHA will replace roofs, install cameras, renovate playgrounds and lighting, and build a new community center, childcare center, and boiler building.

Rendering of Redfern Houses after Sandy work
Pictured above is a rendering of the new community center, childcare center and boiler building to be constructed as part of the recovery project.

NEW YORK–– Today, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) started major construction on a $123 million recovery and resilience project at the Redfern Houses in Far Rockaway, Queens. This work will benefit nearly 1,500 residents with site-wide improvements to every building. To commemorate the beginning of this work, NYCHA unveiled a rendering of the brand new community center, childcare center and boiler building that will serve residents for generations to come, even in the face of climate change.

“NYCHA’s Sandy recovery efforts are unprecedented. We’re not only repairing the damage, but strengthening our buildings to withstand the impact of future storms,” said NYCHA Chair and CEO Shola Olatoye. “Five years after Sandy, we’re proud of what we have been able to accomplish to build back stronger so that this and the next generation of NYCHA residents will be safer.”

The Redfern Sandy Recovery and Resiliency project includes roof replacement at all 9 buildings, installation of new security systems and cameras, renovation of playgrounds and lighting, structural reinforcement, flood protection, a new resilient building that will house a community center, childcare center, and new electrical, heat and hot water systems, as well as full back-up emergency power generators. All work is expected to be completed by summer of 2019.

“It is wonderful news and a huge relief for the residents of Redfern Houses that NYCHA is investing more than $123 million to improve the lives and safety of its tenants,” said Council Member Donovan Richards. “The new day care/community center and the playground renovations will help the quality of life of parents and children alike, while the resiliency measures and security cameras will provide residents with the security measures needed to reduce stress and potential harm. I’d like to thank Mayor de Blasio and Chair and CEO Olatoye for their commitment to improving the lives of NYCHA tenants across the city.”

“Sandy wreaked havoc in my community,” said Joshua Brown, Redfern Houses resident and Sandy Community Outreach team member. “Fast forward five years, and now I get to help rebuild my community as part of the Sandy recovery team. Today is a very exciting day for all of us; it’s a big step toward rebuilding our community safer, stronger and smarter.”

Superstorm Sandy crippled much of New York City, including 33 of NYCHA’s 326 developments, impacting 60,000 public housing residents in more than 200 buildings. NYCHA received a record-breaking $3 billion grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to implement precedent-setting resilience elements at 33 developments. This includes resilience efforts to mitigate future damage, such as flood panels, structural reinforcement, raised entrances, pumps, and automatic barriers. To date, one project on the Lower East Side has been completed, another 17 major projects (129 buildings) are in construction, and NYCHA anticipates seeing construction begin at nearly every development by the end of the year.

NYCHA is installing flood protection and permanent stand-by power at over 200 of the most vulnerable NYCHA buildings and new resilient heat and hot water systems at 19 developments that are protected against flooding, including future sea level rise. This program will ensure that two of the primary impacts to NYCHA residents during Sandy (loss of electricity and heat) do not occur in future events. See more information on Sandy recovery and progress here.

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About the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA)
NYCHA’s mission is to increase opportunities for low- and moderate-income New Yorkers by providing safe, affordable housing and facilitating access to social and community services. More than 400,000 New Yorkers reside in NYCHA’s 326 public housing developments around the five boroughs, and another 235,000 receive subsidized rental assistance in private homes through the NYCHA-administered Section 8 Leased Housing Program. For more information, visit www.nyc.gov/nycha and for regular updates on NYCHA news and services, connect with us via www.facebook.com/NYCHA and www.twitter.com/NYCHA.