Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 7, 2017
CONTACT: media@nycha.nyc.gov

IN ONLY 6 HOURS, NYCHA AND KABOOM! BUILD COMMUNITY PLAYGROUND AT POMONOK HOUSES

The playground build was the first “NextGen NYCHA Plays” initiative, kicking off an innovative partnership between KaBOOM!, NYCHA and the Fund for Public Housing.

NYCHA, KaBOOM! and the Fund for Public Housing hope to build over 200 playgrounds over the next several years for New York City Public Housing residents.

Residents and partners cheering at the newly built playground in Queens

NEW YORK– In just six hours, the Pomonok Houses community, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), KaBOOM! and the Fund for Public Housing built the first “NextGen NYCHA Plays” playground. This partnership between NYCHA, KaBOOM! and the Fund for Public Housing, a non-profit that benefits NYC Public Housing residents, will provide much needed community resources for public housing children across New York City.

“Our community, including some of our youngest NYCHA residents, came together to build a remarkable, creative new playground at Pomonok Houses,” said NYCHA Chair and CEO Shola Olatoye. “NextGen NYCHA Plays is an important partnership between KaBOOM!, the Fund for Public Housing and NYCHA, to make sure NYCHA children have a place to explore and play inspired by their own imaginations.”

“At Pomonok, we demonstrated what’s possible when a community comes together to put kids first,” said James Siegal, CEO of KaBOOM!. “The playground we built with community leadership is a terrific first step in our innovative partnership with NYCHA and the Fund for Public Housing aimed at ensuring that all kids growing up in NYCHA housing have a great, safe, engaging place to play where they live. Play is how kids learn and grow, and also how they feel valued, protected and loved. Together, we can enlist residents as a key part of the solution and show kids that they are worthy of investment.”

“Our partnership with KaBOOM! will support the broader community throughout NYCHA’s developments, encourage kids to get out and play more and strengthen public housing,” said the Fund for Public Housing President Rasmia Kirmani-Frye. “We are already looking forward to the next build event, where we can inspire more children to enjoy the outdoors.”  

Pomonok Houses Resident Association President Monica Corbett was a staunch advocate for her development to receive the first NextGen NYCHA Plays playground and worked diligently to ensure the children had a voice throughout the entire process. The playground design was based off drawings by the kids at a special design day event hosted by the Resident Association in August. The resulting playground will provide Pomonok Houses and surrounding neighborhoods with a great, safe place to play. The design includes a basketball court, a volcano feature, slides and more.

Together, KaBOOM!, NYCHA and the Fund for Public Housing launched NextGen NYCHA Plays, an innovative public-private partnership that will transform communities by building safe, engaging playspaces for kids in NYCHA housing.

Pomonok Houses is the first in a series of community-built playgrounds, which will increase play for NYCHA’s kids, improve social cohesion and community pride and create safe spaces for children and families.

Through the NextGen NYCHA Plays partnership more children will have the joyful childhood they deserve. JetBlue and Playworld are the flagship investors in NextGen NYCHA Plays, providing the support for the Pomonok playground. Both partners have been strong supporters of KaBOOM! in promoting and protecting a child’s right to active play at home, at school and in the community.

Pomonok residents painting

Sign installation


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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.

About the Fund for Public Housing
Never before has there been an organization that exists solely to address the priorities of New York City public housing communities. The Fund for Public Housing is an independent not-for-profit organization that invests in the well-being of New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) residents and their communities. The Fund collaborates with public and private partners to reimagine and improve the way public housing works. For more information, visit www.fundforpublichousing.org or follow the Fund on Twitter, www.twitter.com/Fund4PH.

About Pomonok Residents Association Inc.
Pomonok Residents Association Inc. is a community organization that partners with local, state and federal government agencies to bring innovative opportunities and resources to the community, while working alongside its many residents. The mission of Pomonok Residents Association Inc. is to establish programs that will better the Pomonok community. The vision is to foster a vibrant, healthy, and active community that takes pride in furthering its development. The Pomonok Residents Association Inc. is committed to enhancing the Pomonok community and understands that without programs such as education, employment and various referral programs it cannot achieve this goal.

About KaBOOM!
KaBOOM! is the national non-profit dedicated to giving all kids – particularly those growing up in poverty in America – the childhood they deserve filled with balanced and active play, so they can thrive. Since 1996, KaBOOM! has collaborated with partners to build, open, or improve more than 16,700 playgrounds, engaged more than one million volunteers, and served 8.5 million kids. KaBOOM! creates great places to play, inspires communities to promote and support play, and works to drive the national discussion about the importance of play in fostering healthy and productive lives. To learn why #playmatters and why cities are embracing #playability: visit kaboom.org or join the conversation at twitter.com/kaboom or facebook.com/kaboom.