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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 5, 2017
CONTACT: media@nycha.nyc.gov

NYCHA BREAKS GROUND ON LANDMARK $550 MILLION SANDY RECOVERY PROJECT AT RED HOOK HOUSES

Nearly five years after Superstorm Sandy, which damaged 23 developments across the City, NYCHA starts largest Recovery and Resiliency project.

NYCHA will invest $63 million to replace all 28 roofs at Red Hook East and West, benefitting more than 6,000 residents who will see fewer leaks and a better quality of life.

Council Member Carlos Menchaca, NYCHA Chair and CEO Shoal Olatoye, Congressmember Nydia Velazquez, Red Hook House West TA President Lillie Marshall, Red Hook Houses East TA President Francis Brown and Assembly Member Felix Ortiz officially break ground on Phase one of the $500 million Sandy Recovery and Resilence Project at Red Hook Houses.

Council Member Carlos Menchaca, NYCHA Chair and CEO Shoal Olatoye, Congressmember Nydia Velazquez, Red Hook House West TA President Lillie Marshall, Red Hook Houses East TA President Francis Brown and Assembly Member Felix Ortiz officially break ground on Phase one of the $500 million Sandy Recovery and Resilence Project at Red Hook Houses.

NEW YORK––Today, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) broke ground on a $550 million Sandy Recovery and Resiliency project at Red Hook Houses in Brooklyn. The recovery project includes renovation efforts across almost all 40 acres of the NYCHA development. Phase one of the work will be full roof replacement at all 28 buildings, beginning this week.

Superstorm Sandy crippled much of New York City, including 10 percent of NYCHA’s developments, impacting 80,000 public housing residents in more than 400 buildings. Today, NYCHA moved closer to repairing the damage Sandy wreaked on the City’s public housing. The Housing Authority is building back stronger with storm resilient technology so that NYCHA residents, and all New Yorkers, will be safer in future storms.

“Our Sandy recovery work proves that public housing authorities can be leaders in rebuilding stronger, more resilient cities,” said NYCHA Chair and CEO Shola Olatoye. “With sufficient federal funding, public housing can provide safe, stable homes in the face of storms. And, public housing developments can be centers for community strength and civic innovation.”

The Red Hook Sandy Recovery and Resiliency project is by far the largest project in NYCHA’s portfolio, investing almost $550 million in disaster recovery funds. The first phase of the project is a $63 million roof replacement. The rest of the project includes a new heating and hot water system, structural reinforcement, flood protection, and full back-up power. All work is expected to be completed by mid-2021.

“Today marks another important step on our community’s long road in its post-Sandy recovery.  With this project, all 28 residential buildings’ roofs will be replaced, making Red Hook East and Red Hook West more resilient – so future storms do not wreak the same havoc Sandy did,” said Congressmember Nydia M. Velázquez.  “As we see what’s happening currently from Hurricane Harvey, it is only a matter of time before New York faces more extreme weather, due to changes in our climate. Projects like this one ensure our communities are better prepared in the future.  Importantly, this work is going to be conducted, in large part by NYCHA residents, themselves, creating new jobs and local economic opportunity.”

Once completed, the more than 6,000 residents who live at Red Hook Houses East and West will see a vastly improved quality of life with fewer leaks, upgraded grounds and a fully renovated community center. The result will be a resilient site designed to effectively withstand future weather challenges by repairing and replacing vital infrastructure, flood-proofing to protect against the impacts of severe weather and storm surges, and installing stand-by, back-up power generators.

“I am pleased to break ground on this necessary project to rebuild our housing. New roofing will help keep heat in buildings during the Fall and Winter seasons,” said Assembly Member Felix Ortiz. “The quality of life for residents will be improved. This is a huge step in the right direction for all.”

“Roof replacements for all buildings in the Red Hook Houses is a big step in achieving long-term resilience and sustainability. The work announced today is also an important part of solving long-standing issues around water leaks and mold,” said City Council Member Carlos Menchaca. “Today, I stood with residents and NYCHA leadership as $63 million of roof repairs were announced. This work is especially meaningful as we witness historic hurricane devastation in Houston and increasingly dangerous storm seasons. With over half a billion dollars to be invested in NYCHA’s Red Hook properties, residents of the Red Hook Houses are informed, active, and ready to see their homes protected.”

To commemorate the beginning of this work, NYCHA Chair and CEO Shola Olatoye hosted a groundbreaking ceremony with Congressmember Nydia Velazquez, New York State Assembly Member Felix Ortiz, New York City Council Member Carlos Menchaca, Technico Construction and NYCHA residents.

NYCHA’s Sandy portfolio has completed preliminary work at 23 Sandy-damaged developments with major recovery work started at 15 developments. The Authority received a record-breaking $3 billion grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to implement precedent-setting resilience elements at ten percent of NYCHA’s developments. This includes resilience efforts to mitigate future damage, such as flood panels, structural reinforcement, raised entrances, pumps, and automatic barriers.

NYCHA is installing flood protection and permanent stand-by power at over 200 of the most vulnerable NYCHA buildings and new resilient boilers 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. 


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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.