Sandy Engagement

Recovery & Progress

Engagement

Jobs & Procurement

History

Climate Adaptation

Protected Buildings

Communication has been – and will continue to be – one of the most critical aspects of the program. It is not unusual for disaster recovery funding to take time to get authorized and the standard procurement and design processes for structure and infrastructure are lengthy and complex even to technical experts, let alone laypeople. Wherever possible, incorporating resident input is critical. On top of that, construction is disruptive and resident cooperation is key for a successful project.

To address these challenges, NYCHA created a special outreach team dedicated to the Sandy-damaged developments with the prime objective of maintaining effective and productive channels of communication between NYCHA's Recovery and Resilience Department and residents, community leaders, local elected offices, and community groups throughout all construction phases – during design, throughout procurement, at construction kick-off, and throughout construction.

Our Process

The outreach team works closely with residents and other stakeholders to provide regular updates on construction activities and project schedules. These meetings occur at major milestones during design and construction. Each major meeting is supplemented by ongoing progress meetings with resident leadership and property management. The goal is to make sure residents are with us on this progress every step of the way.

Each site has a dedicated liaison – some of whom are NYCHA residents – responsible for distributing weekly email updates to resident leaders and elected officials, attending every resident meeting, and coordinating outreach efforts prior to any disruptive construction activities (e.g. service disruption, entrance closure, or weekend work).   The team communicates through flyering, robocalls, door knocking, a direct program hotline, email, attendance at every Tenant Association meeting and Family Day event, and a frequently updated website. Critical information is posted in multiple languages and staff are available for language translation for other materials. We also coordinate special community meetings, presentations, and events, as requested. 

Monthly Engagement
Progress updates at resident association meetings and one-on-one trailer meetings with the resident leader. 

Weekly Engagement
Check-in calls with the resident leader.  Construction progress emails to various stakeholders. 

R+R-related Service Interruptions
Flyer postings and resident phone banking at least 48 hours in advance of any service interruptions, entrance closures, or construction activities deemed especially disruptive (e.g., weekend roof work). Additional support is provided to vulnerable residents.

Engagement by the Numbers

Calls Made	Meetings Attended	Flyers Distributed
456,821	7,140	215,844

Last Updated: December 2023

Additional Resources

Contact Us

NYCHA Disaster Recovery Team
disaster.recovery@nycha.nyc.gov
212-306-8532

English:
For more information regarding our program, call us at 212-306-8532.

Español:
Hablamos español. Para más información, llámenos al 212-306-8532.

中文:
我们有中文翻译。如想要关于我们部门的知了请拨打 212-306-8532.

Русский:
В нашей команде есть Русско-говорящие сотрудники. С вопросами обращайтесь по номеру 212-306-8532.

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