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2THE HOUSING AUTHORITY JOURNALMARCH 2008MAYOR’S MESSAGE‘Safe Streets for Seniors’ to ReduceTraffic Fatalities in 25 NeighborhoodsOVER25 YEARS, THENUMBER OF NEW YORKERS OVER65 IS GOING TO NEARLY DOUBLE.By 2030, 20 percent of the City’sresidents will be seniors — andNew York City needs to prepare.You may already be aware thatseniors are the New York CityHousing Authority’s (NYCHA’s)fastest growing population, andalready make up over one-thirdof NYCHA residents.Early this year I launched“Safe Streets for Seniors,” a major new pedestrian safety initiativefor older New Yorkers, which will work in conjunction with the newAll Ages Project that’s re-envisioning what it means to grow older inNew York City. In collaboration with the City Council and the NewYork Academy of Medicine, the All Ages Project NYCHA willdetermine how best to ready the City for its growing population ofseniors, examining everything from housing to meal delivery totransportation to traffic engineering improvements.THE NEXTSafe Streets for SeniorsSince 1990, pedestrian fatalities in New York City havedecreased by 62 percent, but senior citizens remain a particularlyvulnerable group. A study of pedestrian fatalities from 2002 to 2006showed that senior citizens — those 65 and over — made up about12 percent of the City’s population but were involved in nearly 39percent of the City’s fatal pedestrian accidents.Department of Transportation (DOT) engineers have alreadyexamined accident histories across the City and identified 25 neighborhoods that have both a high density of senior citizens and a highnumber of pedestrian accidents or injuries, looking at variables likevisibility, lighting, drivers’ compliance with traffic and pedestriansignals and the width of the roadway.As part of the Safe Streets for Seniors program, engineers willevaluate pedestrian conditions in these neighborhoods from asenior’s perspective and make engineering changes such as extending pedestrian crossing times at crosswalks and shortening crossingdistances, altering curbs and sidewalks, restricting vehicle turns, andnarrowing roadways.The first five pilot locations include some neighborhoods withpublic housing developments. They are: Brooklyn’s BrightonBeach, the Lower East Side of Manhattan where many NYCHAdevelopments are located, the Fordham/University Heights neighborhoods in the Bronx, Flushing/Murray Hill in Queens, and NewDorp/Hylan Boulevard in Staten Island.Traffic Fatalities Already Lowest On RecordThe final 2007 traffic fatality data shows that traffic fatalities inNew York City have already dropped to the lowest level sincerecords started being kept in 1910: 271 traffic fatalities Citywidelast year, down more than 30 percent since 2001. Pedestrian deathsin 2007 were also at an all-time low, at 13, which is 13 percentfewer than previous lows in both 2004 and 2005.The lower fatality rate has been achieved through a combination ofstepped up enforcement of traffic laws by the NYPD — focusing ondrunken driving, speeding and seat belt use; improved driver behaviorand vehicle safety, such as the widespread use of seat belts andair bags, and DOT outreach efforts through programs like Safety City,which have educated tens of thousands of children and seniors.We consider safer streets for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers amatter of public health — like smoking or obesity — that deservesour full attention. And while the final 2007 traffic fatality statisticswere nothing short of incredible, we will continue to find new waysto bring them down even more.Our Safe Streets for Seniors program is the largest program of itskind ever undertaken in the nation, and it’s appropriate that it targetsthe most vulnerable New Yorkers throughout neighborhoods in all fiveboroughs. It will ensure that New York City remains one of the mostage-friendly cities in the country as it serves to reduce senior fatalitiesat busy intersections across the five boroughs.Michael R. BloombergApproximately 300 Units of AffordableHousing for Sites in East HarlemAPPROXIMATELY 300UNITS OFAFFORDABLE HOUSING WILL BEBUILT ON NEW YORK CITYHOUSING AUTHORITY (NYCHA)OWNED SITES IN EAST HARLEM ASPART OF THE ONGOING COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE CITY’SDEPARTMENTOFHOUSINGPRESERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT(HPD) AND NYCHA, TO BRINGMORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TONEW YORKERS. The collaboration plays a key role in MayorMichael R. Bloomberg’s NewHousing Marketplace Plan toprovide affordable housing for500,000 New Yorkers over aten-year period.“The cooperative effortbetween NYCHA and HPD inmaking affordable housingcontinues to grow across theCity,” said NYCHA ChairmanTino Hernandez. “While we arecreating the opportunity formore affordable housing to bebuilt in New York, we aresimultaneously helping topreservepublichousingthrough the money raised inthe long-term leasing of theseunderutilized spaces.”The properties, known asMetro-North, comprise 17six-story walk-up tenementbuildings on 100th, 102nd and103rd Streets, all boundedby First and Second Avenuesin Manhattan.Phipps Houses — one ofthe nation’s largest and oldestnot-for-profitdevelopers,owners and managers ofaffordable housing — is thelead developer for the creationof a total of 339 units, approximately 300 of which will bepermanently affordable to arange of households earningup to 42,540 for a family offour and up to 29,760 for asingle person. The remainingunits will be affordable to a mixof incomes: between 56,700and 70,900 for a family offour or between 39,700 and 49,600 for single people.NYCHA will receive anannual payment under theterms of a long-term groundlease for the property. Theseproceeds will help modernizeand preserve public housingthroughout the City.The sites, which wereonce Federal Housing Administration foreclosed properties,were given to NYCHA in the late1980s by the U.S. Departmentof Housing and Urban Development (HUD). In 1990, NYCHAcompleted rehab work on theproperties and has since(Continued on page 8)METRO-NORTH The above rendering shows some of the affordable housing planned for East 102nd Street.The Housing AuthorityJournal74yearsof Public Housingin New York CityyESTABLISHED 1970 CIRCULATION 200,000Published monthly by the New York City Housing AuthorityDepartment of Communications250 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10007Tel (212) 306-3322 Fax (212) 577-1358nyc.gov/nychaMichael R. Bloomberg.MayorTino Hernandez.ChairmanEarl Andrews, Jr. .Vice-ChairmanMargarita López .Board MemberVilma Huertas.SecretaryDouglas Apple.General ManagerSheila Greene.Director, Department of CommunicationsEileen Elliott .EditorHeidi Morales .Editor, Spanish EditionTischelle George .Online News EditorAllan Leicht .Staff WriterDeborah Williams .Staff WriterPeter Mikoleski, Kevin Devoe.PhotographyIf you are interested in placing an advertisement in the Journal, pleasecall our marketing representatives in Marketing and Revenue Operationsat (212) 306-6616. The inclusion of any advertisement in this Journaldoes not constitute any endorsement by the Housing Authority of the advertiser or its products or services or any other representation by theHousing Authority with respect to such products or services.

THE HOUSING AUTHORITY JOURNALMARCH 2008CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGECelebrating Resident LeadersI’D LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITYCOMMEND THE MANY N EWYORK CITY HOUSING AUTHORITY(NYCHA) RESIDENTS WHO HOLDRESIDENT LEADERSHIP POSITIONS.If you are new to publichousing and not familiar withResident Associations, youshould know that ResidentAssociations are organizationswhich are dedicated to improvingthe quality of life in NYCHAdevelopments and the surroundingneighborhoods. Most NYCHAdevelopments have Resident Associations, also known as TenantAssociations, Resident Councils or Tenant Councils. ResidentAssociations work with NYCHA management at every level, whichgives residents a real voice in the operation of their developments.Each Resident Association Executive Board, which is electedby Association members, typically consists of a president,vice-president, secretary, treasurer, and sergeant-at-arms.Last year was a banner year in terms of Resident Associationelections and it is my pleasure to welcome the newly electedResident Association Presidents and their Boards. Of the estimated250 Resident Association Presidents, 30 are serving for the veryfirst time.The work of the duly elected Resident Association Presidentsand their Boards, will be key to helping NYCHA address itspressing challenges in the coming years and NYCHA will continueto lend technical support to the resident leadership as they advocatefor the sustainability of public housing.Remember, your Resident Association is your voice. I urge anyNYCHA resident who has not joined your development’s ResidentAssociation to do so. To find out how you can join or create yourResident Association, contact your local Management Office.TOThe Resident Advisory BoardAnother resident organization, the Resident Advisory Board(RAB) consists of public housing and Section 8 residents. Itsprimary function is to address various aspects of NYCHA’s Annualand Five-Year Agency Plans, which set forth NYCHA’s prioritiesand policies in 18 core areas and chart the course for NYCHA’sshort-term and long-term future. RAB members express concerns,make recommendations and advise NYCHA management in theformulation of the Agency Plans. The RAB’s recommendations areconsidered as the plan is drafted and their recommendationsregarding the final plan become a part of the submission when theplan is submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing andUrban Development.RAB members are responsible for keeping residents in eachdevelopment/district informed of the Plans’ development at boththe draft and final stages. There are 80 plus members of the RAB,consisting of 45 elected Resident Association Presidents and fiveSection 8 representatives, and their alternates.I’d like to extend a special thanks to all of the resident leaderswho look out for the welfare of your communities and keepNYCHA on course. I know we will have a challenging andproductive year.Tino HernandezVisit NYCHA’s Websiteat: nyc.gov/nycha to getthe latest NYCHA newsHUD ApprovesSection 8Transition Startingat Bay View HousesINAN EXCITING DEVELOPMENTTHAT WILL HELP TO REDUCE THENEW YORK CITY HOUSINGAUTHORITY’S (NYCHA’S) BUDGETDEFICIT, THE U.S. DEPARTMENTOFHOUSING AND URBANDEVELOPMENT (HUD) HASAPPROVED A PLAN TO TRANSITION8,400 units in 21 State andCity-built development into theSection 8 program.The transition will start atBrooklyn’s Bay View Houses,with OVER 400 UNITS. Bay ViewHouses is one of 21 NYCHAdevelopments built by the Cityand the State that do not receivefunding from any governmentsource. These developments werebuilt in the 1950s and 1960s andhave been operating as publichousing ever since.The Housing Authority isnow working with HUD’sregional office in New YorkCity to lay out managementand implementation plans forthe remaining 20 developments Citywide.NYCHA first announced itsplan to transition 8400 units intothe Section 8 program back inApril 2006 as part of itsseven-point “Plan to PreservePublic Housing.” The Plan wasdesigned to address a structuralbudget deficit, that was 168million at the time, and iscurrently 195 million. A largepart of that deficit hasbeen caused by NYCHA’sneed to stretch its federaloperating funds to cover theoperation costs of these21 developments.Stay posted for more news asthe rollout continues. Bay Viewresidents who are interestedintransitioningovertoSection 8 should contact theirdevelopment office to be placedon a waiting list.Residents who opt for theSection 8 vouchers will have allof the flexibility of any Section 8voucher holder, which meansthey can remain in their existingapartments or use the voucher tofind a new apartment in theprivate housing market with aparticipating Section 8 landlord.Section 8 vouchers are portableand can be used to relocate toanother Section 8 apartmentanywhere in the United Statesor U.S. territories, as wellas in New York City. NYCHAwill continue to own andmanage these units just likepublic housing.DEBORAH’S DIARY3By Deborah WilliamsReady, Set, Work — was the theme of the day at theLaGuardia Community College NYCHA/ROSSend-of-program ceremony held on January 30,2008. NYCHA’s Department of ResidentEmployment Services (RES) and TheWorkforce Education Center at LaGuardiaCommunity College collaborated to developthe Resident Opportunity for Self Sufficiency(ROSS) program which offers training to becomeCertified Nursing Assistants (C.N.A.), Emergency MedicalTechnicians (E.M.T.), Pharmacy Technicians, Security Guards, andFood Service workers. Thirty-six NYCHA residents registered forand completed their training, which ran from August 16 throughDecember 13, 2007.Anzehela Sharrif, a resident of Coney Island Houses, who hasbeen employed as a home attendant for the last eight years, wasdiligently searching for an affordable Certified Nursing Assistantprogram to upgrade her skills and find a higher paying job. Herchances of finding affordable C.N.A. training were looking bleakuntil she opened the NYCHA Journal and discovered anadvertisement for the LaGuardia Community CollegeNYCHA/ROSS C.N.A. program. Overjoyed, she called andenrolled. Anzehela has passed not only the C.N.A. trainingrequirements, but she has also passed the State BoardCertification exam and is now a Board Certified LicensedNursing Assistant.Anzehela said, “Training wasn’t easy for me and I couldn’t havesucceeded without my family. My daughter, Vadhiya Sharrif,volunteered as my patient stand-induring my final exam and supportedme throughout my training.” Vadhiyaexplained, “My mother’s nativelanguage is Ukrainian. She speaksEnglish but not fluently and hasdifficulty with some words. I help bytranslating those words.” At thispoint, Vadhiya’s face seemed to glowas she said, “I am very proud of mymother’s achievement. It takes hertwo hours to get to LaGuardia fromConey Island and she was willing todo that without missing a day.”Anzehela Sharrif and herAnzehela was one of the recipientsdaughter Vadhiya Sharrifof the Perfect Attendance Award.Three cheers and a round of applause to Anzehela and all theparticipants. I wish you great success! If you are interested in thisprogram, please call (718) 482-5168.Footsteps — You may recall that the February 2008 issue of theNYCHA Journal featured an article about Year Up NYC, aninnovative program that provides young adults with a uniquecombination of technical and professional skills, college credits, aneducational stipend, and corporate apprenticeships to enable themto move on to higher education and full-time employment. OnJanuary 29, 2008 at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Manhattan, YearUp NYC held its graduation ceremony. Andrew Sherman ofWagner Houses, in Manhattan, was a member of the graduatingclass. Andrew told me he learned about the program from hisbrother, John Sherman, who graduated from the program andsecured full-time employment with Merrill Lynch. John said, “I amfollowing in my brother’s footsteps because, like him, I too amgraduating and have been offered a full-time position with MerrillLynch as a Senior Specialist in the Derivatives Department.”Andrew has earned 16 college credits at Pace University and plansto attend Baruch College to earn his bachelor’s degree in business.With a warm smile, Andrew said,“Year Up NYC put me in contactwith the right people and now I havea better life. This program isfantastic and I recommend it to all.”Congratulations. Good luck on thejob and I wish you well in all yourfuture endeavors. To find out morecall NYCHA’s Department ofResident Employment Services atAndrew and John(718) 250-5904.Sherman ofWagner Houses

4THE HOUSING AUTHORITY JOURNALMARCH 2008THE NYCHA NOT WANTED LISTIn this issue we continue our editorial policy of publishing the namesof individuals who have been permanently excluded from our publichousing developments. This list is part of NYCHA’s effort to keepresidents informed of the Housing Authority’s ongoing effort toimprove the quality of life for all New Yorkers in public housing andto allow for the peaceful and safe use of our facilities. Here follows alist of the people excluded after hearings were held on August 23,and 30, September 6, 13 and 20th, October 4 and 18, 2006, andNovember 15 and 22, 2006. Please note: These exclusions arebased on NYCHA’s Administrative Hearing Process and shouldnot be confused with the Trespass Notice Program under MayorBloomberg’s Operation Safe Housing Initiative.REMEMBER,IF YOU SEE ANY OF THESE INDIVIDUALS ONHOUSING AUTHORITY PROPERTY, PLEASE CALLYOUR MANAGEMENT OFFICE OR NYCHA’SSPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS UNIT AT (212) 306-8595.Prohibited as of August 23, 2006Christopher SmithJames WheelingsCase 8611/06 formerly associated with the thirteenthfloor of 2949 8th Avenue, Polo Grounds Towers,Manhattan.Case 5552/06 formerly associated with the secondfloor of 291 East 143rd Street, Patterson Houses,the Bronx.Jonathan WaltonCase 5604/06 formerly associated with the fourthfloor of 826 Columbus Avenue, Douglass Houses,Manhattan.Khadija DavisCase 5644/06 formerly associated with the fourthfloor of 1052 Teller Avenue, Claremont Consolidated,the Bronx.Eric MaldonadoCase 3791/06 formerly associated with the secondfloor of 854 Eagle Avenue, Union Avenue Houses,the Bronx.Prohibited as of August 30, 2006Victor PorterCase 3584/06 formerly associated with the secondfloor of 987 Myrtle Avenue, Sumner Houses, Brooklyn.Monard JenkinsMarcus DelucienCase 5737/06 formerly associated with the fifth floorof 290 East 4th Street, Bracetti Houses, Manhattan.Russell WilliamsCase 5853/06 formerly associated with the nineteenthfloor of 433 Lafayette Avenue, Lafayette Houses,Brooklyn.Willie MaisonetCase 5948/06 formerly associated with the fourthfloor of 16 Mill Street, Red Hook East Houses,Brooklyn.Jarrett HeywardCase 5901/06 formerly associated with the tenth floorof 60 Glenmore Avenue, Howard Houses, Brooklyn.Prohibited as of September 6, 2006Charrise KnightCase 5927/06 formerly associated with the fourthfloor of 5704 Farragut Road, Glenwood Houses,Brooklyn.Rachesta SumpterCase 5933/06 formerly associated with the first floorof 133-20 Roosevelt Avenue, Bland Houses, Queens.Larry ClarkeCase 6027/06 formerly associated with the third floorof 5 Tapscott Street, Park Rock Houses, Brooklyn.Prohibited as of September 13, 2006Devon BryanCase 472/06 formerly associated with the seventhfloor of 1430 Redfern Avenue, Redfern Houses, FarRockaway.John WhiteCase 6127/06 formerly associated with the ninthfloor of 350 East 124th Street, Wagner Houses,Manhattan.Prohibited as of September 20, 2006Hector TiradoCase 6232/06 formerly associated with the fifth floorof 1225 FDR Drive, Riis Houses, Manhattan.Prohibited as of October 4, 2006Daniel SolisCase 6542/06 formerly associated with the twelfthfloor of 1414 Bergen Street, Albany WeeksvilleHouses, Brooklyn.Carlief WrightCase 6564/06 formerly associated with the fifteenthfloor of 950 Old Broadway, Manhattanville Houses,Manhattan.(Continued on page 9)What YouNeed ToKnow AboutElevatorSafetyFollowing these simple tips canhelp keep you, your family,friends and neighbors healthyand safe.—Keep your elevator clean.Remove all personal belongingswhen you leave the elevator,including any scraps, etc.— Don’t prop the elevator dooropen unnecessarily. Proppingthe door open will damage theelevator mechanism and causeservice interruptions.— If you are moving, haveenough household items readyto fill the elevator before youcall for it. Be careful to avoiddamaging the elevator buttons,walls or doors when loading andunloading your belongings.— Don’t allow young children togo into the elevator alone.Young children should alwaysbe accompanied by an adult.—Vandalism takes resourcesaway from preventive maintenance, as well as inconveniencing you and your neighbors.Call 911 if you witnesselevator vandalism.— Report unsafe conditions,such as jumps, or stops thatare too high or too low,to the CCC at (718)7077771 immediately.—Remind your family andneighbors to always look inbefore entering an elevator.— If you are stuck in anelevator, REMAIN CALM, pressthe alarm button, and wait forassistance. If you have a cellphone, call 911. Don’t try to getout by yourself. The FireDepartment is trained by theNew York City HousingAuthority to remove personsfrom stalled elevators.Vending Machines for NYCHATHE NEW YORK CITY HOUSING AUTHORITY (NYCHA) IS WORKINGWITH A VENDOR TO INSTALL 148 VENDING MACHINES IN NYCHADEVELOPMENTS AND AT CENTRAL OFFICE LOCATIONS. This newrevenue-generating initiative will bring NYCHA aguaranteed 1,000 a year per machine.“The rollout is being phased in now in staff officelocations and in the field,” said NYCHA’s Office of Businessand Revenue Development Assistant Director Susan Vairo.Beverage vending machines will be placed in 58developments in the five boroughs, primarily inCommunity Centers. “The vendor did a detailed study todecide which locations for the machines would be mostprofitable, based on historical sales and knowledge of thebeverage industry in New York City,” Ms. Vairo added.The cost is 1.50 for a 20 ounce beverage. Residents,as well as staff, are encouraged to call the toll-free numberset up by CC Vending, Inc. to request refunds or repairs:1-800-761-0810.BUDGET FOR 2008(Continued from page 1)These initiatives will lead to incremental increases in revenue andyield over 121 million in new monies once they are fully phased in byFiscal Year 2011.“We have to fight for more funding,” the Chairman saidto NYCHA’s senior staff. “We have to do it at all levelsof government.”The FY2008 Preliminary Operating Budget and Four-YearFinancial Plan are available on the NYCHA Website atwww.nyc.gov/nycha.

THE HOUSING AUTHORITY JOURNALMARCH 20085

6THE HOUSING AUTHORITY JOURNALMARCH 2008Got Questions? Get AnswersQuestions about your Medicare coverage? Prescription Drug coverage? ManagedCare Programs? Available help with Part B premiums? Call 311 and ask for aHealth Insurance Counselor. This free service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

THE HOUSING AUTHORITY JOURNALMARCH 20087File for theNotice of HUD InspectionsEarnedDear Residents,Income TaxThe United States Department of Housing and UrbanDevelopment (HUD) will be conducting a physical inspection of yourCredit (EITC)! development. The system that HUD developed for these inspectionsDo you make less than 40,000 a year? Youmight qualify for asmuch as 6,000 fromthe EITC, just by filingyour taxes. To make iteasy, the New York CityEITC Coalition partnerswill prepare your taxesfor free at locationsthroughout the City.What is the EarnedIncome Tax Credit?The Earned IncomeTax Credit (EITC) returnsfederal, state, and inNew York City, localgovernment dollars toqualifying workingfamilies and individualsthrough either a crediton taxes or as cashrefunds.This incomehelps people coverbasic expenses.The EITC will notchange other benefitssuch as food stampsand housing vouchers.And if you didn't claimthe EITC in the past,you can file your taxesfor three previous yearswhich could triple yourrefund. So, if youworked in 2004 anddidn't file taxes, youcould file a return nowand claim this credit. Ifyou were eligible forthe maximum refundeach year, that couldmean more than 15,000 for you andyour family. Call 311 tolearn where you canfile your taxes for FREE!CALL 311FOR ALLNON-EMERGENCYCITY SERVICESTo see if you areeligible, just refer to thechart at right. Call 311for the location of aNew York City EITC TaxCoalition preparer toprepare your taxes forfree. And don't forgetto file by April 15th!is called the Public Housing Assessment System (PHAS). As partof this process, a certain number of residents’ apartments willbe inspected.If any of the items below are not in good order – contact theCentralized Call Center at (718) 707-7771 to schedule anappointment to have those items repaired.You can assist us by reviewingthe following items in your apartment:Electricity— Your circuit breaker or fuse panel should not have any missi

The first five pilot locations include some neighborhoods with public housing developments. They are: Brooklyn's Brighton Beach, the Lower East Side of Manhattan where many NYCHA developments are located, the Fordham/University Heights neigh-borhoods in the Bronx, Flushing/Murray Hill in Queens, and New Dorp/Hylan Boulevard in Staten Island.