Direct Address to NYCHA President and Top NYCHA Executives at City Hall

Delivered by [Name], President of the Tenant Participation Association and Resident of Stuyvesant Gardens

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Introduction

Mr. Chair, Madam President, and members of NYCHA leadership,

I stand before you as a resident and an elected tenant leader, speaking not just for myself but for the countless residents suffering under NYCHA’s neglect and the predatory RAD/PACT program.

NYCHA promised that PACT would improve conditions. Instead, residents are being harassed, intimidated, and misled. Many are being forced to sign leases under duress, threatened with lockouts, or left without basic services.

So I ask you: Who do you serve? The residents whose homes you were entrusted to protect—or the banks, developers, and private interests profiting off our displacement?

Failures and Violations Under RAD/PACT

• Tenants in Stuyvesant Gardens II had their heat shut off in the winter and were told they needed to sign new leases to get it back. That’s coercion.
• Special accommodations are ignored, violating federal disability laws.
• Maintenance tickets are closed without repairs. Many residents have no working stoves, yet NYCHA reports them as “resolved.”
• Doors are broken, security is nonexistent, and infestations are rampant. No garbage cans, mold in units where tenants suffer from asthma—this is unacceptable.

And yet, NYCHA continues pushing this program under the guise of “resident engagement.” What does transparency mean when decisions are made before tenants even walk into the room?

Legal and Constitutional Violations

Let’s be clear: these aren’t just failures of policy—they’re violations of federal law.

• The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2012 mandates that RAD conversions must maintain the same tenant rights as public housing. Yet, tenants are being pressured into signing away their rights.
• The RAD Fair Housing and Civil Rights Notice requires that reasonable accommodations be honored. But disabled tenants are being ignored.
• Due process and equal protection under the Constitution are being violated as NYCHA allows private developers to dictate the terms of our housing without oversight.

So I ask: Why is NYCHA dodging accountability? Why is a public agency partnering with private entities that mistreat and intimidate tenants?

The Web of Financial Exploitation

RAD/PACT is not about tenant well-being—it’s about profit.

• Private developers collect rent but shift financial risks onto tenants.
• Banks profit by financing these conversions.
• NYCHA escapes responsibility by handing off oversight to third-party managers.

This is not housing policy—it is economic exploitation.

The Mental and Emotional Toll on Residents

By neglecting tenants and creating an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty, NYCHA is waging psychological warfare.

• Families live in constant fear of eviction, misinformation, and retaliation.
• Senior citizens are being forced to navigate complex legal documents under duress.
• Community cohesion is being intentionally fractured, making resistance harder.

This is oppression, and we refuse to be silent.

Our Demands

1. End harassment and coercion immediately. No more forced lease signings. No more lockouts. No more intimidation.
2. Fix the maintenance system. Stop closing tickets without repairs. Create an independent tracking system.
3. Audit all RAD/PACT contracts. Make it public who is profiting from these deals.
4. Restore full tenant protections. No misleading ballots, no forced conversions.
5. Hold NYCHA accountable. This is public housing, and you work for us.

Final Words

NYCHA, the public is watching. The federal government is watching. History will remember.

We will not be silenced. We will not be intimidated. And we will not allow you to sell off our communities without a fight.

The era of unchecked privatization is over. We are standing up—and we will not back down.

Thank you.