Vol. 37, No. 1 www.nyc.gov/nycha DECEMBER 2006/JANUARY 2007

PAGE 2INCREASED ACCESSTO HEALTHY FOOD

PAGE 5PRE-APPRENTICESHIPOPEN HOUSES

PAGE 3THE FUTURE OF PUBLIC HOUSING

(Continued on page 4)

THE NEW USER-FRIENDLY RENT BILLTHE NEW YORK CITY HOUSING

AUTHORITY’S (NYCHA’S) MONTHLY

RENT BILL HAS A NEW LOOK!NYCHA has changed the formatof the bill to provide public hous-ing residents with more detailedinformation about transactionsrecorded to your account. In addi-tion to rent due, the new state-ment now shows utility fees for the usage of heavy-duty appli-ances, parking fees and retroac-tive fees. The statement alsoshows the most recent paymentsand credits to your account. “Ourpurpose is to have a user-friendlystatement that shows exactly whatresidents are being charged for,”said Deputy Director AdhamChoucri.

NYCHA began sending thenew bills out in December, toreflect December payments andJanuary charges. The informationsheet to the right of this articlewill also be included with thenew bill. Any resident who stillhas questions should contact hisor her housing assistant.

Keeping Residents Safe With CCTVTHERE IS NO QUESTION: THE USE OF

CLOSED CIRCUIT TELEVISION CAM-ERAS, OR CCTVS, HAS HAD A DRA-MATIC IMPACT ON CRIME IN THE NEW

YORK CITY HOUSING AUTHORITY

(NYCHA) DEVELOPMENTS WHERE

THEY ARE LOCATED. In a December14th New York Times article, thepaper quoted a statement made byNYPD chief spokesperson, Paul J.Browne, in which he refers to thecameras as “a highly effective crimefighting tool.” Residents report feel-ing greater security, and residentswho live in developments that donot have the CCTVs have petitionedNYCHA, the NYPD and variouselected officials for the systems.

Responding to improvements inCCTV technology which made thesystems more affordable, NYCHAand the City Council formed a part-nership in 2004 to bring Small-Scale CCTVs to public housingdevelopments. Over the past twoyears Council Members have allo-cated approximately $7 million forthe purchase and installation of the

systems in NYCHA developments,and for Fiscal Year 2007 CouncilMembers have already allocated anadditional $5.8 million. TodaySmall-Scale CCTV systems exist in21 NYCHA developments. In addi-tion, Large-Scale, or VIPER (videointeractive patrol enhanced) sys-tems, which are significantly moreexpensive to operate, now exist in15 NYCHA developments.

The cameras are effective notonly because they facilitate arrestsbut also because they act as deter-rents. Because the Small-Scale sys-tems were installed relativelyrecently, NYCHA does not yet havestatistics on their effectiveness.However, with regard to the VIPERsystems, on average, index crimes(i.e., murder, rape, assault, robbery,burglary and car theft) go down by25% the first year after cameras areinstalled, and crime continues to godown in subsequent years.

The Small-Scale CCTV Program

In November 2006, elevatorcameras at Hylan Houses in Bush-

wick, Brooklyn captured footageof an armed robbery. The footagewas used to create a wanted poster,and because of that poster, officersfrom PSA #3 were able to recog-nize and arrest the suspect threedays after the crime was commit-ted. This is just one example ofhow the Small-Scale CCTVs canhelp facilitate arrests.

Under the Small-Scale CCTVProgram, NYCHA installs state-of-the-art high resolution video cameras

First Houses’70th Anniversary

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secre-tary Alphonso Jackson (right) joined New York City Housing AuthorityChairman Tino Hernandez and executive staff for a visit to the GrantHouses Senior Center on the morning of December 6th. The Secre-tary spent some time getting to know residents after touring theHarlem facility. The Grant Houses Senior Center is one of 95 spon-sored senior centers on NYCHA property. It provides meals and ser-vices to approximately 70-80 seniors daily, including arts and crafts,recreation and field trips. NYCHA also operates an additional 42senior centers. Shown from left to right are: Grant Houses ResidentAssociation President Sarah Martin, Chairman Hernandez, DrewHamilton Resident Association President and Manhattan North Coun-cil of Presidents Chair Barbara G. Barber and U.S. Department ofHousing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson.

HUD SECRETARY VISITS

70TH ANNIVERSARY! NYCHA celebrated First Houses’ 70th Anniversary in October. In the picture above (left to right) NYCHA Vice-Chairman Earl Andrews, Jr. presents a proclamation to long-time FirstHouses resident, 91-year-old Andrew Hladek, and First Houses Manager Tedric Gamble. Signed by Mayor Bloomberg, the documentproclaims October 21, 2006 in the City of New York, “First HousesDay.” See page 5 for the complete story.

By Eileen Elliott

2 THE HOUSING AUTHORITY JOURNALDECEMBER 2006 / JANUARY 2007

Increased Access to Healthy FoodIN MID-NOVEMBER I JOINED

CITY COUNCIL SPEAKER CHRIS-TINE C. QUINN AT MELROSE

HOUSES IN THE BRONX TO

ANNOUNCE A CONCERTED EFFORT

TO INCREASE ACCESS TO

HEALTHY FOODS IN LOW-INCOME

COMMUNITIES BY CREATING A

NEW FOOD POLICY TASK FORCE

AND THE NEW POSITION OF FOOD

POLICY COORDINATOR. This col-laboration between my off iceand the City Council willexpand the availability of nutri-tious, affordable food in under-served communities, enhancethe nutritional standards fol-lowed by City agencies in feed-

ing clients and staff, and improve access to food support programs. The City’s nutritious foods agenda also includes increasing enroll-

ment in food support programs, such as Food Stamps. Over 1.08 mil-lion New York City residents received Food Stamps in July 2006 — a36% increase since January 2002. Yet despite these gains, there arestill many New Yorkers who are eligible for Food Stamps but havenot enrolled.

It is now easier than ever for New Yorkers to determine if they areeligible for Food Stamps and a host of other programs. In October, theCity launched ACCESS NYC, an online tool that brings 21 differentCity, State, and federal human service benefit programs –— includingfood stamps –— into a single Web site. By entering basic householdinformation into the site (available at www.nyc.gov/ACCESSNYC),residents can receive a list of the programs for which they are poten-tially eligible, print partially-complete application forms and findoffice locations. If you don’t have Internet access, call 311.

At the same press conference, I also announced the expansion ofthe Healthy Bodegas initiative from 200 bodegas to more than 1,000in the South Bronx, East and Central Harlem, and Central Brooklynover the next two years. Expansion of the initiative will also includethe launching of the “Green Light” section in bodegas to highlighthealthier food items available for purchase, such as 1% milk, diet bev-erages, fruits and vegetables.

Melrose Houses was chosen as the location for the healthy foodsannouncement because it is one of two New York City HousingAuthority (NYCHA) developments visited twice a month by CityHarvest’s Mobile Market trailer. The Mobile Market provides free,fresh produce to some 3,200 residents of Melrose Houses and toapproximately 1,180 residents of Stapleton Houses in Staten Island.

The lack of affordable and healthy food options in low-incomecommunities can have significant consequences, such as obesity anddiabetes, which are epidemic in New York City as well as nationally.Societal changes, such as increasing the availability of healthy foodand decreasing the cost, can be an important part of the solution.

Here’s to a happy and healthy 2007!

Michael R. Bloomberg

MAYOR’S MESSAGE NYCHA: Making a Difference in People's Lives

A LITTLE OVER 70 YEARS AGO, THE

NEW YORK CITY HOUSING

AUTHORITY (NYCHA) WAS CRE-ATED TO DO AWAY WITH TENEMENTS

AND SLUMS AND THE OVERALL

DEPLORABLE LIVING CONDITIONS

FACING THE POOR IN THE 1930S.Although no running water, roomswithout windows, outhouses andcommunal bathrooms are prettymuch a thing of the past, there areother factors that today affect thequality of life of many workingclass families.

Dania and Ricardo Mendoza,new residents of NYCHA’s Dyck-man Houses can attest to the reali-ties facing many working familiesin New York: realities such as lackof space, noise pollution, deterio-rating buildings and perhaps mostdevastating for the working poor,higher and higher rents.

Before moving into this north-ern Manhattan development, theMendozas lived just three blocksaway in a one-bedroom apartmentwhere they said they endured poorliving conditions. Mr. Mendozasaid the building in which theylived and paid a market-rate rent ofclose to $1,000 a month started tolook rundown and dirty and addedthat he couldn’t deal with the noisyneighbors who played loud musicinto the wee hours of the morning.“I work six days a week. I wouldget up for work after not sleepingall night. I was uncomfortable. Iwas tense.”

The Mendozas and their twodaughters — 18 year-old Bessyand 14 year-old Lizzeth — livedcramped up in that one-bedroomapartment for more than a decade,using the living room as the mas-ter bedroom and the bed as a din-ing room table.

But all that has changed. In fact,the Mendozas said moving toNYCHA has been a godsend. “Ithought to myself, ‘if God is givingus this opportunity we have to takeit’ and we have come to find a goldmine here. Here [at DyckmanHouses] I sleep well, the neighborsare great, we communicate. That’ssomething we never had before. It’sa great environment,” Mr. Men-doza said. “We’ve been blessed. Ithink this system [public housing]is fantastic. Too bad I came to real-ize it so late,” he added.

It’s Never Too Late

The Mendozas admitted thatbefore they became NYCHA resi-dents they knew very little aboutpublic housing. “Twenty years agoif people spoke about ‘the project-s’you felt fear, so we just adjustedto the rent prices around here,”Mrs. Mendoza said. But with adaughter planning to enter collegethey decided to put aside all thenegativity and uncertainty they felt

October 1st – May 31st Minimum Indoor Temperature

From 6AM to 10PM 68 degrees Fahrenheit

whenever the outdoor temperature is below 55 degrees.

Minimum Indoor Temperature From 10PM and 6AM

55 degrees Fahrenheitwhenever the outdoor temperature

falls below 40 degrees.

By Heidi Morales

ESTABLISHED 1970 • CIRCULATION 200,000

Published monthly by the New York City Housing AuthorityDepartment of Communications

250 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10007Tel (212) 306-3322 • Fax (212) 577-1358

nyc.gov/nycha

Michael R. Bloomberg...........................................Mayor

Tino Hernandez.......................................................................................ChairmanEarl Andrews, Jr. ............................................................................Vice-ChairmanMargarita López .............................................................................Board MemberVilma Huertas..........................................................................................SecretaryDouglas Apple.............................................................................General ManagerSheila Greene.......................................Director, Department of CommunicationsEileen Elliott .................................................................................................EditorHeidi Morales ....................................................................Editor, Spanish EditionAllan Leicht .........................................................................................Staff WriterDeborah Williams ................................................................................Staff WriterPeter Mikoleski, Kevin Devoe............................................................Photography

If 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 theadvertiser or its products or services or any other representation by theHousing Authority with respect to such products or services.

The Housing Authority

Journal 73years

of Public Housingin New York City

about public housing and decidedto apply. That was three years ago.

This past summer the Mendozaswere notified about their eligibilityfor a NYCHA apartment but theyhad no other choice but to turn itdown because they were strappedfor cash — they’d been savingmoney to send their eldest daugh-ter to Mt. Saint Mary College inupstate New York in September.

In this situation an applicant whoturns down an apartment is placedback on NYCHA’s Tenant Selectionand Assignment Plan (TSAP) ros-ter, which was established to ensurethat all applicants for public hous-ing are processed and treated underequal terms. It can be months,sometimes years before they arenotified about the availability ofanother apartment. But the Men-dozas had luck on their side. “Theytold us that we would probably haveto wait another year but two monthslater they called us back and here

we are,” Mr. Mendoza said with asigh of relief.

Looking Toward the Future

This humble Honduran familysaid now the future looks a littlemore comfortable and relaxed andthat’s why people should realizehow important public housing isand protect it.

“This is heaven. So, what are wesupposed to do? Support the sys-tem and try to make it better,” Mr.Mendoza said. “It’s up to us tocontinue this [public housing].This system has to continue notjust for us but for the ones thatcome after us,” he added.

“This is a great benefit for us.We are getting back on our feet.This is just the beginning but weare headed in the right direction.We have one daughter in collegealready and we know that the nextseveral years will be a little easierfor us,” Mrs. Mendoza added.

NEW HOME Riccardo and Diana Mendoza are very happy with theirnew home in Manhattan’s Dyckman Houses.

THE HOUSING AUTHORITY JOURNAL 3DECEMBER 2006 / JANUARY 2007

The Future Of Public HousingIT’S 2007! JUST AS THE NEW

YEAR BRINGS NEW OPPORTUNI-TIES, IT ALSO BRINGS NEW

CHALLENGES. The New YorkCity Housing Authority(NYCHA) faced some seriouschallenges in 2006, and staffand residents worked togetherto take significant actions.Many of our efforts, so far,have been successful.

Our initiatives were out-lined in the “Plan to PreservePublic Housing,” which Iannounced last April. Theseven-point plan wasdesigned to ensure the via-bility of public housing notonly for the families whocurrently live in NYCHA’s

344 developments, but for future generations. Key points of theplan included a one-time allocation from Mayor Bloomberg andthe City Council of $120 million, and increased fees for heavy dutyappliances and parking. The plan also included increased rents forthe 27% of residents who were already at the ceiling rent limits.

Just as we could not have effectively implemented these changeswithout your cooperation, I ask for your cooperation again as weenter NYCHA’s 73rd year, especially with one critical aspect of thePlan to Preserve Public Housing: the transition of 8,400 units of con-ventional public housing from 21 developments once funded by theCity and State, into the Section 8 program.

These developments no longer receive funding from any sourceand so NYCHA has had to use its already inadequate federalmoney to pay for their operation. In 2006 operating these build-ings accounted for a full half of NYCHA’s budget deficit. Allowingthe 8,400 units into the Section 8 program will provide a new fund-ing stream and keep rents affordable for all 21,000 families in the21 developments.

NYCHA held over 200 meetings with residents last spring toexplain why the transition is important and what it means. I myselfmet with City, State and federal elected officials about the transi-tion. I’m happy to say that based on these meetings, resident inter-est appears strong. As of the writing of this column, NYCHA isstill waiting to hear whether or not the U.S. Department of Housingand Urban Development (HUD) will approve the plan. As part ofour strategy we are also seeking resources from the State to supportState developments.

To further complicate NYCHA’s f inancial situation, in 2007housing authorities across the country are slated to receive a 22%budget reduction. That means that despite all of the actions we aretaking, the Housing Authority is now looking at a more seriousdeficit than for Fiscal Year 2006. This is money that is needed tomaintain buildings, to pay utility bills, to employ our staff and tokeep community centers open.

If we are serious about the future of public housing, housingauthorities and residents alike must continue our efforts in the com-ing year, gather our forces, share our intelligence and make ourvoices heard. I look forward to working with you to preserve thelegacy and the promise to keep public housing alive and well forgenerations to come.

Tino Hernandez

DEBORAH’S DIARY By Deborah WilliamsCHAIRMAN’S MESSAGEThe Bronx: NYCHA’s Department of Resi-dent Employment Serviceshosted its second “Empower-ment Through Employment JobFair” for 2006, at Fordham Uni-versity in the Bronx on October26th. More than 100 NYCHAresidents attended and 21companies and governmententities were on hand screen-ing for potential employees.Represented at the fair were:Avis Rental Car, CommerceBank, the Bronx Chamber ofCommerce, Bronx WorkforceOne, Coca-Cola, Fresh Direct,Hunts Point Works, Ikon OfficeSolutions, Jet Blue, Primerica,The New York City Departmentfor the Aging, Starbuck’s,Home Depot, Zales, Partnersin Care, Neighbors’ HomeCare, Fed Ex and the U.S.Postal Service.

Brooklyn: On October 28th in the plazaat Kingsborough Houses,NYCHA executive staff joinedrepresentatives from theGroundswell Community MuralProject to thank the sponsorsand artists who helped createthe mural there: “Weeksville:Past, Present & Future.” Nine-teen teenage muralists fromthe Summer Youth Employ-ment Program painted themural, which is 12 feet highand no less than 85 feet long.It tells the story of the historic19th Century free black com-munity known as Weeksville,which was where the presentday community of Kingsbor-ough is. The mural is paintedon the back of a relief byfamous Harlem Renaissanceartist Richmond Barthé.Groundswell is a New York Citybased nonprofit organizationthat brings together profes-sional artists, grassroots orga-nizations and communities tocreate high quality murals.Other partners in the projectwere NYCHA, the WeeksvilleHeritage Center, the BrooklynMuseum and the Indepen-dence Community Foundation.

Manhattan: Ft. Washington Houses Ser-vices for the Elderly hosted agroundbreaking on the morningof November 2nd to mark the$2.2 million renovation of theSenior Center. The renovationof the 5,500 square foot spacewill include a library, activityrooms, a spa, kitchen, confer-ence room, offices, a receptionarea, a circular corridor and a handicapped accessible

(Continued on page 5)

DIGEST BOROUGH

THE SENIORS’ CORNERGET FREE TAX HELP!Call 311 for the location of FREE tax assistance sites in your area. Call now and avoid the rush.

NYCHA Cooks — On November 16, 2006, theNew York City Housing Authority’s (NYCHA’s)Department of Resident Employment Services(RES) hosted the second Culinary Arts TrainingProgram Graduation Ceremony — this one at

the Bronx River Community Center. TenNYCHA residents were the proud recipients of cer-

tificates marking their completion of the six-week course.Just as Deputy General Manager Hugh Spence promised at the firstCulinary Arts Graduation Ceremony in Brooklyn last August, theprogram is branching out to the five boroughs. “In doing this,NYCHA will provide a way for our residents to be trained locallywithin their communities,” said RES Director Sonia Torruella.

City Council Member Annabel Palmer, a special guest at the grad-uation, encouraged the members of the class to become master chefs.She pointed out, “NYCHA is seeing to it that our communitiesreceive the kind of training that will provide lifelong skills that willlead to jobs with substantial benefits.”

Utilizing the full kitchen at the Bronx River Community Center,each participant met on Mondays through Thursdays, to learn how tocook soups, pastas and a variety of international dishes. “It’s quitedifferent from what you do in your kitchen at home,” said RebeccaBonds of McKinley Houses. On Fridays, the participants attendedworkshops on resume writing, interview techniques and Internet jobsearch techniques.

Nia Evans, a mother of four boys, ages 5, 8, 13 and 15, and a res-ident of Betances Houses in the Bronx, hopes to one day work asthe top chef in a restaurant. Nia’s family all agreed that her homecooking is excellent and it makes sense for Nia to use her cookingtalent professionally.

Chef and Culinary Arts Instructor Russell Moss of the Consortiumfor Worker Education remarked, “My students were mature and reallysmart. I only hope I taught them to be passionate about food.” Mr.Moss also said he hopes that his students will continue their educa-tion at the Art Institute of New York City, where he teaches a moreextensive culinary course slated to begin in January 2007.

All foods served at the graduation ceremony were prepared by thegraduates. They included a delectable spread of roast beef, macaronisalad, fresh fruit, assorted cold cuts, and other flavorful dishes.

The Culinary Arts Training Program is a joint initiative betweenthe United Way, NYC Works, The Consortium for Worker Educationand its Artisan Baking Center, RES and NYCHA’s Community Oper-ations’ Bronx Office. Funding for the program was provided througha grant from the New York City Council.

Special Congratulations to Rebecca Barnes, Juan Benhame, Six-mar Cuello, Nia Evans, Maria Gomez, May Johnson, Terri Jones,Lateesha Richardson, Tyler Robinson, and Efigenia Torres—CulinaryArts Graduates of 2006.

New York City Police DepartmentToll-Free Terrorism Hotline Reports May Be Made To:

1-888-NYC-SAFE1-888-692-7233

4 THE HOUSING AUTHORITY JOURNALDECEMBER 2006 / JANUARY 2007

In this issue we continue our editorial policy of publishing the names ofindividuals who have been permanently excluded from our public housingdevelopments. The purpose of publishing this list is to keep residentsinformed of the Housing Authority’s ongoing effort to improve the qualityof life for all New Yorkers in public housing and to allow for the peace-ful and safe use of our facilities. Here follows a list of the people excludedafter hearings were held on October 19 and 26, 2005. Please note:Theseexclusions are based on NYCHA’s Administrative Hearing Process andshould not be confused with the Trespass Notice Program underMayor Bloomberg’s Operation Safe Housing Initiative.

REMEMBER,IF YOU SEE ANY OF THESE INDIVIDUALS ON

HOUSING AUTHORITY PROPERTY, PLEASE CALLYOUR MANAGEMENT OFFICE OR NYCHA’S

SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS UNIT AT (212) 306-8595.

Prohibited as of October 19, 2005Frank Green Case 7147/05 formerly associated with the eleventh

floor of 425 105th Street, Wilson Houses, Manhattan.Joseph Johnson Case 7148/05 formerly associated with the third

floor of 3125 Park Avenue, Morrisania Air RightsHouses, the Bronx.

Daniel Still Case 7168/05 formerly associated with the thirdfloor of 64 South 10th Street, Berry Street Houses,Brooklyn.

Efrain Ruiz Case 7214/05 formerly associated with the eighthFranky Diaz floor of 1132 East 229th Drive South, EdenwaldEfrain Diaz Houses, the Bronx.Radford Prince, Jr. Case 7215/05 formerly associated with the third

floor of 40 Roxbury Avenue, Mariner’s HarborHouses, Staten Island.

Luis Felicier Case 7216/05 formerly associated with the seventh Jason Serrano floor of 67 Hill Street, Stapleton Houses,Jonathan Serrano Staten Island.Walter SerranoKelvin Calvin Case 7218/05 formerly associated with the Martinez nineteenth floor of 665 Westchester Avenue, St.

Mary’s Park Houses, the Bronx.Lamont Reaves Case 7246/05 formerly associated with the fifth

floor of 82-03 Hammels Boulevard, Hammel Houses, Queens

Prohibited as of October 26, 2005Ricky Davis Case 4167/04 formerly associated with the sixth

floor of 20 Catherine Slip, Smith Houses,Manhattan.

Paul Askew Case 5680/05 formerly associated with the secondfloor of 3475-3485 Bivona Street, Boston-SecorHouses, the Bronx.

Leonard Best Case 9662/04 formerly associated with the thirdfloor of 5705 Avenue H, Glenwood Houses,Brooklyn.

Maribel Arroyo Case 7307/05 formerly associated with the ninthfloor of 3135 Park Avenue, Morrisania Air RightsHouses, the Bronx.

Jermel Washington Case 7353/05 formerly associated with the fourthfloor of 620 East 108th Street, Breukelen Houses,Brooklyn.

Trevor Williams Case 7355/05 formerly associated with the firstfloor of 1153 229th Drive South, EdenwaldHouses, the Bronx.

Joshua Yturrizaga Case 2559/05 formerly associated with the eighthfloor of 877 Taylor Avenue, Monroe Houses, the Bronx.

Duante Gray Case 5435/05 formerly associated with the fifthfloor of 60 East 104th Street, Carver Houses,Manhattan.

Joel Figueroa Case 7348/05 formerly associated with the fourthfloor of 306 Beach 56th Street, Ocean Bay Houses,Queens.

Terry Quattlebaum Case 7404/05 formerly associated with the secondfloor of 1167 Stanley Avenue, Pink Houses,Brooklyn.

Matthew McCree Case 7424/05 formerly associated with the secondfloor of 2945-49 West 23rd Street, Carey GardensHouses, Brooklyn.

Sedequa Packer Case 7444/05 formerly associated with the firstfloor of 30-19 Avenue W, Sheepshead/NostrandHouses, Brooklyn.

Keeping Residents Safe With CCTV

NYCHA Hosts Borough DomesticViolence Conferences in October

THE NEW YORK CITY HOUSING

AUTHORITY (NYCHA) HOSTED A

SERIES OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

CONFERENCES — ONE IN EACH BOR-OUGH — ON THE FOURTH WEEK OF

OCTOBER DURING NATIONAL

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS

MONTH. AN ESTIMATED 1,000 RESI-DENTS ATTENDED.

The conferences were entitled:“Domestic Violence: A Fe-MaleIssue,” and focused on men as partof the solution.

“This year’s conferences bringus closer to realizing our vision ofending domestic violence in ourcommunities,” said NYCHA’sDirector of Social Services NoraReissig-Lazzaro, who, along withher staff, organized the annualevent. “By including men in thiscritical dialogue, we recognize thatwhile they are a part of the prob-lem, they can and must also be apart of the solution.”

To illustrate that point, the high-light of each of the conferenceswas a special 50 minute presenta-

tion by actor/comedian and activistBen Atherton-Zeman, entitled,“Voices of Men.” Mr. Atherton-Zeman, a spokesperson for theNational Organization for MenAgainst Sexism, used humor andcelebrity male voice impressions tocover topics such as: sexual assaultand consent, domestic violence andsexual harassment, in his self-described “educational comedy.”

The first conference took placeat the Bronx River CommunityCenter on October 23rd. Keynotespeaker Borough PresidentAdolfo Carrion, Jr., spoke pas-sionately about the pervasivenessof domestic violence and the waysin which society makes the objec-tification of women and the vio-lence against them appear to beacceptable.

“Domestic violence is destroyinglives — making a lasting impact onfamilies and communities,” saidthe Borough President. “Violenceis glorified in every commercialvenue in American life. Violencesells... We create the problem, thenwe try to fix the problem.”

in building lobbies, entrances, exits,elevator cabs, playgrounds andparking lots, with guidance from theNYPD on the choice of locations.The cameras record images 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week.These images are routinely storedfor a set period of time and can beretrieved by staff and the police inthe event of an incident. The Small-Scale CCTVs do not requirearound-the-clock monitoring, as dothe original, Large-Scale CCTVs, orVIPER systems.

Where the CCTV SystemsAre Located

In 2004, the Small-Scale CCTVsystems were installed at Isaacs-Holmes, Two Bridges, Rutgers andLower East Side I in Manhattan;and Independence Towers andWilliams Plaza in Brooklyn, withthe help of City Council funding.

The keynote speakers at theother conferences were: CenterAgainst Domestic ViolenceDirector Luis Matos, HunterSchool of Social Work ProfessorSamuel Aymer, social workerRommel Washington of the St.Luke’s Crime Victims’ TreatmentCenter, and Richmond CountyDistrict Attorney Daniel M.Donovan, Jr.

Each conference also featured apanel with representatives from avariety of grassroots and commu-nity based organizations, as wellas from the NYPD. Resourcetables from over 20 entities pro-vided a wealth of helpful material,and NYCHA staff were on hand toaddress any personal issues raisedby residents in the audience. Formore information on domesticviolence related services, call theDomestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-621-HOPE. As always, call911 in the case of emergency.

Using its own funds, NYCHA alsoinstalled a Small-Scale CCTV sys-tem at Butler Houses in the Bronx.

As of August 2006, additionalsystems had also been installed atAtlantic Terminal, Bushwick,Hylan, Haber and Palmetto Gar-dens in Brooklyn; Fulton, Chelsea,Elliott, De Hostos, LaGuardia andSmith Houses in Manhattan; andQueensbridge Houses in Queens.

In 2006, City Council Membersalso allocated additional fundingfor either new Small-Scale CCTVSystems or the addition of cam-eras or other work related to theCCTVs at: Isaacs-Holmes in

Manhattan; Coney Island, Inde-pendence Towers, Pink, Boule-vard, Cypress Houses, HopeGardens and Penn-Wortman inBrooklyn; and Queensbridge inQueens. The work should be com-pleted in the spring.

And, the previously mentioned$5.8 million the City Council hasallocated for Fiscal Year 2007 willbe used for the systems at: Riis,Straus, Isaacs-Holmes, LaGuardia,Smith, Rutgers in Manhattan, SouthBeach and Berry Houses in StatenIsland; Wyckoff, Gowanus, OceanHill, and Glenwood in Brooklyn,and Boston Road in the Bronx.

(Continued from page 1)

NYCHA residents at the Bronx Domestic Violence Workshop.

Time to throw out your Christmas tree?Remember, never leave your tree in the elevator,

stairway or hallway. Bring it down to a designated tree removal area. If you are not sure of the location,

please call your Management Office.

THE NYCHA NOT WANTED LIST

By Eileen Elliott

Bronx Borough PresidentAdolfo Carrion, Jr.

THE HOUSING AUTHORITY JOURNAL 5DECEMBER 2006 / JANUARY 2007

GEARING UP FOR PRE-APPRENTICESHIPS

bathroom. Joining seniors atthe event were Congress Mem-ber Charles Rangel, AssemblyMember Adriano Espaillat, CityCouncil Member Robert Jack-son, a representative from theDepartment for the Aging, Ft.Washington Services ExecutiveDirector Rebecca Carel andConstantino Sagonas fromNYCHA’s Capital division.

Queens:Free after-school mentoring,tutoring through the 12th grade,tuition assistance and friend-ships for a lifetime — soundslike a dream, doesn’t it? Thatdream is coming true for the 50third- and fourth-graders fromNYCHA’s Ravens-wood Houses,who were officially adopted into the “I Have A Dream”Ravenswood II Program in a cer-emony held at the Dutch KillsSchool in Long Island City onNovember 9th. In exchange, thechildren took the “DreamerPledge,” promising to stay inschool, aim for college and keepdreaming of their goals. Estab-lished in 1986, the national “IHave A Dream” Foundationmotivates and empowers chil-dren from low-income commu-nities to achieve their educationand career goals through a long-term program of mentoring, aca-demic and cultural enrichment,and tuition assistance for highereducation. The Ravenswood II “IHave A Dream” program isbeing funded by The ElmezziFoundation, which will donatemore than $1.2 million plus col-lege tuition. NYCHA will con-tribute $50,000 per year to the10-year program.

Staten Island: City Council Member MichaelMcMahon made an appear-ance at the Stapleton Houses’ City Harvest Mobile Market on December 5th, to announcethat he had secured $10,000for the program. The Mobile Market visits Stapleton twice a month, providing free freshfruit and vegetables to morethan 300 families from the development.

(Continued from page 3)

PUBLIC HOUSING IN THE UNITED STATES WAS BORN ON THE LOWER EAST

SIDE OF MANHATTAN 70 YEARS AGO WITH THE OPENING OF THE NEW YORK

CITY HOUSING AUTHORITY’S (NYCHA’S) VERY FIRST DEVELOPMENT, FIRST

HOUSES. TOGETHER, NYCHA RESIDENTS AND STAFF JOINED ELECTED OFFI-CIALS AND FRIENDS TO CELEBRATE THAT BIRTH IN A COBBLESTONE COURT-YARD NESTLED BEHIND THE DEVELOPMENT’S EIGHT FOUR- AND FIVE-STORY

BUILDINGS ON A BRISK OCTOBER 21ST AFTERNOON.

First Houses’ 70th Anniversary

“On December 3, 1935, MayorFiorello LaGuardia, New YorkState Governor Herbert Lehmanand First Lady Eleanor Rooseveltstood here in this courtyard and dedicated the opening ofNYCHA’s First Houses,” saidNYCHA Secretary Vilma Huertasin her capacity as Mistress of Cer-emonies. “Soon after, in 1936, thefirst families moved into FirstHouses and that is the event wemark today.”

Located between East 2nd and3rd Streets, and First Avenue and Avenue A, First Houses isamong the smallest of NYCHA’s 344 public housing develop-ments. Yet, its historical signifi-cance looms large. Before FirstHouses, squalid tenements wereoften the only available housingto people without means. In fact,First Houses was created by reno-vating the original tenementbuildings that lined the street, andremoving every third building sothat light and air could reach allof the 122 apartments.

The Speakers

NYCHA Chairman Tino Her-nandez expressed the pride he feltas the Housing Authority’s 19thChairman and emphasized theCity’s commitment to maintainingpublic housing. “We went from 122families in Manhattan in 1936, to187,000 families across the City in2006,” the Chairman said. “We nowhave a Mayor who is committed toproviding housing to low- and mod-erate-income New Yorkers.”

Senator Martin Connor, whorepresents the neighborhood, com-mended NYCHA for the work ithas done, despite the challengingfinancial climate. And City Coun-cil Member Rosie Mendezrecalled a time when she was 11years old and was forced from herhome by a fire. The young Ms.Mendez and her family moved into

NYCHA’s Williamsburg Houses.“All my friends wanted to comeover to my house to play,” she said.“There was always heat and hotwater, no rats.”

Charlotte Miles, a residentleader from the nearby LillianWald Houses, told her story ofgrowing up there; a story of manyachievements and happy memo-ries. Vice-Chairman Earl Andrews,Jr. presented a proclamation todevelopment Manager TedricGamble and long-time FirstHouses resident, 91-year-oldAndrew Hladek. Signed by MayorMichael R. Bloomberg, the docu-ment proclaimed October 21,2006, “First Houses Day.”

A Call For Support

NYCHA’s newest Board Mem-ber, Margarita López, a formerCity Council Member and a long-time Lower East Side residentreferred to the financial strugglethat NYCHA and other housingauthorities are facing. Commis-sioner López told the crowd, “I’mhere to remind every one of us thatthe job is not yet done; the job isjust beginning. Without NYCHA,the anchor that maintains this citywill disappear.”

Entertainment was provided byNYCHA’s Senior and Youth Cho-ruses, and a photo exhibit high-lighted the growth of publichousing in New York City.

Although public housing maybe facing challenges, you wouldnever know it in the festive court-yard at First Houses on October21st. The speakers left the stage,the children played, and everyoneate hamburgers and hot dogsbeneath the towering LondonPlane trees. The mood echoedMs. Miles’ words, “Being aNYCHA resident has been awonderful thing for me and myfamily and I wouldn’t have it anyother way.”

NOVEMBER WAS A GOOD MONTH FOR NYCHA RESIDENTS THINKING ABOUT

CAREERS IN THE CONSTRUCTION TRADES. THROUGHOUT THE MONTH, AT

COMMUNITY CENTERS IN ALL FIVE BOROUGHS, NYCHA’S DEPARTMENT OF

RESIDENT EMPLOYMENT SERVICES (RES) AND CONSTRUCTION SKILLS

2000, INC. (CS2K) INVITED RESIDENTS TO A SERIES OF SIX OPEN HOUSE

PRESENTATIONS THAT INTRODUCED THE SIX-MONTH PRE-APPRENTICESHIP

TRAINING PROGRAM, WHICH WILL OFFER TRAINING AND HANDS-ON EXPERI-ENCE IN THE VARIOUS CONSTRUCTION TRADES. UPON COMPLETION OF THE

PROGRAM, RESIDENTS WILL BE GIVEN PREFERRED ACCESS TO JOBS AS PAID

TRADE UNION APPRENTICES. THE PROGRAM WILL BE RUN BY CS2K AND WILL

BEGIN IN MARCH.

BUILDING FUTURES Construction Skills 2000 Director DianeSpringer addresses residents who are interested in careers in theconstruction trades at Ravenswood Houses in Queens in November.

At the Ravenswood Commu-nity Center in Queens on theevening of November 15th, RESand CS2K representatives metwith over 20 residents. CS2K is anot-for-profit educational corpo-ration that trains and provides ser-vices to high school students andadults in the construction field.In partnership with RES, CS2Kfocuses on meeting the needs ofNYCHA residents.

CS2K Director Diane Springertold the Ravenswood group that herorganization had placed 699 peoplein jobs in the building trades overthe last several years. These newworkers started as trainees andgraduated to become union appren-tices and then journeymen.

To be eligible to enroll in theCS2K program, residents musthave a high school diploma orGED. Interested residents who donot have a high school diploma are referred to the Department of Education.

The first four months in theCS2K program consist of work-shops and seminars for three hoursa week. In July and August theprogram becomes full-time. Par-ticipants learn about the unionhierarchies, as well as what’srequired of carpenters, plumbers,glaziers, sheet metal workers, etc.

Then it’s off to the various job sitesto watch the journeymen work.

Once completing the program,graduates are certified to becomeapprentices and placed directlyinto the trades as union members.They receive apprenticeship payand eventually, after a year or ayear-and-a-half, they work theirway up to the position of journey-man. A journeyman is a tradesmanor craftsman who has completedan apprenticeship but is not yetable to set up his or her own work-shop as a master.

Said Ms. Springer, “You show upevery day, on time and make thecommitment and you could be earn-ing $75 an hour in a union job downthe line. Earn while you learn.”

Representatives of the Interna-tional Brotherhood of ElectricalWorkers (IBEW) Local 3 and RESDeputy Director Gladys Arciniegaanswered a variety of questions.The union electricians who spoketo the group, Thomas Carlo andTerrence Da Silva, told them thatrequirements are high for electri-cians and plumbers and that theunion pays for its members to goto college.

If you are interested in a careerin the construction industry, seethe ad for Construction Skills 2000on page 6.

DIGEST BOROUGHBy Eileen Elliott

By Allan Leicht

The NYCHA Senior Chorus at First Houses on October 21st.

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Have A Happy New Year!

PARKING SPACES AVAILABLE ON

NYCHA PROPERTY! CALL YOUR

MANAGEMENT OFFICEFOR MORE

INFORMATION.

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