Frequently Asked Questions

As required by federal regulations, households continue to pay 30% of their adjusted gross income towards rent. In fact, residents do not have to pay any additional fees, charges, or utility expenses that are greater than what they currently pay. The one exception is for households who currently pay flat rent; these households are currently paying less than 30% of their income towards rent. After the transition to Project-Based Section 8, households will pay 30% regardless of their income level.

Exceptions may apply to households who pay flat rent; are current tenant-based Section 8 participants; are a mixed family as defined by HUD; or who signed a non-public housing over income lease.

In 2012, the Obama administration created the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program to allow public housing authorities to transition their properties to a better funded and more stable program called Project-Based Section 8. The RAD program requires public housing authorities to preserve all resident rights and also grants some new rights.

NYCHA’s implementation of the RAD program is called the Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) program, and PACT offers additional rights and protections above and beyond what the federal government requires. Following the transition to Project-Based Section 8, lease agreements automatically renew, residents cannot be evicted without cause, and households continue to pay 30% of their adjusted gross income towards rent. These and other key rights and protections are codified in the new tenant lease, the RAD Statute and Implementing Notices, and other federal regulations.

The PACT program, in accordance with federal rules and regulations, provides strong anti-displacement protections for residents. At the time of conversion to Project-Based Section 8, all authorized residents will be offered a new lease – regardless of whether they owe back rent. NYCHA requires its PACT partners to work with on-site social service coordinators to conduct proactive outreach to help connect families with resources, such as accessing public benefits or setting up payment installment plans. PACT partners must make every effort to avoid bringing a lease issue to the Housing Court, and NYCHA closely monitors these outreach efforts.

Federal regulations also provide relocation protections and a right to return. Only the approximately 120 households currently residing at 401 West 19th Street & 419 West 19th Street and 436 West 27th Drive will be required to temporarily relocate during construction. All other households will move directly into their brand-new apartments after they are completed. Any household that must be temporarily moved during the construction process will sign a Right to Return Agreement that guarantees their right to return to their new home once it is complete. The Agreement will also provide additional benefits, including free packing and moving support.

Yes. Under the Project-Based Section 8 program, NYCHA receives significantly more funding that can be used for maintenance, repairs, and the construction of new buildings. This funding source is also more stable because it comes with a 20-year contract guaranteeing a set amount of funding each year, and Federal regulations require that the contract be renewed. Project-Based Section 8 ensures NYCHA properties are on sustainable financial footing for future generations.

Yes. Authorized household members will continue to have succession rights as they do under the Section 9 program. This means that family members who are eligible can continue to live in the apartment after the original leaseholder leaves, under the same terms of affordability and tenant protections.

Following the construction of the new buildings, NYCHA and the PACT Partner team will use the public housing occupancy standards to ensure that all households are provided an appropriately sized apartment based on their household composition. This is a federal requirement that applies to both the public housing and Project-Based Section 8 programs.

Households will be able to request a Housing Choice Voucher (pending available funding and that they are eligible for subsidy) approximately 10 months after converting to the Project-Based Section 8 program and moving into their new apartments. The Housing Choice Voucher program allows residents to move anywhere in the United States where Section 8 vouchers are accepted. 

NYCHA and the PACT Partner are prioritizing making sure that the limited number of households that need temporary relocation have a suitable on-site location to reside in until their replacement building is complete. All households will be provided a right-sized apartment in their respective replacement building. NYCHA will reevaluate the option of resuming right-sizing moves within the existing campuses once all households requiring a temporary move have been accommodated. All new and existing transfer requests will be processed under the standard Tenant Selection and Assignment Plan (“TSAP”). For more information, please refer to TSAP.

After all existing households at Fulton, Elliott, Chelsea, and Chelsea Addition have been provided a new home, any vacant apartments must be leased to qualifying Section 8 households from a site-based waiting list, which is managed by NYCHA.

The new property manager is not permitted to set rents or disqualify households from the Project-Based Section 8 program. NYCHA will continue to perform residents’ annual income certifications and determine each household’s rent.

After the transition to Project-Based Section 8, households will pay 30% regardless of their income level.

Exceptions may apply to households who are current tenant-based Section 8 participants; are a mixed family as defined by HUD; or who signed a non-public housing over-income lease.

Yes. Prior to moving into your new home, all households will be required to sign a PACT Resident Lease, which is similar to the Public Housing Lease. The Lease includes many important tenant protections, including the rent calculation, as well as House Rules, which cannot be stricter than those set by NYCHA. The PACT Resident Lease has been reviewed by Legal Aid Society, an independent legal services organization, and cannot be changed by the PACT Partner without NYCHA’s approval.

A sample of the PACT Resident Lease and accompanying riders and notices are included in the following link: https://www.nyc.gov/site/nycha/about/pact/resident-resources.page

As required by New York State Human Rights Law, housing providers are required to make reasonable accommodations or modifications to a building or living space for residents with disabilities. A reasonable accommodation in housing is a change, modification, or alteration in policy, procedure, practice, or program that provides a qualified individual an equal opportunity to participate in, or benefit from, a program or activity.

If you have a special need and require an accommodation in your current home, please contact NYCHA Property Management. If you have a special need that you would like accommodated in your new apartment, you will have the opportunity to share your need/accommodation when the PACT Partner conducts outreach regarding your new lease. This process will take place approximately six months in advance of your scheduled move-in. 

If you require a reasonable accommodation due to a medical need or other qualifying reasonable accommodation circumstance, your specific needs and location preference will be taken into account.

As part of the proposed project, we will provide new, modern community facilities for Hudson Guild in the first replacement buildings at both Fulton and Chelsea Addition. In addition, NYCHA requires that the PACT Partner create a comprehensive Social Services Plan that is informed by residents’ needs. As part of this process, we will conduct resident surveys to understand what social service needs, programs, and resources can be provided or enhanced across the two campuses. We will also form a Resident Resources & Community Engagement Resident Committee to help us shape this plan. To join, please email us.