WHO WE ARE
Resident Councils
The role of a resident council is to improve the quality of life and resident satisfaction and participate in self-help initiatives to enable residents to create a positive living environment for families living in public housing.
Each resident council’s has a democratically elected governing board that is elected by the voting membership. At minimum, the governing board must consist of five elected board members such as president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, and sergeant-at-arms. The term of office varies for each resident council but does not exceed 3 years. For an election, voting membership must consist of heads of households (any age) and other residents at least 18 years of age or older and whose name appears on a lease for the unit in the public housing development that the resident council represents.
To find out how you can participate in the resident council elections process at your development, contact the Resident Engagement Department at resident.engagement@nycha.nyc.gov
WHAT WE DO
The Resident Council is vital in offering residents a way to build working relationships with the housing agency, and create a positive living environment in Public Housing. The Council plays a part in improving the quality of life for Public Housing communities and brings a wide variety of issues to the attention of PHA from safety to environment. A resident council is a group of Public Housing residents who organize by holding elections for officers and adopting by-laws that serve as a roadmap for how the council will conduct its business. The council’s democratically elected board must consist of five board members who have been elected by the voting membership.
Public Housing residents can serve on resident councils if they are:
1) heads of household (of any age) or
2) a household members whose name is on the lease and at least 18 years old.
Council members must be in good standing. They also have to meet any additional requirements that are written into the resident council bylaws. PHAs must acknowledge a duly elected resident council as the one voice of the residents and support its tenant participation activities. Whenever possible, the housing authority should make sure to meet with a new council whenever one is elected. The PHA must encourage a flow of information and address outstanding issues or concerns through meeting and other means of communication.
The PHA and its Resident Council work together to build a better community. Residents should be actively involved in the PHA’s decision-making process since it is the residents that have firsthand knowledge of what is needed in their respective communities. By developing a productive working relationship, the residents and PHA can flourish together.
Public Safety Advisory Committee
As part of NextGeneration NYCHA, the New York City Housing Authority will soon launch a Public Housing Advisory Committee. It will build on the strengths of NYCHA communities to improve resident safety and quality of life. Of the resident PSAC members, the Advisory Committee is recruiting two young NYCHA residents (age 18 to 24) to serve on the committee.