ARRA Public Housing Capital Funds Fact Sheet

Program Overview

After many years of federal cuts in operating and capital funding (currently local Housing Authorities receive only about 80% of the funding they need to maintain and operate developments), public housing is falling apart. As a result, many residents deal with unsafe living conditions or lose their homes altogether when public housing developments are torn down completely. The ARRA provided $4 billion to the Public Housing Capital Fund for energy efficiency modernization and renovations in public housing across the country. This moneywill start to address some of the structural problems caused by years of neglect by the federal government and help preserve public housing as an affordable option for low-income families. ARRA funds for public housing have been distributed through the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), $3 billion according to the existing funding formula and $1 billion through a competitive process.

New YorkState Context

ARRA funds for public housing were distributed directly to local housing authorities and are not channeled through any state agencies. Housing authorities in New YorkState collectively received $502 million in formula based block grants and $21 million in competitive grants. Here is a breakdown of how much money some cities in New YorkState have received in Public Housing Capital Fund Formula Grants:

  • Syracuse - $4,502,381
  • Buffalo - $14,510,364
  • Newburgh - $224,341
  • Poughkeepsie - $869,736
  • Yonkers - $6,552,562
  • New York City - $423,284,344

New York City

In April of this year, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) and NYC Mayor Bloomberg announced 70 projects that will be funded through stimulus money. Following guidelines laid out in the ARRA, priority was given to projects that would lead to filling vacanciesor that were shovel-ready and part of NYCHA’s five year plan.The ARRA funds bring NYCHA’s planned 5-year capital budget to $2 billion.

  • $87 million will go towards renovatingWhitman Ingersoll Houses, a development in downtown Brooklyn of 3400 apartments that has had a large percentage of vacant units for years
  • $70 million will go towards replacing, repairing and upgrading elevators
  • $209 million will go towards other capital projects such as roof replacement, brickwork, energy efficient appliances, boiler replacement, and plumbing upgrades.

Section 3 Hiring of Public Housing & Low-Income Residents

HUD regulations require that local housing authorities ensure that contractors hire some residents from the public housing developments they are working on or low-income residents from the surrounding community. Even before the recession, unemployment was a huge issue for low-income communities in New York and in public housing developments. A study done by the Community Service Society found that over 20,000 residents of public housing in NYC are actively looking for employment. NYCHA estimates that projects funded through the ARRA in NYC will create 3,255 jobs, but that only 214 of these jobs will go to NYCHA residents.

Discussion Questions

  • Do these facts and figures accurately reflect the needs you see in your community?
  • Does the stimulus appear to be helping with these and other issues in your community?
  • If not, what evidence would you need to see to be convinced that it was having an impact?
  • What role should residents have in overseeing the use of stimulus funds to renovate and repair your homes?

Resources & Contacts

John Rhea, Chairman, New York City Housing Authority 212-306-3434

List of projects/NYCHA developments receiving stimulus funds:

NYCHA Stimulus Funds Tracking at NYC Stat:

HUD Recovery Website:

“Making the Connection: Economic Opportunity for Public Housing Residents,” a policy brief by Victor Bach and Tom Waters, Community Service Society