The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) has announced that it has completed more than 800 capital construction projects across its public housing portfolio over the past five years, representing over $5.1 billion in investment. The work, carried out across properties in all five boroughs of New York City, has included major upgrades to building systems, apartments, and open spaces. The Authority reported that annual capital expenditures reached $1.25 billion in 2025, the highest level of annual spending in recent years.
The increased pace of construction follows the implementation of NYCHA’s Transformation Plan and the establishment of its Asset & Capital Management division in 2022. Through this restructuring, the agency consolidated its capital planning, modernization, and resiliency initiatives, enabling it to scale project delivery and undertake larger and more complex building upgrades. Since 2021, annual capital spending has exceeded $1 billion each year, funding improvements such as heating system replacements, elevator modernizations, roof replacements, and security infrastructure installations.
Courtesy of NYCHA.
Between 2021 and 2025, the Authority completed construction on 810 projects throughout its portfolio, replacing or upgrading thousands of assets that directly affect building operations and residents’ quality of life. Work during this period included the renovation of 177 heating systems, replacement of 277 elevators, installation of more than 3,700 CCTV cameras and more than 3,100 lighting assets, and in excess of 3,300 apartment upgrades. The program also delivered new or renovated outdoor and community amenities, including 25 community center upgrades and 68 playground and sports court improvements.
“Following the 2019 HUD Agreement, and as a result of our implementation of the Transformation Plan, NYCHA is now completing more capital work annually than at any point in recent history,” said NYCHA chief executive officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt. “The completion of more than 800 projects is a testament to our dedication to not only enhancing and expediting service delivery, but to making tangible improvements on the campuses and inside the homes and buildings of NYCHA residents.”
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NYCHA has been called the worst slumlord in the city. I hope these projects have improved matters. Much of the horror stories on TV involve leaking drain pipes which cause plaster to fall.
Nothing has been done in Morningside Heights or Manhattanville.
Money down the drain