New Report Exposes Inefficient Allocation of NYC Public Housing

Proposed reforms would increase turnover and encourage upward mobility

NEW YORK, NY — The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) has been dogged by stories of mismanagement in recent years, but its problems go far beyond its $30 billion maintenance backlog. A new Manhattan Institute report by Howard Husock, vice president for research and publications, uses new, exclusive data to show how NYCHA ineffectively allocates its available apartments, fails to offer housing that meets the needs of those on the waiting list, and ultimately promotes­ long-term dependence rather than upward mobility.

Husock suggests three new policies—short-term assistance for new tenants, flat-rate leases, and buyouts for longer-term tenants—that could significantly increase the turnover in New York public housing units. Not only would this make more units available for those on the waiting list, but it would also help change the culture of the authority by encouraging upward mobility rather than long-term dependence.

The paper’s key findings include:

• A third of all NYCHA tenants are “over-housed,” with more bedrooms than they need, while 16 percent of the city’s households in poverty live in overcrowded conditions.
• Nearly 60 percent of those on the authority’s waiting list qualify for a studio or one-bedroom apartment, but those constitute only 25 percent of all NYCHA units.
• Nearly half (46%) of households have been in their units for 20 or more years, and 18 percent have been there for over 40 years.

Click here to read the full report.