Joint Oversight Hearing on Older Adult Centers at NYCHA Facilities - October 27, 2026

On October 27, 2026, the New York City Council Committees on Aging (Chair Susan Zhuang) and Public Housing (Chair Chris Banks) held a joint oversight hearing to examine the conditions of Older Adult Centers (OACs) located in New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) facilities, and to hear testimony on Introduction 1083, which would require financial literacy advisors in OACs. The hearing featured testimony from two panels of OAC provider representatives, an administration panel of NYC Department for the Aging (DFTA) Commissioner Dr. Lisa Scott McKenzie and NYCHA Chief Operating Officer Eva Trimble, and public testimony. A central theme was the breakdown in communication and unclear division of maintenance responsibilities between NYCHA, DFTA, and OAC providers, exacerbated by aging infrastructure and the RAD/PACT conversion process.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Sarah Morgridge (Riverstone Senior Life Services): Morgridge detailed severe problems following her center's NYCHA building converting to RAD/PACT with a private landlord (PRC). She stated the landlord caused them to lose their property liability insurance twice (first by demanding they claim PRC's water damage on their policy, and second due to illegal fire panels PRC refused to remove). PRC is pressuring them to sign a license agreement containing an eviction clause for failure to maintain insurance, a situation PRC themselves caused. She characterized non-profit providers as an afterthought in the RAD program.
• Patricia Lynch (Millennium Development): Lynch described struggling to provide basic services amidst unresolved leaks, lack of heat, and broken elevators. She stated that when issues are reported, responsibility is often passed between agencies, leading to significant delays. She noted that many OACs lack formal MOUs or lease agreements, impairing their ability to make improvements and leading to FDNY citations. She called for clear ownership and urgency in resolving building issues.
• Bridget Lee (Weinberg Center for Elder Justice): Expressed support for Int. 1083 but urged the council to strengthen it by requiring advisor training in elder abuse and financial exploitation red flags.
• Anita Kwok (United Neighborhood Houses): Testified that the promised interagency coordination between DFTA and NYCHA has not materialized effectively, leading to prolonged repair timelines and providers being asked to undertake maintenance without funding or site control.
• Rosemary Salazar (University Settlement): Described a specific case where NYCHA refused to connect a fire panel to the FDNY alarm system, deferring responsibility to the provider despite historical practice.

Discussion Items

• Repair Protocols & Coordination: DFTA Comm. McKenzie and NYCHA COO Trimble described the repair workflow (provider calls NYCHA CCC, ticket assigned, NYCHA fixes building systems, providers fix interiors). They reported bi-weekly and quarterly meetings to review open tickets. Chair Zhuang raised a specific example of a leak at LaGuardia/Dykeman OAC that providers reported as ongoing for two years. Chair Banks questioned the effectiveness of the process, noting the absence of a formal written maintenance agreement between NYCHA and DFTA, which he argued contributes to responsibility being passed between agencies.
• Infrastructure & Capital Needs: NYCHA stated it received 1,700 work orders from OACs in the past year, with approximately 250 still open and an average 12.8-day response time. NYCHA identified 60 current FDNY violations and 2 DOB violations at OACs. Officials acknowledged the closure of Latimer Gardens OAC due to a roof leak, stating the required roof replacement is an unfunded capital project with roughly a 4-year timeline if funded. DFTA stated they rely almost entirely on discretionary funding from elected officials for capital improvements, having completed 56 projects in FY26 thanks to a $5M Council grant. Councilmember Restler highlighted stalled $6M in capital funds from the Brooklyn Borough President, which NYCHA attributed to past staffing shortages now resolved.
• RAD/PACT Conversions: Chair Banks queried whether OAC rehabilitation is guaranteed in PACT deals. COO Trimble noted that while it is always the intent, Section 8 funds cannot be used for community spaces, making such renovations dependent on available city subsidy. She confirmed that Council capital funds allocated for OACs in developments that later convert to PACT are evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
• Financial Literacy Bill (Int. 1083): Councilmember Hudson, the bill's sponsor, discussed implementation with the administration. DFTA supports the intent but estimates the cost for an advisor at every OAC for 20 hours per month to be between $2-3 million. Comm. McKenzie suggested shared or mobile advisors could be an alternative. Public testimony supported the bill while requesting amendments for specific elder abuse training.
• Safety, Compliance, and Security: Councilmember Ossé raised ADA compliance. The agencies could not provide a count of non-compliant centers or a total cost estimate but committed to surveying the 105 OACs. Chair Banks stressed that the 60 open FDNY violations are unacceptable and providers should not face penalties for NYCHA's infrastructure failures. NYCHA and DFTA committed to working actively to cure the violations.

Key Outcomes

• Legislative Status: Introduction 1083 (Financial Literacy Advisors) was heard and laid over by the committee. Oversight Resolution T2026-2463 (OACs in NYCHA Facilities) was heard and filed.
• Data Commitments: NYCHA and DFTA committed to providing the committees with a comprehensive breakdown of open repair tickets, a list of needed capital projects across the 105 OACs, an assessment of ADA compliance status and costs, and a follow-up report on specific facilities like LaGuardia/Dykeman and William Hodson.
• Directives for Agencies: Chair Zhuang and Chair Banks directed the agencies to develop clearer protocols for maintenance responsibility to ensure providers are not fined or forced to close due to unresolved NYCHA infrastructure problems. They emphasized the need for a formalized repair agreement.
• Future Policy: The committees expressed intent to explore dedicated capital funding streams for OACs in upcoming budgets and to continue refining Int. 1083 based on testimony submitted.