Senator Lanza Announces $42 Million to Fight Violent Crime at NYCHA Developments

Senator Andrew Lanza and Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that nearly $42 million in state funding will be committed to bolstering safety and security at New York City Housing Authority developments. The allocation will pay for security cameras, interior and exterior lighting and gunfire detection technology, among other enhancements.

“The brave officers of the NYPD have done great work in lowering crime to historic levels in New York City,” Governor Cuomo said. “But many public housing residents are worried by the violence they’ve seen where they live. We have heard that concern and will be funding critical safety and security upgrades at NYCHA developments in the five boroughs. Every New Yorker deserves a safe place to call home.”

Senator Andrew Lanza said: “New York City Housing Authority developments will be safer places to live as a result of this new security grant that will help address safety and security threats that pose a risk to the well-being of public housing residents.”

New York Police Department data for the period from January 1 through October 11 show that shootings and robberies at NYCHA developments have increased this year compared to last. Some developments have seen especially sharp increases in violent crime, including several of those that will be receiving funding for safety and security hardware and technology.

The $41.7 million of safety and security upgrades announced today were developed by the New York State Homes and Community Renewal in consultation with local stakeholders, including NYCHA tenants, who identified developments that have seen spikes in violence, or have had ongoing, longer-term problems with crime.

The 2015-16 enacted State Budget invests $477 million for a multitude of housing programs, including $248 million from the JP Morgan settlement proceeds to support various affordable housing and community development programs, such as the $100 million for upgrades to NYCHA facilities. The $100 million allocation was intended to enable NYCHA to make needed, short-term, quality-of-life improvements to its developments.

A list of the developments and the enhancements they will receive is available here. A plan for investing the balance of the $100 million will be announced soon.