Maximizing Economic Opportunities for NYCHA Residents and Other Low-Income New Yorkers

NYCHA’s Section 3 Workforce Development Strategy project aims to review and update the current strategy to maximize hiring of NYCHA residents and other low-income New Yorkers through the diverse portfolio of services and construction contracts. ‘Section 3’ requires public housing agencies to expend public housing financial assistance to direct employment, training, and contracting opportunities to low-income individuals and the businesses that employ these persons within their community. 

NYCHA directly expends close to two billion USD a year on contracts subject to Section 3 rules, and has established a range of workforce development programs as well as internal policy requirements and processes to try to maximize Section 3 hiring on these contracts. In addition, a similar amount of funds are spent on construction-related contacts by private and non-profit partners annually through NYCHA’s PACT Program – a public-private partnership model for comprehensively renovating and managing public housing properties in New York – also subject to Section 3 rules. NYCHA has asked the Capstone team to review and update of Authority’s Section 3 Workforce Development Strategy to maximize economic opportunities created for NYCHA residents and other low-income New Yorkers. This will include developing a 3-year implementation plan with specific targets.