Though our group is newly incorporated in 2023, the history of our coordination dates back to 2019 when many of us were members of Community Voices Heard, and were instrumental in carrying out a research and organizing project around disrepair and health in public housing in the Rockaways. While we handled the extensive outreach and surveying efforts, which we integrated with regular community meetings and other activities, the Regional Plan Association helped contextualize, analyze and write-up our findings.
In fall of 2021, we met with HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge to discuss the status of the RAD program, which news reports were reflecting on poorly.
In 2022, we undertook another research and organizing effort, this time focused on how our neighbors at Ocean Bay Houses were faring since converting to the RAD/PACT program in 2016. In addition to a report and an educational website, we hosted a three-part series of community meetings to discuss the program and our research and findings, amongst ourselves, with NYCHA officials, with other outside technical experts, and other tenants leaders organizing elsewhere in the city. Additionally, we hosted a Resident Town Hall wherein we invited elected officials to hear from community members directly.
In the second half of the 2022, we began putting together our Resident Empowerment Outreach Plan (Re-Op), a game plan to raise the consciousness of our neighbors, increase community connection, power and capacity for civic action through broad and deep outreach and organizing across the five remaining public housing development in Far Rockaway Queens.
Now in 2023, we are newly incorporated and have started to engage the first step of our Re-Op, which includes extensive outreach and surveying of our neighbors and working re-establish the networks we need to best advocate for the needs of our communities.
