Federal funding cuts to New York’s already beleaguered public housing system last year may leave the city’s NYCHA buildings in an even more dire state. So congressional candidates are loudly proclaiming that not nearly enough is being done about as the June primaries approach.
“Not only are they cutting funding and cutting benefits to communities who need it, their actions and policy decisions are harmful,” said former Bronx Assemblymember Michael Blake, who is vying for a chance to unseat Democratic Rep. Ritchie Torres, the first openly gay Afro-Latino member, in the Bronx’s 15th Congressional District. This would be the second time Blake is up against Torres in a congressional race for the same seat.
NYCHA provides housing to more than 500,000 residents in over 177,565 apartments within 335 developments, according to their 2025 numbers. These buildings have suffered from decades of disinvestment at the city, state, and federal levels, which has led to crumbling infrastructure, lead paint, heat outages, and extensive repair backlog.
According to the city’s Independent Budget Office (IBO), NYCHA’s budget “relies heavily on federal funds.” Unless the city and state can make up for it in their budgets, the situation is likely to get worse under President Donald Trump. Since Trump’s big tax bill was enacted in July 2025, crucial funding for public housing has been cut or threatened, said IBO.
Blake says it’s time to outline how that bottom line is hurting public housing and the people who live in it.
“You’ve had decades of federal neglect through Republican and Democratic administrations. We got to call that out. But we are in a moment right now where there is an administration that is actively taking steps to hurt people within NYCHA,” said Blake.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which oversees NYCHA because of a federal monitor in 2019, first ended the Emergency Housing Voucher program for Section 8 tenants last year and planned to eliminate $108 million in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for NYCHA repairs. The federal fiscal year 2026 budget argued to reduce $27 billion in funding from Section 9, Section 8, and other HUD housing vouchers. They also proposed a two-year cap on rental assistance for all “able-bodied adults,” said IBO.
“Ritchie has brought in money. But you still have elevators broken. You still have explosions happening. You still have people who don’t have heat. Money alone is not the solution. It is accountability,” said Blake. “And this is a humanity question. If you have your apartment. And your landlord, your super, did not repair things consistently. You would either fire that landlord, or you would sue that owner. Residents are effectively being told to deal with it.”
Blake is proposing a digital repair ticket system so that any person can track their repairs in real time, cutting utility bills with green upgrades, and training and hiring residents in the community to do the repair work through trusted local nonprofit partners.
Meanwhile, congress members are celebrating little wins to bring NYCHA developments in their districts direct federal resources through Community Project Funding.
Torres announced that he secured about $18 million through this funding source. The funding will support several investments including $5 million for NYCHA’s Patterson Houses to address plumbing failures, water intrusion, and mold remediation; $850,000 to replace outdated fire alarm systems at Gun Hill Houses; and $850,000 to modernize fire detection systems at Parkside Houses.
“These investments seek to address many of the priorities I hear directly from my constituents in the Bronx,” said Torres in a statement. “Community Project Funding allows us to direct federal resources toward urgent local needs, from safe housing and violence prevention to climate resilience, education, and access to technology. This funding will deliver tangible improvements to quality of life across our communities, and I am so proud to have worked to bring these dollars home to the Bronx.”
Additionally, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries was able to secure about $1 million in CPF for NYCHA’s Van Dyke II Senior Center, Carter G. Woodson Houses, and Kingsborough Extension in Brooklyn.
“These Community Project Funding checks represent just a small down payment on the work that we need to continue to do in this city to make sure that all of you who worked hard, played by the rules and helped get the situation moving in a better direction, can bear the fruits of your labor. So each and every opportunity that presents itself to stand up for public housing residents and to stand up for seniors, I’m going to stand for public housing residents and stand up for seniors,” said Jeffries in a statement.