NYCHA Agrees to Procurement Reforms

After 10 months of talks between the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), public housing resident leaders and the unions, the NYCHA has agreed to move nearly $500 million of its annual construction and maintenance portfolio to outside construction management firms as part of a pilot project aimed at reforming NYCHA's procurement process.

The pilot project entitled CM/Build will be made official when the NYCHA issues a formal RFP in late June. NYCHA has already committed to the program in its 2004 Annual Plan issued on May 30.

The agreement will allow unionized firms and other responsible contractors to competitively bid on NYCHA's construction and maintenance work for the first time. The labor unions and union contractors have committed to making slots available in union apprenticeship programs for housing authority residents.

The new construction managers would be responsible for enforcing tough new standards on construction firms seeking to bid on NYCHA work. The new standards will require all bidders to have state-approved apprenticeship programs, will mandate training and jobs on NYCHA construction sites for its residents and will require greater adherence to state and federal prevailing wage laws.

A public awareness campaign will be kicked off today at the NYCHA headquarters with a rally and will continue throughout the summer which will inform public housing residents about how to apply for jobs an training in the new program.

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