Rosenthal and Stavisky Announce Capital Grants for NYCHA Pomonok Houses

FLUSHING- Assemblymember Daniel Rosenthal announced this week that he has secured $125,000 in State and Municipal Funding (SAM) for NYCHA’s Pomonok Houses. The Assemblymember was joined by Residents Association President Tamika Williams, as well as State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky who recently submitted $250,000 for the development-wide repair of exterior lights.

The funding comes after Assemblymember Rosenthal hosted the Chair of the New York City Housing Authority, Gregory Russ, earlier this year following a high volume of complaints from the community. Alongside other elected representatives and the Resident’s Association, Rosenthal organized a property walkthrough at the Pomonok Houses. Stakeholders discussed and surveyed a litany of challenges afflicting the 35-building, 4,200 resident development. 

Among the issues raised at the meeting were unsanitary conditions from the accumulation of trash due to inoperable compactors. “The Pomonok community has endured years of underfunding and infrastructural neglect,” said Assemblymember Daniel Rosenthal (D-Flushing). “With this grant, we can begin to tackle the hazardous sanitation conditions faced by residents for too far long.  Amid the greatest health crisis of a century, we cannot stand idly by while our community is knowingly in harm's way.”

Another crucial focus of the meeting was the security concerns created from dozens of broken outside lights, which Senator Stavisky has identified as one of her capital funding focuses. "In February I toured the Pomonok Houses, after our office received numerous complaints from residents over deteriorating conditions and inadequate security features," said Senator Toby Ann Stavisky (D-Queens). Because no one should ever feel insecure or vulnerable in their own homes and neighborhoods, I was able to allocate funding to help restore exterior lighting for residents and upgrade safety measures throughout the Pomonok community. We want the Pomonok Houses to be considered a 'crown jewel' of the New York City Housing Authority, and we need to continue to work diligently to improve the quality of life for residents." 

“Built in 1952, Pomonok utilizes its original antiquated system of malfunctioning equipment. Said Tamika Williams, President of the Residents Association. “NYCHA has adopted the practice of making small repairs that affix ‘band-aide' remediation while accruing major capital expenses. Garbage disposals trash compactors and containers all have a 10% depreciation rate which has far outlived its lifespan of 10 years. Pomonk is a beautiful community housed on a 52-acre landscape that is riddled with dark and gloomy areas which are breeding grounds for crime and vermin. While residents are met with huge bags of garbage at their entrances, vermin also greet their presence, tearing into garbage bags and feeding on its contents. Our goal is to curtail major pest control issues, enhance lighting security so residents feel safe. We would like to thank our local government; Assemblyman Daniel Rosenthal and Senator Toby Stavisky for not only acknowledging the need and impact of safe and sanitary living conditions, but also for the commitment to improve the quality of life at Pomonok Houses and its surrounding communities.”

The Pomonok Houses were built in 1952 and are the largest concentration of individual buildings in all of Queens County.