MSCC, Sharon Jasprizza, February 3, 2026

NOTE ABOUT THIS RECAP: This meeting recap, based on summaries generated by AI, has been revised for clarity and reformatted to adhere to the established style of MSCC, including edits and additional information that AI did not comprehend.  

SUMMARY

MSCC Homeless & Housing Meeting RECAP: A dangerous Citywide Precedent for Monetizing and privatization of Public Housing Land; Gentrification Through Demotion Rather than Preservation; Adaptive Reuse of The Stewart Hotel

• Alex Yong, WSNA NYC, RTC, Member of the End Apartment Warehousing Coalition, MSCC: Find The “Alex Effect” which is the edited second half of the February 3, 2026 Homeless & Housing meeting at https://youtu.be/s4Wl7Xrx7w
• Ramona Ferreyra is the founder of Save Section 9: addressed the Faircloth Amendment, explaining that NYCHA has an allowance to build up to 24,000 new units to replace those privatized, and argued the mayor should use this to expand public housing instead of pursuing other models. The dangerous citywide precedent for monetizing public housing land by privatization and further gentrification through demolition rather than preservation needs to be stopped.
• Amie Pospisil, Chief Operating Officer at Breaking Ground: Breaking Ground’s new Stewart Hotel project, a joint venture with Slate Property Group, will create 579 units at 31st and 7th Avenue, with half for supportive housing and half as affordable units at 60% AMI, aiming for a 2028 opening after a two-year renovation. Breaking Ground will manage both the property and on-site social services, which will include a full team of case managers, clinicians, and healthcare providers to support residents, many of whom will come from their Midtown street outreach programs.

CHAIR: John Mudd

MINUTES: Sharon Jasprizza

POLICY MEETING UPDATES

There were not 8:30 Homeless and Housing Policy meeting updates.

JANUARY HIGHLIGHTS

• A big round of applause for two major milestones in the MSCC family! 🎉 

First, we want to extend our deepest gratitude and heartfelt farewell to Ted Houghton. After many years of dedicated service, Ted’s time on our Board has come to a close in January 2026. His invaluable contributions, visionary leadership, and unwavering commitment have been pivotal in shaping our organization and guiding us toward success. Ted, thank you for everything. Your legacy will have a lasting impact on MSCC for years to come.

• In the spirit of new beginnings, we are absolutely thrilled to officially welcome Luana Green as a full voting member of the MSCC Board! Luana’s confirmation is for a two-year term, running from January 1, 2026, to December 31, 2027. While many of you already know Luana from her many years as an honorary board member and her even longer tenure as a trusted advisor, we are so excited to have her voice and expertise in an official capacity. Please join us in giving Luana a warm welcome as she steps into this new role!
• Our dedicated MSCC Funding Committee met on January 13, 2026, and we had an incredibly productive session mapping out our 2026 forward path to raise crucial funds for all MSCC’s vital community programs. A special focus this year is on our beloved Urban Farm Program! We’re committed to expanding this green oasis in the heart of Midtown South and at our Upstate farm, providing fresh produce, education, and a beautiful community space for everyone to enjoy.

We can’t do it alone! This is a community effort, and we need your passion and ideas. So, Join the Committee! In 2025 our Urban Farm Program distributed an incredible 3,775 pounds of fresh organic produce directly to residents of the Fulton Elliott Chelsea public housing, local homeless shelters and community cupboards. Donate here

• The “Chelsea Public Housing Legal Defense Fund Is in It for The Long Haul” continued its work all through January. It is a coalition of proud seniors, tenants, and community allies who are united to say “no more” to the theft of land, violent gentrification, and abuse. To support the tenants of Fulton and Elliott Chelsea in their fight, a Click Here and GofundMe! campaign has been launched to hire crucial legal representation. To learn more about the collusion and ongoing abuses, you can read the reports Demolition Planned for Chelsea, the Chelsea’s Gold Mine.

SPECIAL INTRODUCTION(S) AND OR UPDATES:

• Ramona Ferreyra a tenant of Mitchell Houses, a NYCHA development in the South Bronx and the founder of Save Section 9. The Safe Section 9 is a coalition dedicated to empowering public housing tenants to advocate for their homes and to stop the privatization and demolition of public housing.
• Madison Markham also from Save Section 9 and is a public housing ally who has been working with Save Section 9 for about a year and a half.
• Sue Antoine is the deputy director at the Main Chance Drop-in Center: The drop-in center is operating at full capacity every night. To manage the overflow during the extreme cold, they had two warming buses parked outside the building 24/7—one for individuals identifying as male and one for those identifying as female—so people could come inside to use the bathroom and eat. She confirmed that the city administration had been very helpful with this initiative over the past week.
• John Mudd is the President of MSCC and asked for support to the need for join the board and update the “street sheets.” Also referred to three letters available for support or signatures: one from Section 9 (related to the Breaking Ground presentation), one from the Chelsea Public Housing Coalition, and one from Fulton Elliott Chelsea Against Demolition (FEC).
• Alex Yong announced the upcoming monthly meeting for the “Coalition to End Apartment Warehousing” next Thursday at 1:00 PM. The coalition’s mission, which formed in late 2020, is to combat the intentional non-renting of apartments by landlords. The goal is not to make warehousing illegal, but to make the precursors to it more difficult and to eliminate the financial incentives for landlords.

A DANGEROUS CITYWIDE PRECEDENT FOR MONETIZING PUBLIC HOUSING LAND BY PRIVATIZATION AND FURTHER GENTRIFICATION THROUGH DEMONLITION RATHER THAN PRESERVATION

Ramona Ferreyra is the founder of Save Section 9 and a tenant of Mitchell Houses, a NYCHA development in the South Bronx

• MSCC and partners are anxious to gain support from our new Mayor for their cause. We all are fighting the good fight and want to ensure best possible outcomes for the people we serve. The CPHLDF (draft Letter) needs signatories.
• Save Section 9: is looking for signatories for their letter To Mamdani (draft). The letter’s framework makes recommendations to improve the mayor’s housing platform, based on the belief that he has a very limited understanding of public housing and has been surprised by basic facts in meetings with tenants. The letter argues against project-based Section 8, which moves towards privatization. The letter details the three programs used in NYC: RAD, PAC, and the Public Housing Preservation Trust.
• Expressed concern that key members of the mayor’s housing team and transitional committee are not friendly to public housing, specifically naming Dina Levi as a “mastermind” of privatization and Cea Weaver as someone who has a 7year history of undermining public housing. The administration’s vision for social housing is questionable, noting a proposed bill which would set a minimum income of $65,000. This is unattainable for most working-class New Yorkers. The answer is to reinvest in Section 9 Public Housing. It would be wise if the mayor switched NYCHA funding from capital expenses to the expenses account, as capital money cannot be used to repair individual apartments, leaving units unrehabilitated even during large building projects. It would be good if someone with lived experience in Section 9 housing be added to the mayor’s Transitional Housing Committee.
• Called for the mayor to support the repeal of the stock transfer tax rebate, which would bring $23.75 billion annually to NYCHA and public housing statewide.
• Demanded a new organizational plan for NYCHA to replace the one from 2020, which they argue enabled NYCHA to act as a real estate developer and accelerate privatization. Called for a forensic audit of NYCHA, alleging the authority is allocating billions to developments being privatized while neglecting those remaining public.
• Urged the mayor to focus on hiring skilled tradespeople like plumbers, carpenters, and porters, rather than more management level staff, to address the top-heavy bureaucracy and lack of repair personnel.
• Addressed the Faircloth Amendment, explaining that NYCHA has an allowance to build up to 24,000 new units to replace those privatized, and argued the mayor should use this to expand public housing instead of pursuing other models.
• Asked for education for both tenants and elected officials, noting their strategy includes teach-ins, movie screenings, and distributing educational materials.
• Requested a moratorium on all further privatization conversions or demolitions until the Government Accountability Office (GAO) conducts an impact study as designed by Congresswoman Maxine Waters.
• The recent fatal fire at NYCHGA’s Boston Secor House in the Bronx is an issue as the tenants said they were not surprised the fire had occurred as they had already reported shoddy work, exposure to asbestos and out of hours construction work occurring under PACT management.  A Joint Statement from NYC Council Speaker Julie Menin, Public Housing Chair Chris Banks, and Council Member Kevin Riley on Fatal Bronx Fire: “We are devastated that one New Yorker was tragically killed and 19 others were injured during an overnight fire at NYCHA’s Boston Secor Houses in the Bronx. Our hearts are with the victims, their families, and the displaced residents as they recover from this horrific situation. Our teams have been on the scene and in constant communication with first responders throughout the night. We deeply appreciate the heroic actions of our first responders, and we are praying for a fast recovery for those who were injured.” The building is currently undergoing renovations under the City’s Permanent Affordability Commitment Together or PACT program, and the fire followed a gas explosion, FDNY officials said.
• There is a need for a meeting with the administration, and to offer teach-ins for his housing staffers, and asking for the mayor himself to watch the 3minute educational video.

DISCUSSION

• Ramona Ferreyra’s argument against the proposed “social housing” bill is that it is a flawed and exclusionary model presented as a progressive solution. She describes social housing as essentially a “copy of public housing” that attempts to mimic its rental guidelines, rights, and benefits. However, the critical flaw lies in its implementation as the proposed minimum income to qualify for this social housing would be around $65,000. This threshold is so high that it would immediately disqualify “half of the individuals that qualify for public housing.” Thus, this policy is “racist and classist.” She uses her own situation—living below the poverty level—as an example of someone who would be permanently locked out of this new form of housing. The argument is that by design, this model serves a more affluent demographic while abandoning the poorest residents, disproportionately affecting communities of color who have historically relied on public housing. The underlying message is that this “social housing” push is a political distraction. It allows politicians to claim they are building affordable housing while actively undermining the truly affordable and universal model of public housing (Section 9), which is open to people at all income levels, including those with none. While NYCHA’s charter includes a right to preferential hiring for residents, its execution has been deeply problematic. Residents have a formal right to preferential hiring through an agreement between NYCHA and New York City unions. This includes receiving notifications about job openings and qualifying for union created apprenticeships. The problem isn’t the policy on paper but its implementation. She recounts a past instance where RPPH successfully secured funds for NYCHA to hire more staff. Instead of using the money for its intended purpose—hiring skilled tradespeople like plumbers, carpenters, and porters—NYCHA hired more high-level management and administrative staff. This created a top-heavy bureaucracy where the very people needed to do the essential repair work were not hired, leaving maintenance issues unresolved. The goal now is to ensure any new hiring plan specifically mandates that funds go to frontline, skilled labor. She adds that even where the system works, it’s inconsistent. Her own development has successfully had residents hired through union partnerships for onsite construction projects, but she notes this is not the case across all NYCHA properties. The mayor’s lack of a relationship with tenant leadership at Queensbridge—one of the city’s largest and most significant developments—is “really shocking.” His excuse that he was too busy with other district matters was seen as a major disappointment and sign of disconnect. The primary fear is that the mayor, being uninformed, will simply follow the recommendations of his handpicked housing team. Dina Levi is the architect of privatization and Cea Weaver has a seven-year history of undermining public housing. 
• John Mudd identifies Leila Borzog, appointed by the New York City mayor, Zohran Mamdani as the deputy mayor for Housing and Planning, as a holdover from the previous administration and another key architect of the RAD privatization program.
• Ramona Ferreyra expresses profound confusion and frustration that the mayor’s administration would support the demolition of the Fulton, Elliott, and Chelsea houses. She argues this is a direct betrayal of the core principles that public land and public goods should be for the public good, not destroyed. She extends her critique to the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), noting their own disappointing history on public housing. She reveals that an attempt to pass a resolution guaranteeing the DSA’s permanent protection of public housing was thwarted by the group highlighting a broader ideological failure on the left.
• John Mudd notes the struggle to save public housing is a critical front in a larger war against the commodification of basic human needs and the issue transcends just public housing; it’s about developers treating the entire landscape as a commodity. The fight is to stop the last remnants of true affordability from being turned into a “profit point for developers.” This isn’t an isolated issue. The loss of public housing empowers landlords in private buildings (like his own tenement) to aggressively try to empty out rent stabilized and rent controlled apartments, showing the threat reverberates throughout the entire housing market. There is a desperate need for money, specifically for the legal fight to save developments like Fulton Elliott and Chelsea. He strongly supports the Stock Transfer Act as a key mechanism to generate the billions needed to fund public housing properly. The use of Area Median Income (AMI) is a “very problematic” metric for determining need. It is necessary to focus resources on those with the lowest incomes or no income at all.
• Ramona Ferreyra provides a clear, multipronged strategy for building a broader movement. The first and most important action is to contact elected officials at every level—City Council, State, and Federal. She suggests a powerful message: “I am not a member of public housing, but I wish I was, and I think it’s important for us to keep it.” Allies can get directly involved by volunteering for underground activities like door knocking and educational movie nights. As a self-funded group, they rely on small donations. She gives a concrete example, noting that $200 can print 1,000 flyers for a new campaign, showing how a little money can go a long way toward building the educational materials needed to inform tenants and officials.

STEWART HOTEL’S ADAPTIVE REUSE

Amie Pospisil, Chief Operating Officer at Breaking Ground

• The Breaking Ground was founded in 1990 with its with its first project being the Times Square building, which is most likely the nation’s largest supportive housing residence with about 650 units. The work has evolved to include both ground up new development and the repurposing of old hotels into affordable and supportive housing. All the buildings are a mix of affordable units (for low-income community members) and supportive units (for people exiting long-term homelessness). Every tenant receives a long-term, permanent lease, with formerly homeless residents staying an average of 12.5 years. The expansion of services includes a full continuum of social services and street outreach contract for Midtown Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens since around 2007. The effectiveness of the “continuum of care” model, where they support individuals from street outreach all the way to permanent housing is very effective. The onsite social services available in the buildings, including case management, social workers, clinicians, and increasingly, onsite primary care and psychiatry are very important. 
• The newest project, the Stewart Hotel acquisition with their joint venture partner, Slate Property Group, is progressing. RiseBoro is not involved. The project timeline begins with the acquisition in December 2025, and the close on construction financing is expected to by the end of 2026. The renovation is expected to take two years, with an opening in 2028. The Stewart Hotel plan involves renovating the building at 31st and 7th Avenue into 579 units, with half being supportive and half affordable community units set at 60% of AMI. Breaking Ground will manage both the property operations and the on-site social services, with her colleague Kenya Maldonado leading the services team. The Midtown location will allow many of the people they serve through street outreach to move into the building. The building will retain its street level retail and parking garage. There will be robust onsite services for the Stewart, including a full team of case managers, clinicians, social workers, primary care, and psychiatry.
• The Breaking Grounds’ signature “Tenant360” program adds recreational and therapeutic programming to build community both within the building and in the surrounding neighborhood. The building’s amenities: a 24hour attended lobby, security guards, CCTV, a multipurpose community room available for public use, a computer room, a fitness room, and laundry facilities.

DISCUSSION

• Alex Yong referred to a past interaction in a DSA housing app where Cea Weaver’s response to a comment about protecting NYCHA residents felt like a shutdown of discourse. Later, expressed hope about Breaking Ground’s partnership with her landlord, Slate Property Group, seeing it as a realistic approach to post COVID housing needs. Also noted that the annual HOPE count for street homelessness, scheduled to start that night, had been canceled and postponed. 
• Kenia Maldonado, the Vice President of Housing Services at Breaking Ground, explained that her team will be responsible for providing the direct social services at the Stewart Hotel. She shared her personal background, growing up in NYCHA housing in Harlem, and how her career evolved from working in shelters and city government to focusing on youth housing and now her role at Breaking Ground, stating that housing has become her passion.
• Miriam Fisher: Asked for statistical information on the percentage of the street homeless population that has physical disabilities or ambulatory difficulties. Amie Pospisil responded that she didn’t have exact stats, but it was a significant number. Miriam is working as an activist with the Elevator Action Group to get accessibility approved for subway elevators.

CHAT BOX

• Ramona Ferreyra referred to the letter to The Honorable Zohran Mamdani,

Mayor of the City of New York: We write to you as a coalition of tenants committed to protecting public housing. Save Section 9 and the Residents to Preserve Public Housing are organizations led by public housing tenants that fight against privatization and advocate for the rehabilitation and expansion of public housing by educating and mobilizing our neighbors. Save Section 9 endorsed you after comparing housing proposals of the leading mayoral candidates. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yKC1Rztibyg1SfpCG5z75zDRoh0nwRT- wgwuFFzQOyY/edit?usp=sharing and the 3minute video https://youtu.be/iTMCthA1KNc?si=P-B7Y0swmUH_UCe-. Posted information about the THUD (Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies) bill, detailing the $77.3 billion funding for HUD programs and including a link to an analysis from the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC).

Suggested that allies could apply for NYCHA to increase demand. Ways for allies to help include email elected officials, volunteer for door knocking events, donate to cover development fight costs (citing $200 $500 per fight), apply for NYCHA, and support their letter. The contact email is savesection9@gmail.com and website is www.savesection9.org. A sample email for allies will be posted on their website by the end of the week.

• Madison Markham from Save Section 9 requested that anyone interested in signing on to the Save Section 9 letter email the group at savesection9@gmail.com.
• Alex Yong clarified that a regulatory agreement used the term “excessive long-term vacancy” instead of the activists’ term “warehousing.” Referred to the “Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants (MOPT)” and expressed positive feedback about Mayor Mamdani, noting he seemed “honest about hearing about certain facts for the first time and not ‘pretending to know’.” The past meeting with HUD, describing it as “unproductive” and stating that Cea and Bozorg were giving off “serious ‘gatekeeper energy’.” The GoFundMe link (https://gofund.me/9f9eb2757) is for donations to pay lawyers. The annual Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE) count, which was scheduled to start at 10 p.m. that night was postponed. Confirmed apartment the building Yong lives in has 464 units, of which 24 are now supportive housing. The “End Apartment Warehousing” (EAW) coalition’s monthly meeting, is next Thursday at 1pm.  (EndAptWarehousing@gmail.com and Alex.Yong.NYC@gmail.com). One of the coalition’s wins is that S2980 from 2023, is now law.

• Sandy Reiburn from Our Communities Count: “Mamdani is prioritizing equity for all with the appointment of Afua Atta-Mensah, a lawyer, advocate, policy expert, and community leader who’s on-the-ground boots and roots run deep on matters of racial justice”. She is the new Chief Equity Officer and Commissioner, Mayor’s Office of Equity and Racial Justice I’ve reached out to her…so far no response…but think she is a contact to be aware of re RER Racial Equity Report (RER) on Housing and Opportunity-which is a requirement enacted under Local Law 78 of 2021 https://www.nyc.gov/assets/planning/downloads/pdf/applicants/preparing-application/rer-instructions.pdf. Mamdani announced the appointment of nationally recognized organizer and racial justice strategist Afua Atta-Mensah as Chief Equity Officer and Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Equity & Racial Justice (MOERJ), including her background and a link to the instructions for the Racial Equity Report (RER) on Housing and Opportunity. Sandy noted she had reached out but received no response. Referred to Bozorg as a “holdover from Adam’s administration” and an “architect of RAD.” Claimed Bozorg was on the Board of “Open New York,” which she described as “a front for developers!” https://gothamist.com/news/nyc-sent-a-warming-bus-to-a-hub-for-homelessness-those-who-needed-it-had-no-idea https://www.coalitionforthehomeless.org/our-programs/advocacy/organizing-and-shelter-monitoring/ “An estimated 67 percent of single adult shelter residents have a disability compared with 11.2 percent of the overall NYC population. Similarly, high rates of disability exist among homeless families with minor children (51 percent) and adult families in which no minor child is present (78 percent).”
• Charisma White expressed a need for “accountability” and likes “the concept of social housing.” The housing proposal is for “below poverty level individuals” and will be “deeply affordable” with the “benefits of living in a comfortable living environment in the community.” Charisma offered the philosophical thought that “Only truth stands in the space of change” and “The housing is there. They want to use it for the wrong reason and with spite for the poor.”
• Lili Lopez from NY Connects, Manhattan and Bronx Outreach Special, phone numbers 6464575364 and 646809107 and llopez@cidny.org. NY Connects as a free program for people of any age with any disability, connecting them to services and resources based on their needs and assists with housing, SNAP, SSI, benefits, and Medicaid.
• Beth Frazier from About Real Estate NY, LLC is listening and learning from those working on the front lines of affordable housing.”
• Amie Pospisil /https://www.nyc.gov/assets/dhs/downloads/pdf/dailyreport.pdf
• Racial equity report submission guide https://www.nyc.gov/assets/planning/downloads/pdf/applicants/preparing-application/rer-instructions.pdf

NEXT Meeting Homeless and Housing Meeting: 9:30 AM Tuesday, March 3, 2026. Always the 1st Tuesday of every month Contact hello@midtownsouthcc.org or john.mudd@usa.net for more information and Zoom invitations.