Savasiah Gardner, Sept 23, 2026

My name is Savasiah Gardner, and I am a resident of Chelsea Houses. I am a mother, a community organizer, a doula, a gardener, a total PTA mom, a woman with a master’s degree, a crocheter, and I live in the projects. I say all of that, because too often the stereotype of NYCHA residents are people who are poor, unemployed, drug dealers or addicts, welfare queens. We are more than that. We are mothers, fathers, teachers, social workers, entrepreneurs, shucks one of my neighbors even works at another NYCHA development. We are bigger than the image put out about us, and deserve to have our voices heard.

We residents do NOT want to be privatized, we do NOT want to have our homes demolished. The fact that a decision is being made on our behalf without us residents voting on it, not only goes against NYCHA’s own policies of getting tenants’ input and conducting a vote, but also shows how invaluable NYCHA thinks our voices and opinions are. Our buildings are structurally sound. Why tear down fireproof buildings, to then build new buildings with cheap equipment. The project is almost a $3 billion dollar project, yet it would cost less to renovate the apartments. Comprehensive modernization is an option, yet it is not being presented to us.

Like my Daddy said, “If they don’t hear you, make them feel you.” We are tired of y’all not hearing us. Now it’s time for y’all to feel us. We will be at every NYCHA board meeting, we will continue to have rallies and press conferences, we will continue to speak out on television and on the radio. We will continue to knock on doors, attend public housing hearings, talk to our neighbors, write our elected officials, protest in front of their offices, until y’all back up off us. You will NOT take our homes without a fight.

No demolition, no privatization, no selling us out!