Gothamist, Rhiannon Rashidi, Mar 30, 2026

The redevelopment of two NYCHA complexes in Chelsea has emerged as a wedge issue in the high-profile race to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler.

The city plans to demolish and rebuild the Fulton and Elliott-Chelsea Houses, replacing 2,056 units with brand new apartments in six high-rise buildings. The NYCHA residents would be guaranteed new homes — and new neighbors in the complex that would include as many as 3,500 affordable and market-rate apartments.

The replacement plan is the first of its kind for NYCHA. The agency turned to private developers to fund the redevelopment, saying it was the best way to address a backlog of nearly $1 billion in repairs at Fulton and Elliott-Chelsea. But some worry the project is a step toward privatizing public housing.

“We’re getting older, and we still have to think about [where we are going to live?]” said Yu Story, 80, one of a handful of holdouts who have refused to leave their apartments to allow for the demolition. “This is my last home, my last bed, because I’m 80 years old… This is my final place.”

Leading candidates for the 12th Congressional District seat weighed in on the plan during a recent debate at Hunter College’s Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute.

Assemblymember Micah Lasher, a Nadler protege, supported the plan, saying it is the quickest way to fix the deteriorating apartments.

“I am not going to tell the residents of Chelsea Elliott and Fulton houses that the cavalry is going to come from Washington while they are living in housing that is crumbling before them,” Lasher said. “The idea that a renovation … is going to be less disruptive than the plan that’s on the table is simply not honest.”

Assemblymember Alex Bores said a tenant vote on the project had been “rushed.” Kennedy scion Jack Schlossberg opposed it, saying seniors should not be displaced.

“I think it’s great to have development, and I think that we need to increase the supply of housing in this district,” Schlossberg said. “I don’t think that means we should kick elderly people out of their homes, demolish their homes … and then convert that public housing into basically semi-private housing.”

Schlossberg’s grandmother, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, famously fought to preserve historic buildings, including Grand Central Terminal.

Schlossberg, who gained notoriety through his social media presence, recorded a video with tenants opposed to the project, including Story.

Read More: Gothamist