“As an advocate for our community, including our neighbors, friends, and residents, it is important to me to ensure that their concerns and questions are addressed.”
dantes partners
NYCHA's Audubon House in Manhattan.
CityViews represents the opinions of readers and not of City Limits. Add your voice now!
As the affordable housing crisis continues to plague hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers, I am living in the only place I call home: Washington Heights, a development in NYCHA, the nation's largest public housing system. I feel lucky to live in Audubon House. When I was just 9 years old, my family, my parents, five sisters, and four brothers moved from the Bronx to Audubon House, not knowing what to expect.
For nearly 60 years, I have seen great changes in our neighborhoods and communities. As a single mother of three children, I know how important a safe and healthy environment is when raising a family on your own. I remember there was a beautiful green space outside the building filled with colorful gardens, but we all had to work together to manage that space ourselves. For me and other residents, it was much easier to manage necessary repairs within the apartment than to request maintenance from the Housing Authority. We have all become accustomed to this never-ending routine.
Despite this, our families and neighbors have continued to develop close relationships over the years, allowing us to celebrate our children's birthdays together and share many meals during the holidays. I had the opportunity to do some things.
Unfortunately, as you might imagine, repairs and maintenance needs continued to accumulate over the years. In fact, when it rains, one of my neighbors has water constantly leaking into his apartment. The housing authority tries to fix the problem with a quick fix, but they have to come back each time to repair the wall.
These problems, and other needs such as adequate heating, persisted for decades. But I had to stay positive for the sake of my family for many years because there was no other choice. In reality, I had to make upgrades myself every four months, from changing the paint on my walls to buying a new ceiling fan for my apartment.
About a year ago, about 900 residents of Audubon, Bethune Gardens and Marshall Plaza heard about Dantes Partners and Faria Management, a mission-driven, black-owned development and property management company. This company will soon lead a comprehensive renovation and restoration of our building. Apartments as part of the NYCHA Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) program.
While residents were excited to see what their apartments would look like, we were also skeptical about the changes. Initially, we were unfamiliar with the team and staff and did not have a relationship with them. No major upgrades had been made to the apartment building in decades, so it was clear that serious changes were needed. Dantes Partners personally scheduled frequent resident meetings to explain the project and process to each resident. This is a large and powerful operation.
In my role, it is important that we continue to emphasize the importance of putting residents' voices front and center and nurturing our communities. Dantes Her Partners encouraged residents to provide input during resident meetings, understanding that it would take time for the apartments to change for the better. Other she-PACT developers, some of whom have proven to be less than stellar, are following Dantes Partners' lead by taking a similar approach to resident engagement. Should.
From day one, the team expressed a mission and commitment to making a positive difference in our lives. We knew that the new surveillance cameras and outdoor ground improvements provided by this project would result in a cleaner and safer environment for seniors, children and families.
Notices will be distributed to residents and posted throughout the building before any repairs or renovations begin. Additionally, throughout the construction process, the team makes sure that all residents understand that they can ask questions about the ongoing work that the team is addressing.
As an advocate for our community, including our neighbors, friends, and residents, it is important to me to ensure that their concerns and questions are addressed. In addition to the ongoing renovations, Dantes Partners has successfully completed 2,000 maintenance requests that the team has taken over.
As construction continues and progresses this year, continued upgrades include a new elevator, energy efficient windows, new kitchen appliances and cabinets, new bathrooms, and an upgraded community room for residents. I'm looking forward to seeing you there.
I now live with my children in the same apartment I moved here with. I am a resident who is proud to call Audubon House home.
Ms. Wanda Moret is the Audubon House Tenants Association President.
