The New York City Public Housing Preservation Trust is a government agency created by state legislation in 2022, founded to be a partner to the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) to accelerate holistic repairs and expand access to multiple funding sources. NYCHA is the largest Public Housing Authority in the country, with more than 177,000 apartments and home to over 520,000 residents. If NYCHA were a city, it would rank 36th in population in the US.., larger than Atlanta, Miami and New Orleans! Due to aging infrastructure and decades of federal disinvestment, NYCHA also has a capital need of nearly $80 billion in major repairs across the portfolio. Serving as a public sector affordable housing developer with a single client, NYCHA, the Trust will raise funds to comprehensively renovate these properties with NYCHA continuing to manage the property.

The Trust’s enabling legislation provides the ability to use alternative delivery contracts through a two-step process, identifying a short list based on qualifications and selecting a contractor based on best value. The first bundle of Trust projects uses a lump-sum design-build contract, but this fall, we will launch our first Progressive Design-Build (PDB) procurement for the modernization of Hylan Houses in Bushwick, Brooklyn.

PDB is a collaborative, multi-phased project delivery method where the Owner retains a design-builder early in the project lifecycle using a primarily qualifications-based selection. After a preliminary scoping and site validation phase, the project team, including the Design-Builder, “progresses” toward a design and construction contract price together, emphasizing transparency and partnership in developing the project’s final scope, schedule and cost. The goal of the initial phase is to develop a scope that offers the best value to the residents of Hylan Houses and the Trust, then deliver the project in an efficient, coordinated and safe manner. Because PDB is new to most contractors looking to work in the public sector in this region and the Trust is committed to creating opportunities for the broadest contracting community, we are pleased to host DBIA’s upcoming training. Please join us by registering!

References: 

NYCHA Fact Sheet 2025
New York City Public Housing Preservation Trust
NY State Senate Bill 2021-S9409A
NOI: Progessive Design Build Project for the Modernization of Hylan Houses — New York City Public Housing Preservation Trust