CHDC STATEMENT
CHDC has always pulled together and been a neighborhood anchor in times of crisis.
CHDC was founded in 1973 when the neighborhood had been abandoned by property owners, but not by its long-term residents. CHDC worked with thousands of tenants who fought to keep their buildings open and maintain their long-term homes.
In the 1980s, we worked to renovate buildings for affordable housing as private owners, seeking to gentrify the neighborhood, harassed and burnt out tenants. From the mid-1990s, it responded and continued to respond to the homeless crisis by renovating and building supportive housing for the lowest income and most at-risk New Yorkers.
In the early 2000s, the organization mobilized against the development of the Westside stadium and the Hudson Yards Rezoning in collaboration with the Hell’s Kitchen Hudson Yards Alliance and Manhattan Community Board 4, we protected thousands of affordable apartments from demolition. In 2011, we weathered September 11th and in 2012, Hurricane Sandy.
And we are still here today providing assistance and services to the Middle West Side of Manhattan. Our affordable housing and services are essential to the neighborhood’s wellbeing.
COVID-19 is a major public health crisis. The situation has become somewhat better, but we are not out of the woods yet. We continue to work together day by day to figure it out, to protect ourselves, our families, our tenants and the Clinton/Hell’s Kitchen and Chelsea communities as best as we can. Our motto of “Old Bricks – Faith in People – Preserving Community” makes sense now more than ever.
We wish you and your families only the best of health in this difficult and trying time.
CHDC PROTOCOLS
On March 18th, 2020, the Mayor designated the 40,000-member Health and Human Services workforce serving in city-contracted programs as essential workers. CHDC staff are part of that essential workforce. The safety and well-being of our employees and tenants is our main priority. In order to minimize the spread of COVID-19, we’ve developed a multitude of protocols for both tenants and staff based on guidelines and recommendations from the Federal Center for Disease Control (CDC), NYC Department of Health, the Governor’s Office and other state and city agencies.
- CHDC requires face coverings in all public areas of all buildings, regardless of social distancing.
- CHDC is providing facemasks for staff and for visitors at all buildings. As available, masks are provided to tenants as well.
- CHDC has instituted enhanced cleaning protocols at all locations.
- While CHDC has cancelled all tenant activities and community events, we have worked with local organizations to provide a grab and go version of the holiday meals for tenants which have been a CHDC tradition.
- CHDC staff members are working a combination of remote and in-office work, and are reporting to the office on a staggered schedule to keep attendance at a minimum.
- CHDC is enforcing social distancing measures in each of our buildings.
- CHDC is providing PPE to maintenance workers who are addressing emergency work orders.
- As apartments are available, we have enabled applicants to view apartments virtually, have socially distant walkthroughs with staff, and to complete and submit applications and other documentation electronically.
Tenants and staff receive regularly updated communication regarding these protocols and additional ones. For any questions regarding specific protocols, contact CHDC at (212) 967-1644.
Per the NYC Department of Health on June 15, 2020, the following precautions can help our community stay healthy:
- Stay home if you are sick.
- Wear a mask or face covering whenever you leave your home.
- Even if you have a face covering, avoid close contact with others.
- When you must leave your home, keep at least six feet of distance between yourself and others.
- Wash hands with soap and water often, for at least 20 seconds every time, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Do not touch your face unless you have recently washed your hands.
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue or sleeve when sneezing or coughing. Do not use hands.
- Do not shake hands. Instead, wave.
- Avoid all unnecessary gatherings.
- Avoid crowded areas, including trains and buses.
- Get tested: Find a testing site at nyc.gov/covidtest
We encourage all tenants and staff with any symptoms of illness to self-quarantine. For more information regarding self-quarantine, visit https://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/health/health-topics/coronavirus.page.
CHDC FOOD PROGRAM
Due to the COVID-19 crisis, weekly community and tenant activities at the heart of our work are not currently possible due to the COVID-19 crisis. However, CHDC is committed to providing meals and snacks occasionally to all tenants who need them. Here are a few ways CHDC is helping:
Prepared Meals
- Avenues School - A private, for-profit school in Chelsea, in partnership with Community Board 4, donated lunch every Wednesday and dinner every Friday between April and September 2020 for all our supportive housing buildings. This was a donation of nearly 250 meals per week. Avenues continued to support our tenants through the 2020 holiday season as well with about 500 meals for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
- The Hudson Guild donated the contents of its early childhood and senior food program freezers for meal preparation.
- Manhattan Community Board 4 secured the donation of fresh and shelf-stable ingredients from neighborhood restaurants.
- CHDC continues to work with Rescuing Leftover Cuisine as it has since 2018 which donates unused restaurant food.
- CHDC purchased other food and ingredients as needed to ensure that tenants are able to receive the food they need.
- Through Councilmember Corey Johnson and Friends of the Highline, Get Food NYC supplied 825 boxes of pantry food boxes to CHDC tenants. This city program has converted to providing frozen meals to those who remain homebound due to the pandemic. Tenants can sign themselves up through 311 with the keyword “get food” or through the getfood.nyc.gov site. Those who may need further assistance in doing so can contact Social Services through their building or CHDC’s Community Cultivation department.
- Through State Senator Holyman and NY Cares, volunteers assisted with distribution of the meals and pantry boxes.
To further prevent the spread of COVID-19 during food preparation and delivery and keep tenants safe, CHDC has put in place the following safety measures:
- During all food preparation, social distancing and enhanced safety protocols are enforced.
- All CHDC staff and volunteers involved in food preparation, delivery and distribution wear masks and gloves at all times.
- All meals are packaged individually, in portioned containers and/or bags.
- CHDC has established a social distancing system enacted during food pickup.
For more information, tenants can call CHDC at 212-279-4079.
COMMUNITY RESOURCES
New York City government is providing free meals to New Yorkers on a daily basis. Any New Yorker who needs this service can collect their free meals at more than 400 Meal Hubs across the city.
- Meals Hubs will operate for children and families from 9-12 am, and for members of the community from 3-5pm.
- No one will be turned away at any time.
- Vegetarian and halal options are available at certain locations.
- Multiple meals may be picked up at once.
- No dining space is available, so meals must be eaten off premises.
- Parents and guardians may pick up meals for their children.
- No registration, ID or documentation is required.
Nearby Schools Offering Meal Pickup - PS 111 Adolph S. Ochs, 440 West 53rd Street (9th and 10th)
- Stephen T. Mather Building Arts Craftsmanship HS, 439 West 49th Street (9th and 10th)
- Beacon High School, 522 West 44th Street (10th and 11th)
- PS 011 William T. Harris, 320 West 21st Street (21st and 9th)
- NOTE: You can also find a school by texting FOOD or COMIDA to 877-877.
Nearby Food Pantries & Soup Kitchens - Food Pantry at St.Clement's, 423 W 46th St (Friday from 2-6pm, Saturday 8:30-11:30am, call Seth at 212-246-7277 ext 22. for more information)
- Soup Kitchen at Saint Luke’s, 308 W 46th St (Tuesday and Thursday, from 1 to 2 p.m)
- Crossroads Food Pantry at Holy Cross Church, 329 West 42nd Street (every other Saturday 11am)
- Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen, 296 Ninth Avenue (every weekday, including holidays,from 10:30 am-12:30 pm)
- St Paul's House, 335 W51st Street (Monday, Wednesday, Friday 8am, Neighborhood Food Pantry Tuesday 10am)
Hunger Free NYC - A project of Hunter College Food Policy Center has produced Neighborhood Guides to Food & Assistance containing detailed information on free food access – such as SNAP, WIC, school meals, senior meals, soup kitchens, food pantries and farmer’s markets that accept SNAP as payment.
- Follow this link (https://www.nycfoodpolicy.org/coronavirus-nyc-food-reports/) to find food resources in your community.
There are also resources that can help connect community members with medical supplies, childcare, personal assistance, WIFI, and transportation to care providers.
Mutual Aid NYC - Mutual Aid NYC is a network of groups organizing to provide aid and support to New Yorkers in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Fill out this form (type it EXACTLY): http://bit.ly/MutualAidInNYC
If you are a service worker who is out of work and need money to pay bills, email serviceworkerscoalition@gmail.com and let them know what you need. If you would also like to help your neighbors during this time, you can specify that in your email.
Metro PCS, T-Mobile, Sprint, and AT&T are all lifting their unlimited data caps for cellphone subscribers for at least 60 days to obtain Wi-Fi via smartphones. Contact your cellphone provider for more information.
Other resources are also available from Manhattan Community Board 4 at https://www1.nyc.gov/html/mancb4/html/home/home.shtml including:
- Resources for Seniors
- Financial Resources
- Assistance for Students
- Grocery and Pharmacy Hours and Information
See the Manhattan Borough President Office Covid-19 Weekly Newsletter for more updates and resources: https://www.manhattanbp.nyc.gov/category/covid-newsletters/