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December 10, 2025

Today's SCOOP is brought to you by our members.

Dear New Yorkers,

Confronted with the need for billions of dollars in repairs at its public housing projects, the New York City Housing Authority has put tens of thousands of apartments under private management, via a program called Rental Assistance Demonstration, or RAD.

For nearly a decade, NYCHA has touted RAD as the solution to its problems, enabling new investment and upgrades. But though the authority vowed to carefully monitor developments, the authority has never publicly disclosed the existence of thousands of housing code violations in RAD developments since they went under private management.

An investigation by THE CITY has found more than 14,200 housing code violations in RAD developments since January 2021. That included nearly 400 cases where the city’s housing code inspection agency was forced to hire contractors to address the most serious violations with repairs that, under normal circumstances, should have been performed by the property manager.

Some tenants say they actually miss the days when NYCHA management was in charge — and they knew who to contact to get things fixed. "You know, NYCHA had a system," said one resident of Boulevard Houses. "Now you call downstairs and it's like a hope and a prayer."

Read more here about the unfinished work that plagues dozens of public housing developments.

Weather ⛅

Mostly cloudy and a chance of rain showers, with a high near 43.

MTA 🚇

In Brooklyn, Manhattan-bound Q trains will run express while Brighton Beach-bound B trains will run local between Prospect Park and Sheepshead Bay, from 9:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. Find all the MTA’s planned changes and the latest delays here.

Alternate side parking 🚙

It’s in effect today, Dec. 9.

By the way…

If you missed the Tompkins Square Park Halloween Dog Parade, join dachshund lovers at the Doxie Christmas Parade in Madison Square Park on December 14, 2025.

Our Other Top Stories

From our partners at New York Focus: Next year New York State will replace the company providing health insurance to hundreds of thousands of home care workers, after New York Focus published articles documenting problematic practices. From our partners at Chalkbeat: Applications are now open for seats in kindergarten for any child born in 2021. Parents and other caregivers: Here’s what you need to know.

Things To Do

Here are some free and low-cost things to do around the city this week.

Wednesday, Dec. 10: Join professional astronomers and space enthusiasts for festive space talks, cosmic trivia, and more at Astronomy on Tap NYC. Free, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 12: Listen to the New York Classical Players perform pieces from Kodály, Martinů and Mendelssohn at the Church of St. Luke and St. Matthew. Free, from 7:30 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13 - Sunday, Dec. 14: Pick up some local handmade pottery from 30 artists at the BrickHouse Ceramic Art Center in Long Island City.

THE KICKER: Starting on Jan. 1, 2026, MoMA PS1 in Long Island City, Queens, will be free for all visitors for the next three years, making it the largest free museum in New York City.

Thanks, as always, for reading. Make it a great Wednesday.

Love,

THE CITY

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