Over a dozen New Rochelle residents, including several who live in municipal housing, confronted the City Council last night over the firing of five volunteer members of the New Rochelle Municipal Housing Authority by outgoing City Manager Chuck Strome on December 30, 2022.

City Manager Chuck Strome dismissed four members of the Board on December 29, two days before he left office, citing a letter from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) expressing concerns about the NRMHA’s financial management.  The City of New Rochelle had taken over NRMHA’s financial management from the Board and appointed its Chief Financial Officer 5 years earlier.

The ousted Board members had worked for several years to develop a plan for the redevelopment of New Rochelle’s last public housing project, Bracey Houses, to include enhanced community services and opportunities for resident ownership, and were prepared to vote on that plan in January.  Other New Rochelle public housing properties have been converted to public-private partnerships that have failed to meet resident needs.  Bracey Houses sits in a downtown redevelopment zone.  Community members have expressed concerns that Bracey would also be privatized or perhaps relocated.

Residents demanded that the City Council instruct new City Manager Kathleen Gill to rescind the dismissals of the Board members. Gene Tozzi said the decision “broke a trust with the Board and the community they represent.” “Are we going to tolerate a continued disregard for people whose racial and economic status results in their being pushed around and pushed out of workable housing options?”

Myriam Decime called the decision “highly cowardly and foul and disrespectful.” “Let’s try to guild the power and assets and equity of Black people, not just give money for bookbags and parties in Lincoln Park,” she said. Recalling the destruction of Black communities to build Memorial Highway and the Sheraton Hotel, Gordon Hyland called out New Rochelle’s “whole long history of taking away housing opportunities from people.” And Lisa Burton criticized the City Manager form of government, noting that Mr. Strome ran the city single-handedly for 25 years. “We need to have not an autocracy, we need representative government. We need to hold people accountable. We need fair play.”

Videos of these and other statements can be found on the New RoAR YouTube channel.