Karen Blondel

NYCHA plays a critical role in New York City’s infrastructure. It’s home to more than 340,000 folks that work in our city’s schools, police force, healthcare system, city government, and NYCHA itself. It’s also facing critical questions about how it can continue to provide safe and affordable housing for the essential New Yorkers it’s home to. Enter Karen: a long-time Red Hook resident, self-taught engineer, and a newly appointed Tenant Association President at NYCHA’s Red Hook Houses. Karen understands the ins and outs of public housing because she’s called it home for over 30 years. She envisions a new kind of association — the Public Housing Civic Association — that advances resident decision-making, provides accountability, and provides resources and real education about key issues within NYCHA and how they can be resolved.