NYCHA submitted three entries in the 2006/2007 Technology Solutions Awards and was recognized for all three. According to PTI, an independent panel of judges identified the winners of PTI's latest Technology Solutions Awards, rewarding those PTI member local governments that demonstrated how they applied technology to improve service delivery, reduced operating costs or created new revenue opportunities.
"It is always gratifying to be recognized for the good work we do," said Douglas Apple, general manager of NYCHA. "This is especially significant when that work benefits the residents of public housing, and these efforts clearly do that."
During the past five years, NYCHA has implemented a series of programs and processes designed to lower costs over time and improve living conditions for the almost 409,000 residents who live in public housing in New York City.
"I congratulate NYCHA for their use of technology to improve services to their residents," said Alan Shark, executive director of PTI. "Under the direction of Deputy General Manager for Information Technology/CIO Avi Duvdevani, NYCHA's technology prowess continues to be an inspiration to the thousands of other local governments across the country."
In the large government sustainability category, NYCHA's Smart Building Technology took top honors. Two components of this initiative are the Computerized Heating Automated System (CHAS) and the Housing Authority Remote Monitoring Service (HARMS).
CHAS is a management tool that provides remote monitoring and management of 195 of NYCHA's major heating plants. The expected cost savings of this achievement, which are affected by energy costs, are at least $20 million a year.
HARMS allows NYCHA to remotely monitor all 3,334 elevators in use at its developments. That results in better use of repair workers, which saves time and money for the Authority and results in quicker turnaround time for elevator repairs.
In the large government telecommunications and information technology category, NYCHA received Significant Achievement awards for two programs.
NYCHA's Centralized Call Center (CCC)/Customer Service Change Management Initiative was one of two honorees. This program created a system that allows residents to schedule appointments for routine maintenance for the first time in NYCHA's history.
The other Significant Achievement award went to the IT Project Management Office which automates and supports the IT structure NYCHA has created to help streamline and run business and technology investments and strategies. This has led to increased productivity, lower costs and improved resident satisfaction.
"NYCHA's IT governance model relies heavily on NYCHA's business community to drive IT initiatives," said Duvdevani. "These awards exemplify the leadership of NYCHA's business community, as well as NYCHA's IT staff, in addressing the organization's strategic goals.
