Former NYCHA board member Margarita Lopez lost her job – but now she has another high profile position with the housing authority.
The East 11th Street resident and past Lower East Side City Council member earned $187,000 as a board member. She was appointed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2006. The State Legislature enacted a law earlier this year that eliminated paid positions on the NYCHA board, meaning that Lopez’s job was phased out.
But last week, sources told Crain’s and the Daily News that she was been appointed to a new position, executive vice president for community programs and development. The agency is not disclosing her new salary. More from Crain’s:
Beginning Aug. 15, Ms. López will report to NYCHA General Manager Cecil House; her role (will) include a mix of community outreach and development coordination… Ms. Lopez will coordinate work on developing NYCHA’s land through outside development and public-private partnerships, a highly controversial proposal that has drawn the ire of residents and politicians. The housing authority insists it has no choice but to strategically develop some lawns and parking lots in order to raise desperately needed funds. “Her experience makes her an ideal leader in these important times for NYCHA and public housing residents,” said the department source.
Lopez was a longtime housing activist before joining NYCHA seven years ago. But she angered many of her old LES allies in the past year. Those public housing organizers were dismayed with Lopez’s handling of a series of public hearings related to the agency’s plan to develop market rate housing.
she turned her back on nycha residents. they should do the same to her.
Sounds like the same job with a new title…
Here we go again! This may be a way for NYCHA to avoid controversy between NYCHA and tenants, who are already ‘up to here’ with it all sigh!
Public agency not disclosing a salaried position? How about open public review of the salaries of all the top paid executives, their resumes and their job experiences? It would be useful to have an actual overview of the agency (not done by one of the Chairman’s former employers, not paid 10 million, and not one that is wedded to the idea of privatizing public assets). The Housing Authority has lost any confidence the public had on its ability to manage itself much less use the assets it effectively sells off to profit the residents.
This is why NYCHA now has to lease public lands due to its inability to manage. Management at NYCHA is non existant.
Miriam Friedlander must be turning over in her grave