Coney Island, Brooklyn – House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08) announced that he secured $1 million for a water tank overhaul at NYCHA’s Surfside Gardens in Coney Island, Brooklyn through the government funding law.

“The effort to make sure that the residents of NYCHA can live with the decency and integrity that they deserve and have what they need to live in safe and high-quality housing is an all hands on deck approach,” said House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08). “This one is particularly important because everyone deserves clean air and clean water and yet the residents here have been laboring under very different circumstances. But because of the partnership that we’ve been able to bring about today, that will change.”

“It is critical that our NYCHA developments receive investments at the city, state, and federal levels,” said State Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton (SD 23). “Thank you to Surfside Gardens Management and TA President Robert Santiago for prioritizing residents’ needs and advocating for this. I am proud to continue working with Leader Jeffries to ensure that Coney Island is never left behind when it comes to critical infrastructure investments.”

“This is just a great day for Surfside. I’m going to thank from the bottom of my heart, my director of constituent services, Brigitte Purvis Williams, Surfside Gardens, NYCHA, Robert Santiago and, of course, Leader Jeffries for bringing this money for this tank, which is extremely, extremely important for this development,” said Assemblymember Alec Brook-Krasny (AD 46). “Everyone in the world knows what Coney Island amusements are. Not everyone in the world knows that Coney Island is also a home to a huge community, and this community needs resources.” 

“The Leader is showing that he knows how to get things done, and that no matter how high he goes, he doesn’t forget where he came from. This is what it’s really all about because investing in infrastructure like this is something people take for granted,” said Council Member Justin Brannan (CD 47) “I’m just proud to be here, proud to support NYCHA however I can on the city level and just really thankful for the Leader’s investment in our community and his ongoing commitment to Coney Island.”  

“All NYCHA residents deserve access to quality, safe living environments, and that includes having reliable access to clean water. This funding highlights our shared commitment to investing in the well-being of our residents and addressing long-standing needs in our housing developments,” said NYCHA CEO Lisa Bova-Hiatt. “Thank you again to Leader Jeffries for your continued support and leadership in advocating for NYCHA and our residents.”

“I thank Mr. Jeffries for this donation,” said TA President Robert Santiago. “Our development really needed to change that tank. It’s been there since the beginning.”

NYCHA is the largest public housing authority in the country, and approximately 1 in 17 New Yorkers is a NYCHA resident. This project involves the replacement of one or more rooftop water tanks, including related piping, pump controls and any associated painting or necessary improvements to rooftop structures.