Edna Wells Handy. Image Credit: Spencer Tucker.

The new Compliance department will be responsible for the compliance training for NYCHA’s employees. On November 20, 2017, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the appointment of Edna Wells Handy to the New York City Housing Authority’s Executive Compliance Department as Acting Chief Compliance Officer. For the first time in its history, NYCHA is creating an Executive Compliance Department.

Handy currently serves as legal Counsel to the NYPD Commissioner, and previously served as Commissioner of the City’s Department of Citywide Administrative Services. From 2004 through 2007, Wells Handy served as Deputy Executive Director of the NYC Department of Education, Human Resources. She grew up in New York City public housing. Handy will begin full-time in December.

As Acting Chief Compliance Officer, Handy will lead that department and be responsible for oversight of NYCHA’s regulatory compliance. The department will be responsible for the compliance training for NYCHA’s employees and the accuracy of external reporting by NYCHA. Additionally, this Executive will respond to employee and resident complaints regarding compliance issues. Handy will report directly to the NYCHA Chair.

“We take our job to keep the residents of public housing safe extremely seriously. Edna will be a voice for residents and an aggressive agent for protecting them,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.

“I grew up in New York City’s public housing and I am ready to serve as NYCHA’s first Chief Compliance Officer. This is about holding the agency accountable to laws at every level of government and, most importantly, to the 400,000 New Yorkers who call NYCHA home,” said incoming Acting Chief Compliance Officer Edna Wells Handy.

“I am looking forward to working with Edna Wells Handy to address compliance at NYCHA. We owe it to the 1 in 14 New Yorkers who call NYCHA home to ensure their apartments are safe,” said NYCHA Chair Shola Olatoye.

This appointment is part of NYCHA’s broader reforms to address immediate and long-term compliance with both lead regulations as well as other regulations to protect and improve residents’ safety. In addition to establishing a new compliance department, the agency is engaging a team of lead experts to advise on best practices.