2025 Theses Master's

Repair Through Recognition: Historic Preservation and Public Housing Redevelopment

Van Asselt, Marieke

Over the last several decades, federal policy shifts have undermined the financial sustainability of public housing, leaving local housing authorities with limited tools to address aging infrastructure and deferred maintenance.

This thesis explores the reparative potential of integrating historic preservation strategies into public housing redevelopment, with a focus on the New York City Housing Authority’s (NYCHA) use of the federal Historic Tax Credit through the Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) program. PACT is New York City’s implementation of the federal Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program, which enables the conversion of Section 9 public housing units to more stable Section 8 contracts. This transformation unlocks access to private investment and tax credit financing for rehabilitation.

Using a restorative justice framework, this thesis evaluates the representational and procedural justice implications of these conversions, particularly when public housing developments are nominated to the National Register of Historic Places. Through interviews and case studies, this study argues that while PACT presents risks associated with privatization, it also offers an opportunity to recognize past harms and leverage preservation as a tool for equity in public housing development.