Stop the Demolition of Fulton and Elliott-Chelsea (FEC) Houses!

We are urgently raising funds to protect vulnerable public housing residents, the majority of whom are seniors and struggling with disabilities, who are fighting to save their homes in Chelsea’s Public Housing.

PROJECT GOAL: To raise $95,000 for lawyers to represent the tenants in the first two buildings targeted for demolition in court and stop this demolition. Other legal cases are also being pursued focused on land use, environmental impacts and discrimination.

All donations are tax-deductible and 100% of all donations will be used for our legal struggle and tenant protections. No amount is too small to give : ) We are all in this together!

Why is this urgent? There is intense pressure on tenants to relocate right now! NYCHA, along with Related Companies (of Hudson Yards) and Essence Development want the tenants out of their homes so they can move forward with their proposal to demolish all 18 buildings at Fulton & Elliott-Chelsea Houses.

What is the plan we are fighting against?

This is a social and environmental disaster.

This has consequences for public housing across the city. Mayor Adams called it “the blueprint.” Developers want public land for profit.

Over the last year our lawyers have represented public housing tenants in several lawsuits (see articles below) and the fight continues. We have won some of the cases, but most recently lost a case due to a technicality. The pressure is on tenants to relocate in order that they can clear and demolish the buildings.

“The court decision is very disappointing for those of us who are most vulnerable" explains FEC resident Jane Rao, "Privatization has more risks for us. Why are they demolishing buildings that are in good shape? We need repairs and modernization, not demolition for profit. Housing is for living in, not for profit"

One of the first buildings slated to be demolished is home to senior citizens, many of whom have no families and no financial resources. Many desperately want to stay in their homes. As Chelsea Addition resident Yu Zhen Story explains “We are old people.. I am turning 80-years-old this week. Some of my neighbors are older than 90. We are heartbroken to be pushed out of our home. My neighbors and I are stressed. Some have heart issues, several have been hospitalized, and others have serious health concerns. We want to find a place to rest for the end of our lives.”

This demolition plan will subject Chelsea's public housing residents, and the surrounding community, to 15 years minimum of non-stop demolition, construction, and significant adverse environmental impacts (air quality, noise, embodied carbon, transportation). Can you imagine the health consequences of living in a demolition site for that long?

Chelsea will be transformed by a pernicious wave of gentrification as thousands of market-rate units are built on public land, raising housing prices for everyone.

Please join us in SUPPORTING OUR CHELSEA NEIGHBORS FIGHT FOR THEIR HOMES, THEIR LIVES & OUR COMMUNITY.

As supporters of the Chelsea Public Housing Coalition, you will become part of a united group of Fulton and Elliott-Chelsea Houses’ tenants, Chelsea community members, and local organizations fighting against the unnecessary demolition of public housing.

PRESERVING PUBLIC HOUSING IS PROTECTING OUR HUMANITY! There are over 300 NYCHA public housing campuses in New York City. Chelsea may be first, but it won’t be the last. Let’s keep public housing PUBLIC and protect this valuable resource for those residents who need affordable housing most.

For more information, please read about the project’s history and the detrimental effects on our community in the links below.

Layla Law-Gisiko's chronicle of the timeline of how we got here in the first place "Housing, Power, & Broken Promises: The Fight over NYCHA's Chelsea Redevelopment"

Please listen to this brilliant radio show: Renee Keitt, Ron Shiffman, Layla Law-Gisiko on Mimi Rosenberg “Equal Rights and Justice” Radio Show. WBAI. September 10, 2026.

NYCHA Senior Holdouts Allege Harassment in New Legal Challenge Over Chelsea Redevelopment City Limits. Sunny Nagpaul. July 22, 2026.

He Survived Japanese Occupation and Mao’s Cultural Revolution. At 93, He’s Fighting NYCHA. The City. Greg Smith and Haidee Chu. May 4, 2026.

Public Housing Tenants Again Sue to Stall Demolition; NYCHA Says Ousting Chelsea Elderly Is for ‘Greater Good’ Work-Bites. Steve Wishnia. January 15, 2026

Chelsea NYCHA Residents Dig In Against City’s Demolition Plans The Indypendent. November 14th, 2025

NYCHA’s Chelsea Plan Collides with its Residents ArchiTakes. David Holowka. November 14, 2025.

Right to the City Why the demolition and privatization of NYCHA Fulton, Elliott, and Chelsea Houses in West Chelsea, Manhattan must be stopped Viren Brahmbhatt, Sept 7, 2025 The Architects Newspaper