U.S. Rep. Nydia Velázquez presented residents at NYCHA’s Ravenswood Houses with $3.15 million in federal funding for the installation of exterior security lighting throughout the complex.
The investment comes after Ravenswood residents raised concerns about an NYPD floodlight tower that has been used in some of the complex’s parking lots over the last decade.
Residents said the tower, which is powered by diesel, emits strong exhausts and beams an “inhumanely” powerful light throughout the night, creating significant quality of life issues.
“We have the right to breathe fresh air and not risk our safety,” Christina Chaise, second vice president of the Ravenswood Resident Association, said at an event Tuesday afternoon. “We have been exposed to these horrible diesel-powered floodlights for a decade, 10 years of breathing this diesel exhaust is bound to have negative impacts on our heart and lung health.”
Chaise said the lights were particularly dangerous because Ravenswood Houses is located along Astoria’s “Asthma Alley,” referring to the disproportionately high rates of asthma in the area due to the presence of the Ravenswood Generating Station and the Astoria Generating Station.
“We are already inundated with major air pollutants that are suffocating us,” Chaise said. “This is the straw that broke the camel’s back.”
She added that the light emitted from the tower is unnaturally bright, generating a light that is 200 times brighter than a car headlight. She said the light, coupled with the sound of the tower, drastically impacts the quality of her sleep and her mental health.
Chaise said the lights do not make Ravenswood residents feel any safer, instead making them feel as if they are under police surveillance.
“It’s just another form of surveillance that makes us feel criminalized,” she told QNS. “For some folks, seeing it (the NYPD logo) is something that makes us feel policed. It’s something scary.”
Velázquez, meanwhile, praised local leaders for consistently raising concerns about the issue and bringing it to the attention of elected officials.
She said the major investment will help improve lighting in dimly lit sections of Ravenswood Houses, allowing residents to feel safer in their own communities. She said the investment would also address a “serious health concern” raised by local residents.
“By replacing this (tower) with a cleaner, healthier lighting solution, we will reduce exposure to harmful fumes while continuing to improve safety across the development,” Velázquez said.
She added that the investment is “especially meaningful” because it had come directly from Ravenswood residents.
Velázquez added that she will be urging NYCHA to host a public workshop or forum so that local residents can offer their opinions as to how to install the new lighting.
“It’s important that they listen to the community,” Velázquez said. “They have to take into account the vision that the community has.”
A NYCHA spokesperson described the upgrading of lighting systems throughout Ravenswood as a “meaningful investment” in residents’ security and quality of life.
“Not only will the lighting improvements reinforce a feeling of safety for residents walking home at night, but they will also promote a welcoming environment for socializing, enjoying nice weather, and using the campus grounds after dark,” a NYCHA spokesperson said.
Velázquez said the new lighting will help deter crime in dimly-lit areas throughout Ravenswood, making residents feel safer.
But Chaise said the NYCHA development requires significant investment in several other areas in order to properly improve resident safety.
“I don’t think it (lighting) alone will improve safety,” Chaise said. “It’s multi-pronged.”
Chaise has also called for a range of programming and investment which she believes would reduce the risk of violence and anti-social behavior. Those programs include Alcoholics Anonymous and initiatives focusing on domestic violence prevention, she added.
She also called for a range of programs aimed at teens and young children to help improve safety in the neighborhood in addition to upgrades to Ravenswood’s security cameras.
Velázquez, on the other hand, called for further investment in NYCHA infrastructure across the city to help improve quality of life issues for NYCHA residents.
“We need to use every tool we have to make sure that the funds come here,” Velázquez said
Velázquez secured the $3.15 million as part of a $15.5 million commitment for New York’s 7th Congressional District in the FY2026 spending package.
