CLARA FOX AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
Ted Weinstein
Director of Bronx Planning, NYC Dept. of Housing Preservation & Development
A lifelong resident of the Bronx, Ted Weinstein has spent almost his entire adult life working on behalf of the Bronx and its communities, both professionally and through numerous civic and community organizations.
After attending Bronx public schools, Ted’s first formal activity began at age 19 with his appointment to his local community planning board in the East Bronx. When his family moved to Co-op City, he organized his building association, joined various civic organizations, and was appointed to that area’s community (planning) board. After the birth of his children, Ted and his family moved to Riverdale, where his activities have included serving as the first resident president of his building cooperative and serving for nine years as an elected member of his local community school board.
But Ted Weinstein is probably best known for his work for the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). Ted joined HPD in 1980 as the director of the newly created Pelham Parkway Neighborhood Preservation Program (NPP) Office, which later became the Pelham Parkway/Soundview Office, and then finally a newly created South Bronx NPP Office. In 1996, that office was reorganized as HPD’s Bronx Borough Planning Office, with Ted serving as Director of Bronx Planning. With Ted as leader of the team, the unit has carried out numerous planning functions for the borough, with particular emphasis on new construction. Their work has supported the selection of sites, development teams, programs and projects, resulting in the construction of thousands of affordable residential units for the Bronx. Ted has been a strong advocate for affordable mixed income housing, including creating opportunities for senior and special needs populations, and for homeownership. Recently asked what keeps him happy, Ted responded “attending groundbreakings and ribbon cuttings, through which I can see the fruit of my and my team’s labor”. He particularly enjoys meeting the families who have moved into their new homes in the newly developed buildings.
Ted believes that among his most important roles has been to represent the needs and interests of HPD and the City to the communities of the Bronx, and to convey the interests and needs of the communities of the Bronx to HPD and the City. In pursuit of these goals, he has attended more than a thousand community meetings, listening to residents and other stakeholders, and providing information about HPD’s programs, policies, and processes.