Flyers containing antisemitic, racist, and homophobic messages have appeared in Chelsea, New York City, in opposition to a significant redevelopment project planned for the Fulton and Elliott-Chelsea Houses.
The project is a collaboration between the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), Essen Development, and The Related Companies. It aims to demolish and replace existing buildings with new, mixed-income housing, including a substantial number of permanently affordable units.
Local officials, including Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Representative Jerry Nadler, Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal, State Senator Erik Bottcher, and City Councilman Carl Wilson, have expressed support for the redevelopment plan. The project is expected to create 3,454 new homes, with up to 1,038 designated as permanently affordable.
Despite the project's backing, some residents have noted the appearance of hateful posters near the NYCHA complex. One flyer criticized "foreign wealth dirty zionist money" and referred to the project's developers as "Related (to zionist) Cos." Another stated, "BEWARE: TALMUDISTS ARE TRAINED TO CHEAT." A poster described the redevelopment debate as an "SOS NYCHA Holocaust Battle," and another declared "Locals vs. zionists, "Locals vs Epstein Clowns…Locals vs. Rothschilds, Locals vs. Talmudists….Locals vs. foreign operatives."
One flyer reportedly used a homophobic slur targeting State Senator Erik Bottcher. Another questioned the qualifications of Lakeesha Miller, NYCHA’s executive vice president of leased housing, who is Black, with phrases like "DEI hire?!…Unqualified?! …Incompetent?! Compromised?!"
Sources suggest a single individual may be behind the posters, which also reportedly call for the prosecution of redevelopment supporters and contain other contentious statements. Miller has 27 years of experience in the housing sector, including with NYCHA since 2012.
The redevelopment plan includes refurbishing all 2,056 existing units into permanently affordable homes for current NYCHA residents before beginning new construction. The phased approach aims to minimize disruption, with most residents able to remain in their apartments until new units are ready. Approximately 6% of households, about 100 units, will be relocated to refreshed units on the campus during the initial phase. Residents are expected to move into newly constructed buildings in approximately three to four years.
While acknowledging legitimate concerns about the demolition and construction involved, residents and officials have condemned the flyers. Sam Raskin, a spokesperson for Mayor Mamdani, called the posters "vile, antisemitic, racist and homophobic" and stated that such bigotry has no place in the city's political discourse. NYCHA spokesperson Michael Horgan condemned the "targeting and harassment of staff members" and affirmed the authority's commitment to the project.
Amy Powell, a resident, described the placards as "very incendiary" and believed they distracted from substantive issues by using inflammatory language. Another resident, who identified himself as Seth B., called the posters "nonsense" for demonizing Jewish people. Nei Cruz, a freelance makeup artist, expressed concern that the messages targeted specific ethnic groups, emphasizing the need for caution in disseminating such statements.