NYC renters can share apartment complaints during series of public hearings
New York City renters dealing with poor living conditions or bad landlords will have an opportunity to share their apartment complaints directly with the city. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Sunday announced plans to host “rental rip-off” hearings across the five boroughs to hear from tenants on challenges they are facing in their homes. Following the hearings, the city will put together a report examining common issues and use the testimony to inform future policies.
Mamdani signed an executive order directing several city agencies (Housing Preservation and Development, the Department of Buildings, the Office to Protect Tenants, the Department of Consumer and Worker Protections, and the newly created Office of Mass Engagement) to hold at least one hearing in every borough within the first 100 days of his administration.
“I want these hearings to expose the ugly underbelly of our city,” Mamdani said during a press conference on Sunday. “The rats that scurry through hallways. The children that shiver in their beds in the dead of winter because the heat is off. The fees imposed on pregnant mothers because of the fear that their babies may be too loud.”
He added: “These are not just listening sessions. These will be the rooms where the scope of the problem is understood, where it is addressed, where a report is drafted from which policy will be devised and crafted. And where New Yorkers have the opportunity to shape their democracy and its outcomes.”
Within 90 days of the last hearing, the city agencies will submit a joint summary and report to the mayor with common themes and problems raised by tenants at the public hearings. The report will also propose a plan to address “harmful landlord practices through existing enforcement powers, improved housing and building code enforcement, consumer protection powers, and policy changes.” The report will be published publicly online.
Mamdani announced the hearings during a press conference appointing Dina Levy as the new commissioner of the HPD. Levy previously served as Senior Vice President of Homeownership and Community Development at Homes and Community Renewal (HCR), the affordable housing agency for New York State, and the Director of Organizing at the Urban Homesteading Assistance Board (UHAB).
“I am honored to join the Mamdani administration, and especially honored to join the team working to make New York City an affordable place to live,” Levy said.
“My experience as a community organizer has shaped my work in public service and will continue to be my inspiration in the work ahead at HPD. It is my honor to join forces with tenants, homeowners, and dedicated public servants at HPD as we work to usher in a new era of quality and affordability for all.”
The mayor’s early priorities have focused on housing. On his first day in office, Mamdani signed orders improving the Office to Protect Tenants and creating task forces focused on streamlining housing construction. He also appointed Cea Weaver, executive director of Housing Justice for All and the New York State Tenant Block, as director of the Office to Protect Tenants.
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