QUESTION
What steps is the administration taking to protect tenants and ensure balanced representation on the Rent Guidelines Board?
0:46:18
·
4 min
The administration is enforcing laws, investing in inspector corps, and introducing initiatives like the Tenant Protection Cabinet to safeguard tenants.
- HPD enforces tenant protection laws and has rebuilt its inspector corps for better enforcement.
- Initiatives such as the Anti-Harassment Unit and the Tenant Protection Cabinet aim to address tenant issues directly.
- The administration collaborates with tenant advocates, legal aid, and utilizes programs like the alternative enforcement program to respond to tenant complaints.
- Public engagement efforts include door-to-door outreach, a tenant question hotline, and housing ambassador programs.
- Programs like Partners in Preservation focus on targeting resources for enforcement and preservation assistance through partnerships with legal aid and community-based organizations.
Alexa Avilés
0:46:18
Will the administration put tenants on that on the rent guidelines board in order to make sure that there is a balance perspective on that board that would be the surest way?
0:46:28
One of the surest ways to begin to bring a real balance perspective around the importance.
0:46:35
Of tenants.
0:46:36
But what else is the administration doing to make sure we're protecting these valuable units?
Ahmed Tigan
0:46:44
I appreciate the can the question council member.
0:46:47
From HPD's perspective, our first step is always ensuring that the laws are being enforced.
0:46:53
And that making sure that the tenants who are seeing issues are protected.
0:46:57
So we have invested heavily in rebuilding our inspector corps and making sure that we have a strong enforcement apparatus under deputy commissioner of Santiago.
0:47:11
So we continue to make sure that we are pushing and responding to tenant complaints.
0:47:18
We are using our anti harassment unit and our neighborhood investments services in enforcement using our programs wisely, like our alternative enforcement program.
0:47:31
When needed, we will bring litigation in court if There are laws being violated.
0:47:38
We work closely with our partners in HDR to make sure that their referral and informations going back up end down so that we're working together.
0:47:46
Separately, we are making sure that we use our relationships with 10 advocates and legal aid and talking to each other to make sure that we are protecting the tenants who are in housing court.
0:47:59
We are making sure that there's information that's available to tenants as needed.
0:48:03
Recently, the mayor announced the formation of the tenant protection cabinets.
0:48:08
We continue to have our public engagement unit and our tenant support unit in our neighborhoods knocking on doors.
0:48:16
Manning our tenant question hotline.
0:48:19
So that if tenants have questions or need referrals, they can reach out.
0:48:23
Both are home based programs run by HRA and our housing ambassadors through the HPD housing ambassador programs serve as CBO Resources in the community, not only for questions about how they get help, as they are the leaders and the true and voices who understand how their communities need this assistance.
0:48:43
So they are providing questions to their communities, and we are getting feedback from DCBOs about how we can help further.
0:48:50
And we continue to build out pilots and programs that have been successful in the past.
0:48:55
So in the past, we had the partners in preservation program.
0:48:58
Was that successful pilot in 3 neighborhoods that now has been baseline in the budget.
0:49:04
We'll be working in more neighborhoods.
0:49:06
It's a partnership between tenants legal aid, community based organization, legal aid organizations, and 10 based organizations that work with enforcement, and our preservation program so that we're targeting resources on the enforcement side or finding buildings and the preservation assistance through that partnership.
0:49:25
So those are just a few of the ways that we're doing it.
0:49:28
But at the end of the day, Brent regulation is critical to all parts, and we're finding different ways to defend that and protect it.
Elyzabeth Gaumer
0:49:37
If I may, I just add one thing.
0:49:39
These are obviously really critical direct program and support mechanisms.
0:49:44
But I think it's also very important to recognize that the the information that we gather and share not only for today's hearing, but much more broadly, we also are showing a commitment to putting clear, accurate, and representative information.
0:50:03
That speaks to what is happening for rent stabilized tenants in rent stabilized units over time.
0:50:10
And that all of that is also made as a public asset to be able to help make measured decisions that hopefully are effective for whatever is needed to make our city.
0:50:19
Continue.
Pierina Ana Sanchez
0:50:23
Thank you.