AGENCY TESTIMONY
Anti-harassment programs and Certificate of No Harassment
0:19:37
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88 sec
HPD operates several programs to protect tenants from harassment, including the Anti Harassment Unit (AHU) and the Certificate of No Harassment (CONH) process. These programs aim to identify and penalize bad actor landlords and deter harassment.
- The AHU identifies buildings and portfolios with indicators of harassment and enforces correction of conditions
- AHU responds to complaints from tenants and advocates about poor conditions used to harass tenants
- The CONH process requires owners to prove no harassment before making substantial alterations to buildings
- CONH investigations involve notifying current and former tenants, community groups, and relevant officials for input
AnnMarie Santiago
0:19:37
Through our anti harassment unit, AHU, we identify both individual buildings and portfolios of buildings where there are indicators of harassment and seek to enforce correction of conditions against bad actor landlords.
0:19:50
AHU also responds to complaints from tenants and advocates about poor conditions being used to harass tenants.
0:19:56
We issue housing maintenance violations and, where warranted, initiate litigation seeking orders to correct violations, obtain civil penalties, and address harassment.
0:20:06
In addition to civil penalties, one landlord has twice been ordered to serve jail time.
0:20:11
The certificate of no harassment process administered by HPD is a narrowly targeted tool intended to deter current owners from benefiting from past harassment.
0:20:22
Prior to being approved by the Department of Buildings for substantial alterations that affect the use, occupancy, or layout of the building, an owner of a building subject to one of the CONH, programs must apply for a CONH from HPD.
0:20:37
Current and former tenants of the building, community groups, and the relevant community board and elected officials will be notified of the application and provided an opportunity to submit comments concerning any issues of harassment experienced by the tenants.
0:20:52
HPD conducts an investigation, and based on its findings, makes a determination which may preclude an owner from proceeding with the proposed alterations for a period of time or require that the owner agree to designating affordable units.
