Q&A
Council Member Abreu questions NYPD and HPD on illegal evictions and rent stabilization postings
0:57:50
·
147 sec
Council Member Shaun Abreu engages in a Q&A session with representatives from NYPD and HPD, focusing on criteria for identifying illegal evictions and the proposed posting of rent stabilization information in buildings. The discussion covers the need for clear guidelines for officers responding to potential illegal lockouts and concerns about potential tenant confusion regarding rent stabilization postings.
- Abreu pushes for a checklist or criteria for officers to use when responding to potential illegal evictions
- NYPD explains their concern about overly rigid criteria, but agrees to provide their existing list of factors to consider
- HPD expresses support for the rent stabilization posting bill (Intro 1037) while noting potential confusion in buildings with few rent-stabilized units
Shaun Abreu
0:57:50
Thank you, chair Sanchez, and thank you, council member Nurse, for your amazing 4 bills.
0:57:57
I I kinda wanna go back to the question about not having a criteria or a checklist.
0:58:06
I'm just curious to know, like,
AnnMarie Santiago
0:58:09
what
Shaun Abreu
0:58:09
why why is the why are you against it?
Josh Levin
0:58:13
Against isn't the right word.
0:58:16
What I tried to explain earlier is that if you make things in black and white, you could lock an officer into thinking, I have to have these things or I can't take action.
Shaun Abreu
0:58:24
Well, but we can't can we explain to them that these are factors that they should be looking at?
0:58:29
But the presence or the lack thereof doesn't mean it's dispositive as to whether or not it's a lockout.
Josh Levin
0:58:35
If you
Shaun Abreu
0:58:36
would We we we want our, you know, we want folks to be able to go in there and be able to look for certain things.
0:58:41
Doesn't necessarily mean that if they don't find it, that this is not a case or that this is not a case of an illegal lockout.
0:58:48
It doesn't it shouldn't indicate a positive or negative.
0:58:50
It's just things that says you should look at these factors.
Josh Levin
0:58:53
Yeah.
0:58:53
Definitely.
0:58:53
That's done.
0:58:54
We have lists of things to look at.
Lincoln Restler
0:58:56
Like, for
Josh Levin
0:58:56
example, in recruit training, it's orally done.
Shaun Abreu
0:58:59
It can explain.
0:58:59
Can we get that list?
Josh Levin
0:59:01
Yeah.
0:59:01
Sure.
0:59:01
I'll follow-up with
Shaun Abreu
0:59:02
that.
0:59:02
Because that's alright.
0:59:03
That that makes sense.
0:59:04
Because the the stuff about whether it's present or not, that's like getting to a legal case.
0:59:08
I don't expect our officers to be assessing the merits of cases, but I do want them to go in there with the information that they need.
0:59:14
2nd, on intro 1037, I understand that HPD testified that postings may lead to confusion and concern for tenants if the majority of units are not covered by rent stabilization.
0:59:27
Can you please expound on that?
AnnMarie Santiago
0:59:29
Thank you, council member.
0:59:30
Yes.
0:59:31
I we're not against this bill.
0:59:32
I think we're in support of this bill.
Lincoln Restler
0:59:34
Okay.
AnnMarie Santiago
0:59:34
But we just wanna caution that, you know, if there is 1 or 2 rent stabilized units in a building, it could lead to a lot of confusion.
Shaun Abreu
0:59:42
No.
0:59:42
I understand.
0:59:43
I I I hear you on that.
0:59:44
And in those instances, right, I mean, I feel like most tenants can just click on the link.
0:59:50
If if if if you're in the lobby of a building and you see a posting, you can just go on a link.
0:59:54
And if you're confused, go on the link and see whether or not your apartment is subject to rent stabilization.
0:59:59
That should provide, some some clear rules or or some clear understanding for tenants who may think that their rent stabilized, but they aren't.
1:00:08
But I'm glad that the admin and support.
1:00:09
Thank you
AnnMarie Santiago
1:00:10
very much.
1:00:10
And I and I think as we said, you know, we need to work with HCR to make sure that this is something that
Shaun Abreu
1:00:15
Totally.
AnnMarie Santiago
1:00:16
Thank you very much.
1:00:16
You're welcome.
