Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
Q&A
Unauthorized occupants in NYCHA apartments: Definitions and removal efforts
0:50:27
ยท
4 min
Council Member Erik Botcher inquires about unauthorized occupants in NYCHA apartments, seeking clarification on terminology and the extent of the issue. NYCHA officials explain the difference between unauthorized occupants and squatters, and discuss their efforts to address the problem.
- NYCHA has removed 200 unauthorized occupants over the past year through a task force with NYPD
- There are 1,448 active holdover licensee cases in landlord-tenant court
- NYCHA officials emphasize the need for careful use of terminology when discussing unauthorized occupants and squatters
Erik Botcher
0:50:27
You said a short while ago that 200 unauthorized occupants have been removed from NYCHA apartments.
0:50:38
By unauthorized occupants, are you con referring to individuals who are squatting in empty apartments?
Lisa Bova-Hiatt
0:50:50
So
Eva Trimble
0:50:54
we can clarify the the terminology for you between squatter versus unauthorized.
0:50:59
Obviously, squatters have rights after thirty days.
0:51:03
And so these are apartments where there are unauthorized occupants that have not yet reached thirty days and squatters and squatting.
0:51:13
So it's it's slightly technical.
0:51:14
We can certainly send you the breakdown of the work that we're doing with NYPD.
Erik Botcher
0:51:18
So an unauthorized occupant is someone who is living in a vacant apartment for less than thirty days?
Lisa Bova-Hiatt
0:51:28
Yeah.
0:51:28
I mean, I would just be careful.
0:51:35
Thank you for the question.
0:51:37
I want to just make sure that we're using the terminology carefully.
0:51:42
So I think it's best for us to speak to the NYPD and get back to you because I think there are terminology that's used differently by the NYPD than we do.
0:51:57
And so I just don't want it to misstate anything.
Erik Botcher
0:52:00
Yeah.
0:52:01
Putting the terminology aside, there are people who have occupied empty NYCHA apartments and they are now there.
0:52:10
They're not leaseholders.
0:52:12
How many of those exist throughout the NYCHA portfolio?
0:52:17
How many units are occupied from folks who just moved in without permission?
Eva Trimble
0:52:27
I don't have total number of squatters across the portfolio.
0:52:31
I don't know if that's something we are tracking comprehensively.
0:52:35
So I don't think we have that full number.
Erik Botcher
0:52:38
200 though have been removed to date.
0:52:42
Over what period of time?
Eva Trimble
0:52:46
Over I'd say over the over the past year or so with our work with the NYPD task force on this.
Erik Botcher
0:52:52
And, though you might not have the exact number handy, are we talking about thousands of units?
0:53:02
Are we talking about hundreds?
0:53:03
Because 200 were I really didn't say.
0:53:05
So it could be a lot more than 200 that are occupied by it.
0:53:12
And you talked about a concerted effort.
0:53:15
What was the name of that effort to remove the unauthorized occupants?
Eva Trimble
0:53:22
So the NYPD has a task force.
0:53:24
It's the Violence Prevention Task Force, which is a strange name.
0:53:29
I think it's really anti violence prevention, but it's called the violence prevention coordinator.
0:53:33
It was detective Barron.
0:53:34
He just recently retired.
0:53:36
We were working closely with his team to coordinate reclamation of our apartments.
Erik Botcher
0:53:41
And once someone is there for over thirty days, it's no longer dealt with in that way, they now have rights to remain there.
Lisa Bova-Hiatt
0:53:55
I can tell you that currently our active holdover licensee cases which is I believe what you're referring to.
0:54:03
We currently have fourteen forty eight active cases in landlord tenant court.
Erik Botcher
0:54:12
Got it.
0:54:13
So there's fourteen forty eight instances of when someone has moved into an empty unit and
Lisa Bova-Hiatt
0:54:22
Yeah, they're holdover licenses.
0:54:24
Yep.
Erik Botcher
0:54:25
And those are in landlord tenant court get it figured out that way.