New York City Mayor Mamdani has been actively strengthening housing enforcement since taking office. On the 8th, the city released the latest list of the 250 most serious violators of housing regulations, placing them under strict supervision in the “Alternative Enforcement Program.” The Mayor’s Office mentioned that these buildings have accumulated nearly 55,000 unresolved violations, and the city has undertaken emergency repairs on their behalf, seeking nearly $4.5 million in repair fees from landlords.
The Commissioner of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), Dina Levy, stated that the latest list has been officially released, and the related buildings will undergo more intensive inspections and management. The city’s announcement link can be found at: https://tinyurl.com/2u8afvkt
The “Alternative Enforcement Program” (AEP) has been in effect for 19 years, primarily targeting repeat offending property owners who have failed to address serious housing violations over the long term. According to city statistics, the 250 buildings included in the list comprise approximately 7,038 residential units, with a total of 54,909 unresolved housing regulation violations, accounting for a portion of the city’s most severe cases. The owners of these buildings have accumulated nearly $4.5 million in outstanding emergency repair costs due to delayed repairs.
The city noted that the Alternative Enforcement Program allows the HPD to conduct more frequent inspections of violative buildings, issue Orders to Correct, and directly intervene in construction when owners fail to act, with the related costs borne by the landlords. Meanwhile, the HPD’s Housing Litigation Division has taken action against 138 of these buildings in housing court, demanding compliance with regulations.
As an example, the building with the most severe “B-level” and “C-level” violations in the past five years is located at 34-15 Parsons Blvd in Queens, with over 1,000 major violations registered, owned by the limited liability company A&E Real Estate Holdings.
The update of this list continues the current administration’s policy direction towards strengthening tenant protections. Last month, the HPD announced a $21 million settlement with A&E Real Estate Holdings for 14 buildings, requiring extensive repairs, compliance with repair orders, and prohibiting any form of tenant harassment. This case represents the highest-value successful settlement in HPD’s history of anti-harassment unit cases.
Additionally, during the recent cold snap emergency period, the HPD stated that they have mobilized their largest workforce to address winter housing conditions. In January, they handled approximately 37,000 complaints, and as of February 4th, about 98% of cases have been closed.