Tuesday, March 24, 2026, 11:30 a.m. (New York City time), 250 Broadway - 8th Floor - Hearing Room 2
Committee: Committee on Housing and Buildings
The Committee on Housing and Buildings held a preliminary budget hearing for fiscal year 2027 covering the Department of Buildings (DOB) and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). DOB Commissioner Amit T. Ghani testified about staffing vacancies (approximately 9%), plan review timelines, proactive enforcement programs, sidewalk shed reduction, and Local Law 97 implementation. HPD's new commissioner testified about the agency's $1.4 billion expense budget, roughly 15% vacancy rate, housing production of nearly 30,000 affordable homes in calendar year 2025, and priorities including building more housing, preserving existing stock, and protecting tenants. Council members questioned both commissioners on topics including uncollected fines, elevator inspection delays, code enforcement, Housing Connect system problems, Mitchell-Lama preservation, Section 8 voucher administration, and the City of Yes housing initiative. Over 30 members of the public testified requesting funding for housing programs including right to counsel, community land trusts, senior housing, foreclosure prevention, deeply affordable housing for homeless New Yorkers, and legal services.
0:13 Much no quiet down quiet down.
0:13 Good morning and welcome t
0:17 otoday's New York City Council
0:19 hearing from the committee on
0:21 housing and buildings at this
0:22 time I'd like to remind
0:23 everyone to please censor
0:25 electronic devices and at no
0:26 point is anyone to approach
0:27 the dais additionally known
0:28 one is to approach the witness
0:30 table unless invited t
0:31 otestify if you hadn't not
0:32 signed up to testify when
0:34 liked you you can fill out a
0:35 slip located on the table in
0:36 the hallway outside with the
0:38 sergeant arms.
0:38 Chair we're ready to begin
0:42 thank you sergeant and good
0:43 morning welcome to the March
0:46 24 hearing on the of the
0:47 committee the New York City
0:48 council committee on housing
0:49 and buildings today's hearing
0:51 covers the fiscal 20 27
0:53 preliminary budget for two
0:56 critical agencies the
0:56 department of buildings and
0:57 the department of housing
0:58 preservation and development I
0:59 am Council Member bereano
1:01 Sanchez chair of the committee
1:03 on behalf of the council I
1:04 welcome members of the public
1:05 and the mamdani administration
1:07 who are joining us here today
1:09 . Commissioner first
1:11 congratulations.
1:11 Glad to be working with you
1:12 in this capacity
1:13 . Kind of again so let me let
1:17 me begin with my framing
1:20 remarks starting with a simple
1:22 but urgent truth
1:23 . New York City as we all know
1:24 is in a housing crisis and
1:27 it's hitting low income
1:28 newyorker is the the hardest
1:30 my my district and across the
1:31 City housing is not abstract
1:34 you're conditions are will the
1:36 heat work well the ceiling
1:37 cave in today will I be able
1:39 to stay in my home what we do
1:41 about this crisis must remain
1:43 multifaceted we must build
1:45 more housing hopefully faster
1:47 we must preserve what we have
1:48 and we must enforce the laws
1:49 that we have.
1:50 Passed
1:51 . This council took a major
1:53 step for a major step forward
1:54 last year through zoning
1:56 reforms that will allow a
1:58 little more housing in every
1:59 neighborhood paired with $
2:02 5billion in housing and
2:03 infrastructure investment so
2:04 one key question I will ask
2:06 today is where are we on
2:08 implementation
2:08 . Turning to the preliminary
2:10 budget the department of
2:11 buildings fiscal 20 27 budget
2:14 is and hp proposed fiscal 2
2:20 027 is 1.0 8 building billion
2:24 buildings billion including
2:25 neeta on the capitol side
2:27 fiscal 26 2 30 capital plan
2:29 totals in plus in section
2:34 eight conversion pass through
2:35 . Funding for a total of
2:37 . These are significant
2:39 investments and this committee
2:40 is going to be focused on the
2:43 outcomes for hpd a
2:45 preservation enforcement and
2:46 systems systems industry
2:48 distress I want to focus on
2:49 the way that that agency
2:50 although they're not here
2:52 right now send us sits at the
2:53 center of the crisis the
2:57 preliminary Mayor management
2:58 report shows that how housing
3:00 violations are rising
3:01 emergency repairs remain
3:03 elevated with emergency
3:04 interventions increasing and
3:05 distress in our housing stock
3:06 is not shrinking I'm glad t
3:08 owork with the administration
3:09 as they sharpen tools to go
3:11 after the worst actors as they
3:13 did a few weeks ago announced
3:14 that 990 prospect avenue in
3:16 the bronx and as they are
3:18 constructively engaging in
3:20 discussions around around
3:21 overhauling the city's power
3:22 of municipal foreclosures for
3:24 buildings in distress my intro
3:26 6 57 however with respect to
3:28 the general financial and
3:29 operational health of
3:30 buildings across the City we
3:31 know that collections rent
3:33 collections are down costs are
3:35 up and while we go after the
3:36 worst of the worst actors we
3:38 want to talk about what
3:41 supports is providing t
3:41 oowners who do want to do the
3:43 right thing but are
3:45 financially strained we want
3:46 to talk about stabilizing the
3:49 entire housing ecosystem in
3:49 terms of asset management hpd
3:52 is also a steward of a great
3:53 number of buildings mitchell
3:55 aama properties article 1
3:57 1properties other rentals other
3:59 regulated affordable housing
4:00 portfolios so we want to talk
4:01 about how hpd is monitoring
4:04 compliance under its
4:05 regulatory agreements and what
4:07 is the plan for aging housing
4:09 buildings that have received
4:11 substantial public support but
4:12 are still in disrepair
4:13 . And lastly on the h p d
4:16 respect to equity and home
4:17 ownership another concern that
4:19 we cannot ignore is that New
4:21 York City is becoming less
4:23 diverse black New York er's
4:24 are leaving the City in record
4:26 numbers and what is hpd doing
4:28 to protect and expand
4:29 homeownership in communities
4:30 of color how are we ensuring
4:32 that our housing policies are
4:33 displacement turning to the
4:35 department of buildings the
4:37 . Department of buildings is
4:37 responsible for the structural
4:39 integrity of over 1 million
4:41 buildings and tens of
4:43 thousands of construction
4:43 sites across the City the
4:47 mayor's preliminary management
4:48 report shows that plan review
4:50 timelines are increasing means
4:51 delays on the construction
4:53 front enforcement activity
4:55 remains high but there is an
4:56 outstanding unpaid fine total
4:57 of 310 million
5:00 . Dollars uncollected by the
5:01 City of New York.
5:02 Just from the department of
5:04 buildings at the same time we
5:05 are hearing concerns from the
5:08 field buildings that were
5:10 newly constructed relatively
5:11 newly constructed are showing
5:12 signs of failure and work
5:14 force are affecting the our
5:18 construction pipelines so I
5:19 will be asking where are we
5:20 seeing the most acute labor
5:23 shortages electricians
5:24 plumbers general contractors
5:25 and what is building doing t
5:26 oaddress these shortages
5:28 . With respect to local law 9
5:31 7department of buildings is
5:32 also implementing that local
5:33 law one of the most ambitious
5:35 climate laws in the country
5:36 with the first compliance
5:38 deadlines now here we asked
5:39 for clarity on how many
5:40 buildings are in compliance
5:42 with enforcement is looking
5:43 like and how the department is
5:45 supporting building owners in
5:47 requirements
5:47 . Our close with the facts we
5:49 know what the housing crisis
5:51 looked like looks like we see
5:52 it in rising violations
5:54 struggling buildings and
5:55 families at the brink of
5:57 displacement the question that
5:58 we have is whether agencies
6:00 agencies are equipped for
6:01 success because at the end
6:03 this is about whether New York
6:04 er's can live in safe stable
6:06 and dignified homes and look
6:07 forward to today's discussion
6:09 with the administration and
6:10 the public following the dobbs
6:12 testimony this morning we will
6:13 hear from hpd at approximately
6:15 1 30 p m and public testimony
6:17 thereafter before we begin I'd
6:18 like to thank the finance
6:20 staff financial analyst carla
6:22 naranjo assistant director
6:24 daniel croup deputy director
6:26 cheema gucci and sutton the
6:29 fellow fellow catherine mahan
6:31 ah sorry I'm saying that wrong .
6:34 For their work on this
6:35 hearing as well as legislative
6:37 committee staff austin malone
6:40 billy jose conde your expense
6:43 services rota noah slats berg
6:45 and mohammed shadid.
6:46 Finally I'd like to tak
6:46 ethis opportunity to thank my
6:48 team chief of staff maria
6:50 amida lobos deputy chief sven
6:52 ratner and kim castellanos
6:54 gerard fernandez De La campos
6:54 maria jose mares brenda muniz
6:57 and stephanie cuisine I would
6:58 now like to acknowledge that
6:59 we're joined by councilmember
7:01 felice hance umed council
7:03 member and Maloney here in
7:04 person and public advocate
7:11 Williams
7:11 . And before we turn t
7:13 oadministration's testimony
7:14 we're going to allow a few
7:15 remarks from our public
7:18 advocate thank you thank you
7:20 Madam chair morning everyone
7:20 nice to meet you my my name is
7:25 damani papa gavea City City of
7:26 New York I to thank Sanchez as
7:27 well as the members of the
7:28 committee on housing buildings
7:30 for holiness hearing today and
7:31 allowing me the opportunity t
7:33 ogive testimony as well
7:35 congratulations to the New
7:37 commission as well ah like
7:39 much of us like much of the u
7:41 s New York City faces a deeply
7:43 concerning housing
7:44 affordability crisis coming
7:45 off the covid-19 pandemic
7:46 which saw the sunsetting of
7:48 the eviction moratorium and a
7:49 funding cliff for emergency
7:51 rental assistance housing
7:53 agencies facing high attrition
7:54 rates with department of the
7:55 department of housing
7:56 preservation development or
7:58 hpd seeking a peak of almost
8:00 300 jobs separation 20 22
8:03 similarly the department of
8:04 buildings with saw a nutrition
8:05 saw a nutrition peak of
8:06 hundred 23 during the same
8:07 year with this in mind I am
8:08 concerned by some of the cuts
8:10 in the proposed 27 preliminary
8:13 budget while d o sees very
8:14 little change with a decrease
8:15 of $18 million from the
8:17 modified 26 budget expense
8:19 funding sees the $500 million
8:22 decrease from the
8:22 . 26 Budget as modified in a
8:27 $395 million budget reduction
8:28 I'm sorry a million dollars b
8:29 a budget reduction from the
8:30 free 26 budget is adopted
8:32 while we understand that that
8:33 face City faces a real budget
8:36 crisis we must grapple with
8:37 the reality of what these cuts
8:39 entail especially as we
8:40 grapple with the uncertainty
8:41 of federal funds and I look
8:43 forward to hearing from the
8:44 hpd from hpd where the
8:46 reduction comes from and how
8:46 it will affect the work of the
8:47 agency in the same breath as
8:49 we consider the budget crisis
8:51 left to us by the previous
8:52 administration we have to look
8:54 at City pheap so the City
8:55 fighting homelessness and
8:57 eviction prevention supplement e
8:59 program has been a critical
9:00 tool in keeping families house
9:02 and preventing evictions but
9:03 over the past six years the
9:03 cost for the program has
9:05 raising five polls since the
9:06 initial initial $25 million
9:09 investment 20 19 mayors $1.64
9:11 billion investment in the
9:12 program as a slight increase
9:13 from last year's yet his
9:15 advocates have cited this
9:16 number also falls short of the
9:18 expanded eligibility costs
9:19 passed by the City Council in
9:21 20 23 the under budgeting of
9:22 City fairs program by nearly
9:25 $800 million under the adams
9:27 administration as a single
9:27 like single the largest
9:29 contributor to the 2.2 budget
9:32 for a software the City faces
9:34 what I believe we must
9:36 experience City fare ups and
9:36 move away from costly shelters e
9:38 short term we have a budget
9:39 that the City is legally
9:41 obligated balance so I look
9:42 forward to work with the major
9:44 City Council and and the
9:45 comptroller balance these very
9:46 knees also remembering that
9:47 housing is probably the
9:49 largest experience that most
9:49 households face finally I want
9:51 to recognize our partners on
9:52 the federal level because
9:53 without their advocacy in New
9:54 York state and the City at a
9:55 being being a much worse
9:58 fiscal state with the federal
9:59 appropriations bill that
10:01 recently passed funding
10:02 section ery vouchers and diet
10:03 times times like this it is
10:04 critical that the City state
10:05 and federal officials work
10:07 toward a and protect us
10:10 communities that mitigate the
10:11 harms being inflicted by the
10:12 trump administration and the
10:13 harm is not a byproduct it is
10:15 the intention I'm also hoping
10:16 to hear from to make sure that
10:18 we have the staffing needed
10:19 for folks who are coming to be
10:21 to do what they need either in
10:23 their single family homes or
10:25 building additional rental
10:27 units thank you very much
10:29 appreciate it.
10:30 Thank you public advocate
10:30 I'll now turn it over to our
10:32 counsel to administer the oath.
10:33 Thank you chair please raise
10:36 your right hand.
10:37 Do you affirm to tell the
10:38 truth the whole truth and
10:40 nothing but the truth and
10:41 before the and to respond
10:42 honestly to counsel questions
10:46 thank you you begin when
10:55 you're ready oh there it goes
11:00 technology wow good morning
11:02 cheers Sanchez public advocate
11:03 william's team members of the
11:05 committee on housing and
11:07 buildings my name is amit t
11:08 ghani and I have the great
11:10 pleasure to serve as the
11:11 commissioner of the New York
11:12 City department of buildings
11:14 I'm joined today by yigal
11:15 shamash our first deputy
11:18 commissioner gina ugarte
11:19 deputy commissioner for
11:20 finance guillermo patino our
11:22 deputy commissioner for policy
11:23 and legal affairs and other
11:25 incredible members of the
11:27 department's leadership team
11:29 behind me we are pleased to be
11:30 here to discuss the fiscal
11:31 year 20 27 preliminary budget
11:33 epriority initiatives this past
11:38 Friday marked two months as
11:40 commissioner and it has been a
11:41 tremendous privilege to be
11:42 back at the department after
11:44 serving in New York our's for
11:46 five years at the department
11:47 of housing preservation and
11:49 development in various roles
11:51 where we focused on delivering
11:53 for New York er's by
11:54 preserving and creating
11:57 housing while the l b scope is
11:59 wide that work in this New
12:01 capacity is still a
12:02 responsibility I think
12:03 seriously as part of the
12:05 housing and planning portfolio
12:06 under deputy Mayor bob arc the
12:09 department supports the
12:12 construction prepares for
12:13 emergencies serves communities
12:14 that depend on our development
12:15 and enforcement work and
12:17 partners with industries that
12:18 deliver schools grocery stores
12:20 and hospitals
12:21 . Just to name a few but this
12:23 shift reinforces our central
12:25 role in preserving and
12:27 creating housing at a moment
12:28 of urgent need while still
12:30 maintaining our committee our
12:31 commitment across all of these
12:33 work streams in all of these
12:34 areas we will hold owners
12:37 accountable for maintaining
12:38 safe buildings and use every
12:40 available tool when they fail
12:41 to meet their legal
12:44 obligations at the same time
12:45 we are stream ly we are