Wednesday, September 9, 2026, 10 a.m. (New York City time), 250 Broadway - 8th Floor - Hearing Room 1
Committee: Committee on Housing and Buildings
The Committee on Housing and Buildings, chaired by Council Member Pierina Ana Sanchez, held an oversight hearing on Mayor [Mamdani's] 'Block by Block' housing plan, covering tenant protections, code enforcement, preservation, homelessness, and homeownership. The committee also heard legislation including Intro 905 (Community Opportunity to Purchase Act, COPA, sponsored by Sandy Nurse), Intro 178 (Office of Conversion Assistance, Epstein), Intro 649 (owner identification signs, Restler), Intro 717 (DOB permit sign-off notices, Salaam), Intro 860 (building street numbers, Brewer), Intro 1015 (J-51 reauthorization, Sanchez), and Council Member Banks' preconsidered bill authorizing electronic property registration. Commissioners from HPD and the Department of Buildings and the Director of the Mayor's Office to Protect Tenants testified and answered questions on staffing, enforcement strategy, 7-A, the TOOLS program, vouchers, ADUs, and implementation timelines. The hearing then took extensive public testimony, largely on COPA, deeply affordable housing, J-51, and construction labor standards. No votes were taken during the hearing.
0:09 Thank you,
0:09 good morning and welcome to
0:11 today's New York City Council
0:13 hearing for the committee on
0:15 housing and buildings. If you
0:16 would like to testify. You
0:17 must follow a witness slip
0:18 with one of the sergeant at
0:20 arms at the same police
0:22 silence all electronic devices
0:23 and no 1 approach day is at
0:27 any time. Chair. Sanchez, w
0:28 eare ready to begin. Thank you,
0:32 sergeants and good morning.
0:33 I'm Council Member Sanchez,
0:34 chair of the committee on
0:35 housing and buildings on
0:36 behalf of the City Council.
0:37 I'd like to welcome the
0:39 members of the public and the
0:40 administration that joined us
0:41 today in person and remotely
0:42 for today's oversight hearing
0:45 at first want to acknowledge
0:46 my colleagues who are present
0:48 a majority leader abrio
0:50 council, Hudson council
0:52 ,Avilés councilmember Maloney
0:53 counts member, Nurse council
0:55 member Banks Epstein, Thomas
0:56 Henry and al jabal
0:59 . Today's hearing is focused
1:00 on mayors or on mom danny's
1:01 blocked by block the housing
1:03 plan for a New era, a
1:06 comprehensive vision for
1:06 empowering tenants,
1:09 strengthening enforcement
1:10 ,preserving affordability,
1:11 improving housing quality
1:12 ,expanding homeownership and
1:15 mourning
1:15 . We begin from a reality. We
1:16 all know New York City is a is
1:18 in a profound housing crisis
1:21 are vacancy rate has fallen to
1:23 historic lows, but this crisis
1:24 is not experienced equally
1:29 . For the lowest income New
1:30 yorkers housing and security
1:30 can mean a child traveling
1:32 hours from a shelter in queens
1:33 to remain in their school in
1:35 the bronx. It can mean
1:36 families living with mold
1:38 ,vermin, insufficient heat in
1:39 the constant fear that one
1:40 missed paycheck could cost
1:41 them their home.
1:43 In my district, where
1:43 roughly 70% of households or
1:45 housing costs burden. This is
1:49 the reality, and these
1:49 inequities did not happen by
1:51 accident.
1:51 Generations of public
1:53 policies have determined who
1:54 could own a home whose
1:56 neighborhood received
1:56 investment and whose wealth
1:58 could grow.
1:58 Today. Those sam
1:59 ecommunities face a federal
2:01 government threatening housing
2:02 assistance and the basic
2:03 safety net that keeps families
2:06 afloat. That's why this plan
2:07 matters so much and there is
2:08 so much good in here, there's
2:10 a vision of government more
2:11 willing to stand up to bad
2:13 actors, more.
2:14 Willing to empower tenants
2:15 more creative about rescuing
2:17 distress buildings more
2:18 ambitious about building
2:19 housing and expanding
2:21 homeownership and people are
2:24 hopeful people who have spent
2:25 generations watching
2:25 government work better for
2:27 people and areas with money
2:29 and power
2:29 . Are wondering whether we
2:31 could actually ever shift that
2:32 balance, whether tenants might
2:33 have more power someday
2:36 whether working people could
2:36 finally have a governmen
2:37 twilling to fight as hard for
2:39 their stability as others
2:41 fight for profit present
2:44 company included.
2:44 But New yorkers have heard
2:46 ambitious promises before we
2:47 have celebrated production
2:48 targets before and too often
2:49 when we look back at what was
2:51 actually produced, preserved
2:52 or made affordable for our
2:53 lowest income neighbors
2:56 ,government actually fell
2:57 painfully short of the moment.
3:00 So today, members of the
3:02 administration, I ask you to
3:03 give us reason to believe
3:04 explained to us. To what you
3:06 could not fit on 120 pages of
3:08 blocked by by black or the 70
3:10 pages of the rental rip off
3:11 report or the 40 pages of the
3:14 speed report.
3:15 And more. How will you
3:17 implement these promises my
3:18 questions will begin in fou
3:20 rplaces first capacity, a bold
3:22 housing plan cannot be
3:23 implemented by understaffed
3:25 agencies. If we promise a
3:26 stronger if we promised
3:28 stronger code enforcement roof
3:30 to sell her inspections
3:31 ,emergency repairs, aggressive
3:32 litigation and preservation
3:34 than and department of
3:35 buildings need the inspectors,
3:38 attorneys, preservation staff
3:39 and institutional capacity to
3:41 deliver second with respect t
3:42 opreservation some of our most
3:45 affordable housing is also are
3:45 oldest and our most distresse
3:48 d. We need a government capable
3:49 of intervening before
3:50 buildings collapsed into
3:52 crisis. That means capital and
3:53 support for responsible owners
3:55 trying to keep buildings
3:57 affordable and escalating
3:58 enforcement against the owner
3:58 s, who are chronically who
4:01 chronically endangered tenants
4:02 . So what is your distinction
4:03 between high road and low roa
4:07 d.
4:07 Landlords mean in practice,
4:10 this council represents
4:11 tenants, but it also
4:12 represents responsible owners.
4:13 On New yorkers. The effect
4:15 of the rental arrears crisis
4:17 for landlords is real housing
4:18 court delays are real cash
4:20 flow problems can destabilize
4:23 otherwise responsible,
4:24 affordable
4:24 . Buildings, including
4:25 affordable co ops front
4:27 stabilized housing and
4:28 regulated.
4:28 Housing. We need a
4:30 preservation strategies
4:31 sophisticated enough t
4:32 orecognize those realities as
4:34 well.
4:35 Third on homelessness. W
4:35 espend billions of dollars
4:37 every year, operating a
4:38 shelter system while families
4:40 desperately searcdhe for
4:41 permanent homes in discussing
4:41 and all of the above approach
4:43 the plant does not speak
4:45 comprehensively to the many
4:46 housing voucher programs in
4:47 New York City steps section
4:50 eight, the newly created chap.
4:53 I'm going to do that every
4:54 time I say it. I'm really glad
4:56 we didn't go with crap. Okay,
4:59 City rental assistance program
5:03 . Okay, and our other housing
5:03 resources that could move us
5:04 toward something bigger,
5:06 preventing homelessness before
5:08 it happens and finally,
5:09 accountability plans are only
5:10 as meaningful as what happens
5:12 next. So we want the
5:14 implementation schedules, the
5:15 measurable benchmarks and
5:16 clarity about who to hold
5:17 responsible if any of the
5:18 plans fall behind. I
5:21 personally, of course I'm
5:22 excited to see a focus on the
5:23 bronx. I also have to mention
5:25 that I'm concerned about the
5:26 lack of mention of climate
5:28 resilience throughout these
5:28 plans and hope that these
5:31 preservation and enforcement
5:31 commitments can work together
5:32 to address any gaps that w
5:33 etalk about today in addition
5:36 to our oversight topic. The
5:37 committee will also hear in
5:38 show number 1 78, sponsored by
5:41 councilmember Harvey Epstein
5:42 in relation to establishing an
5:43 office of conversion
5:45 assistance into number 6 49,
5:47 sponsored by councilmember
5:48 Lincoln wrestler in relation
5:49 to requiring the posting of a
5:51 sign identifying the owners of
5:53 multiple dwellings number at 7
5:54 17 by Council Member Salaam in
5:57 relations to requiring the
5:58 department of buildings t
5:59 oinform property owners of
6:01 permit sign off requirements
6:02 into a number 8 60 sponsored
6:04 by councilmember Brewer in
6:05 relation to the inspection and
6:06 enforcement.
6:07 Of st numbers on buildings
6:08 and pre considered t 26780
6:13 sponsored by Council Member
6:14 Chris Banks in relation to
6:17 authorizing electroni
6:17 cregistration of dwellings with
6:19 the department of housing
6:20 preservation and development,
6:23 perhaps one of the most
6:23 great. Okay. I'd like to giv
6:28 ethe sponsors of these bills
6:28 and opportunity to speak on
6:30 their legislation, starting
6:31 with council Nurse
6:32 . Followed by Epstein and
6:34 Banks did. I mentioned 9 5.
6:36 I'm sorry, but you go ahead.
6:44 905 And.
6:44 Thank you. Chair. Sanchez.
6:45 Good morning, everyone. Thank
6:47 you. Sure? Sanchez for hosting
6:49 this important hearing New
6:50 yorkers are living through a
6:52 cost of living crisis decades
6:53 in the making and housing sits
6:54 at the center of it, working
6:57 class and middle incom
6:58 efamilies are competing for
6:59 fewer and fewer units every
7:00 year and landlords know it
7:02 .this drives rents higher and
7:04 allows bad conditions to
7:06 fester. Yes, we need to build
7:08 more housing, but I
7:09 fundamentally disagree with a
7:10 purely market driven approach.
7:13 The fact is, the private
7:14 market cannot create enough
7:16 affordable housing to solve
7:17 this crisis, especially if
7:18 we're losing the affordable
7:20 housing stock do have faster
7:21 than we can build, and that's
7:24 where the community
7:25 oprtunpoity to purchase act
7:26 comes in this bill is about
7:28 interrupting a cycle of
7:30 despair and neglect by design
7:33 because many landlords across
7:34 the City used deterioration as
7:36 a strategy to get their
7:37 tenants out, we can look at
7:39 buildings like 20 76 creston
7:40 avenue in the bronx a 41 uni
7:43 tbuilding that has racked up
7:45 over 2000 violations despite
7:47 being passed from owner t
7:50 oowner while tenants remaining
7:50 living in untenable conditions
7:52 we can look to manhattan at 3
7:54 31 east fourteenth street
7:55 , a 20 unit building with 358
8:00 violations bought by a private
8:01 equity firm that has let the
8:04 building rot, betting tha
8:05 ttenants will simply give up
8:07 and leave
8:07 . Once past the community
8:08 opportunity to purchase act
8:09 will give mission driven,
8:11 vetted nonprofits. The first
8:12 right to make an offer on
8:14 these distressed buildings
8:15 before speculators can. It
8:17 brings these buildings into
8:19 community ownership and public
8:22 oversight. It keeps rents
8:23 affordable and most
8:23 importantly, it keeps people
8:25 in their homes near their
8:26 schools, their jobs, their
8:28 support systems and their
8:29 lives 62% of New yorkers about
8:33 5 million people are not able
8:35 to meet the basic cost of
8:35 living in our City.
8:38 Over 70% of New York City
8:39 children are growing up in
8:40 households that cannot make
8:42 ends meet and meanwhile, th
8:43 etop 1% has never had it so
8:47 good
8:47 . Every affordable unit, we
8:48 lose as a family that is
8:49 either going to shelter or
8:51 finally leaving the City and
8:52 we need to put every option on
8:54 the table to give families a
8:56 chance the community
8:57 opportunity to purchase act
9:00 does that the bill version
9:01 near discussing today is the
9:02 result of dozens of
9:03 conversations with
9:04 stakeholders who are both for
9:06 and against this bill, many of
9:07 whom are here today. I really
9:09 look forward to the
9:10 conversation I want to thank
9:12 you. Chose Sanchez speaker
9:15 mennen, the copa coalition and
9:16 everyone who gave us feedback
9:17 and helped us shape this bill
9:23 thinking. Sure.
9:23 Thank you so much council
9:24 owners, and this is the third
9:25 time we are hearing this
9:28 bittle together as colleagues.
9:28 It's the charm. It's the.
9:31 Charm. I truly believe in
9:32 this piece of legislation and
9:33 I'm excited about the
9:35 discussion today next time I
9:37 want to call on a council
9:39 member Epstein talk about his
9:42 bill
9:43 . And thank you, chair Sanchez
9:44 for your leadership and my
9:46 colleagues on the housing
9:47 committee important hearing
9:50 today as we all know New
9:51 yorkers are facing a historic
9:52 housing crisis.
9:53 According to the most recent
9:55 20 24 housing and they can see
9:56 survey the vacancy rate 1.4%
9:59 less than 1% for ren
10:01 tstabilized units in the City
10:02 the lowest level ever recorded
10:07 office conversion office
10:09 residential conversion
10:09 presents a significant
10:11 opportunity to expand our
10:12 housing supply
10:13 . Recording the department of
10:16 ildings records about one
10:17 third of New housing permits
10:17 has come from these
10:19 conversions this year, however
10:20 , many developers still
10:21 struggled to navigate the
10:23 process of conversion because
10:24 it involved construction and
10:27 reconstruction entire floors,
10:27 potentially the demos
10:28 ,demolishing the entire
10:30 building
10:30 . Interior courtyard light
10:33 additional stories,
10:33 potentially on top of those
10:36 buildings.
10:36 At theame s time, the
10:37 unusual partial collapse at
10:39 334 east, 40 seconds street
10:41 show this critical need from
10:41 our technical support to
10:43 prevent future dangerous
10:46 incidents
10:46 . My bill introduction hundred
10:47 78. It's meant to unlock the
10:48 true power these conversions
10:50 by creating an office of
10:52 conversion assistance
10:53 facilitate the conversion
10:54 process by advising those
10:55 interested in converting
10:58 property
10:58 . Liaison with relevant agenc
10:59 yof the government level and
11:00 reporting data on these
11:03 convergence, this resource can
11:04 ensure this type of conversion
11:05 as safe as possible. In
11:06 addition to providing
11:07 assistance with the process
11:09 ,the reporting mandate by this
11:10 bill is an important too.
11:12 Identify barriers t
11:13 oconversion process and
11:14 fighting ways, too. Address
11:16 them.
11:17 We must ensure that we're
11:17 meeting the housing crisis
11:18 with real solutions to
11:20 increase affordable housing
11:21 supply in the housing supply
11:22 in general look forward
11:23 .you're hearing from the
11:24 administration testifying from
11:25 advocates as well. All of the
11:27 yorkers. I want to thank the
11:28 chair and speaker manager for
11:29 having this opportunity today
11:33 . Thank you so muc
11:34 hcouncilmember Epstein, I will
11:34 hear from council
11:35 . Member Banks, all right
11:36 ,thank you, Madam. Chair, this
11:38 is a very straightforward bill
11:40 commonsense piece of
11:42 legislation that will
11:44 modernize and update the
11:45 process that makes it easier
11:48 for property owners to comply
11:48 with City requirements after
11:52 hearing property owners and
11:54 advocates and organizations
11:55 such as the small property
11:57 owners of New York. It has
12:00 become clear that the current
12:02 paper based registration
12:03 system creates unnecessary
12:07 challenges. You know, property
12:08 owners shared experiences of
12:11 sub submitting registration
12:12 paperwork work on time
12:13 sometimes even by certified
12:16 mail only to be told later
12:18 that the documents could not
12:21 be located and I would need t
12:22 obe resubmitted at the same
12:25 time, many noted that while
12:26 the paperwork that seemed t
12:28 ogo missing the $13
12:29 registration fee did not the