Committee on Housing and Buildings meeting
March 24, 2026, 11:30 AM
The Committee on Housing and Buildings held its FY2027 preliminary budget hearing on the Department of Buildings and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development. The committee took testimony and recorded no votes.
What was discussed
- Chair Sanchez and Public Advocate Williams open the DOB/HPD budget hearing Chair Pierina Ana Sanchez opened the Committee on Housing and Buildings hearing on the FY2027 preliminary budgets of the Department of Buildings and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams offered opening remarks.
- DOB Commissioner Ahmed Tigani's opening testimony Ahmed Tigani, Commissioner of the Department of Buildings, testified on the agency's FY2027 preliminary budget and its work, joined by First Deputy Commissioner Yegal Shamash and other senior staff.
- How will DOB meet the savings mandate without weakening code enforcement? Asked by Finance Chair Linda Lee about the citywide 1.5%/2.5% savings targets, Commissioner Ahmed Tigani said DOB's Deputy Commissioner for Finance is its Chief Savings Officer and that the agency is building a plan that preserves its obligation to protect New Yorkers through inspections and code
- How is DOB expanding proactive enforcement and stop-work orders? Asked by Chair Pierina Ana Sanchez about a rise in stop-work orders (2,683 in the period cited), Commissioner Ahmed Tigani and First Deputy Commissioner Yegal Shamash credited a newly formed strategic enforcement division and a proactive inspection program using predictive analytics, with Deputy
- How is DOB addressing inspector vacancies, including the plumbing inspector shortage? Asked by Finance Chair Linda Lee and Council Member Yusef Salaam about staffing, Deputy Commissioner Gina Ugarte broke down DOB's 1,635 active positions (558 inspectorial, 330 technical, 557 administrative, 197 clerical) and said FY27 added 36 positions dedicated to specific functions, with ongoing
- How will DOB's sidewalk shed reforms reduce sheds and raise revenue? Asked by Finance Chair Linda Lee, Council Member Virginia Maloney, and Council Member Yusef Salaam about sidewalk sheds, Deputy Commissioner Gina Ugarte and First Deputy Commissioner Yegal Shamash said DOB received 23 new tax-levy positions ($2 million) and is moving from annual to 90-day permit
- What is DOB doing about stalled construction sites and tenant harassment? Asked by Council Member Harvey Epstein about long-stalled sites and construction-related tenant harassment, Commissioner Ahmed Tigani said the agency would follow up on specific sites and described heightened attention to harassment, especially following the Rental Ripoff hearings, while declining
- Can DOB keep up with elevator outages given its inspector ratio? Asked by Council Member Rita Joseph about elevator outages, Commissioner Ahmed Tigani and First Deputy Commissioner Yegal Shamash said response times vary by the age and parts of a cab, that single-elevator buildings are prioritized, and addressed the roughly 13,000 elevator complaints relative to
- How is DOB supporting building owners through Local Law 97 compliance? Asked by Council Member Gale Brewer about Local Law 97, DOB's Laura Popa said the agency's approach is to support building owners through filing, and Commissioner Ahmed Tigani said good-faith compliance is evaluated against several conditions and that DOB's goal is to make its technology and
- What is DOB doing about hundreds of millions in unpaid penalties? Asked by Council Member Yusef Salaam about $627 million in unpaid DOB penalties from 2017-2022 cited in an IBO report, Commissioner Ahmed Tigani noted the 2023 IBO report covered an earlier period and described enhancements through DOB NOW aimed at collections.
- HPD Commissioner Dina Levy's opening testimony Dina Levy, testifying for the first time as the new Commissioner of HPD, described her long background in affordable housing and community organizing and her experience hearing tenants at the Rental Ripoff hearings, framing the agency's FY2027 budget priorities.
- How much state and city capital does HPD have for affordable housing? Asked by Chair Pierina Ana Sanchez about funding, Commissioner Dina Levy and Deputy Commissioner Gardea Caphart described $250 million in state funds and roughly $825 million in city capital and expense over the cited period, plus added positions, and agreed to follow up on specific programs and the
- Is HPD producing enough extremely low-income units and meeting the homeless set-aside? Asked by Chair Pierina Ana Sanchez about affordable production, HPD said of roughly 16,000 units preserved about 2,500 were extremely low-income, and addressed compliance with the law requiring a 15% homeless set-aside in financed units and whether those households receive voucher support.
- How is HPD's Capital Commitment Plan changing under Local Law 57? Asked by Chair Pierina Ana Sanchez about the HPD five-year Capital Commitment Plan (excluding PACT funding) and the impact of Local Law 57 of 2026, HPD described the plan's funding levels and how the new law affects its capital commitments.
- How is HPD handling distressed buildings, the AEP, and emergency demolitions? Asked by Council Member Rita Joseph and Chair Pierina Ana Sanchez about distressed properties, the Alternative Enforcement Program, and problem landlords like Pinnacle, HPD described its enforcement work and, on emergency demolitions done through contractors, agreed to provide the percentage of
- Why is so little senior housing being built, and how does the SARA program work? Asked by Council Member Susan Zhuang about the affordability crisis and slow senior housing development, HPD disputed the claim that developers can't make money on senior housing and explained the SARA program, while Zhuang relayed developers' complaints about low profits and slow timelines
- How is HPD addressing property insurance costs and HDFC oversight? Asked by Council Member Gale Brewer and Chair Pierina Ana Sanchez about rising property insurance and HDFC cooperatives, HPD discussed efforts on insurance and said about 280 of roughly 1,000 HDFCs have regulatory agreements, with the remainder subject to other oversight, amid concern about HDFCs
- How is HPD's asylum-seeker (HERRC) sheltering and funding shifting? Asked by Chair Pierina Ana Sanchez about emergency shelter for asylum seekers, HPD's Associate Commissioner Emily Osgood and colleagues described who is being housed (largely single adult men) and an expected shift in HERRC funding, saying HPD's budget no longer includes funding for certain such
- What is the status of Section 8, CityFHEPS, and the Housing Access Voucher Program? Asked by Chair Pierina Ana Sanchez about vouchers, HPD discussed Section 8 and Housing Choice voucher utilization and the Housing Access Voucher Program, for which lawmakers allotted $50 million in 2025, with HPD noting how matched state funding could increase the number of vouchers.
- How is HPD improving Housing Connect and its fair housing plan? Asked by Chair Pierina Ana Sanchez about Housing Connect and fair housing, HPD's Associate Commissioner Emily Osgood and Commissioner Dina Levy described work with the Department of Homeless Services and HRA on placements and said a fair housing plan component is expected in the fall.
Agenda
1 item
- T2026-1380 New York City Council Budget and Oversight Hearings on The Preliminary Budget for Fiscal Year 2027, The Preliminary Capital Plan for Fiscal Years 2027-2030 and The Fiscal 2026 Preliminary Mayor’s Management Report 11:30 a.m. Department of Buildings 1:30 p.m. Department of Housing Preservation and Hearing Held by Committee