Anna Luft (NYLAG) on rent-impairing violations, NYCHA rights, and Intro 649
Luft urges expanding the list of rent-impairing violations to include mold, lead, leaks, and pests. She calls for NYCHA PACT succession rights reform, access to HPD for NYCHA tenants without judicial intervention, and supports Intro 649 as a tenant organizing tool to build coalitions across bad landlords' portfolios.
Greetings, Chair Sanchez and members of the New York City Council Committee on Housing and Buildings.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify on the Mayor's Housing Plan and on Intro 649.
My name is Anna Luft and I'm the Associate Director for Housing Policy and Advocacy at the New York Legal Assistance Group.
My testimony today draws on the experiences of housing advocates across NYLAG who serve thousands of New Yorkers facing issues related to safe and stable housing each year.
I'm going to focus my testimony on two specific chapters that NYLAG is particularly invested in seeing coming to fruition, Chapter 1.2 and Chapter 3 of the Housing Plan.
Chapter 1.2 discusses the expansion of the list of rent-imparing violations maintained by HPD.
Despite its efficacy, gaps and duplicative loopholes in the housing maintenance code make it a rarely used defense in housing court.
Many commonly issued violations are not considered rent-imparing despite being obviously harmful to health and safety, such as violations related to visible mold, lead-based paint, water leaks, and pest infestations.
If enacted, the mayor's plan to expand this list will have real
immediate benefit for our clients.
Chapter 3 discusses improvements for NYCHA, both physically and also in terms of tenants'rights.
As Advocate Williams said earlier, any funding must be matched with organizational management reform at NYCHA in order to be close to meaningful.
Crucially, the chapter commits to developing a clear path towards authorization and succession for tenants living in developments that have converted to PACT.
In our practice, the leading reason PACT cases in housing court result in actual evictions is due to flaws in these administrative processes.
While NYCHA's current structure technically complies with federal requirements, it does not come close to keeping pace with the procedural or substantive succession rights of any regulated tenant in New York City, including NYCHA Section 9.
NYLAG applauds the mayor's resolve in addressing this inequity and urges meaningful action.
Turning to the physical conditions of NYCHA developments, I want to stress that in order for any plan involving NYCHA to be effective, it must be coupled with removing barriers for tenants addressing repairs in their homes.
The NYCHA ticket system is flawed at best, and the mold ombuds call center is a crucial step.
Expanding that is a crucial step towards achieving safe, healthy housing for NYCHA tenants.
However, true equity would include acts.
access to HPD without judicial intervention in order to expedite NYCHA HP actions in housing court.
Finally, I'd like to voice our support for Intro 649, which will provide
a meaningful tool for tenant organizing by enabling tenants across bad landlords'portfolios to build coalitions and create solidarity between stakeholders
seeing similar patterns of predation, neglect, and harassment in different buildings owned by the same bad actors.
This valuable tool can be strengthened through filing requirements with HPD and a private cause of action for tenants, as further elaborated in our written testimony.
NILAG is happy to see the mayor and this committee set such lofty goals for housing justice.
We urge the city to take the necessary steps towards making these goals a reality, not only in terms of policy, but in terms of accessible on-the-ground practice.
Thank you.