Andrea Reed explains two-step habitability assessment
Reed describes a two-step process: a pre-clearance review of housing and building code violations across HPD, DOB, FDNY, and Finance, followed by a physical or video walkthrough. Providers conduct most inspections, while HRA handles units most likely to fail.
Good afternoon, council members.
Thank you for that question.
If you could just pull the microphone down just a little bit.
Yeah, there you go.
Thank you.
Good afternoon.
Thank you for that question.
We share the goal of safety and habitability assessment, and we take that process very seriously.
The safety and habitability assessment is a two-step process consisting of a standardized preclearance process and then a standardized walkthrough process.
The pre-cleaning process consists of an online review of housing units and building codes violations and other information and databases
with New York City agencies, including HPD, which is Housing Preservation and Development, DOB, Department of Buildings.
The fire department, FDNY, and also the Department of Finance, where we check for ownership information and HPD for unit building registration information.
Once all those checklist items are conducted and there's a pass clearance, then it requires a physical inspection.
Physical inspections can be done by video and or in person.
Both the provider and HRA conduct those inspections.
HRA conduct the inspections that are for those units that are most likely not to pass the legal standards, and those are units in cellars, basements, attics, and first floors.
The other inspections are done by the provider agency.
There's a standard...
Checklist is called the apartment review checklist and that both providers and HRA use that to conduct those inspections.