Dina Levy says she knows the city has work to do repairing its relationship with landlords and developers.
“I know there are folks who think maybe the agency or the administration is hostile to the for-profit real estate industry — I would say that’s not true,” the HPD commissioner said at The Real Deal’s NYC Forum. “I want to maybe convince folks to feel that HPD is looking for and open to partnership.”
The Department of Housing Preservation and Development is trying to improve transparency and predictability for property owners while tackling rising costs, distressed affordable housing and bottlenecks that slow development, Levy said.
“There are a lot of things right now that maybe over the years have gotten off track,” Levy said. “We want to be seen as a place where people come to get straight answers, get good information, and where we can get to yes pretty quickly.”
A major focus is the agency’s construction pipeline. HPD is reviewing new construction and preservation deals to determine which projects align with city priorities, have financing in place and can move forward.
Levy acknowledged that officials “have not been clear enough” about what it expects from deals, creating delays. HPD’s goal is to reduce the pipeline timeline to between 24 and 36 months.
The agency is also eyeing reforms to the city’s housing lottery system to lease income-restricted apartments faster, with proposed changes expected this summer.
While Levy said “most landlords are good actors,” she said HPD is targeting “a small, but formidable group” of ill-intentioned landlords through stronger enforcement.
She pointed to HPD’s $31 million court judgment Wednesday against Fordham Fulton Realty and its principals to fund repairs at Bronx buildings where Levy said she once organized tenants over living conditions.
“From an aggressive standpoint we are really looking for repeat bad actors who have shown a willful disregard,” Levy said, “and for everybody else, we’re looking to be a better partner.”
Levy also acknowledged mounting insurance, tax and utility costs are squeezing owners, calling it “a difficult time for the best intentioned landlords.” She pointed to city efforts aimed at lowering expenses, including a city-backed insurance option and expanding access to Low Income Housing Tax Credits.
“We at HPD do not want to be seen as on opposite sides of landlords who are trying to do the right thing, developers trying to help us build our way out of the housing crisis,” Levy said. “We are not enemies.”
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