What you should know
Dina Levy brings decades of housing finance and organizing experience inside and outside of government to HPD
“Rental Ripoff” hearings in all five boroughs will offer New Yorkers a microphone to share poor conditions, unconscionable business practices that City will act upon
NEW YORK, NY — New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani today announced the appointment of longtime housing leader Dina Levy as Commissioner of the Department of Housing Preservation & Development (HPD). Levy brings decades of experience developing and organizing for safe, affordable housing to the agency, fighting tirelessly for dignified housing for all New Yorkers. At HPD, Levy will execute on the Mamdani administration’s ambitious housing agenda, including preserving rent-stabilized housing, financing and constructing new affordable housing, connecting New Yorkers to housing, and ensuring the habitability of all homes in New York.
“I am proud to welcome Dina Levy as our next Housing Commissioner. Levy is an experienced and fearless housing leader, and I know that she will fight to protect tenants and tackle our housing crisis head-on,” said Mayor Zohran Mamdani. “Too many New Yorkers have been forced to pay more for less — living in unsafe, unconscionable, and unaffordable housing. Under my administration, that ends. Today's executive order is the first step towards giving New Yorkers a voice in addressing the housing crisis that is pricing them out of our city.”
ABOUT DINA LEVY
Levy has fought for safe, affordable housing for years, working as both an advocate and within government. She previously served as Senior Vice President of Homeownership and Community Development at Homes and Community Renewal (HCR), New York State’s affordable housing agency. Prior to that, she worked as senior advisor to the New York Attorney General and as Director of Organizing at the Urban Homesteading Assistance Board (UHAB). She will bring this extensive experience organizing tenants, managing housing finance, and much more to HPD. The appointment was announced at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in The Bronx, widely considered to be the “Birthplace of Hip Hop” – and where Levy led a successful organizing campaign in 2010 to replace a predatory equity investor with a more responsible landlord, with City assistance.
“I am honored to join the Mamdani administration, and especially honored to join the team working to make New York City an affordable place to live. My experience as a community organizer has shaped my work in public service and will continue to be my inspiration in the work ahead at HPD,” said incoming HPD Commissioner Dina Levy. “It is my honor to join forces with tenants, homeowners, and dedicated public servants at HPD as we work to usher in a new era of quality and affordability for all.”
“Dina Levy has long fought for safe and affordable housing both inside and outside of government, and I am thrilled to welcome her to the helm at HPD. Her experience spans the breadth of HPD’s mission, from affordable housing finance to organizing tenants and everything in between,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning Leila Bozorg. “Dina will help deliver a more affordable city and ensure tenants and homeowners across the city are represented in our government.”
RENTAL RIPOFF HEARINGS
As part of the administration’s tenant protection efforts, Mayor Mamdani also signed an executive order directing HPD, the Department of Buildings, the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants, and the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, in coordination with the new Office of Mass Engagement, to hold “Rental Ripoff” hearings across the five boroughs within the first 100 days of the administration. At these hearings, working New Yorkers will be able to speak about the challenges they face – from poor building conditions to hidden fees on rent payments. Following these hearings, the Mamdani administration will publish a summary and report detailing common themes and areas of opportunity, and the testimony shared at these hearings will directly inform policy interventions to take on these ripoff tactics. Details about the hearings will be available at nyc.gov/RentalRipoff.
In the first week of his Administration, Mayor Mamdani is already making it clear that tenants in New York City have a champion in City Hall. On day one, he passed an executive order rebuilding the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants and appointed Cea Weaver — who was instrumental in the passage of the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019 — to lead it.
“There is no economic justice without safe, quality, affordable housing New Yorkers can live in. This is not just about building new housing, it’s also about enforcing the laws in existing housing,” said Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su. “Through the Rental Ripoff hearings, City Hall will not only be listening, we will take action to ensure that the law is followed without exception and that New Yorkers know their rights when it comes to the often hidden or deceptive fees associated with the hunt for housing.”
“Amid an affordability crisis crushing millions of working New Yorkers, tenants are being burdened by excessive and hidden fees — from amenity fees to processing fees. This administration will make sure every New Yorker knows their rights and knows they have a champion in city government who will not back down from the fight to make this city more affordable, fair, and just,” said Sam Levine, Commissioner of the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection.
“For too long, tenants have been ripped off without recourse or protection. Our Rental Ripoff hearings will give working people across the five boroughs a microphone to highlight the challenges they face and make New York City government a truly participatory endeavor,” said Cea Weaver, Director of the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants. “By hearing from New Yorkers about the challenges they have faced, we can bring a comprehensive approach to address the shoddy conditions, hidden fees, and other ripoffs that have persisted until now.”
