Dina Levy Takes Over HPD As Mamdani Orders “Rental Ripoff” Hearings Within First 100 Days

New York, NY — New York City is putting a new leader in charge of its housing agency and launching a citywide series of public hearings aimed at tenant complaints, moves City Hall says are designed to improve building conditions and crack down on costly, hidden rental practices that can hit families hardest. 

Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Sunday that Dina Levy will become commissioner of the Department of Housing Preservation & Development, and signed an executive order directing multiple agencies to hold “Rental Ripoff” hearings in all five boroughs within the administration’s first 100 days. 

Levy comes to HPD after senior roles at New York State Homes and Community Renewal and earlier work in tenant organizing, including at the Urban Homesteading Assistance Board, according to her city and state biographies. The announcement was made at 1520 Sedgwick Ave. in the Bronx, where city officials noted Levy helped organize a 2010 effort to replace a landlord the community viewed as predatory. 

City Hall said the hearings will collect testimony on issues ranging from poor building conditions to add-on charges tied to renting and rent payments. Afterward, the administration plans to publish a summary report and use the testimony to guide policy and enforcement actions. 

For parents, the practical steps now are straightforward: document problems (photos, dates, copies of notices and fees), report urgent issues through 311/HPD channels, and watch NYC.gov for hearing dates so you can share experiences directly, especially if housing issues are affecting a child’s health, sleep, or school attendance. 

The city said details and locations for the hearings will be posted online as agencies coordinate schedules in the coming weeks. 

This article was produced by an education parenting today journalist with the assistance of AI. This is not legal advice. All content is reviewed for accuracy and fairness.

Source: https://www.nyc.gov/mayors-office/news/2026/01/mayor-mamdani-appoints-dina-levy-as-housing-commissioner–announ