MAMDANI’S FIRST 100 DAYS: New mayor appoints Housing Commissioner, goes after ‘rental ripoffs’

Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 3-4, marked the third and fourth days of Zohran Mamdani’s term as mayor. amNewYork is following Mamdani around his first 100 days in office as we closely track his progress on fulfilling campaign promises, appointing key leaders to government posts, and managing the city’s finances. Here’s a summary of what the mayor did today.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced on Sunday morning that Dina Levy, a longtime state housing official, will be the Commissioner of the Department of Housing Preservation and Development.

During the same announcement, he announced the formation of city-run “Rental Ripoff hearings” to allow residents to speak about their concerns with renting in the city.

Levy comes to City Hall from the Homeownership and Community Development division of the New York State Department of Homes and Community Renewal. Before that, Levy worked for the State Attorney General and spent more than a decade and a half as a housing advocate and organizer.

“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,” Mamdani said at Sunday’s press conference, which took place at 1520 Community Center in the Bronx.

Levy touted her experience as a housing advocate and said she was “honored” to join Mamdani’s administration.

“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,” Levy said. “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.”

Mamdani jointly announced that he had signed an executive order directing city agencies to hold “Rental Ripoff hearings” throughout the administration’s first 100 days allowing renters to share the challenges they face in the housing market, “from poor building conditions to hidden fees on rent payments.”

After the hearings conclude, the administration plans to compile and publish a report on what it has learned. The “testimony shared at these hearings will directly inform policy interventions to take on these ripoff tactics,” according to the administration’s webpage on the hearings.

“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,” Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su said in a news release.

The Department of Housing Preservation and Development, the Department of Buildings, the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants, the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, and the Office of Mass Engagement — established on Friday to propel citywide organizing efforts from within City Hall — will together be in charge of the hearings.

Transportation: Mamdani to finish McGuinness Blvd. rebuild

On Saturday, Mayor Mamdani came to Greenpoint, Brooklyn, to announce that the Department of Transportation finish the reconstruction of McGuinness Boulevard, which runs between Brooklyn and Queens. Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office

On Saturday, Mayor Mamdani came to Greenpoint, Brooklyn, to announce that the Department of Transportation will finish the reconstruction of McGuinness Boulevard, which runs between Brooklyn and Queens.

The boulevard has long been in the middle of a controversy over community safety, as demands for protected bike lanes in the school-laden area have been delayed amid a bribery scandal .

The DOT, now helmed by Mamdani pick Mike Flynn , will install parking-protected bike lanes along the boulevard to “ensure traffic calming measures throughout the entire corridor, extending the existing parking-protected lanes running between Meeker Avenue and Calyer Street northbound up to the Pulaski Bridge.”

“Upon completion, McGuinness Boulevard will feature one travel lane in each direction, one parking-protected bike lane in each direction, and one vehicular parking and loading lane in each direction,” the mayor’s webpage on the project reads.

After the announcement, advocates for McGuinness redesign cheered the administration’s focus on safety in the area.

“Today, families across Greenpoint can breathe again,” said Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives Ben Furnas. “Ever since McGuinness Boulevard was built, parents have held their children’s hands a little tighter as they crossed the street.”

McGuinness, one of the main thoroughfares between Brooklyn and Queens, has seen a disproportionately high number of traffic deaths and injuries throughout the past 15 years.

“With today’s announcement, New York City will finally deliver the McGuinness Boulevard our children deserve, and we will keep fighting to ensure the upcoming capital plan meets the moment and need here in Greenpoint,” said Bronwyn Breitner, coordinator for Make McGuinness Safe.