Office Descriptions - HPD

Housing Preservation & Development


Office Descriptions & Organization Chart

About HPD
Senior Team
Office Descriptions & Organization Chart
Employment
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
The Housing Blueprint
Featured Projects
Metrics & Open Data
Research
HPD Online
Rules
Accessibility
Language Access
Interagency MOUs

About HPD

Senior Team

Office Descriptions & Organization Chart

Employment

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

The Housing Blueprint

Featured Projects

Metrics & Open Data

Research

HPD Online

Rules

Accessibility

Language Access

Interagency MOUs


Office Descriptions / Organization Chart

HPD is organized by 12 Offices, which are made up of various Divisions: view the HPD Organization Chart.

Office Descriptions

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Click an Office, or press the enter key on an Office, to reveal its description.

Office of the Commissioner

Commissioner: Adolfo Carrión Jr.

The Office of the Commissioner oversees and leads HPD. The Commissioner, except as otherwise provided by law, plans, initiates, conducts, supervises, coordinates, reviews, and evaluates City programs and policies relating to carrying out the agency’s mission.

Deputy Commissioners from the following Offices report to the Commissioner:

Office of the First Deputy Commissioner

Office of External Affairs

Office of Policy and Strategy

Office of Enforcement and Neighborhood Services

Office of Housing Access and Stability

Office of Development

Office of Asset and Property Management

Office of Legal Affairs

Office of HPD Tech

EEO Officer

Office of the First Deputy Commissioner

Chief Diversity Officer and First Deputy Commissioner: Ahmed Tigani

The Office of the First Deputy Commissioner works closely with the HPD Commissioner in fulfilling the agency’s mission and key goals, and oversees many of HPD’s operations. Deputy, Associate, and Assistant Commissioners from the following Offices and Divisions report to the First Deputy Commissioner:

Office of Neighborhood Strategies

Office of Finance & Administration (OFA)

Office of Housing Access and Stability

Office of Compliance & Risk Management

Office of Investigations and Conflict Resolution

Office of Compliance & Risk Management

Chief Compliance Officer: Vacant

The Office of Compliance & Risk Management ensures the agency adheres to all applicable laws, rules, regulations, and contractual obligations while fostering transparency, accountability, efficiency and fairness in the administration of the agency’s programs and a healthy culture of compliance among all stakeholders. The following divisions and teams are part of the Office:

Division of Economic Opportunity & Regulatory Compliance

Division of Adjudications

Lead Compliance Officer

Public Information team

Audit Support team

Office of External Affairs

Chief of Staff and Deputy Commissioner: Vacant

The Office of External Affairs promotes the agency's many initiatives, achievements, and policies to the public, and develops and advances federal, state, and local legislation to support HPD's mission. Assistant Commissioners from the following Divisions report to the Chief of Staff:

Division of Government Affairs works with city, state, and federal officials, agencies, policy makers, advocates and planners to assess housing policy, land use and planning issues, and manage the City's affordable housing legislative agenda.

Division of Communications crafts, shapes, and distributes content in various media to promote the agency's programs, efforts and mission to the public sphere.

Office of Policy and Strategy

Deputy Commissioner: Lucy Joffe

The Office of Policy & Strategy (OPS) leverages its expertise to guide and support HPD and its many Offices in their efforts to deepen their impact, optimize their efficiency, and become more data-driven, climate-adaptive, and mission-focused. To do so, OPS collaborates with staff and senior leadership from across the Agency, as well as with representatives from other Agencies. OPS carries out its work through delivery of rigorous data, policy, and financial/credit analysis; technical and statistical research; and techniques in program visioning and design to all of HPD’s areas of practice. OPS comprises the Division of Housing Policy, the Division of Research and Evaluation, the Division of Strategic Operations and Analytics, the Division of Sustainability and the Credit & Valuation team.

Division of Housing Policy provides guidance and insight on high-priority policy initiatives, advancing solutions that further the agency’s mission. The Division is responsible for applying policy, data, and financial analysis in team-based projects; and overseeing the agency’s fair housing initiatives and obligations.

Division of Research & Evaluation supports new knowledge and refines policies and programs related to the housing stock and the communities HPD serves by conducting statistical analyses, large-scale surveys, and evaluations of agency programming; performing original research on policy-relevant issues; sponsoring independent initiatives; partnering with academics and applied researchers; and sharing findings through published reports.

Division of Strategic Operations and Analytics works to increase HPD’s impact by analyzing and improving operations agency-wide. The Division does so through strategic planning initiatives; operational innovation; implementation of data-driven processes; and performance management and reporting.

Division of Sustainability collaborates with strategic partners and stakeholders to advance climate policy at HPD by developing design standards, programs and policies that advance the city’s goals of equitable decarbonization, resiliency, health and equity.

Credit and Valuation assesses and establishes the financial value and risk associated with HPD projects by reviewing those receiving City Capital loans and discretionary tax exemption; completing special underwriting feasibility and cost impact analyses; and conducting and evaluating appraisals to determine values for planned acquisitions, dispositions, and development rights supporting affordable housing initiatives.

Office of Neighborhood Strategies

The Office of Neighborhood Strategies is charged with ensuring that HPD’s development and preservation efforts are guided by meaningful community engagement and coordinated with public investments in infrastructure and services, as put forth in the Mayor's Housing Plan.

Neighborhood Strategies divisions of Planning and Predevelopment and Neighborhood Development and Stabilization work together to ensure that HPD’s investments leverage broader community objectives:

Division of Planning and Predevelopment is central to developing and managing HPD's housing production pipeline from project proposal phases through the land use review and entitlement process, to ensure that HPD's investments contribute to building strong, healthy, resilient neighborhoods in all five boroughs.

Division of Neighborhood Development and Stabilization leads the agency's commitment to strategic preservation and development through engagement with tenants, landlords, community leaders, and neighborhood stakeholders on issues involving the creation of vibrant neighborhoods anchored by affordable housing.

Office of Housing Access and Stability

Deputy Commissioner: Meryl Block Weissman

The mission of the Office of Housing Access and Stability (HAS) is to ensure fair, efficient, and transparent access to affordable housing. The Office provides subsidies, placement services, and tools that connect New Yorkers to affordable housing, ensure vulnerable households in subsidized housing have the support they need to remain safely housed, and stabilize the financial health of buildings. Housing Access and Stability is committed to expanding housing choices and affirmatively furthering fair housing.

The Division of Housing Opportunity (DHO) administer the housing lottery and homeless placements programs and craft policy and procedures to ensure that these programs offer equal opportunity to all applicants and affirmatively further fair housing. Its programs offer support to housing-seekers applying for rental subsidy (including for supportive housing) and in their housing search and lease-up processes

The Division of Tenant and Owner Resources (DTOR) administers rental assistance programs including Section 8, Shelter Plus Care, NYC 15/15 and Moderate Rehabilitation, serving over 45,000 households and 10,000 landlords in all five boroughs.

The Division of Program Policy and Innovation (DPPI) operates across the Office to coordinate policy development and analysis, support implementation of new rules and regulations, monitor program integrity and compliance, manage the selection of contracts for project-based rental assistance and improve outcomes for program participants through programs that provide support beyond rental assistance. DPPI will engage stakeholders and conduct analysis of lessons learned from existing practices to propose new ideas to better respond to participants’ needs in collaboration with all Divisions within the Office.

The Division of Housing Stability works to ensure that vulnerable households in subsidized housing have the support they need to remain safely housed. This includes the administration and compliance monitoring of project-based rental assistance contracts such as CoC rental assistance, Section 8 Project Based Vouchers, and NY 15/15, as well as contracts with service providers who help formerly homeless, elderly, and disabled tenants (and their landlords) with tools that ease the transition into affordable housing, stabilize tenancy, and support compliance with subsidy requirements as long as needed.

The Division of Budget and Program Operations (DBPO) manages program budgets, enforces Housing Quality Standards, monitors program performance, and supports staffing and training needs of the Office. The Division also provides additional layers of client focused technical and operational support, analytics, and business representation on tech projects.

Office of Development

Deputy Commissioner: Kim Darga

The Office of Development finances the creation and preservation of affordable housing and leads the implementation of development and preservation related strategies in Housing Our Neighbors: A Blueprint for Housing and Homelessness. This is performed in close collaboration with HPD colleagues, other City and state agencies, and the New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC).

The Office of Development has an executive staff that coordinates across eight divisions, providing support for policy, operational, administrative and fiscal management functions. The Office of Development comprises the following Divisions:

Division of Building & Land Development Services (BLDS) provides architectural, engineering, environmental, and construction support services, as well as interagency coordination, with the goal of ensuring that HPD programs produce quality affordable housing in a timely and cost-effective manner

Division of Housing Incentives administers tax and zoning incentive programs, including real property tax benefit programs authorized by state and City laws to facilitate private-financed and publicly-subsidized rehabilitation and new construction throughout New York City, the allocation of as-of-right (4%) and competitive (9%) federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits pursuant to Section 42 of the Internal Revenue Code and the City's Qualified Allocation Plan, and Voluntary and Mandatory Inclusionary Housing programs.

Division of Compliance and Enforcement reviews buildings participating in various housing incentives initiatives to ensure their compliance with program requirements.

Division of New Construction Finance works with applicants, financing partners, and other agencies, including the Housing Development Corporation, to help finance the new construction of affordable housing on both public and private sites. Programs under this Division provide subsidy to affordable rental and homeownership projects. Current programs include the Extremely Low & Low-Income Affordability program, Mixed Income Program (Mix & Match), Open Door, Neighborhood Construction Program, and HomeFirst down payment assistance.

Division of Preservation Finance facilitates the preservation of the financial and physical viability as well as affordability of existing multi-family housing through financing programs that provide subsidy and/or property tax exemptions in addition to other financial benefits. Current programs include the Participation Loan Program, Housing Preservation Opportunities Program, Neighborhood Pillars Program, Multifamily Disposition Finance Programs, Lead Hazard and Healthy Homes Program, Primary Prevention Program, Multifamily Housing Rehabilitation Program, Green Housing Preservation Program, Low Income Housing Tax Credit Preservation Year 15 Program, HUD Multi-Program, and Landlord Ambassador Program.

Division of Homeownership Opportunities and Preservation oversees programs that provide new affordable homeownership opportunities and assist existing homeowners through technical and financial assistance. Current programs include HomeFix, Project Help, Basement Apartment Conversion Program, Small Homes Rehab (NYCHA), Community Restoration Fund Program, and the Affordable Neighborhood Cooperative Program.

Division of Special Needs Housing administers the financing programs that provide affordable housing with on-site services for formerly homeless households and low-income seniors. Current programs include the Senior Affordable Rental Apartments program, Supportive Housing Loan Program, and Homeless Housing Strategic Initiatives.

Division of Portfolio Management and Conversions works with owners of HPD-financed projects from closing through completion and permanent loan conversion, and successful transition to Asset Management.

Office of Legal Affairs

Deputy Commissioner: Maurice Dobson

The Office of Legal Affairs provides legal support services to the entire agency, and is comprised of the following Divisions:

Contracts and Real Estate Division (CRED) handles all legal work related to real estate transactions, contracts, leasing, and urban renewal. The division's primary responsibilities are performing disposition and loan closings and preparing the agency's contracts, but it also performs many related functions. CRED also contains the Labor Relations Unit, which advises and represents the agency in connection with labor and employment law issues as well as conflict of interest issues.

Landlord/Tenant Litigation Division (LTLD) advises and represents the agency on all legal issues concerning residential and commercial occupants of City-owned properties under HPD jurisdiction.

Mortgage Enforcement Litigation Division (MELD) handles all legal issues relating to defaults on HPD loans, including mortgage foreclosures, workouts, and other collection and enforcement actions.

Procurement Services Division (PSD) advises agency contracting staff regarding compliance with applicable laws and rules, registers contracts and loans, and handles a number of other procurement-related responsibilities.

Regulatory Affairs Division (RAD) provides legal support services for the agency’s regulatory and enforcement functions and advises the agency on compliance with external statutory and regulatory requirements. The division handles, among other things, legal issues regarding in rem tax foreclosures, tax lien sales, the Housing Maintenance Code, 7A Administrators, demolition, emergency repairs, alternative enforcement, lead, asbestos, disabilities, and the Freedom of Information Law.

Tax Incentives & Housing Supervision Division (TIHSD) handles most legal issues relating to property tax exemptions and abatements, Mitchell Lama developments, and Redevelopment Company projects.

Office of Enforcement and Neighborhood Services

Deputy Commissioner: AnnMarie Santiago

The Office of Enforcement and Neighborhood Services is charged with enforcing the New York City Housing Maintenance Code and New York State Multiple Dwelling Law.

To ensure compliance with the legal and regulatory obligations of these laws, the Office of Enforcement and Neighborhood Services conducts inspections, issues violations, corrects emergency conditions, seeks civil penalties and enforcement of Orders to Correct in Housing Court, issues fees, targets proactive and building-wide activities to buildings identified with systemic maintenance issues and responds to claims of harassment based on maintenance conditions. OENS works closely with other HPD divisions and community partners to identify distressed buildings and develop appropriate strategies to address those properties.

The Office comprises the following divisions:

Division of Code Enforcement (DCE) Housing Inspectors respond to complaints filed with 311 (City’s Citizen Service Center) regarding lack of essential services such as heat and hot water, and housing maintenance problems such as lead-based paint, leaks, vermin, and broken plaster.

Housing Litigation Division (HLD) initiates litigation against building owners in Housing Court to ensure compliance with housing standards contained in the New York City Housing Maintenance Code and New York State Multiple Dwelling Law. HLD seeks orders to correct violations, civil penalties, access warrants, and appears in tenant-initiated proceedings.

Emergency Operations Division (EOD) orders and monitors the performance of emergency repairs in privately-owned buildings in response to immediately hazardous violations (including lead-based paint violations and violations regarding a lack of basic services such as heat) issued by Housing Code Inspectors if the property owner fails to perform the repair.

Division of Neighborhood Preservation (DNP) conducts surveys to assess whether additional enforcement is necessary or to assist owners through the process of violation correction. DNP provides outreach to property owners and communities through one-on-one meetings and information sessions throughout the city.

Division of Special Enforcement (DSE) performs specialized enforcement activities targeting the most distressed properties in the City. DSE's portfolio includes the Alternative Enforcement Program (AEP) and the Underlying Conditions Program.

Division of Administration and Internal Compliance (AIC) assesses the effectiveness of the various OENS field operations staff and processes through training, audits, and field evaluations to ensure that business practices are subject to safeguards that promote efficiency and accountability.

Data Management and Technology (DMT) manages the data, reporting, and technology functions of OENS. In addition, DMT oversees HPD's disaster response and provides guidance on emergency planning.

Office of Asset and Property Management

Deputy Commissioner: Vacant

Over the past 20 years, HPD and its partners have financed the preservation or creation of over two hundred thousand affordable units throughout the City. As more units are established, it is important that these properties remain financially and physically stable over the long-term. The Office of Asset and Property Management (APM) leads the agency effort to protect the City’s investment. Established in 2009, APM actively monitors the performance and regulatory compliance of City-sponsored projects and directly manages City-owned properties. The Office comprises six divisions:

Division of Asset Management is responsible for ensuring the longevity and affordability of units the agency has created and preserved. Its programs are geared to proactively identify at-risk buildings and portfolios and to stabilize struggling and mismanaged assets. The division tracks real-time information on the physical and financial condition of properties. This tracking is used as an early warning system to detect and mitigate potential risks to buildings. Working with owners, partners, and the Office of Development, the division helps reposition projects using a variety of approaches including financial assistance, management changes, and ownership changes.

Division of Co-op Readiness and Technical Services (CRTS) oversees the Tenant Interim Lease (TIL) program, which trains and assists tenant associations in City-owned buildings to develop economically self-sufficient low-income cooperatives, and the Technical Services program, which provides technical resources to various HPD programs by assisting in monitoring construction, repair work, preparing repair scopes, violations removal and other technical assistance.

Division of Housing Supervision oversees the portfolio of City-sponsored Mitchell-Lama developments, including affordable rental and cooperative housing. HPD and HDC are working to address the rehabilitation needs of the aging Mitchell-Lama stock and preserve the long term affordability of all remaining City Mitchell-Lama units.

Division of Property Management and Client Services (PMCS) manages and maintains City-owned residential and commercial properties, including properties in urban renewal development areas, until they can be transferred to responsible private ownership. The division administers the Emergency Housing Services (EHS) program for households displaced from their homes as a result of fires and City-issued vacate orders.

Office of Finance & Administration (OFA)

Deputy Commissioner: Gardea Caphart

The Office of Finance and Administration (OFA) effectively and efficiently manages the agency’s resources – financial, human capital, and physical infrastructure. We do this by:

Managing the agency’s capital and expense budgets,

Providing fiscal support and accountability,

Recruiting and training talent,

Ensuring the staff have office space, equipment and support services.

By doing so, HPD can fulfill its mission of promoting quality and affordability within the City’s housing and diversity and strength in the City’s neighborhoods, while valuing integrity and service delivery to our colleagues, partners, and New Yorkers.

OFA is comprised of the following divisions, which work in conjunction to provide centralized support, consultation, and oversight on a broad range of issues for the entire agency:

Division of Budget manages the agency’s $1+ billion operating budget, which is comprised of nearly 25 funding streams from city, state, federal, and other categorical sources. The division’s staff advise and support HPD’s program managers and budget liaisons on matters pertaining to funding availability, grant compliance, cost savings initiatives, financial analysis, and program development.

Division of Capital Planning is responsible for the planning and management of funding for the agency’s capital program, which includes affordable housing development, technology initiatives, and critical infrastructure projects. The division has oversight of HPD’s $13+ billion Ten-Year Capital Strategy. Capital Planning staff work closely with the Office of Development, HPD Tech, and Division of Operations & Support Services—along with the city’s other capital agencies—to conduct financial analysis, review underwriting, shepherd projects through the approval process, and provide guidance on the eligible use of capital funding in accordance with the Comptroller’s Directive 10.

Division of Fiscal Affairs is responsible for managing the agency's accounts payable and receivable, emergency repairs recoupment, central administration, and fiscal procurement functions, all in accordance with the Comptroller's Internal Control and Accountability Directives. Fiscal Affairs collaborates closely with other divisions within HPD and various city oversight agencies, including the Financial Information Services Agency, Department of Finance, Law Department, Department of Investigation, Mayor's Office of Contracts, NYC Office of the Comptroller, and NYS Attorney General's Office. This collaboration facilitates payment processing, collections, deposits, and the execution of financial operations. Established procedures and internal controls are implemented to ensure financial accountability and safeguard against corruption.

Division of Human Resources is responsible for maximizing the agency’s capacity to serve the City of New York through the recruitment and retention of a skilled, engaged, and diverse workforce. The Division works with the agency’s senior leadership to achieve this goal through the implementation of effective strategies, policies, processes while providing accessible workforce development resources for all agency staff.​

Division of General Services is responsible for oversight of HPD’s physical plant, including 100 Gold Street and eight site offices across the City. The division works closely with the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) to maintain facility operations; provide agency support services including postal / mailroom services, delivery and distribution of mail and packages; print and photocopying of material for public distribution; purchase, distribution, and maintenance of office supplies, equipment, and furniture through the warehouse; and coordination of file storage and archiving services.

Office of HPD Tech

Chief Information Officer and Deputy Commissioner: Prashant Thakker

The Office of HPD Tech develops and supports the technological infrastructure of HPD. HPD Tech improves the effectiveness of business processes through applications that empower decision makers with access to complete and accurate data on building, neighborhood, and market conditions. HPD Tech also aims to enhance productivity and shrink costs through the elimination of manual processing, and to improve customer service by facilitating public access to key agency functions and data.

The office comprises the following divisions:

Chief Technology Officer at HPDTech, the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) is responsible for supervising the creation, deployment, and maintenance of infrastructure solutions, with a primary emphasis on both cloud-based and on-premises solutions. The primary goal is to strengthen the infrastructure and network to bolster HPD applications, ensuring data accuracy and elevating customer service within a robust, secure infrastructure and network architecture. The CTO plays a crucial role in spearheading technological innovations aligned with organizational objectives, ultimately enhancing overall operational efficiency.

Chief Product Officer at HPDTech holds the responsibility of formulating and overseeing the comprehensive strategy for system applications throughout the entire agency. This entails overseeing development processes, ensuring the delivery of high-quality products, and actively collaborating in data management and analytics efforts. The Product Executive Directors (PED), reporting directly to the CPO, are instrumental in supporting specific program areas. Alongside their dedicated product teams, they play a crucial role in ensuring the delivery of top-notch solutions that effectively cater to the diverse needs of customers within the organization.

Planning and Compliance divisions work collaboratively to oversee projects, ensuring alignment with regulatory and operational standards. Project managers closely engage closely with Product Areas, addressing compliance throughout the project lifecycle. The Ideation team analyzes technology requests, collaborating with stakeholders to drive innovative solutions. This holistic approach integrates governance principles into project planning, ensuring adherence to requirements while fostering effective project management within the regulatory and operational landscape.

Enterprise Architecture division offers strategic guidance and governance for the organization's system architecture. It provides counsel to product areas regarding technical best practices, oversees data management and analytics, and manages geospatial mapping applications. The Release and Service Management team is dedicated to ensuring the smooth delivery of applications and upgrades, as well as providing production support. These two functions work collaboratively to maintain the integrity of the production environment, collectively enhancing the efficiency of technology initiatives and operational reliability at HPDTech.

The Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) is responsible for overseeing and upholding information security programs at HPD, in close collaboration with NYC Cyber Command. This role involves a dedicated effort to consistently enhance the risk posture of the HPD Agency, keeping pace with dynamic shifts in business and technology landscapes. The CISO assumes a pivotal role in fortifying information security, fostering resilience against emerging threats, and serving as a bridge between HPD and NYC Cyber.