Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the appointment of Dina Levy as New York City’s new Housing Commissioner, placing her in charge of the Department of Housing Preservation and Development at a moment of heightened scrutiny over rental practices and affordability across the city. The move signals an aggressive shift in housing policy as the new administration begins translating campaign promises into action.
Levy brings years of experience in housing policy and public administration, most recently serving as executive director of the Austin Housing Authority. City officials said her background in both government operations and community focused housing work made her well suited to lead HPD as New York faces record rent burdens, low vacancy rates and widespread tenant frustration.
The announcement comes alongside a major executive order signed by Mayor Mamdani directing HPD, the Department of Buildings, the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants, and the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, working in coordination with the newly created Office of Mass Engagement, to hold Rental Ripoff hearings in all five boroughs within the first 100 days of the administration.
The hearings are intended to surface tenant experiences with what the administration describes as predatory rental practices, including hidden fees, illegal rent increases, unsafe living conditions and delayed enforcement. By involving multiple agencies and the Office of Mass Engagement, the mayor aims to ensure that complaints are not only heard but routed quickly into enforcement and policy action.
During the campaign, Mamdani frequently criticized what he described as a lack of accountability in the city’s rental market. The hearings, officials say, are designed to create a public record of tenant experiences and identify gaps in enforcement that allow abusive practices to persist. Residents will be invited to testify directly, offering a rare opportunity for renters to speak publicly about their experiences to city officials.
As Housing Commissioner, Levy will be responsible for overseeing the city’s affordable housing development pipeline, preserving existing rent regulated units, enforcing housing codes and coordinating with other agencies to protect tenants. The executive order places HPD at the center of a broader, more coordinated housing enforcement strategy.
Housing advocates welcomed Levy’s appointment and the planned hearings, saying both signal a shift toward tenant centered governance. Several organizations noted that past efforts to address housing abuses often stalled due to fragmented oversight and limited public input. Bringing multiple agencies together, they said, could lead to faster responses and clearer accountability.
Levy’s appointment marks one of the most consequential early personnel decisions of the Mamdani administration. With the Rental Ripoff hearings set to begin within weeks, her leadership will be closely watched as the city attempts to reset its approach to housing enforcement and affordability at a time when many New Yorkers say the cost of staying in their homes has never felt more uncertain.
