Mayor Zohran Mamdani appoints Dina Levy as NYC Housing Commissioner and launches citywide Rental Ripoff hearings to combat tenant abuse and hidden rent fees
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Mayor Mamdani Appoints Dina Levy as Housing Commissioner, Announces Formation of “Rental Ripoff” Hearings. Sunday, January 4, 2026. Photo by Ed Reed, Mayoral Photography Office.
Bronx Voice
January 4, 2025
A New Housing Commissioner with Deep Roots in Tenant Advocacy
Dina Levy arrives at HPD with decades of experience in affordable housing finance, tenant organizing, and government leadership. She previously served as Senior Vice President of Homeownership and Community Development at New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR), the state’s affordable housing agency. Before that, Levy worked as a senior advisor to the New York Attorney General and as Director of Organizing at the Urban Homesteading Assistance Board (UHAB).
Her appointment was announced at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx, widely known as the Birthplace of Hip Hop. The location is symbolic: in 2010, Levy helped lead a successful organizing campaign there that replaced a predatory equity investor with a responsible landlord—an early example of the kind of tenant-centered intervention she brings to City Hall.
“I am proud to welcome Dina Levy as our next Housing Commissioner,” Mayor Mamdani said. “She is an experienced and fearless housing leader who will fight to protect tenants and tackle our housing crisis head-on.”
What Levy Will Do at HPD
As Housing Commissioner, Levy will oversee:
- Preservation of rent-stabilized housing
- Financing and construction of new affordable housing
- Connecting New Yorkers to housing resources
- Ensuring habitability and enforcement across the city’s housing stock
Levy emphasized her organizer-first approach:
“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.”
‘Rental Ripoff’ Hearings: Giving Tenants a Citywide Microphone
Alongside Levy’s appointment, Mayor Mamdani signed an executive order directing HPD—working with the Department of Buildings, the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants, the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP), and the Office of Mass Engagement—to hold “Rental Ripoff” hearings in all five boroughs within the administration’s first 100 days.
These hearings are designed to let working New Yorkers speak directly to City Hall about:
- Unsafe or poor building conditions
- Hidden or excessive rent fees
- Unconscionable landlord practices
- Deceptive charges tied to renting an apartment in NYC
After the hearings, the administration will publish a public report summarizing common themes and identifying policy and enforcement actions to combat abusive practices. Details and updates will be available at nyc.gov/RentalRipoff.
“Too many New Yorkers have been forced to pay more for less,” Mayor Mamdani said. “Today’s executive order is the first step toward giving New Yorkers a voice in addressing the housing crisis that is pricing them out of our city.”
A Broader Push for Tenant Protection and Economic Justice
The Rental Ripoff hearings build on early tenant-focused actions by the Mamdani administration. On his first day in office, the mayor rebuilt the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants and appointed Cea Weaver—a key architect of the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019—to lead it.
Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning Leila Bozorg called Levy’s appointment a natural fit:
“Her experience spans the breadth of HPD’s mission, from affordable housing finance to organizing tenants and everything in between.”
Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su underscored the administration’s enforcement-first message:
“There is no economic justice without safe, quality, affordable housing. This is not just about building new housing—it’s about enforcing the laws in existing housing.”
DCWP Commissioner Sam Levine added that the city will confront excessive and hidden fees head-on, while Cea Weaver emphasized that the hearings will make city government truly participatory for tenants across New York.
Why This Matters for NYC Renters
For millions of New Yorkers navigating an affordability crisis, the combination of new leadership at HPD and citywide Rental Ripoff hearings represents a shift toward listening first—and acting next. By centering tenant testimony and pairing it with enforcement authority, the Mamdani administration is positioning housing policy as both an economic and justice issue.
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