The Mayor, NYS Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, NYS Homes & Community Renewal Commissioner (includes DHCR) Darryl Towns, and NYC HPD Commissioner Vicki Bean announced the creation of a Tenant Harassment Prevention Task Force, to go after landlords who use illegal means to displace tenants. Their press release and press conference say:City and State agencies will work together to
- look for patterns,
- pro-actively go after "recidivist" landlords,
- respond to 311 calls with all relevant agencies doing joint inspections and sharing information,
- investigate for criminal charges (not just housing court penalties)
- impose steeper penalties.
Watch it at https://www.youtube.com/