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New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Dina Levy have announced that 250 apartment buildings with the most serious housing code violations are now under heightened oversight through the city’s Alternative Enforcement Program (AEP). The program, now in its 19th year, allows the city to closely monitor repeat offenders, conduct frequent inspections, issue corrective orders, and step in to make repairs when landlords fail to act, billing the owners for the costs incurred.

This year’s 250 buildings account for nearly 55,000 unresolved violations and owe the city approximately $4.5 million for emergency repairs already completed. The update highlights the Mamdani administration’s commitment to ensuring all New Yorkers have safe, stable, and well-maintained homes. Last month, HPD secured a $2.1 million settlement with A&E Real Estate Holdings covering 14 buildings, requiring extensive repairs, compliance with corrective orders, and injunctions to prevent tenant harassment.

During the recent cold emergency, HPD treated the situation as an all-hands-on-deck effort, responding to roughly 37,000 complaints in January and resolving 98% of them by February 4. Mayor Mamdani emphasized that the city will no longer tolerate landlords who put tenants at risk and that the AEP provides authority to intervene directly when necessary.

Deputy Mayor Leila Bozorg praised the program’s ability to focus repairs where they are most urgently needed, while Commissioner Levy stressed that landlords who repeatedly fail to maintain their buildings will be held accountable. The city will advance critical repairs when owners refuse to act and recover costs, sending a clear message about the consequences of neglecting tenants’ needs.

The buildings on this year’s AEP list include 7,038 homes, many with persistent and severe violations. One notable property, 34-15 Parsons Blvd., registered to A&E Real Estate Holdings, has accumulated more than 1,000 major violations over the past five years. Owners on the AEP list must repay the city for emergency repairs and resolve violations to exit the program. Failure to comply can lead to escalated enforcement through Housing Court.

HPD also monitors buildings discharged from AEP for at least a year to ensure conditions remain stable. This approach ensures that residents are not left at risk, emphasizes accountability for landlords, and reinforces the city’s mission to provide safe, habitable, and well-maintained housing across New York City.