New York Pilot Program to Test Expanded Tenant Protections

The political support for an expanded set of tenant protections emerged in response to the program of rezonings underway as part of the de Blasio Administration's housing plan.

1 minute read

November 20, 2017, 5:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


East Harlem

By Joakim Lloyd Raboff / Shutterstock

Sally Goldenberg reports: "The [New York] City Council and Mayor Bill de Blasio have reached a deal on legislation that would expand protections for rent-regulated tenants who are being harassed by landlords eager to move them out, renovate and charge much higher rents."

The bill establishes a pilot program, according to Goldenberg, that requires property owners of buildings with recurring housing code violations or recently changed ownership, "acquire a 'certificate of no harassment' in neighborhoods undergoing rezonings as well as targeted low-income neighborhoods."

According to Goldenberg, the bill enacting the pilot program spent a year working its way through negotiations in City Hall. "Council member Brad Lander, a Brooklyn Democrat, pushed the administration to commit to expanding the law as part of the Council's approval of an affordable housing policy in 2016," reports Goldenberg.

The article includes more detail about the challenges the bill responds to—especially in context of the rezoning processes ongoing around the city in neighborhoods like East Harlem. Neighborhoods with recent rezonings, like East New York and Far Rockaway, would also gain the new tenant protections enabled by the new law.

Friday, November 17, 2017 in Politico

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Concrete Brutalism building with slanted walls and light visible through an atrium.

What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities

How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.

February 28, 2025 - Justin Hollander

Complete Street

‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge

Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.

February 27, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Green electric Volkswagen van against a beach backdrop.

The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan

Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.

March 3, 2025 - ABC 7 Eyewitness News

View of mountains with large shrubs in foreground in Altadena, California.

Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire

In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.

March 9 - Pasadena NOw

Aerial view of single-family homes with swimming pools in San Diego, California.

San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule

The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.

March 9 - Axios

Close-up of row of electric cars plugged into chargers at outdoor station.

Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives

A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.

March 9 - UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation