Administrative Hearing Officer, Division of Adjudications

Job Description

About the Agency:

The New York City Department of Housing Preservation Development (HPD) promotes quality and affordability in the city's housing, and diversity and strength in the city’s neighborhoods because every New Yorker deserves a safe, affordable place to live in a neighborhood they love.

- We maintain building and resident safety and health
- We create opportunities for New Yorkers through housing affordability
- We engage New Yorkers to build and sustain neighborhood strength and diversity

HPD is entrusted with fulfilling these objectives through the goals and strategies of “Housing Our Neighbors: A Blueprint for Housing and Homelessness,” Mayor Adams’ comprehensive housing framework. To support this important work, the administration has committed $5 billion in new capital funding, bringing the 10-year planned investment in housing to $22 billion the largest in the city’s history. This investment, coupled with a commitment to reduce administrative and regulatory barriers, is a multi-pronged strategy to tackle New York City’s complex housing crisis, by addressing homelessness and housing instability, promoting economic stability and mobility, increasing homeownership opportunities, improving health and safety, and increasing opportunities for equitable growth.

Your Team

The Administrative Hearing Officer will be a key member of the Division of Adjudications, within the newly centralized Office of Compliance & Risk Management (CRM). The Division of Adjudications consists of the Appeals and the Mitchell-Lama Hearings Units.

- The Appeals Unit reviews, adjudicates and resolves appeals filed by individuals contesting adverse determinations made by the HPD Division of Tenant and Owner Resources (DTOR) in relation to rental subsidy programs administered by DTOR. DTOR administers a number of federal rent subsidy programs, including the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program (comprised of the Regular HCV Program, Emergency Housing Voucher (EHV) Program, the Project Based Voucher (PBV) Program, and the Enhanced Voucher (Enhanced) Program), the Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation (Mod Rehab) Program, and the Continuum of Care (CoC) Shelter Plus Care (CoC SPC) and Rehabilitation Single-Room Occupancy (CoC Mod SRO) Programs. DTOR also administers the Section 8 Homeownership and Family Self Sufficiency (FSS) Programs, which are non-rent subsidy programs related to the HCV Program, and the NYC 15/15 Rental Assistance (NYC 15/15) Program, which is a rent subsidy program that is not federally funded.

- The Mitchell-Lama Hearings Unit reviews, adjudicates and resolves cases arising from matters lodged by housing companies organized under Article II of the Private Housing Finance Law of the State of New York (PHFL or Mitchell-Lama Law). HPD’s Division of Housing Supervision, within the Office of Asset & Property Management (APM), oversees the Mitchell-Lama Program, which includes approximately 45,000 units which provide affordable rental and cooperative homeownership opportunities to families with moderate and middle incomes. The Unit also adjudicates appeals filed by individuals contesting the termination of temporary shelter benefits provided by the agency.

Your Impact

Administrative Hearing Officers within the Division of Adjudications help the city combat the affordable housing crisis. The resolution of their cases ensures that eligible families receive rental subsides, Mitchell-Lama units are occupied by appropriate parties, and helps ensure that housing companies uphold their obligations under the Mitchell-Lama Law.

Reporting to the Executive Director of Adjudications, the Administrative Hearing Officer will adjudicate appeals filed by individuals claiming succession to Mitchell-Lama apartments or challenging the termination of temporary shelter benefits. These determinations will entail a thorough review of the entire administrative record and the issuance of a written decision. The candidate will also assist with adjudicating Mitchell-Lama lease termination cases and will liaise with the New York City Law Department regarding related proceedings filed pursuant to Article 78 of the New York Civil Practice Law and Rules and other litigation.

Your Role

As an Administrative Hearing Officer, you will:
- Draft and render final decisions in Mitchell-Lama succession cases;
- Draft and render final decisions in Emergency Housing Services temporary shelter benefit cases;
- Adjudicate Mitchell-Lama lease termination cases; and
- Adjudicate cases related to other HPD administered programs, conduct legal research, and assist with special projects, as needed.

Preferred Skills

HPD seeks a team-oriented and fair-minded attorney, who can work independently as well as part of a team, and who possesses strong analytical and critical th