The Housing Court's Role in Maintaining Affordable Housing
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Description
Any discussion of housing and community development in New York City would be incomplete without an examination of the New York City Housing Court. The court was specifically created by the New York State Legislature as a mechanism for providing safe, decent, and habitable housing (New York City Civil Court Act§ 110). Given the court's central role in overseeing housing conditions and the huge number of litigants who pass through its doors, the court plays a major role in shaping housing patterns in New York City. Yet, the Housing Court is widely regarded as an ineffective institution that has not fulfilled its mandate of preserving the city's housing stock. The court has had little influence on the enforcement of the housing maintenance code, a task that the court was specifically designed to accomplish. Furthermore, the court has failed to serve as an effective forum for adjudicating landlord and tenant disputes. This chapter will examine the reasons for the Housing Court's shortcomings and consider whether the court can be reformed to enable it to play a more effective part in community preservation and development. The discussion first will describe the Legislature's goals in creating the court. The discussion then will examine the systemic pressures that stand in the way of an activist, effective housing court, and will consider some of the current proposals for reforming the court. The chapter will conclude by suggesting structural changes for the Housing Court.
Source Publication
Housing and Community Development in New York City: Facing the Future
Source Editors/Authors
Michael H. Schill
Publication Date
1999
Recommended Citation
Galowitz, Paula, "The Housing Court's Role in Maintaining Affordable Housing" (1999). Faculty Chapters. 1246.
https://gretchen.law.nyu.edu/fac-chapt/1246
