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DHCD promises more code enforcement staff and new tools as council raises fraud, squatters and rental licensing concerns
Summary
Council members pressed DHCD on vacancies, enforcement capacity and rental scams; DHCD said 22 code enforcement vacancies remain but that recruiting and retention steps, a new training director and a clear‑boarding pilot are in progress; a new 311 rental licensing service will be launched in June.
Council members used DHCD’s budget hearing on May 30 to press the department on code enforcement capacity, rental licensing and the city’s response to illegal occupancy and rental fraud.
DHCD told the committee it has reorganized budget service lines — moving 56 positions from service 7‑45 (code enforcement) into service 7‑51 (administrative, legal, notice production and demolition) to better align staffing with operations; officials said the realignment does not reduce front‑line enforcement staff. Deputy Commissioner Eric Booker reported 66 vacant‑building vacates performed in the current year and said the majority of vacant‑property work orders originate from inspectors. DHCD also said it has about 22 current vacancies in the housing inspector classifications and significant recruitment activity: 7 new hires are in final onboarding, 8 are in process and further recruitments are open.
Council members raised problems beyond vacancy counts: tenants and residents report scams on rental listing platforms, properties occupied without authorization, and delays resolving interior habitability complaints. DHCD noted that many Craigslist‑style scams are criminal acts and difficult to prosecute if perpetrators cannot be identified; the agency said it will expand public education on rental scams and coordinate with the state office on renters’ rights and the state’s attorney’s office for enforcement. DHCD said it is launching a new 311 service request for rental licensing in June, will do targeted mailers to lapsed registrants, will mine data to identify possible unregistered rental listings, and will increase citations tied to licensing noncompliance.
On retention and training, DHCD described a new inspector operations council (monthly meetings) and a plan to add a training director position within the permits and litigation division to (1) train staff, (2) track legislative/code changes, and (3) lead public education. Councilman Torrance requested a joint meeting with code enforcement leadership and the Law Department to explore authority and staffing models, including evening and weekend enforcement pilots; DHCD agreed to meet to develop a plan.
Discussion vs. direction vs. decision: Council members sought operational answers and requested district‑level violation data (discussion). DHCD committed to provide vacancy and violation counts by council district, to expand public education and to pilot clear‑boarding and sanitation enforcement strategies (direction). No ordinances or formal votes were taken (decision: no formal vote).
Ending: DHCD said it will provide data on open violations by district and follow up on recruitment and retention progress; council members signaled willingness to collaborate on enforcement models and data‑driven approaches.
