Associate General Counsel - job 1 of 2

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:

Within HPD’s Office of Legal Affairs, the Regulatory Affairs Division (RAD) provides legal support services for the Agency’s regulatory and enforcement functions and advice on compliance with external City, State, and federal statutory and regulatory requirements. RAD handles, among other things, legal issues regarding the Housing Maintenance Code, the Multiple Dwelling Law, in rem tax foreclosure law and policy, tax lien sales, demolition, emergency repairs, lead, asbestos, Section 8 and similar federally funded programs, privacy laws, and the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL). RAD engages in complex legal work related to these laws, rules, and programs. RAD also acts as a liaison to the Law Department on important litigation affecting HPD statutory enforcement programs.


Your Impact:

As an Associate General Counsel in RAD, you will be a senior legal advisor for the Agency in support of HPD's enforcement programs, related legislative efforts, and federal, state, and local law compliance.

Your Role:

You will perform complex legal work in the areas under RAD’s jurisdiction. You may act as a liaison with the Law Department on important administrative law litigation affecting HPD programs and participate in drafting legislation and rules, holding public hearings, attending high-level meetings regarding Agency policy, and reviewing proposed City and State legislation. You may be responsible for the supervision of one or more attorneys and or support staff and will report to the Deputy General Counsel for Regulatory Affairs.


Your Responsibilities:

The Associate General Counsel Counsel’s responsibilities may include but not be limited to:

- Perform legal research and provide written and oral analysis of laws, rules, and guidance documents to provide advice with respect to Agency programs on issues, inquiries, and litigation.
- Liaise with program staff within the Agency, other City agencies, and non-governmental entities on issues relating to compliance and enforcement with Agency programs and legal requirements administered by the Agency.
- Draft and review proposed City and State legislation and rules.
- With respect to FOIL, advise the FOIL and Communications units and the FOIL appeals officer on legal issues; assist the FOIL unit in reviewing documents for redaction prior to release; and liaise with the Law Department regarding FOIL litigation.
- With respect to privacy law, advise on the application of privacy laws to information requests from City agencies, other governmental bodies, and third parties; and draft Memoranda of Understanding and Confidentiality Agreements relating to private information and data exchanges.
- Advise program staff on legal issues relating to statutory enforcement programs under HPD, including, for example, enforcement against banks and mortgage servicers for compliance with maintenance requirements for vacant small homes undergoing foreclosure under the Zombie Homes program, and review settlement agreements in conjunction with such programs.
- Advise program staff on tax enforcement programs and policies.
- Advise program staff on agency determinations in response to challenges regarding the assessment of charges and penalties associated with HPD’s statutory enforcement programs.
- Advise program staff on the development and implementation of policy related to rental assistance programs.

Admission to the New York State Bar; and four years of recent full-time responsible, relevant, satisfactory legal experience subsequent to admission to any bar, eighteen months of which must have been in the supervision of other attorneys, in an administrative, managerial or executive capacity, or performing highly complex and significant legal work.

Incumbents must remain Members of the New York State Bar in good standing for the duration of this employment.

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.