HPD Commissioner Vicki Been answering questions at the 130th CityLaw Breakfast. Image credit: CityLaw

The former HPD Commissioner will continue to work on affordability and economic opportunities for the City. On April 4, 2019, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the appointment of former Department of Housing and Preservation Commissioner Vicki Been as the new Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development. She succeeded Alicia Glen, who served in the position for five years.

Been has extensive experience in working on affordability and equity in New York City. She is a nationally recognized expert on land use, urban policy, and affordable housing. Been served as HPD Commissioner from 2014 to 2017. As Commissioner, Been helped craft the Mayor’s Housing New York and she oversaw the financing of 62,500 affordable homes. She restructured the City’s programs to reach a wider range of incomes and secure more affordable housing for every public dollar spent. She reformed the regulatory process to reduce the risk and cost of building and preserving affordable housing while ensuring its safety, quality, and financial stability. Been also played a significant role in advancing the Mandatory Inclusionary Housing law.

Been is currently the Director of NYU’s Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy, the Boxer Family Professor of Law at NYU School of Law, and an Affiliated Professor of Public Policy of the NYU’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. At NYU, Been worked on assessing New York City’s land use patterns, the effects of Hurricane Sandy on housing and neighborhoods, the interplay of community benefit agreements and land use practices, and on a variety of affordable housing issues, including inclusionary zoning and supportive housing.

As Deputy Mayor, Been will work on the City’s anti-displacement and affordability strategies and create economic opportunities for all New Yorkers. She will lead the administration’s efforts to grow and diversify New York City’s economy, invest in emerging industries across the five boroughs, build a new generation of affordable housing, help New Yorkers secure good-paying jobs, and oversee and coordinate the operations of over 20 agencies, offices and affiliated entities.

“As HPD Commissioner, Vicki changed everything about affordable housing in New York City. As Deputy Mayor, she will dig deeper and ratchet up all our efforts to confront the biggest crisis facing our city: affordability. She’ll kick anti-displacement strategies into high gear and open doors of opportunity to people who are struggling,” said Mayor de Blasio.

“Since my tenure as HPD Commissioner, the City has made great strides building more affordable housing units and benefited from record low unemployment. It’s time to be bolder and find new, innovative ways to respond to the City’s affordability crisis. I share the Mayor’s goal to ensure that New Yorkers have the chance in our great City to thrive and live with dignity.  I look forward to working with our partners to make New York the world’s fairest big city,” said Deputy Mayor Been.

By: May Vutrapongvatana (May is a CityLaw intern, and a New York Law School student, Class of 2019).