Mayor launches new ‘fast-track’ for Housing Court cases

Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a new directive for Housing Court judges to expedite emergency housing cases. Photo by Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office

By Noah Powelson

Tenants and landlords of crumbling apartment buildings may have their day in court sooner than expected after the mayor and city court system launched a new “fast-track” procedure to bring the most urgent cases before a judge faster.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani and New York City Civil Court Administrative Judge Shahabuddeen Ally issued a new directive instructing Housing Court judges to expedite emergency cases on Tuesday. Under the administrative order, cases on the fast track will now be assigned to a judge the same day they are filed and parties are required to appear in court within five days.

The mayor said the order applies to the buildings in the most “critical” conditions, including buildings where at least a third or more of the apartments are affected by a vacate order or lack essential services. Buildings without any operating elevators are also applicable.

“New Yorkers deserve a government that treats the housing crisis with the urgency it demands,” Mamdani said in a statement. “When a building is dangerous, when an elevator is out or when a landlord has abandoned their responsibility to provide a safe home, tenants should not have to wait months or years for relief. This new fast track will help make sure our Housing Court moves with the same urgency as the emergencies New Yorkers are facing.”

New York City Housing Court Supervising Judge Jack Stoller said the new procedure will allow tenants living in hazardous conditions to reach faster solutions while still ensuring landlords can present their case.

“The Housing Court’s new procedure focuses on matters where city agencies have documented that a building is under a vacate order, lacks essential services, or has elevators that are completely inoperable and the situation is urgent,” Stoller said. “By prioritizing these matters for expedited resolution, the Court reaffirms its dedication to ensuring safe housing for the most vulnerable New Yorkers while also ensuring that landlords have a right to present their arguments as well.”

The announcement received praise from housing advocates and the Legal Aid Society, who called the new expedited process a “long-overdue reform.”

“For years, we have raised concerns about the lengthy court delays that prevent tenants from obtaining the prompt correction of conditions underlying vacate orders, as well as interruptions in essential services such as heat, gas, and electricity,” a spokesperson for the Legal Aid Society said in a statement. “These delays have left our clients and countless tenants across the city stranded in temporary housing for months or years at a time, separated from their homes, neighbors, belongings, and support networks.”

“The consequences are particularly severe for seniors, people with disabilities, families with young children, and others who rely on the stability of their housing to meet their daily needs,” the spokesperson added.