Mayoral Photography Office
Maria Torres-Springer, the outgoing HPD commissioner, seen with Mayor de Blasio at an early 2018 bill signing.
In the latest exit from the de Blasio administration, Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Maria Torres-Springer is leaving her post for the non-profit sector this March.
She follows the lead of Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development Alicia Glen, who has announced her intention to leave but will stay on until a replacement has been found for her position, and the city’s Department of Buildings Commissioner Rick Chandler, who retired from city service after 31 years in last month. And under the agreement inked by Mayor de Blasio on Thursday to establish a monitor for NYCHA, the city must install a new chairperson/chief executive officer for the housing authority.
That means four key housing and development posts in the administration are now in flux as the mayor navigates his sixth year in office.
“It has been a profound honor to serve the city that I love and be given the chance to make it even stronger and more equitable,” Torres-Springer said in a press statement. “I want to thank Mayor Bill de Blasio and Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen for entrusting me over the last five years with leading the work of three agencies devoted to balancing the equation in favor of New York City’s hard-working families. Together, we have created and preserved affordable housing at record speed while ensuring the city’s most vulnerable communities are protected and implemented major initiatives to spur economic opportunity across the five boroughs.”
Torres-Springer has served HPD since 2017. Before that she served as the CEO of the Economic Development Corporation and as commissioner of the Department of Small Business Services. In March, Torres-Springer will join the Ford Foundation as vice president of U.S. programs.
“No one has been more important in our fight to make New York the fairest big city in America than Maria Torres-Springer. Whether advancing rezonings or developing a record number of affordable homes, I have turned to her time and again to tackle the toughest issues facing our city. The Ford Foundation—and the country—are lucky to have her where she’s going,” said de Blasio.
Housing is not the only area where a change of personnel is taking plan. Taxi and Limousine Commissioner Meera Joshi will also be leaving the de Blasio administration in March after serving the city agency that regulates for-hire vehicles since 2014. Office of Emergency Management Commissioner Joseph Esposito is on his way out, too.
Whoever replaces Torres-Springer will be de Blasio’s third HPD commissioner; Vicki Been held that post for most of his first term.
One thought on “Mayor’s Housing Chief is Leaving, Creating Another Vacancy in Development Policy Team”
Perhaps, this is why Quality Housing requirements are not enforced!
There are many discrepancies on the UDAAP property at 300-318 West 117th Street, NYC 10026.
One serious item affecting tenants is the fact that the building owners, have not provided required outdoor recreation space on this property. With COVID-19, access to outdoor space for tenants is more imperative than ever for quality of life needs.
The Owners have been on notice for two years but they have ignored demands to install the missing feature.
In fact Owners sacrifice the needs of tenants to profit from a massive bank of Verizon antennas on the 8th Floor roof instead of the required Outdoor Recreation Space for tenants.
Tenants are of course also concerned about potential health hazards from the antennas which have expanded over time.
DOB has written violations on the missing recreation spaces (there should also be 7th Floor indoor and outdoor recreation spaces) but the owner just pays the nominal fines and does not correct the infraction.
The property launched in 2005 and many violations and acts of non-compliance went unchecked. I just happened upon this information when researching the property after experiencing discriminatory conduct from property management.
There has been no Enforcement.
The Owners benefit from Quality Housing perks without actually providing the features. I have reported this to HPD who has turned a blind eye, stating it is not their job to enforce the requirements.
What makes it worse is that the Building Owners fraudulently used Professional Certification to acquire Certificates of Occupancy stating the features exist when they do not.
The Owners Larkspur LLC: include mega developers Sanford Lowentheil (L&M), Ron Moelis (L&M), Frank Anelante (Lemle & Wolff), Joseph Zitolo ((Lemle &Wolff.
The missing Required features of Outdoor Recreation Spaces are just the surface of missing items and fraud on this property.
Many developers say Affordable Housing is too restrictive: but perhaps not if you cheat … then, not so much!
Based on the many discrepancies and outright fraud on this property, there may be a simple reason why L&M and Lemle & Wolff are exclusively Affordable Housing Developers…
I am asking for your assistance on getting the Missing Outdoor Recreation spaces installed as required by Quality Housing Program. The buildings on this property are supposed to be Quality Housing buildings.