Management and Operations - the Housing Policy - Assignment Example

My responsibility is to assist clients to obtain affordable housing that is safe and habitable, as opposed to expensive houses that lead to people living in the streets. Thus, the clients’ get affordable housing and the city remain free of homeless people. Identify the action-forcing event that prompted the study. The action-forcing event that triggered the study was the numerous complaints made by New York residents, demanding that action be taken concerning illegal and unsafe apartments.

These individuals are taxpayers being forced out of their homes, and owners of basement apartments being asked to dismantle their rental units, as in the case of Rakha and Mahbub who were asked to pay a penalty of $1,200, after spending more than $4,000 upgrading a cellar apartment of their home in Queens. In addition, the supporters of legalization of basement apartments such as Jerilyn Perine, a former city housing commissioner, and current Executive Director of the research group Citizens Housing and Planning Council claim that the issue of basement housing and other illegal houses has to be dealt with, as well as the allowance of a better city planning strategies.

This is in relation to the words uttered by the City Councilman Brad Lander who said he was outlining legislation in favour of the “accessory” housing units and building code standards for them. Identify the specific policy to be analyzed, including its jurisdiction. Indicate where the policy can be found. The actual policy targeted for reform is the New York City Building or the Housing Maintenance Code, (ARTICLE 5- Occupancy of Cellars and Basements). That states that basements, cellars, and “granny flats,” should not be rented or occupied due to health and safety measures.

What is your client’s question driving the study? The question should reference a specific policy and what the client hopes to achieve by changing the policy. Examples: How can border policy be improved to better prevent human trafficking and smuggling to the United States from Mexico? How can human rights policies in New York City alleviate age discrimination in the workplace? What policy options exist for Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Janice L. Jacobs to decrease employment visa fraud committed by U.S. based high-tech companies in response to the recent discovery of visa fraud committed by Infosys?

How can the city council change the legislation governing basement apartments concerning the standardization of safety and health measures? Identify the client or recipient of the study. The client of this study will be City Councilman Brad Lander. Identify your role or position. For example, if you are employed by the client, what is your job title or responsibility related to policy? My position would be the policy analyst to the City Councilman. Provide a source you will use to gather information for your problem assessment; for example, data that provide a measure of the problem or describe the timeline.

The Citizens Housing and Planning Council data (http://www.chpcny.org/) will provide a measure of the housing problem in New York City. Identify specific data sources or documents to be used in your literature review related to specific or local information about your policy problem, scholarly literature, and/or best practices for addressing this kind of policy problem. 1. Hallenborg, M. A., & Stewart, M. (2003). New York landlords law book. Berkeley, CA: Nolo. 2. Summary of Three Classes of Housing Code Violations. (n.d.). Summary of Three Classes of Housing Code Violations.

Retrieved February 21, 2014, from http://www.tenant.net/Oversight/Codeenf/c 3. Hallenborg, M. A. (2002). New York tenants rights. Berkeley, CA: Nolo. 4. NYC Rent Guidelines Board. (n.d.). NYC Rent Guidelines Board. Retrieved February 21, 2014, from http://www.nycrgb.org/html/resources/hmc 5. Looser Rules on Illegal Housing Sought. (n.d.). http://www.nytimes.com/. Retrieved February 11, 2014, from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/14/nyregion/looser-rules-on-illegal-housing-sought.html?pagewanted=1&_r=0 6.

NYC Housing Maintenance Code. (n.d.).NYC Housing Maintenance Code. Retrieved February 21, 2014, from http://tenant.net/Other_Laws/HMC/sub3/art Identify the stakeholders and their positions relative to the policy under study. Name actual officials, and, if relevant, the groups they represent. Stakeholders include policymakers and people employed by lobbying or professional associations. Actual agencies relative to the policy under study include: New York City Department of Planning Population Division, New York City Department of City Planning and New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission.

The position of the New York City Department of Planning Population Division is to estimate the demographic data of residents and housing units. The position of the New York City Department of City Planning is to work closely with communities as per the city planning initiatives. The position of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission is to evaluate properties and the eligibility of the area. The role of these organizations is to aid in the implementation of the project successfully.

Others include homeowners and the residents of NYC. Identify at least three potential policy options. Make sure that these involve changes to the policy identified above. 1. Asthma free housing policy. This will ensure the eradication of poor housing conditions such as mould, mice and cockroach, thus making basement apartments healthy to live in and enabling the legalization of basements, cellars, and other illegal housing units. 2. Issuing of the rental permit policy. This will ensure that the city council inspects basements on health and safety measures and give their authorization before they are converted to basement apartments and rented out. 3. Yearly remodelling and maintenance policy.

This policy will ensure that basement apartment and other currently illegal housing are maintained to standard safety and health requirements.