Mayor Eric Adams' Op-Ed: Keeping New Yorkers Safe and Warm This Fall and Winter

New Yorkers deserve safe, warm, and comfortable living conditions during fall and winter, and the city is here to make sure they get it.

Last week, heat season started in New York City. While cold and winter weather can bring dangerously low temperatures, heavy snow, strong winds, ice, sleet, and freezing rain, landlords and property owners across the city are required to maintain heating and safe indoor temperatures for their tenants between October 1st and May 31st.

That’s why we are hitting the ground running this season, making our city work better for everyday, working-class people. The city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development has mobilized across the five boroughs to remind tenants and owners about their responsibilities to keep New Yorkers warm and safe.

When outdoor temperatures drop below 55 degrees, indoor temperatures must be maintained at a minimum of 68 degrees during the day between 6 AM and 10 PM. And indoor temperature must be maintained to at least 62 degrees overnight, regardless of the temperature.

These heat regulations are designed to protect New Yorkers health and safety. Heat is not a luxury, it is a necessity that all New Yorkers deserve. New Yorkers without access to heating are unprotected and at risk during the heat season. People can get sick, injured, and possibly even die from cold temperatures and winter storms.

Every day, New Yorkers work hard to build a better future for themselves, their kids, and their families. But we all know we cannot have a truly livable city with a housing and affordability crisis continuing to linger. New Yorkers need our support, and we are giving it to them by ensuring they have heat during the fall and winter.

And we have been very clear, when landlords and property owners violate our heating regulations, the city and the Housing Preservation and Development team will hold them accountable. Last year, the city responded in record time to 144,000 heat and hot water related problems and collected more than $3.5 million in various penalties associated with these types of violations.

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Fall and winter are different than they used to be. With climate change leading to more frequent and intense cold, a storm can be more than just uncomfortable — it can be dangerous or even life threatening. That is why New York City is getting ready in advance — and we want all New Yorkers to be ready, too.

Having heat is one of the most effective ways to guard against cold storm emergencies. So, if your apartment is cold, report the issue to your landlord immediately. If the problem persists, contact 311 for assistance. If low-income property owners are struggling, they can reach out to the Home Energy Assistance Program for help with heating bills and equipment repairs.

From day one, our administration has fought to protect our city’s tenants. Whether by launching the city’s first-ever Tenant Protection Cabinet, initiating the Public Engagement Unit’s live operator tenant helpline to provide immediate support to New York tenants, or securing the largest civil right settlement in city history — that issued $1 million in civil penalties and set aside 850 apartment units for voucher holders — our administration has used every tool possible to tell New York City tenants, ‘we’ve got your backs.’

This administration has made public safety the center of everything we do, and that includes preparing for weather emergencies and keeping New York City tenants safe and warm in their homes this heat season. Let’s work together to make the fall and winter season our safest ever.

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