New York, New York - Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Sunday appointed Dina Levy to head New York City's Department of Housing Preservation & Development.

"I am proud to welcome Dina Levy as our next Housing Commissioner. Levy is an experienced and fearless housing leader, and I know that she will fight to protect tenants and tackle our housing crisis head-on," Mamdani said in a statement.

"Too many New Yorkers have been forced to pay more for less – living in unsafe, unconscionable, and unaffordable housing. Under my administration, that ends. Today's executive order is the first step towards giving New Yorkers a voice in addressing the housing crisis that is pricing them out of our city."

Levy previously served as senior vice president of homeownership and community development at New York State Homes and Community Renewal as well as senior advisor to the New York attorney general and director of organizing at the Urban Homesteading Assistance Board.

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In her new position, she will play a central role in implementing the new administration's housing policy agenda, which calls for preservation of rent-stabilized housing and expansion of affordable housing opportunities.

"I am honored to join the Mamdani administration, and especially honored to join the team working to make New York City an affordable place to live," Levy said.

"My experience as a community organizer has shaped my work in public service and will continue to be my inspiration in the work ahead at HPD."

Also on Sunday, Mamdani signed an executive order calling on various agencies to hold "rental ripoff" hearings across all five boroughs in the first 100 days of his administration.

The hearings will allow tenants to share their experiences. City authorities will develop a report based on the testimonies, which is intended to inform policy going forward.

"For too long, tenants have been ripped off without recourse or protection. Our Rental Ripoff hearings will give working people across the five boroughs a microphone to highlight the challenges they face and make New York City government a truly participatory endeavor," said Cea Weaver, newly appointed director of the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants.

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"By hearing from New Yorkers about the challenges they have faced, we can bring a truly comprehensive approach to address the shoddy conditions, hidden fees, and other ripoffs that have persisted until now."

Mamdani won the November mayoral election on a platform calling for rent freezes and other measures to address New York City's cost of living crisis.