Compliance Department


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Compliance Department at NYCHA

The Compliance Department’s mission is to ensure that the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) complies with laws and regulations and is ethical in fulfilling its overall mission to provide safe, affordable housing to its residents.


Department Overview

The Compliance Department:

  • Oversees NYCHA’s compliance with federal, state, and local laws and regulations;
  • Ensures the accuracy of NYCHA’s regulatory reporting and statements;
  • Develops and maintains updated procedures that align with laws and regulations;
  • Advises the Environmental Health and Safety Officer about environmental health and safety issues;
  • Ensures the integrity of the Public Housing Assessment System (PHAS) and all other inspections at NYCHA;
  • Maintains a communication channel for compliance-related complaints made by NYCHA residents, employees, contractors, and the general public;
  • Responds to complaints as appropriate;
  • Promotes compliance through communication and special initiatives; and
  • Ensures that NYCHA management and staff receive appropriate compliance training.


Department Structure

Procedures Unit

  • Works with departments and other stakeholders across NYCHA to create new or update existing standard procedures
  • Maintains copies of all published NYCHA standard operating procedures

Privacy Office

  • Advises on use, disclosure, and handling of personally identifying information (“PII”).
  • Leads NYCHA’s privacy incident response process and collaborates with NYCHA departments to investigate, mitigate, and resolve privacy incidents.
  • Monitors compliance as it relates to NYCHA’s privacy and PII confidentiality obligations.
  • Communicates on privacy matters to external regulatory bodies.
  • Develops and implements agency-wide privacy policies and procedures.
  • Develops and implements privacy trainings.

Compliance Monitoring Unit

  • Develops an annual compliance monitoring plan
  • Performs monitoring through field visits, interviews, and/or data analysis
  • Develops compliance reports and dashboards that include recommendations for improvement
  • Collaborates with departments to create corrective action plans to close compliance gaps

Compliance Integration Reporting & Evaluation Unit

  • Collaborates with departments to incorporate a compliance culture into everyday work practices through business process redesign and change management
  • Promotes compliance through research, data analysis, and statutory and regulatory review
  • Ensures that NYCHA staff receive compliance training related to job functions
  • Works in partnership with other departments to communicate to staff changes to regulations, laws, and procedures

Compliance Inquiry Review & Assessment Unit

  • Manages communication channels where residents, employees, contractors, and the general public can report compliance complaints anonymously and confidentially
  • Investigates allegations of suspected noncompliance, including deceptive or other improper practices related to PHAS inspections
  • Collaborates with NYCHA’s Environmental Health and Safety Department, the Quality Assurance Unit, and other NYCHA departments to ensure that compliance issues are resolved promptly and effectively
  • Evaluates existing and emerging compliance issues and conducts assessments to determine regulatory risk, as needed

Contractor and Employment Opportunity Compliance

  • Performs in-depth reviews of agreements and conducts onsite compliance monitoring and field work to ensure that all HUD Section 3, MBWE, and procurement policies, processes, and programs meet requirements under applicable governing regulations (City, State and Federal).
  • Oversees projects involving possible illegal, fraudulent or improper practices, including issues related to vendor integrity.
  • Collaborates with NYCHA departments to ensure that identified areas of risk are mitigated and compliance issues are resolved promptly and effectively.