Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Department of Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Rafael E. Cestero on Thursday launched the Proactive Preservation Initiative, a new, aggressive approach to identify and address deteriorating physical conditions in multifamily buildings throughout the City before they reach a state that endangers the health and safety of residents and threatens the quality of the surrounding neighborhood.

Currently, the City's primary means of identifying problem buildings is through complaints received through calls to 311. The Proactive Preservation Initiative will enable the City to identify and address buildings preemptively, and the City expects to use it to put roughly 500 distressed buildings on a path to stability over the next 12 months.

The Mayor and Speaker made the announcement at Our Lady of Angels School on Webb Avenue in the Bronx, near 2785 Sedgwick Avenue, one of the 10 buildings of the Milbank housing complex that will be among the first to be rehabilitated as a result of the new initiative.

The Mayor and Speaker were joined by Council Member Erik Martin Dilan, State Senator Gustavo Rivera, Assembly Member Vito Lopez, Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., New York City Housing Development Corporation President Marc Jahr, and Desiree Hunter, Board Member of the Northwest Bronx Clergy Coalition.

"Our job is not just to wait until conditions around the City decline to a low point and fix them then, it's to be vigilant and act aggressively to address problems before they worsen," said Mayor Bloomberg. "That's why we created the SCOUT program to survey street conditions constantly, and it's why we are launching the Proactive Preservation Initiative to protect the City's housing stock. Now, instead of simply waiting for tenants to complain about poor conditions or irresponsible landlords, we'll use data on properties, building owners and neighborhoods to identify buildings that are vulnerable or are in decline, and step in to fix the situation before it worsens."

"Today, we're adding an incredible tool to combat over-leveraged buildings across the City," said Speaker Quinn. "The City Council has fought tirelessly on the behalf of tenants living in these buildings, plagued with deplorable conditions. By identifying and fighting the problem early on, the City has a chance to save these buildings before it's too late. This innovative and proactive approach will be a vital asset in our continuing battles against irresponsible owners and lenders."

"New York City has long relied on tenants to lodge complaints about needed repairs in their apartments to determine when to intervene, but too often that happens only after conditions have become deplorable. We're stepping up the City's enforcement of housing maintenance and taking a proactive approach to identify at-risk buildings before conditions worsen," said Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Robert K. Steel.

Going forward, HPD will also work with the City Council, the New York City Housing Development Corporation and New York State Homes and Community Renewal to collect and consolidate data from multiple sources to pinpoint distressed buildings that are actively declining and have the highest likelihood of becoming blighted and blighting influences.

HPD field staff will survey the buildings, and for buildings that appear to be in decline, the agency will analyze other data, such as outstanding tax arrears, outstanding water arrears, neighborhood foreclosures, and notices from local elected officials, community groups and advocates. Based on that information, HPD will determine the appropriate course of action, which might include working with a building owner and providing rehabilitation loans, or stepping up code enforcement actions against irresponsible or absentee owners.