About Housing Recovery Operations

Mission

The Mayor’s Office of Housing Recovery Operations (HRO) supports New Yorkers when disasters disrupt their homes and communities. Building on expertise developed responding to Hurricane Sandy and Hurricane Ida, as well as insights learned from providing housing and supportive services during the COVID-19 crisis and the emergency sheltering of asylum seekers, HRO partners across city government to help residents recover, remain in their communities, and return to safe, permanent, and resilient housing.

About HRO

The Mayor’s Office of Housing Recovery Operations (HRO) serves as New York City’s lead housing recovery office, helping New Yorkers prepare for and recover from disasters that impact their housing. This work includes large-scale natural disasters, such as hurricanes, as well as more localized emergencies, including heavy rainfall events and fires.

HRO was created by Executive Order 175, dated November 13, 2012 (as amended by Executive Order 459, dated December 20, 2013), to assist homeowners, landlords, renters, and tenants affected by Hurricane Sandy within the five boroughs of New York City.

HRO initially administered the Rapid Repairs program, a first-of-its-kind emergency shelter-in-place initiative that provided essential repairs to thousands of homeowners left without heat, power, or hot water in the aftermath of the storm. Developed in collaboration with and funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Rapid Repairs enabled residents to safely remain in their homes during the immediate recovery period.

Building on this work, HRO subsequently launched the Build It Back Program, funded through Community Development Block Grant–Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) allocations from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The program offered multiple pathways of assistance, including rehabilitation or reconstruction of damaged properties, reimbursement for eligible repairs already completed, and acquisition of severely damaged homes.

On November 22, 2021, pursuant to Executive Order 87, HRO's mission was expanded to coordinate or assist in the coordination of City operations related to housing issues for City residents impacted by major disasters, including but not limited to those related to extreme weather or disease.

Across all of our work, our goal is to enable residents to return to safe, resilient homes. Prioritizing this approach rather than relocating people to costly temporary housing in hotels or shelters supports long-term affordability, promotes neighborhood-scale economic recovery, and demonstrates that government can work effectively for New Yorkers.