May 9, 2025

Ahead of the Lien Sale, City leaders, Center for NYC Neighborhoods, PEU canvassers went out to share information and help residents get the help they need 

New York, New York – The NYC Department of Finance (DOF) Commissioner Preston Niblack, Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala, Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Acting Commissioner Ahmed Tigani, the Mayor’s Public Engagement Unit (PEU) Executive Director Adrienne Lever, and Center for NYC Neighborhoods Executive Director Christie Peale went to canvass homeowners in Brooklyn this morning to raise awareness of the Lien Sale Easy Exit Program.

 

 

Ahead of the Tax Lien Sale on May 20th, DOF, HPD, PEU, DEP and the Center for NYC Neighborhoods have been working diligently to get the word out to help eligible New Yorkers resolve their debt and stay in their homes. Those who do not pay their property taxes, water and sewer chargers, and other property-related charges are at risk of being included in the annual Lien Sale. The sale allows their debts to be sold to an authorized buyer, who then has the right to collect what is owed, and if there are still outstanding debts, the lien sale can be a first step towards foreclosure.  

New Yorkers have a number of options to get off the list. But they only have a few days left to take the necessary steps, and we are here to help. We encourage homeowners to visit nyc.gov/liensale to learn more. 

After receiving warning notices, New Yorkers have the options to pay what they owe, enter into a payment plan, apply for a property tax exemption, submit a Lien Sale Easy Exit Program application, and submit an emergency repair certification. DOF, DEP, HPD, PEU, the Center want to ensure that every New Yorker has the knowledge and ability to access these services, and leaders from these agencies joined PEU’s ongoing outreach efforts to help spread the word, which prior to today, had already reached thousands of homeowners through canvassing, digital campaigns, and phone outreach. 

Since March, PEU Specialists have knocked on nearly 6,000 doors to connect directly with homeowners and make critical information about available resources more accessible. With teams out five days a week for the past nine weeks, this sustained effort has focused on reaching older and disabled homeowners, as well as those in neighborhoods with the highest concentration of homeowners at risk. 

The program helps New Yorkers seek removal from the newly reinstated Lien Sale by providing those who qualify for the program with resources and assistance in accessing payment agreements or gaining extensions on payment due dates. The canvass aims to educate New Yorkers about all of the options that are available to them to avoid foreclosures. 

The program helps New Yorkers seek removal from the newly reinstated Lien Sale by providing those who qualify for the program with resources and assistance in accessing payment agreements or gaining extensions on payment due dates. The canvass aims to educate New Yorkers about all of the options that are available to them to avoid foreclosures.  

“We are trying to reach out to help people – bring them the assistance and the options they need to resolve their debt before we ever even get to the point of having to sell their lien,” said DOF Commissioner Preston Niblack. “We’ve added payment plan options and our Easy Exit Program. We have options for people to stay in their homes, but the most important thing we did was provide funding for outreach, for you all [PEU canvassers] to go out and help reach people in their homes. We’ve never done that before. It’s brand new. For us to go out, retail, knock on doors, flyer, make phone calls, I want to particularly thank Adrienne Lever and PEU for their work.”  

"Paying your water bill is an important responsibility as a New Yorker because everyone’s payments help maintain the water system we all rely on,” said DEP Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala. “DEP offers easy, long-term payment agreements, and 16,000 New Yorkers have already enrolled in these plans after falling behind on their bills in recent years. I encourage people who may be overdue to take advantage of our simple and flexible programs that can help them get back into the black and protect their property.” 

“We’re out here today talking to our neighbors – doing what the city has been doing for months now – so that homeowners know what their rights are and what the tools are to help them get off of the tax lien sale list,” said Acting Commissioner of HPD Ahmed Tigani. “We have more expanded tools and more payment options with the goal of collecting revenue from those who can pay so that we can put that back into services for our City. But, if you’re not able to pay, we want to make sure you have all of the important information. Please, reach out to us. Call 311. We’re all here standing by to help.” 

“At the Public Engagement Unit, we don’t wait for people to find us, we go to them," said Adrienne Lever, Executive Director of the Public Engagement Unit. "Our team is on the ground day after day, making sure homeowners get the information and support they need to resolve their debts.” 

“Our mission is to help New Yorkers access and preserve affordable homeownership,” said Center for NYC Neighborhoods CEO Christie Peale. “If you owe back taxes or are behind on your water bills, because of the COVID-19 pandemic or for any other reason, the time to take action is today. One new option we want all New Yorkers to know about is the Easy Exit Program. It will take you off the list of debts to be sold and give you time to come up with a plan to resolve your debts. Free and expert help is available to help you if you have unpaid water and tax debt. You can call (646) 786-0888 or call 311 and ask for the Center for New York City Neighborhoods. The sooner you take action, the sooner we can help you.”