Section 1802. Powers and duties of the commissioner

Except as otherwise
  specifically provided by law, the commissioner may exercise or  delegate
  any  of  the  following functions, powers and duties which are vested in
  the department:
    1.  all  functions  of  the  city  relating  to  the   rehabilitation,
  maintenance,  alteration  and  improvement  of residential buildings and
  privately owned housing including, but not limited  to,  the  making  of
  rehabilitation  loans  pursuant  to  article  eight ("municipal loans"),
  article  eight-a  ("mini-loans")  and  article  fifteen  ("participation
  loans")  of  the private housing finance law, acting as liaison with the
  New York city rehabilitation mortgage insurance corporation  established
  pursuant  to  article  fourteen  of  the  private  housing  finance  law
  ("REMIC")  and  the  New  York  city  housing  development   corporation
  established  pursuant  to  article twelve of the private housing finance
  law ("HDC"), the execution of emergency  repairs  to  and  the  sealing,
  removal  and  demolition  of  buildings,  structures and privately-owned
  housing  in  accordance  with  applicable  provisions  of  law  and  the
  enforcement  of  those  provisions  of  the multiple dwelling law or any
  other law, rule or regulation which  relate  to  the  maintenance,  use,
  occupancy,  safety  or  sanitary  condition  of  any building or portion
  thereof which is occupied, arranged or intended  to  be  occupied  as  a
  home, residence or dwelling place;
    2.  such functions and duties as may be prescribed by law with respect
  to the relocation of tenants of  real  property  and  the  selection  of
  tenants for publicly owned or publicly aided housing in the city;
    3.  all  functions  of  the city, and all powers, rights and duties as
  provided by any federal, state or local law or resolution,  relating  to
  slum   clearance,   slum  prevention  and  urban  renewal;  neighborhood
  conservation; prevention and rehabilitation  of  blighted,  substandard,
  deteriorated or insanitary areas, and publicly-aided and public housing,
  including  the  regulation of rents in housing built with state or local
  financing, except housing under the jurisdiction of the  New  York  city
  housing authority;
    4.  the  functions,  rights, powers and duties and the offices granted
  to, vested in or delegated to the housing and redevelopment  board,  the
  housing  and  development  administration  or  the  administrator of the
  housing and development administration;
    5. such powers, rights and duties vested in or exercised  by  the  New
  York  city  housing  authority as may be transferred to or vested in the
  city;
    6. the functions, powers and duties to: (a) establish  and  administer
  programs  designed  to  encourage the rehabilitation and preservation of
  existing housing;
    (b) administer laws authorizing tax exemption  or  tax  abatement,  or
  both,   including,   but   not   limited   to,  section  11-243  of  the
  administrative code of the city of New York  and  section  four  hundred
  twenty-one  of  the  real  property  tax  law,  which  are in aid of the
  construction, rehabilitation, alteration or improvement  of  residential
  buildings  and  structures and the elimination of substandard conditions
  therein, process applications for such exemption or abatement  or  both,
  and  coordinate  the  activities  of  officers  and agencies of the city
  relating thereto;
    (c) manage and superintend all real property acquired by the city for,
  or devoted to, housing or urban renewal purposes;
    (d) represent the city in carrying out the provisions of  the  private
  housing finance law including, but not limited to, article two (relating
  to   limited-profit   housing  companies),  article  five  (relating  to
  redevelopment companies), article eight, article eight-a, article eleven

  (relating to housing development fund companies)  and  article  fifteen,
  and  act  as  and  exercise  the powers, rights and duties vested in the
  "supervising agency" pursuant to the private housing finance law;
    (e)  represent  the  city  in  carrying  out the provisions of article
  fifteen of the general municipal law ("urban  renewal  law")  including,
  but  not  limited  to,  acquiring, leasing or disposing of real property
  pursuant to said law and establishing  the  disposition  price  of  real
  property in an urban renewal area;
    (f)  undertake projects and exercise the rights, powers and privileges
  authorized by sections fifty-five and fifty-five-a of the public housing
  law;
    (g) impose and collect charges and fees for the financing, regulation,
  supervision and audit of municipally-aided projects  and  loan  programs
  administered  by  the  commissioner, which charges and fees shall be set
  aside  in  a  special  account  for  administrative  expenses   of   the
  department;
    (h)  act  as the coordinating agency with respect to the activities of
  officers and agencies of the city concerning  areas  designated  by  the
  planning  commission  or any analogous officer or body, as districts for
  development or improvement of neighborhoods;
    (i) acquire  real  property,  pursuant  to  the  federal  housing  and
  community development act of nineteen hundred seventy-four, on behalf of
  other city agencies.
    (j)  sell,  lease,  exchange  or otherwise dispose of residential real
  property of the city, provided that no such  sale,  lease,  exchange  or
  other  disposition shall be authorized without the approval of the mayor
  and until a public hearing has been held with  respect  to  such  action
  after  the  publishing of notice in the City Record at least thirty days
  in advance of such hearing, and provided further that any disposition by
  public  auction  shall  be  conducted  by  the  department  of  citywide
  administrative services, except as otherwise provided by law;
    (k)  manage  and superintend all residential real property of the city
  not used for public purposes, including real  property  acquired  for  a
  public  purpose  and  not being currently utilized for such purpose, but
  not wharf property or other real property under the jurisdiction of  the
  New York city transit authority, real property under the jurisdiction of
  the  department  of  small business services, or real property under the
  jurisdiction of the New York city housing  authority  by  virtue  of  an
  authorization  granted  by  the  mayor  pursuant  to  the  provisions of
  subdivision three of section  one  hundred  twenty-five  of  the  public
  housing  law,  or real property under the jurisdiction of the triborough
  bridge and tunnel authority;
    (l) exercise such other powers and duties as may be prescribed by  law
  in  relation to the management, demolition or sealing or other treatment
  of residential real property of the city; and
    (m) employ professional,  community  and  other  personnel  to  manage
  residential real property of the city.