Attorney specialized in housing matters hired by City of Rochester

Michael A. Furlano was recently hired by the City of Rochester’s Law Department to assist with housing quality and code enforcement.

Furlano started in his new role at the beginning of September. His employment was a direct response to the suggestions made by the Mayor’s Housing Quality Task Force.

“Negligent landlords need to know we mean business when we see violations that affect the quality of life of the people who live here. I am grateful for the work of the Housing Quality Task Force in offering actionable steps we can take to make a difference on the issue of safe and code-compliant housing for our residents,” said Mayor Malik D. Evans.

When property owners refuse to comply, Furlano will help the code enforcement officers who work for the Municipal Code Violations Bureau. He will also pursue more cases before the City Court and the State Supreme Court, including requesting contempt orders. In addition to this, he will provide assistance to the Neighborhood Service Centers in their fight against the “worst of the worst,” and he will collaborate with groups such as the Empire Justice Center, JustCause, the Legal Aid Society, and LawNY in order to coordinate the actions being taken. In the end, he will be doing research and making connections with other local governments in order to assist the city in determining the most effective methods for enhancing the housing stock.

The most recent position that Furlano held in the field of housing law was that of senior housing attorney at the Empire Justice Center. Prior to that, he served as Tenant Advocacy Coordinating Attorney and Staff Attorney at the Legal Aid Society. Furlano has extensive experience in the field of housing law.

“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to add an attorney with Mike’s housing experience to our team. He can hit the ground running in this new role, which was added to the Law Department as part of the 2022-23 budget, and as a recommendation of the Housing Quality Task Force,” said Corporation Counsel Linda Kingsley.

“Just as my department has aggressively pursued businesses that have negatively impacted the quality of life of city residents, this position will allow us to do the same to ensure that property owners provide legal and code-compliant housing in this city.”