City officials estimated the changes would take effect within 60 days, though legal challenges are expected. A spokeswoman for the mayor's office said the administration was "prepared to defend the policy in court."

Economists who study the local market said the effects would be gradual. New construction typically takes three to five years to reach residents, and costs for labor and materials remain elevated.

In interviews on the street outside, residents described a mix of hope and fatigue. A teacher who has lived in the neighborhood for 19 years said she had stopped counting how many of her neighbors had moved away.

"I am not against change," she said. "I just want to know there will still be a place here for the people who made it worth living in."

The debate is likely to continue into the winter. Two further hearings are scheduled, and advocacy groups on both sides have promised to keep up pressure on the officials who will carry out the policy.

Data released by the department on Friday showed that complaints rose 12 percent compared with the same period last year, with heat and hot water among the most common problems.

Data released by the department on Friday showed that complaints rose 12 percent compared with the same period last year, with heat and hot water among the most common problems.

Experts said the broader outlook would depend on interest rates, which have kept many builders from breaking ground. Several projects approved in recent years remain stalled for lack of financing.

Still, some residents said they were cautiously optimistic. "Every long process starts somewhere," said a community organizer who attended the final vote. "This is not the end of it."

Commuters at the Atlantic Avenue station said they had grown used to delays but that this week felt different. "You plan for 20 minutes extra," one rider said. "Now it's 40."

A review of public records shows the agency had flagged the problem at least twice in the past three years, but repairs were repeatedly postponed for budget reasons.

At a bakery on the corner, the owner said business had slowed since the spring. She has cut her hours and now opens at 7 instead of 6.