Roxanne the Repair Bot

Roxanne is an AI-powered chatbot launched by Housing Court Answers (HCA) in collaboration with the legal tech company Josef and legal innovation strategist Sateesh Nori. Designed specifically for tenants in New York City, Roxanne offers general information about how to request repairs from landlords and navigate steps such as contacting 311 or filing an HP Action in Housing Court.

The chatbot draws exclusively from HCA’s trusted tenant information materials, not the broader internet. It is intended to help address one of the most common issues facing NYC renters—getting necessary repairs done in their apartments—by providing accessible guidance at any time, particularly outside HCA’s hotline hours.

Roxanne is meant to complement, not replace, HCA’s hotline service. The tool offers general, non-legal information and does not give personalized or case-specific advice. Its responses are grounded in publicly available guidance and have been reviewed by HCA staff and legal experts during development and testing.

Key Design Features

• Scope-limited: Roxanne is focused solely on repair-related questions (e.g., broken heat, windows, or other maintenance issues).
• RAG-style architecture: The chatbot uses retrieval from vetted HCA documents rather than open web content.
• Prompt transparency: Each response includes links to the HCA materials that informed the answer.
• Built-in constraints: When asked about unrelated or complex topics, Roxanne is designed to indicate it cannot answer and direct users to other resources.

Development and Deployment

• Partners: Housing Court Answers (content authority), Josef (AI infrastructure), Sateesh Nori (project design)
• Launch: January 2025
• Technology: Built with Josef’s no-code AI chatbot builder using information provided and verified by HCA
• Testing: Reviewed over six months by attorneys, technologists, and tenant advocates prior to launch

Use and Limitations

Roxanne is intended as a self-help information assistant, primarily for users who want to learn about:

• How to create a record of needed repairs
• What to say or send to landlords
• When and how to contact 311
• The process of filing a claim (HP Action) in Housing Court

The chatbot includes a prominent disclaimer explaining that:

• It does not offer legal advice
• Users are responsible for verifying information
• Complex housing issues should be directed to HCA's hotline or other legal support organizations

Access

Roxanne is available via the Housing Court Answers website.

HCA’s live hotline remains available Monday through Friday at 212-962-4795.

Evaluation and Monitoring

• Josef and HCA actively monitor Roxanne’s responses to address incorrect or inappropriate outputs
• The system is designed to err on the side of caution, often declining to answer when content falls outside its domain
• User feedback and ongoing review processes are in place to ensure system reliability and ethical use