A piece of legislation designed to protect tenants in Brooklyn and the rest of the city will go into effect Tuesday.

The Safe Housing Act strengthens housing code enforcement in the five boroughs. Supporters of the legislation hope it will help guarantee safe and healthy living standards to residents living in the city's worst buildings.

The act, which was passed unanimously, will allow city representatives to identify buildings with the most housing violations. If improvements are not made, the city will provide repairs to the entire building at the cost of the landlord.

Advocates of the plan say the biggest challenge they now face is educating residents to be aware of their options and rights.

"The problem for our tenants is that many aren't making complaints because they don't know the service is available," says Ericka Stallings, of the New York Immigration Coalition.