Zohran Mamdani used his first day as Mayor of New York City to begin implementing parts of his campaign agenda on rental housing.
The New York Times reports Mamdani made his first visit as the newly inaugurated mayor to a rent-stabilized building in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn where some residents stopped paying rent due to the building’s dilapidated state. Mamdani announced three executive orders, one designed to strengthen the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants and two to create task forces designed to speed housing construction.
“We know we are fighting for a rent freeze, but that is not the extent of our efforts,” said Mamdani, who made rent freezes a central focus of his election campaign. “We will also stand up for tenants, build new housing and get New Yorkers into housing faster.”
Mamdani, a Democratic socialist, also signed an executive order revoking all orders issued by former Mayor Eric Adams following his indictment in September 2024 on federal corruption charges. Adams stated the indictment followed his break with the Biden administration over its immigration policies, and the charges were dismissed after the Trump administration took office. However, Mamdani insinuated Adams betrayed city residents.
“That was a date that marked a moment when many New Yorkers decided politics held nothing for them,” Mamdani said.
As for his much-promised rent freeze – an action that the mayor does not have the power to unilaterally enforce, Mamdani stated, “I continue to be confident that the Rent Guidelines Board will assess the landscape of tenants for rent-stabilized units across this city and find they’re in dire need of relief.”
Photo: Bingjiefu He / Wikimedia Commons
