In a bold move to address New York City’s ongoing housing crisis, Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic primary candidate for mayor, has called for a freeze on rent for all rent-stabilized apartments in the city.
Mamdani argues that the soaring rent prices, coupled with increasing eviction cases and homelessness, threaten the very fabric of New York City.
With homelessness at its highest level since the Great Depression, nearly a quarter of rent-stabilized tenants were reportedly behind on rent last year.
Statistics show that the city’s rental vacancy rate sits at a mere 1.4 percent, which further exacerbates the struggles of renters.
Mamdani cites alarming data including that 54 percent of New Yorkers have considered leaving the city due to housing costs—a sign of how rising rents affect everyone, not just a few unlucky renters.
The candidate contrasts his plan with that of Governor Andrew Cuomo, who he accuses of being aligned with real estate donors, noting that rental prices rose by 52 percent during Cuomo’s governorship.
Mamdani positions himself as a candidate who understands the urgency of the housing crisis and would respond accordingly by freezing rents and investing in affordable housing initiatives.
“We cannot afford to let projects languish in endless review,” said Mamdani.
He proposes a ‘kitchen sink approach’ that would allow the public sector to build hundreds of thousands of affordable, rent-stabilized apartments, fast-track private developments meeting a set of criteria, and overhaul enforcement systems to target negligent landlords.
Mamdani emphasizes that immediate action is essential, pointing out that freezing rents would save the city’s 2.4 million rent-stabilized tenants nearly $7 billion over four years.
“Keeping families in their homes creates stability for communities and reinvests money into our local economy,
image source from：https://citylimits.org/opinion-vote-for-a-mayor-who-will-freeze-the-rent/
