Today, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and Tascha Van Auken, Commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Mass Engagement, announced the launch of Organize NYC, a long-term initiative to bring mass public participation into the work of governing.
The effort begins with a campaign focused on upcoming Rent Guidelines Board (RGB) hearings. Volunteers will canvass across the city to encourage tenants and landlords to testify ahead of the Board's June vote, which will determine whether rents increase or remain the same for more than 2 million New Yorkers. The RGB considers public testimony as part of its decision-making process.
Organize NYC will begin canvassing in early May in:
- Concourse, the Bronx
- Jackson Heights, Queens
- Northern Washington Heights, Manhattan
- East Village, Manhattan
- Flatbush, Brooklyn
New Yorkers can sign up to canvass at: organize.nyc.gov .
Organize NYC will not advocate for any specific outcome in the RGB vote or guide what participants say if they choose to testify. Instead, the campaign focuses on ensuring more New Yorkers can take part in decisions that directly impact their lives.
"This movement was never about a single election or a single administration. It's about building lasting power for working-class New Yorkers," said Mayor Mamdani. "This June, the Rent Guidelines Board will make a decision that affects more than 2 million people. But first, they will hear from us. Organize NYC will mobilize New Yorkers to make sure they know they have a voice in that decision - and how to use it - because government only works when it answers to the people it serves."
"Too often, people don't know about the opportunities they have to make their voices heard - or they don't know how to take part. Organize NYC is about changing that by breaking down barriers and cutting through the complexity that has kept New Yorkers at arm's length from the decisions that shape their lives," said Tascha Van Auken, Commissioner for the Mayor's Office of Mass Engagement. "The movement that brought us here showed what's possible when people come together - and that same spirit continues to guide this work today."
"When New Yorkers organize, services come faster, buildings are safer, housing policy becomes fairer and enforcement is stronger. Whether it's a meeting in your lobby or testimony at City Hall, Organize NYC will bring everyday New Yorkers into the work of governing and keep this administration connected to what is happening on the ground,' working people," said Cea Weaver, Director, Mayor's Office to Protect Tenants.
Last year, about 400 people testified at RGB hearings, even though the RGB's decisions affect more than 2 million New Yorkers. Organize NYC aims to close that gap by growing awareness and participation citywide.
Upcoming Rent Guidelines Board hearings:
- Queens: Thursday, June 4, 5 p.m., Jamaica Performing Arts Center Auditorium; 153-10 Jamaica Avenue, Jamaica, NY 11432
- Bronx: Monday, June 8, 5 p.m., Main Theatre of Hostos Community College; 450 Grand Concourse, Bronx, NY 10451
- Brooklyn: Thursday, June 11, 7 p.m., The Theater at City Tech, NYC College of Technology; 275 Jay Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
- Manhattan: Tuesday, June 16, 5 p.m., Symphony Space; 2537 Broadway & 95th Street, New York, NY 10025
The Mayor's Office of Mass Engagement will also host an NYC 101 training to break down the affordability crisis, explain how city government works and connect New Yorkers with ways to get involved.
Sign up at organize.nyc.gov .
