In his first 100 days in office, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani took decisive action to confront New York City's housing crisis, protect tenants and hold negligent landlords accountable.
On his first day in office, Mamdani moved to strengthen tenant protections and accelerate affordable housing development, pairing long-term structural reforms with immediate relief for renters. Legal actions taken so far are already delivering improvements for residents in more than 6,000 apartments across the city.
"We are in a housing crisis, and New Yorkers cannot afford delay or half-measures," said Mayor Mamdani. "From day one, we've stood with tenants, taken on bad landlords, and started to move the machinery of government at the speed this moment demands. We're enforcing the law, building more housing and investing in the homes New Yorkers already live in - because safe, dignified and affordable housing is every New Yorker's right."
"In our first hundred days, we have delivered meaningful immediate relief for thousands of New Yorkers, while laying the groundwork for long-term success. We're protecting tenants, investing in affordable housing, and ensuring that every neighborhood is a part of the solution to the housing crisis - because New Yorkers deserve a city they can afford," said Leila Bozorg, Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning.
"In the Mamdani administration, the Mayor of New York is on tenants' side," said Cea Weaver, Director of the Mayor's Office to Protect Tenants. "In 100 days, we launched Rental Ripoff Hearings across the five boroughs and heard from thousands of New Yorkers about what we can do to be more responsive to their needs. We have already made clear that we will use every tool at our disposal to protect tenants, crack down on persistent bad landlords, and preserve affordable homes. We will continue working to ensure that every New Yorker has a safe and stable home."
Standing Up to Bad Landlords
On his first day in office, Mayor Mamdani signed Executive Order 3, revitalizing the Mayor's Office to Protect Tenants, and appointed longtime tenant leader Cea Weaver as director.
The administration has since taken a series of enforcement actions alongside tenants:
- Intervened in the bankruptcy case involving a portfolio of buildings owned by Pinnacle Group, securing a $30 million investment and a commitment to complete repairs within six months.
- Reached a $2.1 million settlement with A&E Real Estate to correct more than 4,000 violations across 14 buildings.
- Won a historic $2.1 court judgment against landlord Seth Miller under the city's Nuisance Abatement Law, with additional $1,000 daily penalties for ongoing violations.
- Conducted on-the-ground outreach to tenants in rent-stabilized apartment buildings in East Harlem to support organizing efforts and ensure tenants understand their rights.
The administration also held the city's first-ever Rental Ripoff hearings across the five boroughs, collecting more than 1,600 testimonies from tenants, connecting residents to legal and housing resources, and documenting patterns of landlord abuse.
Speeding Up Affordable Housing
Amid historically low vacancy rates and rising rents, Mayor Mamdani has moved to speed up housing production.
- Mamdani signed Executive Order 5, establishing the Streamlining Procedures to Expedite Equitable Development (SPEED) Task Force to cut delays across the housing pipeline, from environmental review through lease-up.
Additional actions include:
- Advocated for environmental review reform in Albany and advanced plans to reduce rezoning pre-certificate timelines from two years to under six months, contingent on state action.
- Created a library of preapproved plans for ancillary dwelling units (ADUs), allowing homeowners to move quickly to add housing.
- Proposed the first-ever Expedited Land Use Review Procedure to shorten approval timelines for an affordable housing project in the Bronx from seven months to 90 days.
- Advanced new rules to quickly and transparently implement the Affordable Housing Fast Track.
- Launched the Neighborhood Builders Fast Track program to accelerate affordable housing development on City-owned land, and selected the first three sites for affordable rentals and homeownership.
- Reactivating the long-stalled "Just Home" supportive housing project for low-income New Yorkers with complex medical needs.
Streamlining these processes will both increase housing supply and reduce costs.
Investing in Housing Quality and Affordability
The Mamdani administration has also announced new investments aimed at improving housing conditions and expanding affordability:
- Committed $38.4 million for a modern heating and cooling system at the Beach 41st Street Houses, serving 712 homes.
- Reopened applications for the Plus One ADU grant program, offering up to $395,000 and technical assistance to homeowners.
- Allocated $650 million in facade repairs to remove sheds at 40 NYCHA developments.
- Updated regulations to reduce unnecessary sheds on large housing campuses and extend inspection timelines for newer buildings.
- Launched the Back Home Unit within the Office of Housing Recovery Operations to help New Yorkers displaced by fires and other emergencies return home more quickly.
- Allocated an additional $662 million in the preliminary budget to repair and improve NYCHA properties.
