The mayoral candidate has promised to freeze rent for close to a million New Yorkers. Could he actually do it?
New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is running on a platform that includes freezing rent for all tenants in rent-stabilized housing. But how possible is it for him to keep this promise?
In a piece in The City, Rachel Holliday Smith outlines the legal hurdles to Mamdani’s proposal, and how he could actually pull it off.
According to Smith, rent for rent-stabilized units, which make up close to 1 million of the city’s homes, is regulated by the Rent Guidelines Board. “The RGB dates back to the days of Mayor John Lindsay when it came into being to independently evaluate rent regulation. Every single member is appointed by the mayor.” Because of the board’s staggered terms, Mamdani couldn’t effectively replace them until the end of 2026.
There are two possible scenarios: if Mamdani wins and Eric Adams decides not to appoint new board members, Mamdani could get his pick of board members, who would be likely to support his position, before 2026. If Adams appoints new board members, they would serve until the end of 2026 and be unlikely to vote for a rent freeze.
Read the full story: Can Zohran Mamdani Really Freeze NYC’s Rent?
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