New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is doubling down on two of his core campaign pledges: freezing rents for regulated apartments and preserving the city’s “sanctuary” immigration policies.
On Dec. 4, the self-described democratic socialist hosted a “Hot Chocolate, Frozen Rent” event in a Manhattan neighborhood home to thousands of rent-controlled tenants. After greeting residents and handing out hot chocolate, Mamdani reiterated his vow to freeze rents for roughly 2 million New Yorkers living in rent-controlled apartments, where rates are set by the government rather than the market.
As mayor, Mamdani will have sole authority to appoint the nine members of the powerful Rent Guidelines Board, which determines rent adjustments each year for rent-controlled units. Several members’ terms are due to expire, and having his hand-picked board members in place would, in theory, put Mamdani in a better position to advance his agenda….