Newly sworn-in New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani moved quickly to address the city’s housing crisis, signing a series of executive orders on his first day in office aimed at strengthening tenant protections and accelerating housing development across the five boroughs.
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The most immediate action revives the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants, restoring it as a central coordinating agency tasked with defending renters’ rights, confronting negligent landlords, and ensuring city agencies respond swiftly to unsafe or illegal housing conditions. The office will be led by Cea Weaver, currently executive director of Housing Justice for All and the New York State Tenant Bloc, who was appointed executive director.
“Today, on the first day of this new administration, on the day where so many rent payments are due, we will not wait to deliver action. We will stand up on behalf of the tenants of this city,” said Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Two additional executive orders establish task forces designed to remove barriers that have slowed housing production and increased costs. The LIFT (Land Inventory Fast Track) task force will focus on identifying city-owned land suitable for housing development, while the SPEED (Streamlining Procedures to Expedite Equitable Development) task force will work to eliminate bureaucratic and permitting obstacles that delay construction. Both initiatives will be overseen by the deputy mayor for housing and planning.
The announcement was made during a press conference at 85 Clarkson Avenue in Brooklyn, a rent-stabilized building where residents have threatened a rent strike. The building is owned by Pinnacle Realty and is one of more than 90 properties currently in bankruptcy proceedings that are expected to be auctioned. Mamdani noted that the potential new owner ranks among the city’s worst landlords.
He said the city will intervene in the bankruptcy case to protect tenants and municipal interests. “The city of New York has not lacked for tools or tactics. The city of New York has lacked for intent,” he said while discussing legal action involving Pinnacle.
Mamdani has directed Steve Banks, newly appointed as corporation counsel, to pursue those actions.
Beyond housing, the mayor signed two additional executive orders shortly after taking office. One revokes all executive orders issued after September 26, 2024, the day former Mayor Eric Adams was indicted. Mamdani said, “that was a date that marked a moment when many New Yorkers decided politics held nothing for them.”
Another order restructures City Hall leadership by establishing five deputy mayors, fewer than under the previous administration.
“Today marks the first step in building an administration that works for all New Yorkers,” Mamdani said. “We've established the foundations of it, and now it's time to deliver on our affordability agenda, tackle the challenges facing New Yorkers, and usher in a new era for New York City - one that proves that government can deliver for working people.”
When asked about the future direction of the Rent Guidelines Board, Mamdani said, “I continue to be confident that the Rent Guidelines Board will assess the landscape of tenants for rent-stabilized units across this city and find they're in dire need of relief.”
The mayor also confirmed that the recently established Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism will remain in place under his administration.
Taken together, the executive actions signal an aggressive early push by the Mamdani administration to reorient city policy around housing affordability, tenant protections, and streamlined development—key priorities as New York continues to face rising rents, aging buildings, and a persistent housing shortage.
Originally reported by Anthony Carlo in ABC 7 NY.
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