This is how Mamdani wants to make New York an affordable city

WashingtonThe conquest Zohran Mamdani's candidacy for mayor of New York It rests on a series of promises tied to the lives of many city residents: increasingly suffocating rents, soaring public transportation fares, and a rising cost of living with stagnant wages. Starting January 1st, when he takes office, Mamdani will have to get to work making New York a more livable city for the middle and working classes.

Mamdani, with promises to freeze rents, provide free buses, and guarantee free healthcare for children, surpassed the 50% vote threshold in local elections with record-breaking turnout. More than two million votes cast, a figure that surpasses the memory of 2001The undeniable victory of an agenda further strengthened by the army of 100,000 volunteers who took the Democrat's campaign to every corner of the city.

Much of Mamdani's plans to address economic inequality rely on revenue collection through a tax increase on the wealthiest 1% of the city. Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul has already signaled her opposition to raising taxes to fund the socialist's campaign. Twelve years ago, Democrat Bill de Blasio won the mayoral election with a campaign similar to Mamdani's: it focused on addressing New York's economic and social inequalities. Many residents and members of the left placed their hopes and expectations in the newly elected mayor, but eight years later he left office, by then widely unpopular.

Freeze rents

At the polling stations, one of the reasons most cited by New Yorkers for voting for Mamdani It was the promise to freeze rents for everyone living in rent-stabilized apartments. There are nearly a million homes under this city program that limits annual rent increases. Mamdani wants to freeze current rents directly, but he can't do it alone. The program depends on the nine members of the Standards Council, who determine the maximum percentage by which landlords can raise rents each year when a lease is renewed. The mayor-elect will therefore need their support. Mamdani has already said he will appoint some of the new members to secure allies.

Mamdani has also promised to build new, more affordable buildings for residents. Among them are some 200,000 apartments that will also be protected by the rent-stabilized program. This is a long-term measure, and it will take time for New Yorkers to see the effects. The construction of new buildings is subject to lengthy approval processes involving local agencies and the city council. Even so, many of the measures also voted on Tuesday were aimed at accelerating the new construction plan by reducing the council's powers.

Buses and supermarkets

The other two measures that have proven quite controversial among Mamdani's opponents are free buses and the creation of municipally owned supermarkets. New Yorkers have already seen the price of train and bus fares rise, and in fact, another 10-cent increase is expected to take effect next year: from $2.90 to $3. Just commuting to and from work would already cost around $6.

"Today, in the richest city in the richest country in the history of the world, one in five New Yorkers cannot afford a bus ride," Mamdani said in the final campaign debate. He has also argued that free bus service would reduce travel times by 12% by eliminating fare lines, which would save commuters a total of 36 million hours each year.

The proposal for municipal markets involves opening establishments in city-owned premises that would not have to pay taxes or fees and, therefore, could sell food at lower prices. They would also be the recipients of the current checks that subsidize grocery shopping for the most disadvantaged families. His detractors have labeled him a communist for this idea, even though similar projects are being considered in other states, such as Illinois, Georgia, Kansas, and Wisconsin. In fact, municipally owned stores already exist in some cities.

Other challenges on the list of the first Muslim mayor in New York City history include fulfilling the promise to expand free schooling to all children between six weeks and five years old. Mamdani's campaign estimates that the program would cost $6 billion a year, while the city's total annual budget is $116 billion. A 5BORO Institute study estimated in 2024 that over 80% of families in the city cannot afford childcare.