Winning with over 565,000 votes, Mamdani took the New York mayoral election by storm with his ambitious plans and focus on making NYC affordable for all. It has been just two weeks since Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as mayor. What has he been able to accomplish in that time?
Mamdani wasted no time after being sworn in on January 1, 2026. He immediately got to work on addressing the first thing on his agenda: housing. “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,” Mamdani declared. He started by re-establishing the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants, appointing Cea Weaver to head the office. Weaver previously ran the nonprofit Housing for All and was instrumental in the fight to pass the 2019 Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act.
Later that same day, Mamdani signed 2 executive orders aimed at bringing NYC into compliance with “the Board of Corrections’ Minimum Standards and city shelter laws”. Mamdani ordered plans to address legal obligations on Rikers, including ending solitary confinement, and plans to address cooking facilities and capacity limitations in NYC shelters, to be prepared in the next 45 days.
The following Sunday, January 4, Mayor Mamdani announced that over the next three months, a series of public hearings would be held where renters from across the 5 boroughs would be encouraged to share their feedback related to the housing projects. These “Rental Ripoff” hearings will be led by the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development, with the assistance of several other agencies.
On January 10, Mamdani and Governor Kathy Hochul presented their plan to address one of Mamdani’s key campaign promises: universal childcare. Their plan, 2-Care, not only aims to provide free childcare for children for 2-year-olds, but also ensures that childcare providers are paid fairly. Mamdani also emphasized that these (and future) plans would also apply to children living in city shelters and those with disabilities.
What’s next on Mayor Mamdani’s to-do list? Mamdani remains committed to his affordability-focused proposals. He has pledged to construct “200,000 new rent-stabilized homes” in the next 10 years. He has also shared ideas for a “network of city-owned grocery stores focused on keeping prices low, not making a profit” to combat rising prices and food insecurity. Mamdani also remains dedicated to his goal of making bus fare free and increasing the minimum wage.
