Democrat Zohran Mamdani, who has just been elected as New York City’s new Mayor, campaigned on an ambitious vision to make the city more affordable, equitable, and sustainable for working-class New Yorkers. From rent freezes to free childcare, Mamdani has outlined sweeping reforms aimed at transforming daily life in the world’s richest city.
Democrat Zohran Mamdani, who has just been elected as New York City’s new Mayor, campaigned on an ambitious vision to make the city more affordable, equitable, and sustainable for working-class New Yorkers. From rent freezes to free childcare, Mamdani has outlined sweeping reforms aimed at transforming daily life in the world’s richest city.
1. Freeze the Rent
A majority of New Yorkers are tenants, and more than two million of them live in rent stabilised apartments. Mamdani vowed to immediately freeze rents for all stabilised tenants, reversing the hikes imposed under the Adams administration. He aims to use every city resource to build more affordable homes and curb the housing crisis that has driven working families out of New York.
2. Fast, Fare-Free Buses
Public transit is central to Mamdani’s agenda. After piloting New York’s first fare-free bus routes, he now plans to permanently eliminate bus fares citywide and speed up service by expanding priority lanes, queue jump signals, and loading zones.
3. Department of Community Safety
To reimagine public safety, Mamdani will create a new Department of Community Safety that invests in mental health programs, crisis response, and violence prevention. The department will deploy outreach workers in subway stations, expand gun violence prevention programs, and increase funding for hate violence prevention by 800%.
4. No-Cost Childcare
Acknowledging childcare as one of the biggest financial burdens on families, Mamdani promised free, high-quality childcare for every New Yorker aged 6 weeks to 5 years. He also promised to raise wages for childcare workers to match those of public-school teachers.
5. City-Owned Grocery Stores
To combat rising food prices, Mamdani will establish city-owned grocery stores that prioritise affordability over profit. These stores will operate without rent or property taxes, buying and selling at wholesale prices to keep costs low for New Yorkers.
6. Housing by and for New York
Mamdani plans to triple the city’s production of permanently affordable, union-built, rent-stabilised housing - constructing 200,000 new units over the next decade. He also aims to fast-track 100% affordable developments and fully staff housing agencies to deliver results.
7. Cracking Down on Bad Landlords
Under Mamdani’s administration, negligent landlords will face strict enforcement. The city will coordinate all code enforcement, allow tenants to schedule inspections via 311, and in extreme cases, take over properties of consistently neglectful owners.
8. Raising the Minimum Wage to $30 by 2030
Mamdani has pledged to raise New York City’s minimum wage to $30 an hour by 2030, with automatic increases thereafter based on the cost of living and productivity. His goal: ensure that full-time work means economic security, not poverty.
9. Green Schools for a Healthier New York
As part of his climate and education agenda, Mamdani will renovate 500 schools with renewable energy infrastructure, transform 500 asphalt schoolyards into green spaces, create 15,000 union jobs, and build resilience hubs to protect communities during emergencies.
10. Taxing the Wealthy and Big Corporations
To fund his ambitious plans, Mamdani will raise the corporate tax rate to 11.5% - matching New Jersey. And he will tax the wealthiest 1% of New Yorkers - those earning above $1 million annually, a flat 2% tax (right now city income tax rates are essentially the same whether you make $50,000 or $50 million). He also plans to reform city procurement, increase tax auditing, and collect overdue fines from landlords.
Other Promises
Beyond these ten major commitments, Mamdani has also pledged to expand healthcare access, reject Medicare Advantage, and increase funding for NYC’s public hospitals. He plans to make New York an LGBTQIA+ sanctuary city, strengthen immigrant protections against ICE, and regulate exploitative delivery apps to protect gig workers. His broader climate agenda includes massive decarbonization efforts, flood protection, and opposition to utility rate hikes.
With his bold progressive platform, Zohran Mamdani promises to usher in a new era for New York City - one focused on fairness, affordability, and opportunity for all.
