New York City stands at a pivotal moment. The city continues to grapple with the cost of living, housing insecurity, a strained public education system, and an affordability crisis that threatens everyday working people. But, with just one week until the November general election, New Yorkers face a critical choice in selecting their next mayor — a decision that will determine not only the city’s direction but also its posture toward a turbulent and hostile national landscape.
President Donald Trump has made no secret of his hostility toward ‘big, liberal Democratic’ cities that stand in opposition to him, vowing to punish and deprive them of federal support, including New York City. His words carry a threat, but make no mistake: this is no time to bow down and acquiesce to Trump’s fascist administration, something that some candidates, namely disgraced former Governor Andrew Cuomo, have suggested doing after he privately sought his support, according to a Politico report.
But after an intense June Democratic primary with nearly a dozen candidates crisscrossing the city and pitching their ideas and plans to move the city forward for the next four years, Zohran Mamdani was the clear, yet unexpected, favorite, resonating with an incredibly diverse set of New Yorkers that crossed racial, social, economic, and geographic boundaries. Mamdani, in a stunning upset, led the establishment-backed Cuomo by nearly 13 points in the primary election.
So what are the policies that Mamdani is proposing, and why does he appeal to so many New Yorkers? Mamdani is running on a platform that centers on four key ideas: freezing the rent for rent-stabilized tenants, delivering free universal childcare, making buses fast and free, and creating a network of city-owned grocery stores to lower the cost of groceries.
- Freezing and Reducing Rent for New Yorkers
New York’s strong Mayoral-Council system of governance means that the Mayor has enormous power and influence over setting rent increases for nearly one million rent stabilized apartments across the city. Mamdani would be able to appoint members to the Rent Guidelines Board who better reflect the needs of New Yorkers and address the increasingly arduous rent that has threatened the stability of New Yorkers.
But, freezing the rent isn’t a new idea. Under former Mayor Bill de Blasio, the board voted to freeze the rent three times in 2015, 2016, and 2020. It’s been done before and it could be done again. It’s the right thing to do after four consecutive years of rent increases under the governance of outgoing Mayor Eric Adams. Under the Adams administration, the rent for rent stabilized tenants — who have a median household income of $60,000 — has increased by 12.6 percent. This staggering increase has forced New Yorkers to spend even more on housing — but the mayor can change that. With Mamdani at the helm, rent-stabilized New Yorkers can be assured that their rents will be the same as the previous year and live with dignity and remain stable in their homes.
- Delivering Free Universal Childcare
Aside from the rising cost of rent, New Yorkers are being strained by the inexorably expensive costs of childcare in the city. So much so that it is one of the most costly expenses New York families face every year, with 27 percent of their income spent to cover childcare costs for just one child.
As Mayor, Mamdani will push the city and state to establish a universal childcare program so all families can be relieved of the burden of not only having to find a childcare provider, but to afford one too. The costs of delivering such a program are well worth it: families would have more money in their pockets, parents won’t have to cut or miss work, children would be able to learn valuable skills, and the economy would grow. We need to be a city that supports both new and existing families, and while we have made significant strides in that effort by establishing universal pre-kindergarten under de Blasio, we can do more to alleviate the stress and costs associated with raising children in New York.
- Making Buses Fast and Free
Beyond that, Mamdani has pushed to enact fare-free buses across the city and, along with it, faster and more reliable service. The idea is simple: to alleviate the costs of moving around the city and to bring people into the city’s transportation system, the city and state could eliminate fares on buses. This move would save people time and money and reduce reliance on cars, by extension alleviating traffic congestion on the streets. As a state assemblymember, Mamdani was able to win a pilot program that emulated this very idea.
The pilot program launched with five fare-free bus services, each borough getting one bus line. The results were a resounding success. Ridership increased, assaults on bus drivers declined, riders saved money, and people reduced their use and reliance on taxis and cars, which simultaneously reduced congestion and carbon emissions. Now imagine this on a larger scale: New Yorkers would be able to do so much more with their time and money by being able to get around cost-effectively and efficiently, especially in communities in the outer boroughs, which rely on buses to commute.
These ideas are often met with pushback and skepticism, and with good reason. Can Mayor Mamdani deliver on his promises? Yes, but he won’t be able to do it alone.
There’s no doubt that the system is broken, we all feel it. The cost of living crisis has reached a breaking point for many, pushing us out of our homes or struggling to get by. For too long, city hall has failed to deliver on the needs of working people. The cynics will continue to fear, cast doubt, and tell us that all of these ideas aren’t possible. But New York will not change until we make a different choice. We deserve a city that listens to us and centers on the idea that we can all be able to live a dignified life. We can finally have a city government that can actually make our lives better, and that is why Zohran Mamdani is best equipped to lead this city.
The Zeitgeist aims to publish ideas worth discussing. The views presented are solely those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial board.
