NYC Mayor Mamdani Makes First Official Act Shortly After Inauguration

New York City’s newly sworn-in mayor wasted no time signaling a sharp ideological shift in City Hall.

Zohran Mamdani, who was sworn in at midnight and again publicly several hours later, spent his first full day in office Thursday issuing a series of executive orders squarely targeting landlords and reshaping housing policy. The new mayor also announced what he described as “precedent-setting action” to intervene in a private bankruptcy case involving dozens of residential buildings across the city.

“Today is the start of a new era for New York City,” Mamdani declared. “It is inauguration day. It is also the day that the rent is due.”

Speaking from an apartment building in Brooklyn, Mamdani framed his initial actions as an early test of whether city government would aggressively confront landlords over housing conditions and insert itself into ongoing legal proceedings that could determine whether tenants remain in their homes.

According to the mayor, many New Yorkers who attended his inauguration returned to apartments plagued by unresolved maintenance issues, rising rents, infestations, and inadequate heat. Mamdani said his administration “will not wait to deliver action” and “will stand up on behalf of the tenants of this city.”

During the news conference, Mamdani announced three housing-related executive orders, beginning with the revival of the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants. The office will focus on handling tenant complaints and enforcing compliance among landlords accused of failing to address unsafe living conditions, Fox News reported.

“We will make sure that 311 violations are resolved,” Mamdani said, adding that the city will hold what he called “slumlords” accountable for “hazardous and dangerous threats” to tenant well-being.

His second executive order establishes a “LIFT” task force — a land-inventory initiative designed to use city-owned property to accelerate housing development. Mamdani said the task force will review municipal land holdings and identify sites suitable for housing construction by July 1.

The third order creates a “SPEED” task force, short for “Streamlining Procedures to Expedite Equitable Development.” According to Mamdani, the group will focus on cutting through permitting and regulatory barriers that delay housing projects.

Both task forces will be overseen by Lila Joseph, the city’s deputy mayor for housing and planning, Fox News reported.

“These are sweeping measures, but it is just the beginning of a comprehensive effort to champion the cause of tenants” over landlord concerns, Mamdani said.

Earlier Thursday, Mamdani also signed Executive Order No. 1, rescinding all mayoral executive orders issued by former Mayor Eric Adams on or after Sept. 26, 2024, unless explicitly reissued by the new administration.

He followed that by signing a second executive order formally establishing the structure of his administration, appointing five deputy mayors and defining their areas of responsibility.

The mayor announced the housing actions at 85 Clarkson Ave., a rent-stabilized apartment building in Brooklyn that he said is owned by Pinnacle Realty. Mamdani claimed tenants there have reported problems including inadequate heat and pest infestations.

According to Mamdani, the building is one of 93 properties tied to the same landlord, all of which are currently involved in bankruptcy proceedings. He said the properties are slated for auction to another landlord whom he claimed ranks sixth on New York City’s list of worst landlords.

Mamdani further alleged that the buildings collectively account for more than 5,000 open hazardous violations and roughly 14,000 tenant complaints, citing city records referenced by his administration, Fox News reported.

“This is an untenable situation,” Mamdani said. “So today we are announcing that we will be taking action in the bankruptcy case and stepping in to represent the interests of the city and the interests of the tenants.”

He said he has instructed his nominee for corporation counsel, Steve Banks, to pursue what he called “precedent-setting action” in the case.

“We are a creditor and interested party,” Mamdani said, adding that New York City is owed money and will fight for “safe and habitable homes” while working to “mitigate the significant risk of displacement” facing some tenants.

The sweeping announcements mark an aggressive start for Mamdani’s administration — one that signals a willingness to expand government intervention into private housing markets and legal proceedings, setting the stage for major clashes between City Hall, property owners, and the courts.