Mayor Zohran Mamdani has opted to kick off his mayoralty with a grandiose housing initiative that . . . shows no sign of solving anything.<\/p>\n
The plan is for a citywide \u201cRental Ripoff\u201d tour<\/a>, exposing buildings and apartments in awful shape and their owners\u2019 \u201cunconscionable business practices.\u201d<\/p>\n Yet what\u2019s the point of this sideshow? Everyone knows the city has some bad buildings run by neglectful landlords; how does a spotlight change the situation? <\/p>\n Mamdani campaigned on freezing the rent<\/a> and building 200,000 units of \u201caffordable housing,\u201d<\/a> not on staging small-ball multi-borough dog-and-pony shows to give the new mayor a chance to preen.<\/p>\n \u201cNaming and shaming\u201d slumlords is a perennial topic; we do it <\/a>and the public advocate releases a yearly \u201cWorst Landlord Watchlist.\u201d<\/a> <\/p>\n But actual large-scale improvement remains a matter of supply and demand \u2014 and facing the baneful impact of city and state overregulation.<\/p>\n \t\t\tMore From\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPost Editorial Board<\/p>\n Fact is, Mamdani \u201cfreeze the rent\u201d drive is certain to worsen conditions in rent-stabilized units, since it\u2019ll force landlords to defer maintenance when building incomes stay flat while costs rise for labor, energy, insurance and so on. <\/p>\n His new \u201ctenant advocate,\u201d Cea Weaver, is on the record welcoming that crisis<\/a> because it can prepare the ground for the city to collectivize most housing \u2014 something the mayor\u2019s bid to demonize landlords would surely help.<\/p>\n Yet, for all Mamdani blames predatory landlords for \u201cripping off\u201d renters, the condition of the city\u2019s own housing stock<\/a> is as disgusting, if not worse.<\/p>\n Half of the New York City Housing Authority\u2019s 180,000 units have mold, and almost all of those are \u201cLarge Mold Growths,\u201d per the federal monitor overseeing NYCHA.<\/p>\n If the mayor is serious about making the city more affordable, he\u2019ll have to get busy removing the restraints on expanding the supply of housing. <\/p>\n \u201cAffordability\u201d mandates, decarbonization requirements,<\/a> outdated zoning and environmental-review laws all serve to discourage development.<\/p>\n