Overview
- On Tuesday, Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani met privately in Hudson Square with real estate and finance figures to accelerate affordable housing placements, citing an average 252 days to fill a unit.
- The session was organized by Kathy Wylde with participation from Steven Fulop and Emma Pfohman, and included attendees such as Tishman Speyer CEO Rob Speyer and former Blackstone president Hamilton James.
- Mamdani restated his opposition to police-led encampment sweeps and emphasized a housing-first approach, including making shelters safer and moving people into permanent apartments.
- Gov. Kathy Hochul favors a combined strategy that includes enforcement and connections to supportive housing and services, while outgoing Mayor Eric Adams called allowing outdoor encampments in cold weather inhumane.
- Pressed on immediate quality-of-life enforcement, Mamdani offered few operational specifics, as reporting noted the current sweeps have not led to documented permanent housing placements in over a year.