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Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) has suggested that affluent New York City mayoral candidate Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani should vacate his rent-stabilized apartment, arguing that it could better serve someone in greater need.
In a message on X, Cuomo highlighted that Mamdani and his spouse are well-off, have hosted weddings across three continents, and collectively earn “well over $200,000.” He noted that despite Mamdani being a “wealthy person,” he and his wife rent an apartment in Astoria for $2,300 monthly, suggesting it “ought to house someone in need.”
Cuomo’s statement was accompanied by footage from a Democratic mayoral primary debate where Mamdani mentioned his $2,300 monthly rent for a one-bedroom in Astoria. During the debate, Cuomo, who is pursuing an independent bid for NYC mayor, disclosed that he paid $7,800.
“There was a moment last night in New York City where a single mother and her children sought refuge in a homeless shelter because you, Assemblyman @ZohranKMamdani, are taking up residence in her rent-controlled apartment,” Cuomo expressed. “You come from affluence and married into greater wealth. You have celebrated weddings on three continents and own property in Uganda, known for its anti-LGBTQIA+ stance. Your income is $142,000 annually plus additional stipends, with your wife also contributing, making your combined income quite possibly over $200,000. By all measures: Zohran Mamdani is indeed affluent. Your wealth is significant.”
“Still, you and your wife boast paying $2,300 each month for a desirable apartment in Astoria,” Cuomo elaborated. “This should be a home for someone in genuine need. Amidst an unprecedented affordability crisis, countless low-income New Yorkers are in dire need of such apartments. However, your space remains lodged with those who are wealthy and do not require it.”
“My appeal to you today is to vacate immediately and return your affordable housing to a homeless family in need,” Cuomo continued. “Leaders must embody moral responsibility. It’s time for you to depart.”
Cuomo’s comments came in response to another post sharing comments Mamdani made during an interview in February with The New York Editorial Board. During the interview, Mamdani confirmed that he lived in “rent-stabilized housing.”
When asked if he needed a rent freeze, Mamdani stated that if he was “able to put in a rent freeze,” he would not be living in a rent-stabilized apartment, but rather “on the Upper East Side, in a new apartment.”
“I think what we should be fighting for is the vast majority of people who are living in those apartments,” Mamdani stated during the interview. “If I was able to put in a rent freeze, I wouldn’t be in a rent-stabilized apartment. I would actually be on the Upper East Side, in a new apartment.”
Mamdani continued to explain when he moved into his apartment, he was earning $47,000 a year and “working as a foreclosure prevention housing counselor for Chhaya CDC in Richmond Hill and Jackson Heights,” adding that he had been searching for an apartment he “could afford” on his own.
“I found that in this apartment,” Mamdani continued:”I didn’t know it was rent-stabilized. I found it through StreetEasy. In that time since, I’ve become an Assembly member and I’m now able to pay for that apartment and able to also move out of that apartment and I plan on doing so. I don’t plan on living in that apartment for perpetuity.”
– News’s Paul Bois has previously reported that Mamdani is the “son of acclaimed Indian-American director Mira Nair” and that he “grew up around privilege.”
The son of acclaimed Indian-American director Mira Nair (Salaam Bombay, Monsoon Wedding), Mamdani grew up around privilege and has gone to great lengths to hide it. In some instances, Mamdani has employed fake accents depending on the group of people he’s addressing.
City and State New York reported in April 2023, that Mamdani, whose father is Mahmood Mamdani, “a prominent Marxist scholar at Columbia University” spent “part of his childhood” on movie sets.
– News previously reported that while Mamdani eloped with illustrator Rama Duwaji in February, they “traveled to Uganda for the celebration at Mamdani’s family’s private compound.”
