Days After Cuomo Released AI-Generated Housing Plan, Mayoral Candidates and Tenants Call Cuomo “Your Landlord’s Favorite Candidate”
Full Brief on Cuomo’s Housing Record Available Here.
Photos and Videos Available Here. Livestream Link Available Here.
NEW YORK – On Friday, mayoral candidates Adrienne Adams, Brad Lander, Zohran Mamdani, and Zellnor Myrie joined tenants for a press conference hosted by the NYS Tenant Bloc and the New York Working Families Party on how Andrew Cuomo failed New York tenants during his time in office.
“Andrew Cuomo is your landlord’s favorite candidate. As Governor he raised our rent – and as Mayor he’ll do it again to help his real estate cronies get rich. We can’t trust Cuomo to fix the housing crisis he created. His plan to clean up the mess he made is a lazy copy-paste job from ChatGPT. Cuomo can keep courting landlords, but tenants are the majority in New York City. NYC’s next mayor can’t win without the tenant vote,” said Cea Weaver, director of the NYS Tenant Bloc.
“New Yorkers are still recovering from Andrew Cuomo’s bad deals. We’re paying the price for his massive tax breaks for corporations and we’re paying the price for the housing crisis that exploded under his leadership,” said Ana Maria Archila and Jasmine Gripper, Co-Directors of the New York Working Families Party. “New Yorkers have already suffered through one scandal-plagued mayor. The last thing we need is another one. Today, NYWFP is proud to stand alongside our slate of endorsed candidates — Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, Comptroller Brad Lander, Senator Zellnor Myrie, and Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani — who are committed to solving the housing crisis and standing up for working families.”
Cuomo’s record shows he will always put real estate interests ahead of tenants and New Yorkers will pay the price. Cuomo received $12.3 million from real estate between 2010 and 2018. Since announcing his run, a super PAC tied to Cuomo’s campaign has received $2.3 million in donations from donors affiliated with real estate as well as major developers. Earlier this week, it was also revealed that billionaire and Trump-supporter Bill Ackman donated $250,000 to Cuomo’s PAC.
While Cuomo was in office, rents went up 33% across the state and homelessness increased 50% in New York City. For 10 years in office, Cuomo repeatedly blocked tenant protections and cut homelessness programs while rewarding his real estate donors with massive tax breaks. For a deeper look at Cuomo’s abysmal housing record, the NYS Tenant Bloc’s dossier is available here.
On Saturday, Cuomo released a housing plan that included typo-ridden passages drafted by ChatGPT – showing that he cares so little about addressing New York’s housing crisis that he’s outsourcing housing policy to artificial intelligence. Cuomo also called gentrification “great” in an interview with Politico this past week.
At a time when one in four New Yorkers cannot afford essentials like housing and groceries, the cost of housing is a top priority for voters. Nearly 70% of New York City residents rent their homes and tenants will play a significant role in deciding who is elected to be the next mayor.
“Andrew Cuomo says he wants to fix New York City—but last time he had power, he fixed things so his special interest donors came out ahead and the rest of us got left behind,” said NYC Council Speaker Adrienne Adams. “Thousands of New Yorkers went from living in homes to shelters because of his decisions, and we’re still paying the price. The City Council has been trying to clean up the mess he made. We passed laws to create 120,000 new homes, to better use housing vouchers that help New Yorkers avoid and leave homelessness, and launch NYC’s first guaranteed income program, but there’s more to do. Cuomo is running to get back the power he lost. I’m running to put people first.”
“Andrew Cuomo is in this for himself, to line the pockets of his wealthy real estate donors and for personal vengeance,” said New York City Comptroller Brad Lander. “I’m in this to fight for working New Yorkers, especially our renters who are being crushed by unaffordable rent prices.”
“Over 90% of New Yorkers are calling for more affordable housing, yet Andrew Cuomo is phoning in his housing platform with AI, hiding from the public in his luxury apartment, and quietly collecting more than $2 million from real estate moguls,” said Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani. “Our city can’t afford a mayor who is this deeply out-of-touch with the needs of working people — we’re already seeing our families flee in droves.”
“Andrew Cuomo contributed more to New York’s housing crisis than any other politician in modern history,” said State Senator Zellnor Myrie. “Black New Yorkers bore the brunt of his failed leadership. While New York City has become a paradise for Cuomo’s Trump-aligned billionaire donors, Black New Yorkers’ housing costs grew 80%. This is Cuomo’s crisis. We can’t trust him to fix it.”
Additional participating organizations included United Auto Workers Region 9A, CAAAV Voice, Churches United for Fair Housing Action, Committee of Interns and Residents, SEIU, Jews For Racial & Economic Justice, Make the Road Action, Met Council on Housing Action, New York Communities for Change, and VOCAL Action Fund.
“The vast majority of the 20,000 UAW members in New York City are renters. This means, whatever gains we win at the bargaining table on wages can be wiped out by uncontrollable rising rents. During Andrew Cuomo’s 11 years as Governor, the average price to buy a home in NYC rose by 77%. Cuomo did nothing about this and millions of New Yorkers had their shot at the American Dream wiped out. We stand with the renters today saying there is a better path for the working class than returning to Cuomo’s failed leadership,” said Brandon Mancilla, UAW Region 9A Director.
“In 2011 and 2015, Andrew Cuomo deregulated tens of thousands of rent stabilized units. This threatened the future of working class people and whether we could live stable and peaceful lives in our homes in NYC. The landlords in our neighborhood, emboldened by Cuomo, escalated eviction and harassment of rent-stabilized tenants. It has taken incredible determination and ferocity to fight them off. Everyone must ensure Andrew Cuomo does not become the Mayor of NYC. CAAAV Voice has endorsed Zohran Mamdani, who has committed to a four-year citywide rent freeze. More than ever, we need a rent freeze mayor of New York City,” said Deyu Yang, Chinatown tenant leader with CAAAV Voice.
“Most New Yorkers, no matter where we came from or when we got here, are struggling to afford rent and access housing so we can build a future in the city we love,” said Alicia Singham Goodwin, Political Director at Jews For Racial & Economic Justice (JFREJ). “We desperately need real leadership to fight back against corporate greed and create a city full of homes that are permanently affordable, controlled by residents, green, well-built, and beautiful. Andrew Cuomo has never and will never offer that leadership: Over the course of his entire career as governor, he actively prevented progress on affordable housing and homelessness prevention in New York State. All he has now are half-baked plans, a lot of cruel bluster, and a loyalty to his real estate donors.”
“While Andrew Cuomo was governor, NYC lost hundreds of thousands of affordable rent stabilized apartments due to his collusion with the Republican state senate and renegade Democrats who worked with them to delay closing the many loopholes in the law, all the while collecting tens of millions of dollars in real estate contributions. Tenants have neither forgotten nor forgiven Cuomo for that,” said Kenny Schaeffer, Met Council Action board Co-Chair.
“Homelessness and extreme rent increases are long-term crises that too many New Yorkers have faced for years,” said Maria Cortes, member of Make the Road Action. “During his time as Governor, Andrew Cuomo repeatedly put the wants of billionaire real estate corporations over the needs of millions of New Yorkers, decimating affordable housing and suppressing tenant protections. Now more than ever, our communities need transformative policies and investments, including rent-stabilized apartments for the most vulnerable. Andrew Cuomo did not fulfill this as Governor, and he won’t as Mayor either. New Yorkers cannot continue to struggle to pay rent while the Mayor protects and provides handouts to the ultra wealthy.”
