Andrew Cuomo supports ‘Zohran’s Law’ after Mamdani, who comes from privilege, holds on to a rent-stabilized apartment

Cuomo Proposes “Zoran’s Law” Targeting Rent-Stabilized Housing

In a recent move, mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo has put forth a proposal dubbed “Zoran’s Law.” The aim? To prevent privileged individuals, like his opponent Zoran Mamdani, from occupying rent-stabilized apartments.

Mamdani, 33, draws an annual salary of $142,000 as a state legislator. He resides in a one-bedroom apartment in Astoria that costs $2,300, supported by a wealthy family—his mother is a filmmaker and his father is a professor.

In a post over the weekend, Cuomo stated, “I call the law ‘Zoran’s Law.’ This is clearly a system abuse. We are not intended to provide rent-stabilized apartments to billionaires.”

The proposed law would introduce a “means test” based on monthly rent and other criteria, though Cuomo did not elaborate on specifics. The initiative still requires approval from the democratic state legislature and Governor Kathy Hochul.

Cuomo has critiqued Mamdani’s occupancy of such valuable housing, highlighting a case he cited where a single mother and her children had to sleep in a homeless shelter because Mamdani occupied a rent-controlled apartment. This tweet gained significant traction, racking up over 28 million views.

“I am calling on you to move quickly and return affordable housing to families who truly need it. Leaders must show moral clarity,” Cuomo added.

In response, Mamdani has proposed freezing rents on government-regulated apartments if he wins the general election in November.

Although Cuomo lost to Mamdani in the Democratic primary earlier this year, he is running as an independent in November. Incumbent mayor Eric Adams is also campaigning independently after stepping down from the primary due to federal corruption allegations.

Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa and attorney Jim Walden are also set to appear on the ballot as independents.

The Mamdani campaign has criticized Cuomo, labeling his actions as a desperate attempt to gain traction. They pointed out that, while Cuomo continues this “sensory attack,” Mamdani is focused on garnering support from New Yorkers in need of affordable housing.

“If Cuomo truly cared about the workers of New York City, he would commit to reimbursing the taxpayers for the $60 million he’s spending on his personal legal defense,” they stated.