Zoran Mamdani’s Radical Moves as NYC Mayor
Zoran Mamdani has recently taken office as the Democratic Socialist mayor of New York City and is pushing his progressive agenda. One of his first actions was appointing Shea Weaver, known for her strong stance against private property, to lead the mayor’s office, which focuses on tenant protections.
On January 2, Mamdani shared that Weaver, who has previously worked with Housing Justice for All—an organization advocating for tenants and the homeless—would be joining his administration. He praised her contributions, claiming she was instrumental in passing significant legislation aimed at closing loopholes that landlords exploited to increase rents.
Mamdani expressed confidence that Weaver will help hold landlords responsible and ensure tenants have safe housing in the city.
Following her appointment, a video emerged on social media, presenting images of activists advocating for the abolition of private property ownership. In this resurfaced video, Weaver stated, “I think the reality is that for centuries we’ve treated real estate as a private good rather than a collective good. And to shift that perspective, a different understanding is necessary, particularly affecting the relationship families, especially white families, have with their property.”
Harmeet Dhillon, the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, responded to the video, asserting, “I don’t think so. We have a federal housing law that surpasses any Marxist collective fantasy.” Weaver, in a 2017 post on her now-deactivated X account, previously urged citizens to “elect more communists” and has called for the “seizure of private property.” She also claimed that “private property of all kinds, especially home ownership, is a weapon of white supremacy.”
Weaver also supported rent freezes in a January 2025 document, highlighting how essential such measures are for New York’s 2.4 million renters. According to the Tenant Protection Cabinet, around 65% of New York City residents are renters.
As of now, there has been no comment from the office of Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul.
