Overview
- At a Bronx session at Fordham University, Mayor Zohran Mamdani attended his first hearing in person and told residents of public housing their testimony is welcome after earlier criticism of their exclusion.
- Tenants detailed mold, pests, broken elevators, long repair delays and steep fees or rent hikes, while some small landlords asked for consideration of their constraints.
- Earlier forums drew backlash for limiting public testimony in favor of brief one-on-one meetings with tenant advocate Cea Weaver, and protesters and a CAC-funded billboard accused the process of sidelining NYCHA.
- On Thursday, a Bronx judge deemed long-standing conditions at 919 Prospect Ave. a public nuisance, ordering Class 1 violations fixed within 14 days and others within 30, and levying more than $2.1 million in penalties dating to 2019.
- Mamdani said the ruling sets a template for tougher action and noted $85 million in the budget to hire 200 attorneys and 100 support staff, with agencies set to compile hearing testimony into policy recommendations and the next hearing slated for March 28 in Manhattan.