King Charles and Queen Camilla visit New York to pay homage to 9/11 memorial
King Charles III and Queen Camilla visited New York City to pay their respects to the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Mayoral candidate Zoran Mamdani has promised to address housing affordability in the city and commit to a rent freeze.
Now Mayor Mamdani must confront this issue.
Here’s what you need to know about the city’s median rent, the mayor’s plans and when the rent freeze will happen.
How was Mamdani able to freeze rent?
Mamdani’s proposal would freeze rents on rent-stabilized apartments, which are home to millions of New Yorkers.
“As Mayor, Mr. Zoran will immediately freeze rents for all stable tenants and use every available resource to build the housing New Yorkers need and lower rents,” his campaign website says.
“The housing crisis is the number one reason working families are leaving our cities.”
The Rent Guidelines Board has the ultimate authority to freeze rents for rent-stabilized units. And in February, Mamdani appointed six members to the nine-member board of directors.
Each year, the board decides whether and by how much the rent should increase. A vote on whether to increase the amount is scheduled for this summer, which will put the mayor’s campaign promise to the test.
And it looks like Mamdani isn’t giving up yet. This week, the mayor announced the launch of Organize New York City, an initiative to mobilize New Yorkers on city issues.
What is the first issue they plan to address? Encourage New Yorkers to testify at Rent Guidelines Committee hearings.
“Organize NYC does not endorse any particular outcome of the RGB poll or steer participants’ opinions if they choose to testify,” a release about the move said.
“Instead, this campaign is focused on empowering more New Yorkers to participate in decisions that directly impact their lives.”
Upcoming hearings are:
- Queens: June 4, Jamaica Performing Arts Center Auditorium (5 p.m.)
- Bronx: June 8, Hostos Community College Main Theater (5 p.m.)
- Brooklyn: June 11, New York Institute of Technology City Tech Theater (7 p.m.)
- Manhattan: June 16, Symphony Space (5 p.m.)
new york city rental prices
According to the company, the median asking rental price for properties listed on Realtor.com in early 2026 was $3,616. This is an increase of 6.2% ($211) compared to last year.
Rent increases occurred in all wards. This data does not differentiate between rent-stabilized and non-rent stabilized apartments.
“While the rent freeze will provide meaningful relief to hundreds of thousands of households, the long-term impact on mobility and market trends remains an important and unresolved issue,” the report said.
