NY Times Comment, Sandy Reiburn, July 14, 2026

“When Mamdani brought in Maria Torres-Springer and people tied to past administrations, it was already clear where housing policy was heading. The transition team’s choices, Annemarie Gray from Open NY and Jed Walentas from REBNY were another warning sign. Even the way he handled the ballot propositions said a lot: acting like he had no opinion beforehand, then suddenly announcing support right after voting. That kind of evasiveness always shows up later in policy. 

NYCHA tenants were initially excluded from the rental ripoff hearings until public pressure forced a reversal. That alone says everything about how low a priority NYCHA residents are in this administration’s process. Keeping Leila Bozorg, one of the architects of RAD under Adams, was another signal that privatization-leaning approaches weren’t going anywhere. Then you have Cea Weaver, who dropped NYCHA the moment Good Cause Eviction became the focus. It paints a clear picture of who gets protected and who gets sidelined. 

What makes it worse is watching people who claim to support social housing line up behind demolition. That contradiction speaks volumes. The refusal to acknowledge what demolition means for public housing communities is not a small oversight; it’s a political choice. NYCHA residents deserve better than this pattern of neglect dressed up as “policy.” —Sandy Reiburn