Who Owns the City That Never Sleeps?

New York is a city of contrasts. It is full of skyscrapers, luxury apartments and billionaires. But it is also full of people who wonder whether they can still afford to live in their own city. For these people, Zohran Mamdani is making a difference.

Everyday life is expensive for working families. Renting a home in the Big Apple costs more than $45,000 a year. Sending a child to daycare costs $26,000 a year. Taking the bus or train to work can cost up to $3,600 a year.

Just the basics – housing, childcare and public transport – cost a family around $75,000 a year. On top of that come groceries, electricity and insurance. Doctor’s visits and hospital stays add another $13,000 a year on average.

34-year-old socialist is now running New York

Zohran Mamdani has been New York City’s mayor since the beginning of 2026. The left-wing politician from Queens wants to build a city that never sleeps – but is also affordable for the people who keep it running every day.

For too long, Freedom has belonged only to those who can afford to buy it. Our City Hall will change that. – Zohran Mamdani

In the first months since his election, Mamdani has already started putting his plans into action.

One of his most important projects is free childcare. Together with New York State, Mamdani is launching a program offering 2,000 free childcare places starting in fall 2026. By 2027, the program is expected to grow to around 12,000 places.

This will help families save money and give parents more freedom to decide how they want to work and live. Until now, around 80 percent of families in New York City have struggled to afford good childcare.

Luxury tax expected to raise $500 million

New York has introduced a new tax on luxury second homes. It applies to apartments and houses worth more than $5 million that are not used as a primary home. The tax targets wealthy people who buy property in New York mainly as an investment rather than as a place to live. It is expected to raise around $500 million a year.

 

Sieh dir diesen Beitrag auf Instagram an

 

Ein Beitrag geteilt von Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@nycmayor)

New York gives renters more protection

When it comes to housing, Mamdani’s main goal is to give renters stronger protection. In his first months in office, the city has already recovered more than $35 million for renters. It has also arranged repairs in more than 6,000 apartments and taken action against landlords for around 200,000 violations of housing rules.

The New York City Rent Guidelines Board has frozen rents for around one million rent-regulated apartments. More than two million people live in these homes. The Rent Guidelines Board is a group of nine people appointed by the mayor. Every year, they decide how much landlords are allowed to increase rents in these apartments.

The decision comes at a time when many renters are struggling financially. According to a study by the Community Service Society, 67 percent of low-income people living in rent-regulated apartments struggle to make ends meet. And 83 percent have little or no savings.

Mamdani’s policies make a difference in everyday life

Alongside major reforms, Mamdani is also focusing on smaller improvements that people can see and feel in their everyday lives. One example: In his first 100 days in office, he had more than 100,000 potholes repaired across New York City. For Mamdani, this is about more than fixing roads. It is also about building trust in local government.

He calls this approach „Pothole Politics.“ The idea is that politics should not just be about big reforms and promises. It should also make everyday life better.

Fixing potholes might sound like a small thing. But research on how governments work shows that these everyday experiences can play an important role in whether people trust their government.

What could change in New York over the next ten years?

Mamdani plans to build 200,000 affordable homes with limits on rent increases and caps on how much rent landlords can charge.

He also wants to introduce free buses, raise the minimum wage to $30 an hour and open city-run grocery stores that sell food at prices around 30 percent lower than usual. The first of these stores is expected to open at the end of 2027. His approach is clear: expand public services, make wealthy people contribute more and make everyday life more affordable for the working majority.

Whether his plans will succeed remains to be seen. But after his first months in office, one thing is already clear: Mamdani does not just want to manage New York. He wants to fundamentally change how the city is run.

Two questions are at the heart of his politics: Who keeps the city running – and who should the city serve?