Mayoral candidates debate housing solutions at Upper West Side forum

In the wake of the City Council’s approval of the “City of Yes” housing plan, seven mayoral candidates gathered Saturday afternoon to discuss the future of housing in New York City at the West Side Tenants Conference Mayoral Forum on Housing, held at Fordham Law School on the Upper West Side.

The panel featured six Democratic candidates — City Comptroller Brad Lander, Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, State Sen. Zellnor Myrie, State Sen. Jessica Ramos, former Comptroller Scott Stringer, and former Assemblyman Michael Blake — as well as one independent candidate, attorney Jim Walden. Notably absent from the forum was Mayor Eric Adams.

With the “City of Yes” plan as a backdrop, the candidates addressed critical issues such as housing affordability, a potential citywide rent freeze, and the regulation of short-term rentals.

“As mayor of this city, I will appoint members of the Rent Guidelines Board that will be putting our renters first,” Myrie said, recalling his personal experience in housing court where he helped his mother fight eviction.

Stringer, reflecting on his decades of advocacy for renters, added, “In my career, working with many of you, I have testified year in and year out for the last many decades to freeze the rent of the Rent Guidelines Board. I have been there side by side with you more than anyone on this platform today.”

The round-robin style forum, moderated by Politico reporter Jeff Coltin, gave each candidate the opportunity to outline their housing strategies and engage with pressing concerns facing city residents.

This event marked the fourth mayoral candidates forum in this election cycle, with the Democratic primary scheduled for June 2025.