Mamdani moves to reshape board with housing justice advocates
Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the appointment of six members to the Rent Guidelines Board on February 10, 2026, signaling a tenant-friendly shift in an agency that determines annual rent increases for 1 million rent-stabilized apartments. The appointments include housing justice advocates and tenant organizers, a marked departure from previous administrations’ tendency to appoint real estate industry representatives.
RGB Role and Significance
The Rent Guidelines Board, a quasi-independent agency, sets annual rent increase percentages for stabilized apartments. Real estate interests and landlord groups have long sought to maximize increases to boost profits and pressure tenants out of regulated units. Tenant advocates seek minimal increases or freezes to preserve affordability. The board’s composition determines which perspective prevails.
New Board Composition
Mamdani’s appointments include housing justice advocates with clear tenant sympathies. This contrasts with the Adams administration’s appointments, which included more real estate-friendly voices and economists arguing for landlord profitability. The new composition suggests Mamdani intends to pursue lower rent increase percentages, potentially including rent freezes in coming years.
Rent Freezes and Affordability
Tenant advocates have long called for rent freezes to address the affordability crisis. Current RGB votes rarely result in freezes. Mamdani’s board appointments increase the possibility that a future rent freeze might pass. However, a single-year RGB freeze provides temporary relief but does not address the underlying housing shortage and financialization of the housing market.
Real Estate Pushback
The real estate industry will lobby against tenant-friendly board decisions. Landlords argue that constrained rent increases reduce incentive to maintain buildings, offer repairs, and invest in improvements. Whether this argument is credible or simply profit-seeking is contested. The board’s decisions will be closely watched by industry and advocacy groups.
Broader Housing Policy Context
RGB appointments matter, but they address only stabilized apartments. The larger housing marketmarket-rate apartments, condos, co-opsremains unregulated. Addressing housing affordability citywide requires additional tools: public housing expansion, permanent affordability preservation, anti-speculation regulations, and zoning changes to increase supply. RGB appointments represent one piece of a much larger puzzle. For Rent Guidelines Board information, see the RGB website. Read housing advocacy at Housing Court Help. Learn about stabilized housing at The City. Understand housing finance at National Housing Conference.
