Nationally Recognized Organizer Takes Helm of Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants
Mayor Zohran Mamdani appointed nationally recognized tenant organizer Cea Weaver as director of the newly revitalized Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants on his first day in office, signaling a dramatic shift toward aggressive enforcement against landlords and expansion of tenant protections. Weaver, who has spent the past decade organizing renters across New York State and leading campaigns that secured landmark tenant protections, brings a proven track record of holding bad actors accountable and building tenant power.
A Lifetime of Tenant Organizing
Weaver’s appointment capped a decade of escalating victories for the tenant movement. Starting in 2010, she worked as an AmeriCorps volunteer organizing in multi-family buildings facing foreclosure after the 2008 financial crisis. In 2011, she helped found the Crown Heights Tenant Union to fight for rent stabilization protections in that Brooklyn neighborhood. Over the next several years, Weaver built a coalition of tenant organizations across New York State, eventually forming the Upstate-Downstate Housing Alliance in 2017.
Building Statewide Power
In 2019, Weaver served as a central figure in the campaign that led to passage of the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act, landmark legislation that closed loopholes landlords had used to destabilize apartments and raise rents beyond reasonable levels. The law expanded rent stabilization protections and limited landlord ability to deregulate units. That victory demonstrated Weaver’s capacity to move complex legislation in Albany against fierce real estate industry opposition.
The Tenant Bloc and Rent Freeze Campaign
In 2024, Weaver founded the New York State Tenant Bloc, an organization that mobilized more than 20,000 tenants to vote exclusively for candidates who committed to freezing rents. This strategic voter mobilization helped elect Mamdani, who has made rent freezing a centerpiece of his affordable housing platform.
Executive Director of Housing Justice for All
Weaver currently serves as executive director of Housing Justice for All, a statewide organization that has become the leading voice for tenants in New York policy debates. Under her leadership, the organization grew from a one-person campaign shop into a major statewide institution with substantial organizing and policy capacity.
The Office Revitalization
The Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants, dormant and ineffective for years, has been revitalized under Weaver’s leadership to serve as a central coordinating body defending tenant rights and holding landlords accountable. The office will coordinate enforcement among city agencies, respond quickly to tenant complaints involving unsafe conditions, and target landlords with repeated histories of neglect.
Controversial Statements and Clarification
Weaver’s appointment drew attention to resurfaced social media posts from 2017-2019 in which she characterized homeownership as a weapon of white supremacy and advocated for viewing property as a collective rather than individualized good. Weaver later stated that some of her past rhetorical framing reflected the political climate of that era and that her focus remains on materially improving housing conditions for working people.
Policy Priorities
In her new role, Weaver has outlined several priorities: enforcing existing housing codes against negligent landlords, coordinating city agencies to improve response times, advocating for rent freeze implementation through the Rent Guidelines Board, and linking enforcement actions to court proceedings ensuring accountability.
Support from Tenant Organizations
Leading tenant advocates have praised Weaver’s appointment. Joanne Grell, Rent Freeze Campaign Chair of NYS Tenant Bloc, stated that Weaver is an extraordinary leader deeply grounded in the lived realities of tenants across New York City and that her commitment has shaped the tenant movement in powerful ways.
Rapid Enforcement Action
Within days of her appointment, Weaver’s office moved to intervene in the bankruptcy proceedings of Pinnacle Group, a major landlord with over 5,000 housing violations and 14,000 complaints across 83 buildings. The city secured a $2.1 million settlement against the landlord, marking the administration’s first major enforcement victory.
Rental Ripoff Hearings
Weaver helped design the Rental Ripoff Hearings, a series of public forums where New Yorkers can testify about illegal landlord practices including hidden fees, retaliation, discrimination, illegal eviction, and deplorable conditions. These hearings will be held across all five boroughs during the administration’s first 100 days.
Rent Freeze Implementation Path
While state-level rent stabilization changes require Albany approval, the mayor has expressed confidence that he can implement a rent freeze for the approximately 1 million rent-stabilized apartments under Rent Guidelines Board authority. Weaver’s leadership in the Tenant Bloc’s rent freeze campaign positions her as a key strategist in executing this promise.
Real Estate Industry Response
The real estate industry has reacted with concern to Weaver’s appointment, arguing that aggressive enforcement and rent freezes will discourage investment in housing maintenance and new construction. Industry leaders claim that existing New York rent regulations already tip far toward tenant protection. Learn more about tenant rights organizations, the NYC housing agencies, and housing justice.
