In the midst of enormous public festivities, Zohran Mamdani took the oath of office as mayor of New York City in 2026, marking the beginning of action on housing and affordability. This inauguration was unlike any other in the city's history.
According to an Al Jazeera report, Mamdani’s swearing-in broke with tradition, replacing tightly controlled ceremonies with open public events that drew tens of thousands into Lower Manhattan despite freezing temperatures and fresh snowfall.
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Mamdani, 34, first took the oath just after midnight on New Year’s Eve at the City Hall subway station, a landmark space unused since 1945. New York State Attorney General Letitia James administered the oath as Mamdani stood beside his wife, Rama Duwaji, using a historic Quran from the New York Public Library and another belonging to his grandfather.
A public celebration and a political statement
The public ceremony followed on New Year’s Day on the steps of City Hall, where crowds spilled across nearby streets and plazas. National political figures, including Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, joined city officials Comptroller Mark Levine and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams.
Sanders, who administered the oath during the public ceremony, said the moment underscored what working people could achieve when united. Supporters repeatedly chanted “tax the rich,” echoing one of the central themes of Mamdani’s campaign.
In speeches delivered in multiple languages, Mamdani and other city leaders stressed unity across communities and faiths. Mamdani said his administration would replace “rugged individualism” with collective responsibility and ensure the city belonged to more people each day.
Housing and affordability remained central to the message. Mamdani reaffirmed his pledge to freeze rents on rent-stabilised apartments, which account for nearly half of New York City’s rental stock.
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Within hours of taking office, Mamdani announced a series of executive orders focused on housing. Speaking from a rent-stabilised building in Brooklyn, he said his administration would not delay action. The measures include forming task forces to identify city-owned land for housing and to accelerate development.
Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning Leila Bozorg told Al Jazeera that protecting tenants, addressing bad landlords and expanding affordable housing would be immediate priorities of the new administration.
