Zohran Mamdani Backtracks on Campaign Promise for Rental Assistance, Claiming it’s too Expensive

New York City’s new socialist mayor is already running out of other people’s money.

In addition to being unable to remove snow or get the trash picked up, Mamdani is now backtracking on a campaign promise to expand the city’s rental assistance program.

He just got grilled by New York lawmakers in Albany who are nervous about his ‘tax the rich’ policies and now this. How long before his base turns on him?

The Post Millennial reports:

Mamdani reverses campaign promise for rental assistance program—turns out it’s too expensive

Socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has reversed on one of his campaign promises to expand a rental assistance program in the Big Apple. The expansion has turned out to be too costly.

As the mayor is confronting a steep fiscal situation in managing the city during his second month in office, Mamdani does not intend to back the growth of a $1 billion-plus initiative known as CityFHEPS, per the New York Times. The plan to initiate the expansion of the program was previously upheld in court after being proposed by the city council.

Mamdani, during his campaign, had promised to expand the voucher program, but in a news conference on Wednesday, he suggested that the expansion of the program is too costly as the city is facing a budget deficit over two years that is around $7 billion.

His administration is now negotiating with activists to settle a lawsuit that sought to force the expansion of the program. The move may stir tensions between himself and his base of support from those in the Democratic Socialists of America, the organization he is also a part of.

No one seems very surprised by this news.

I love when socialists figure out that nothing is free. https://t.co/NQGFTl3rGe

— Eric Matheny (@ericmmatheny) February 13, 2026

Free stuff ain’t free.

Gosh, who knew? https://t.co/y5H0Zy0aH8

— TheFOO (@PolitiBunny) February 13, 2026

You can, in fact, run out of other people’s money. https://t.co/eS2D9h3Rpy

— Derrick Townsend #DT4SM (@Derrick_NOLA) February 13, 2026

NYC has no idea what they’re in for.
It won’t be pretty. https://t.co/NhP7fMCOPo

— AvaArmstrong, Author (@MsAvaArmstrong) February 13, 2026

It’s fun and a little terrifying to imagine what New York City is going to look like a year from now.

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