Happy Friday in New York City! A couple days ago, we looked at the status of Mamdani’s key campaign goal to tax the rich (if you missed it, you can check it out here). But what about the other signature promises of Mamdani’s candidacy? In particular, the three greatest hits of his affordability agenda, which headlined nearly every stump speech and debate: freezing the rent, fast and free buses, and universal childcare?

Today and Monday, we’ll check in on where those promises stand, starting with the one most immediately in reach.

Mamdani’s call to freeze the rent for New York City’s roughly 1 million rent-stabilized apartments was so popular it became a campaign slogan, printed on T-shirts and echoed as a call-and-response at rallies. But the ultimate decision is not Mamdani’s to make; it rests with the Rent Guidelines Board, a panel of nine experts tasked with weighing housing costs, tenant affordability and landlord finances.

Despite Mayor Adams’ best efforts before he left office to stack the Board with people antagonistic to his successor’s agenda, Mayor Mamdani managed to appoint five members himself and reappoint another, giving him meaningful, if indirect, influence over the outcome.

Yesterday, the Rent Guidelines Board offered an initial peak into its decision-making process with the release of the 2026 Income and Expense Study. The study found that landlords’ net income rose by 6.2% between 2023 and 2024, outpacing rising operational costs — a major factor in deciding whether to approve a rent hike.

“Revenues generally exceed operating costs, generating funds for mortgage payments, improvements and pre-tax profit,” Brian Hoberman, the Rent Guidelines Board research director, told The City.

However, the 6.2% increase in income is an average, and not reflected evenly among all categories of housing. Landlords in older buildings, for example, experienced much more modest gains or even net losses during the same time period. Owners of buildings made up entirely of stabilized units struggled more than owners of mixed-category buildings. A significant share of all stabilized buildings in the city — 9%, concentrated in the Bronx and Northern Manhattan — were operating at a loss.

“We need a more accurate and transparent analysis that uses more timely information and reflects the economic distress of small property owners,” Ann Korchak, president of the non-profit Small Property Owners of New York, told Gothamist.

Still, the overall findings present an early headwind for rent freeze hopes. The Board will take a preliminary vote in May and a final vote in June, with some time in between for community hearings.

Check back in on Monday for a status update on fast and free buses and universal childcare!

As millions of birds pass through New York City during spring migration, the Wild Bird Fund prepares to open a second location in Park Slope. Renovations are underway at 183 Seventh Ave., with the clinic expected to open in June, according to Communications Director Catherine Quayle.

The Brooklyn site will contain exam and operating rooms, isolation rooms, a waterfowl room with an indoor pool, pigeon and raptor rooms, and a nursery for baby birds. The large backyard will be equipped with an outdoor pool and multiple aviaries, allowing birds to practice flying before release. The outdoor space, says Quayle, is a major benefit of the Brooklyn location.

Learn more about the new Brooklyn clinic expanding care for thousands of birds.

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