A nearly three-year dispute over expanding a crucial city rental assistance program to more low-income New Yorkers was supposed to come to an easy resolution after Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as mayor in January.
On the campaign trail, Mamdani had pledged to drop his predecessor Eric Adams’ legal opposition to a package of laws, passed by the City Council in 2023, that would give city-funded rental vouchers to many more people in shelters or at-risk of eviction and homelessness.
But facing a yawning budget gap, Mamdani made an about-face. He cited the $1.2 billion program’s growing price tag and said last month that his administration would instead try to negotiate changes to the laws with the Council and with attorneys representing New Yorkers who were supposed to be eligible for the rental assistance program, known as CityFHEPS…