On June 1, more than 2,250 New Yorkers gathered across two venues for a mayoral candidate forum that put public housing tenants and housing justice front and center.
Organized by Metro IAF, a Trust grantee, in partnership with Manhattan Together, South Bronx Churches, Queens Power, and East Brooklyn Congregations, the event featured Democratic mayoral candidates Adrienne Adams, Andrew Cuomo, Brad Lander, Zohran Mamdani, and Scott Stringer.
But it was the tenants and other Metro IAF volunteer leaders who guided the conversation. They laid out their agenda for how to improve mental health care, build more affordable housing, and make apartments run by the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) safe and comfortable homes for all residents.
Tenants specifically pressed mayoral hopefuls on long-standing priorities: high-quality repairs, safe living conditions, reliable heat, clear communication from city officials, and timely maintenance. Many shared how unresolved issues, such as leaks, mold, and inadequate heating, had disrupted daily life and affected their health. They also explained how new systems of accountability, pioneered by Metro IAF tenant leaders and allies, have led to concrete repairs and upgrades for tens of thousands of tenants, and asked the candidates to commit to building on and expanding that model.
The forum marked a high-profile moment in a much longer campaign. Since 1981, Metro IAF has organized NYCHA tenants to demand safe, healthy living conditions. Today, with support from a Trust grant, the nonprofit is expanding its tenant-led organizing across the city through outreach that includes one-on-one and small group meetings, public actions, and storytelling to build community power and push for accountability.
At the candidate forum, the Rev. Rashad Moore, a clergy partner of Metro IAF, celebrated this grassroots organizing in his opening remarks. “We don’t need another study on the [housing] crisis—we live it,” he said. “And in a crisis, we lead. We’ve done it before, and we’ll do it again.”
This leadership continues to animate Metro IAF’s work, transforming how tenants interact with NYCHA and reshaping how the city sees public housing residents: not as passive recipients of aid, but as powerful agents of civic engagement and change.
As New York’s housing crisis continues, Metro IAF’s work is a reminder of what’s possible when local communities organize to advance justice.
Election day is June 24, and early voting begins on June 14. To learn more about the 2025 NYC mayoral race and how ranked-choice voting works, visit the NYC Board of Elections’ official page. If you’re not yet a registered voter, you can register here. The deadline to register to vote in the current primary election is June 14.
