Cuomo’s Mayoral Bid Has Him Doing Something He Hasn’t Done in Years: Pay Rent

New York City's renters are having a very bad go of it, as rents continue skyrocketing to record highs. New York City's homeowners? Not doing great either, with insurance rates soaring. So it's no surprise that in poll after poll, lowering the cost of living, and in particular housing costs, remains a top priority for New York City voters. 

Mayoral frontrunner Andrew Cuomo has promised to make the city a more affordable place for both renters and homeowners, by building more affordable housing and providing tax relief to homeowners.

But Cuomo's lived experience puts him at odds with most adult New Yorkers: from 2009 until at least 2024, he lived for free, bouncing between the homes of his friends and family, his then-girlfriend, and the governor's mansion in Albany. While Cuomo registered to vote in New York City in late 2024, after which he started leasing a Sutton Place apartment, the last time he paid rent or property taxes before that was during President Barack Obama's first term in office, when the Black Eyed Peas were at the top of the Billboard charts and Citi Bike didn't exist. 

"It's no wonder Andrew Cuomo won't agree to freeze the rent—he has no idea what it's like, he hasn't paid it in years," said Cea Weaver, director of New York State Tenant Bloc, a tenant advocacy organization. "New Yorkers don't get along on very much, but they are united on one thing: the rent is too damn high. Andrew Cuomo continues to run an out-of-touch campaign, refusing public appearances and unable to relate to voters on their top-of-mind issue." 

Weaver added, "He was a bad governor and he'd make an even worse mayor."

Cuomo now regrets the tenant protections he signed into law, and his major donors include the city's biggest landlords. You might also recall that Cuomo's initial housing policy paper was revealed by Hell Gate to be ChatGPT-assisted nonsense.