Homelessness and Urban Policy

At a Feb. 21, 2026 Rev. Jesse Jackson tribute hosted by the National Action Network, NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani promoted a vision of a city “where every family can afford a home,” called for “a nation that rejects ICE’s cruelty and violence,” and urged Gov. Kathy Hochul and Albany lawmakers to raise income taxes on the ultra‑wealthy and most profitable corporations to close the city’s budget gap. He warned that failure to secure those revenues could force “painful decisions of last resort,” including a 9.5% property‑tax increase — a proposal residents say would effectively tax working- and middle‑class homeowners (median income about $122,000) and betray his affordable‑housing promises.