During his first two weeks in office, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani issued sweeping sets of executive orders focused on child care, housing and city-run facility reforms.
The changes signal his effort to fulfill his campaign promises of affordability and break away from the Adams administration.
The executive orders establish task forces for developing city-run housing, direct the city to improve conditions in homeless shelters and city jails and combat consumer fees.
The most prominent event of the mayor’s first two weeks was the announcement of his administration’s first steps toward universal child care.
On Jan. 8, Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mamdani announced the investment of free child care for 2-year-olds.
Further investment was announced toward universal pre-K and 3K programs, in addition to free child care for children under five.
During his first day in office, Mamdani signed executive orders that will create two task forces. The Land Inventory Fast Track task force will review city-owned properties and identify potential sites to develop housing.
The Streamlining Procedures to Expedite Equitable Development task force will review bureaucratic barriers that delay housing construction.
On Jan. 5, Mamdani signed his first emergency order which extends a state of emergency for city jails, including Rikers Island. The executive order requires the city to develop a plan within 45 days to comply with the suspended rules.
The mayor has expressed his support for closing the Rikers Island jail, which has seen many inmate deaths for years.
Steven Banks, the mayor’s nominee for chief lawyer, has stated the administration’s goal is to “stop conditions on Rikers from deteriorating any further.”
The second emergency executive order requires officials to bring all city-operated shelters into compliance with health and safety codes. By Feb. 19, officials must also submit plans to phase out shelters that do not cooperate with these rules.
The moves illustrate Mamdani’s break from the Adams administration, which had issued orders that limited the city’s obligation to provide shelter to the homeless to accommodate asylum seekers.
In further pursuance of a departure from his predecessor’s policy, Mamdani signed an executive order on Jan. 2 repealing every executive order former Mayor Eric Adams signed since Sep. 26, 2024 — the date of his indictment for federal campaign fraud.
The new mayor’s final set of key executive orders established consumer protection standards, forming a citywide task force to combat “junk fees,” or hidden or deceptive charges that consumers may encounter in ticketing, travel and housing.
“This executive order restores what should have always been the case: transparency in pricing, accountability for companies, and full compliance with the law,” Mamdani said during the signing on Jan. 5.
Mamdani has issued several executive orders in a short period and their implementation will be a test of how his administration approaches affordability and reform.
