Policy

A longtime advocate for New York City’s street vendors will now represent the small businesses at City Hall. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Monday officially launched the Office of Street Vendor Services and appointed Carina Kaufman-Gutierrez, co-director of the Street Vendor Project at the Urban Justice Center, as its first executive director. As part of the Department of Small Business Services, the new office will conduct outreach to the city’s roughly 23,000 street vendors and educate them on local laws and the permitting process. Legislation reforming street vending that passed the City Council last year mandated the creation of the new office.
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After failing to reach a deal with housing advocates, Mayor Zohran Mamdani has appealed a court ruling that ordered New York City to expand its housing voucher program, a move that departs from one of his key campaign pledges. Filed on Tuesday, the appeal puts Mamdani in the position once held by former Mayor Eric Adams, whose initial opposition sparked a legal battle that has stretched for nearly three years. In February, Mamdani indicated he no longer intended to support the program’s expansion due to the city’s projected $7 billion budget deficit, and after negotiations failed, his appeal now extends the legal battle indefinitely.
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New York City could gain roughly 25,000 basement, attic, and backyard apartments, also known as accessory dwelling units (ADUs), over the next 15 years under rezoning rules approved in 2024. The city on Wednesday released a series of new tools to help New Yorkers navigate the process, including a library of pre-approved ADU designs that are compliant with city code. The library currently has designs for backyard cottages, but more will be added once approved by the Department of Buildings.
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Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Friday signed an executive order establishing the city’s first Mayor’s Office for LGBTQIA+ Affairs and appointed the first transgender person to lead a New York City office. Led by Taylor Brown, now the highest-ranking trans person in city government history, the office will focus on advancing policies that ensure city agencies serve queer New Yorkers while upholding sanctuary protections and supporting individuals fleeing anti-LGBTQIA+ oppression. The move comes amid growing attacks on LGBTQIA+ protections and resources under President Donald Trump’s administration, including incidents in NYC.
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While Mayor Zohran Mamdani may disagree with much of former Mayor Eric Adams’ agenda, the two align on one issue: removing New York City’s sidewalk sheds. Last week, the mayor announced a series of new initiatives aimed at removing longstanding scaffolding, with a focus on sidewalk sheds at public housing developments. The city’s Department of Buildings (DOB) will advance reforms to reduce the amount of shed coverage required over open space farther from buildings and to lengthen the timeline between facade inspections. The effort builds on initiatives from previous administrations, including Adams’ 2023 “Get Sheds Down” campaign, which sought to overhaul the city’s scaffolding rules and develop more aesthetically pleasing shed designs.
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