Zohran Mamdani is under renewed fire over New York City’s housing crisis after new data showed Manhattan and Brooklyn rents climbed to record highs, fueling conservative criticism that immigration has intensified demand in an already strained rental market.
Median rent in Manhattan reached a record $5,295 in June, while Brooklyn hit an all-time high of $4,350, according to an analysis by the Corcoran Group.
The latest available data shows about 38% of New York City residents were born outside the United States, while roughly 40% of the city’s rental units are occupied by foreign-born residents. The figures do not distinguish between legal and illegal immigration status.
“You declared yourself a sanctuary city. You ‘welcomed’ hundreds of thousands of illegals. Then you had to find places to put them,” conservative radio host Andrew Wilkow wrote on X after the rent report was released. “That put pressure on housing supply. Shortages create price increases. It’s pretty simple.”
Research has also examined the relationship between immigration and housing costs.
A 2003 paper published by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia found that immigration “pushes up rents and housing values in destination cities,” estimating that an immigration inflow equal to 1% of a city’s population is associated with roughly a 1% increase in average rents and housing values.
A separate paper published in March by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas found that a 1% increase in illegal immigrants working in a given area corresponded with a 1.4% increase in rental prices, concluding that housing construction failed to keep pace with population growth.
Both studies note that the findings reflect the authors’ research and do not represent official positions of the Federal Reserve System or its regional banks.
“Young Americans compete for housing with millions of foreign arrivals,” Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, wrote Monday in response to the New York rent figures.
Data from the New York City Housing and Vacancy Survey shows the share of renter households associated with foreign-born New Yorkers increased from 37% in 2020 to 40% in 2023, the most recent year available. The survey does not identify renters’ immigration status, making it impossible to determine what share are in the country illegally.
New York City Comptroller Mark Levine responded to the latest rent figures by urging the city to expand housing construction through rezoning, invest more in affordable housing projects, and reduce regulations that slow development.
Conservative attorney Mike Davis dismissed those proposals with a brief response: “How about deporting illegals?”
The White House has argued that falling rental prices in parts of the South and Southwest are tied to increased deportations, though critics say broader economic and housing market conditions better explain those declines.
A March 2024 academic study found deportations could increase overall housing prices by reducing the construction workforce, although the authors also acknowledged that lower immigration levels could reduce housing demand.
During his campaign, Mamdani pledged to tackle New York City’s affordability crisis by freezing rent increases for stabilized apartments, building 200,000 affordable homes, and expanding tenant protections.
Since taking office, he has frozen rents for rent-stabilized leases, unveiled a housing plan that aims to build or preserve 400,000 affordable homes, and pushed to expand rental voucher programs.
“Zohran Mamdani ‘froze the rent’ and served himself some taxpayer-funded cake,” RedState writer Bonchie posted on X, referencing the mayor’s celebration after the rent freeze took effect. “Then rents hit an all-time high, vacancy rates reached the highest since COVID, and he proposed a 20% raise for himself. Incredible stuff.”
Critics of rent freezes argue the policy shifts costs onto market-rate renters while discouraging landlords from investing in maintenance and improvements because they cannot charge market prices.
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