NYC Housing Chief’s 2021 Remarks on 'White, Middle-Class Homeowners' Resurface After Appointment

Cea Weaver was named director of New York City’s Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants effective Jan. 1 by Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Remarks she made during a September 2021 episode of the "Bad Faith" podcast — including the claim that "White, middle-class homeowners are a huge problem for the renter justice movement" — have resurfaced now that she holds formal executive authority over tenant policy and enforcement in the city.

Podcast Remarks and Rationale

On the podcast, Weaver discussed barriers to eviction moratoria and rental-assistance measures. She argued that resistance to certain progressive housing reforms often comes not primarily from large corporate landlords but from individual homeowners who view tenant protections as threats to their property rights. As she put it on the episode:

"White, middle-class homeowners are a huge problem for the renter justice movement."

Weaver also suggested organizers should aim to “undermine the institution of homeownership” and pursue alternative forms of stability, arguing that homeownership has become a primary source of security in the U.S. because of gaps in public social programs.

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks during a news conference with Cea Weaver, Jan. 1, in New York.

Policy Positions

During the same conversation, Weaver expressed support for a suite of progressive housing policies, including:

• Universal rent control
• A legal right to form tenant unions
• Blocking certain evictions
• Funding rental assistance through higher taxes on the wealthy

Past Posts and Public Reaction

Weaver has also faced scrutiny for a deleted August 2019 social media post that resurfaced in coverage. In that post she wrote that "private property including and kind of ESPECIALLY homeownership is a weapon of white supremacy masquerading as ‘wealth building’ public policy." Critics have pointed to those remarks as evidence of bias against homeownership; supporters say her comments were made in the context of organizing strategy and critique of structural inequality.

Official Actions and Political Context

On her first day leading the office, Weaver joined Mayor Mamdani in announcing city intervention in the bankruptcy proceedings of Pinnacle Group, a landlord company previously tied to housing violations and tenant complaints, according to City Hall. Her appointment was announced on Mamdani’s first day in office as part of executive actions reviving the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants.

In a tweet on her since deleted X account, Mamdani tenant director Cea Weaver called homeownership a "weapon of white supremacy."

Separate reporting notes the City Council previously rejected Weaver for a past role, raising questions that her current appointment was made without a confirmation vote. Fox News Digital reported that the mayor’s press office did not respond to questions about whether Mamdani stands by Weaver’s 2021 remarks; Mamdani has reportedly said he "obviously" disagrees with views linking homeownership to white supremacy.

What To Watch

Key items to monitor include how Weaver’s office implements tenant protections, whether the administration responds further to criticism of her past remarks, and how City Council members and community groups react to her policies in practice.

Reporting: Fox News Digital. Contributing reporter: Peter Pinedo.