New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani traveled to Washington on Thursday to meet with President Trump in the Oval Office. The meeting was held privately to discuss large-scale housing development plans in New York. Following the session, Mamdani described the exchange as productive, opening up new opportunities for cooperation.
The focus of the discussion was a project to build an additional 12,000 new homes in the city, part of a plan that could receive the largest federal investment in decades. However, public concern remains regarding the financial burden on residents as Mamdani's real estate tax hike plan is being considered. Mayor Mamdani shared a photo at the Resolute Desk on social media with the message “Trump to City: Let’s Build”. A spokesperson for the mayor said the President showed significant interest in the proposal, though the White House has not yet issued an official comment.
Background and Federal Cooperation Process
This is the second meeting between the two leaders since last November's election. According to the mayor's representative, during their previous meeting, the President asked Mamdani to present specific housing development proposals. This trip comes at a sensitive time, as he faces pressure for failing to commit to moving homeless individuals into shelters despite harsh weather.
In addition to housing, Mayor Mamdani also addressed several urgent immigration issues with the federal government. He raised the case of a Columbia University student currently being detained by ICE and submitted a list of four other cases for review. This demonstrates the city administration's efforts to protect local community members.
In his recent State of the Union address, President Trump emphasized housing development as a priority and called for oversight of large investment firms buying up single-family homes. However, detailed information regarding the implementation process and financial structure of the 12,000-unit project in New York is still being finalized. The community awaits specific next steps from both levels of government.
