NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani Meets Trump in Washington to Press for Major Federal Funding for Affordable Housing

NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani met with President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday to push for more than $21 billion in federal funding to build thousands of new affordable homes in New York City.

Mamdani traveled to Washington for an Oval Office meeting that was not listed on his public schedule, according to his office. The Thursday discussion was their second White House meeting since Mamdani took office in 2026.

A spokesperson said the mayor used the visit to press his case that New York is facing a "generational affordability challenge" and needs large-scale federal help, according to the Wall Street Journal.

On X, Mamdani called the sit-down "productive" and said he was eager to "increase housing availability in New York City," posting a photo with Trump in the Oval Office. In the picture, Trump displayed a 1975 New York Daily News cover with the headline "Ford to City: Drop Dead" alongside a recreated version reading "Trump to City: Let's Build."​

City officials say New York is requesting about $21 billion in federal grants for a major development at Sunnyside Yard in Queens.

The project could create roughly 12,000 affordable housing units, along with new parks, schools, and health facilities built over active rail lines. Mamdani's office describes it as the largest single investment in housing and infrastructure in the city in more than 50 years.

The mayor argues that working-class families are being pushed out of the neighborhoods they helped build because of soaring rents and home prices. He says the federal government must be a "true partner" and move quickly if the city is to add more housing than in any project since 1973, NBC News reported.

The Trump administration has not announced any formal commitment, but the city says officials agreed to keep talking in the coming weeks.

Mamdani, a democratic socialist and New York's first Muslim mayor, won the 2025 election on a platform centered on affordability, including rent freezes and a large expansion of affordable housing. His decision to work directly with Trump, a Republican and former real estate developer in New York, underscores the scale of the housing crisis and the amount of money at stake.

Trump has previously clashed with New York City leaders, but the White House meeting suggests both sides see potential benefits in a high-profile housing deal. For Mamdani, securing billions in federal aid would advance his promise to tackle the city's housing shortage; for Trump, backing a major building initiative in his hometown could showcase federal action on affordability, as per Axios.