| | | | |  | | By Janaki Chadha, Jeff Coltin, Nick Reisman and Emily Ngo | | Presented by |  | | | With Timmy Facciola
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Speaker Adrienne Adams supports the bill that would make way for short-term rentals in one- and two-family homes. | Gerardo Romo/NYC Council Media Unit | Get ready for the next big fight over Airbnb’s reach in New York City. Tenant groups and the powerful Hotel and Gaming Trades Council are uniting to oppose a City Council bill that would make way for short-term rentals in one- and two-family homes, arguing it would remove much-needed housing from an already strained rental market. They will launch the “Tenants not Tourists” coalition today, to urge council members to reject the legislation, introduced by Brooklyn’s Farah Louis and supported by Speaker Adrienne Adams. The group will rally at City Hall this morning and has plans to release ads in the coming weeks, including online and in local news outlets. The effort is reminiscent of ShareBetter, a hotel industry-backed group active in Airbnb fights of years past. The latest coalition is also getting funding from the hotel industry and is working to secure financial support from other sources as well. ShareBetter spent upwards of $1 million a year at the height of its anti-Airbnb efforts, though people involved note that spending was dwarfed by the short-term rental giant. The newly formed group would not say how much it plans to spend, but a person familiar with the coalition said it “expects to have the resources necessary to counter every piece of false information Airbnb puts out there.” The $86 billion short-term rental company’s growth in New York has been severely curtailed following a 2022 law that required hosts using Airbnb and similar platforms to register with the city. State law prohibits short-term rentals of under 30 days when a host is not present, and the law had the effect of weeding out illegal listings, rendering the business model all but illegal. Members of the new coalition, including TenantsPAC, Churches United for Fair Housing and VOCAL-NY, say Louis’ bill would weaken those critical reforms. “It’s a very bad bill and we’re going to fight it tooth and nail,” said Mike McKee, treasurer of TenantsPAC. “There’s a lot more housing in one- and two-family homes than people realize, including 14 percent of the city’s rental housing.” The city is facing a drastic housing shortage, leading to increased costs. Louis, who represents East Flatbush and Flatlands, says the 2022 law overlooked small homeowners struggling with rising costs as they seek to make a profit off their real estate investments. The bill’s other sponsors, including the speaker and Council Members Kevin Riley, Selvena Brooks-Powers and Mercedes Narcisse, represent outer-borough districts with high concentrations of Black homeowners. “For many, short-term rental income has become a vital source of revenue to help cover these escalating mortgage costs,” Louis said at a council meeting last month. — Janaki Chadha IT’S MONDAY: Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman.
| | A message from Alibaba: U.S. businesses are growing global sales on Alibaba’s online marketplace. In just one year American businesses sold billions of dollars worth of goods internationally on Alibaba. These U.S. global sales also supported hundreds of thousands of U.S. jobs and billions in U.S. wages. Learn more about how Alibaba positively impacts New York’s economy. | | | WHERE’S KATHY? In the Bronx to make an affordability announcement that’s part of her State of the State agenda. WHERE’S ERIC? Making an announcement as part of Public Safety Week, holding an in-person media availability, and later hosting a roundtable discussion with Muslim women community leaders. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “This has the potential to turn right back into a New York City soap opera.” — Republican strategist and former Trump administration appointee Matthew Bartlett on the clashing of MAGA world alpha types in the incoming administration, POLITICO reports.
|  | ABOVE THE FOLD | | | | 
To close the forum, the contenders were asked to give one sentence answering what role real estate would play in their administrations. | Alex Chan/Housing Justice for All | REAL ESTATE’S ROLE: Pledging to freeze rent on rent-stabilized tenants has been a centerpiece of Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral campaign. Now other candidates are joining him. State Sen. Jessica Ramos and former Assemblymember Michael Blake both said they would freeze rents if elected at a forum focused on tenants and housing issues Saturday. The other contenders — save Mayor Eric Adams, who skipped the event — all declined to make that promise without conditions. But they sought to appease audience members holding signs saying “Want our votes? Freeze our rent” with nebulous promises to support tenants over landlords. Mayors appoint all nine members of the city’s Rent Guidelines Board, which annually votes on increases for the city’s roughly 1 million rent-stabilized apartments. The members are supposed to base their determinations on politics-free cost analyses, but Mamdani would not be the first executive to weigh in on the process. Former Mayor Bill de Blasio made his preference for a rent freeze known to the board. To close the forum, the contenders were asked to give one sentence answering what role real estate would play in their administrations. Jim Walden, attorney: “I have no idea. But what I’ll tell you is I’m not shutting doors on anyone. This is a crisis. Everyone has a seat at the table.” Blake: “The people will lead us, not real estate developers.” City Comptroller Brad Lander: “I’m pretty sure I’m the only candidate who has pledged that I do not and will not accept campaign contributions from real estate developers in New York City. I invite anyone else to join me today. Housing’s a human right, and that’s how we’re going to treat it in New York City.” Ramos: “I am ready to fight like a mother for my fellow tenants as your mayor. Tenants make up 70 percent of this city. That is who we need also occupying halls of power, including the administration.” Former city Comptroller Scott Stringer: “Many of you know my record as an Assemblymember, borough president, comptroller on tenants’ rights — unmatched… I’m going to make sure that we have an opportunity to sit with tenants and real estate and change the trajectory.” Mamdani: “The role of real estate in my administration will be the first L of LLC: limited.” State Sen. Zellnor Myrie: “The real estate industry will be expected to build housing for all New Yorkers and will be held accountable with the full force of the law when they step over the line.” — Jeff Coltin
| | | | REGISTER NOW: As the 118th Congress ends, major decisions loom, including healthcare appropriations. Key focus: site neutrality. Can aligning hospital and clinic costs cut federal spending, reflect physician costs, and lower patient expenses? Join policymakers and providers to discuss. | | | | | | | CITY HALL: THE LATEST | | | | 
Anthony Weiner said he’s not ready to commit to running for term-limited Council Member Carlina Rivera’s seat on the east side of Manhattan — but he’s doing everything a candidate would do. | Seth Wenig/AP | WEINER’S BACK: Former Rep. Anthony Weiner is serious about making a comeback run for City Council — and tells Playbook he plans to formally file a campaign committee this week. He got a push from the Downtown Independent Democrats, who will only hear from registered candidates at their endorsement meeting on Thursday, he said. Weiner was also spotted at the club’s holiday party Saturday afternoon, and the Tilden Democrats’ party Sunday. The WABC radio host has been out of office since 2011 when he resigned amid a sexting scandal. He tried a comeback run for mayor in 2013 but ended up serving 18 months in prison for sending sexual messages to an underage girl. Weiner said he’s not ready to commit to running for term-limited Council Member Carlina Rivera’s seat on the east side of Manhattan — but he’s doing everything a candidate would do, even preparing a 25-keys-to-the-city platform and inviting the Times to watch his haircut. Five other candidates have filed for the race, including Assemblymember Harvey Epstein. “Trump makes a comeback and now everyone thinks they can,” Manhattan Assemblymember Grace Lee joked about Weiner. — Jeff Coltin More from the city: — Newly obtained emails show that city Aging Commissioner Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez favored moving to a building that didn’t win the procurement process, in a deal that’s earned the attention of investigators. (POLITICO) — Adams said he’s looking into changing the city’s sanctuary city laws by executive order, given the council’s opposition. (New York Post) — Educators are demanding the city provide more guards and weapons scanners to combat “persistent” delays getting into school buildings. (New York Post)
| | | | A message from Alibaba:   | | | | | NEW FROM PLANET ALBANY | | |  “We’ll continue to do the things people want us to do,” state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said. | Mike Groll/AP | WHAT IT COSTS: Democrats in the state Legislature insist they want to keep affordability concerns atop their to-do list in 2025. Nationally the party was walloped over the cost of living and inflation. Republicans will control all branches of the federal government in the new year. But Democrats still hold large majorities in Albany’s bicameral legislature, as well as in the governor’s office — giving them a chance to act as a bulwark against the new Trump administration. But Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins in an interview with WTEN on Sunday kept her focus on New York, not Trump 2.0. The Yonkers Democrat listed housing and child care as priorities for her conference. “We’ll continue to do the things people want us to do,” she said. Lawmakers and Gov. Kathy Hochul earlier this year agreed to a sweeping package of measures meant to spur home building in New York. And just like week, the New York City Council agreed to a pared-down version of Adams’ “City of Yes” plan to increase the housing supply and eventually lower costs. The city’s push to expand available housing has also inspired upstate lawmakers: Sen. Jeremy Cooney in a recent statement said the adoption of the city plan should lead state lawmakers to act on housing. — Nick Reisman More from Albany: — Public matching funds helped a Republican unseat a Democrat for a western New York Assembly seat. (Buffalo News) — Criminal justice advocates are pressing officials to change parole laws in the new year. (Gothamist) —The firm at the center of a controversial Medicaid change added staff before receiving a lucrative contract. (New York Post)
| | KEEPING UP WITH THE DELEGATION | | | 
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and her local chapter hosted a “mass call” last week, and she discussed a collective response to the “incoming fascist administration.” | Andrew Harnik/AP | DSA VISIBILITY ON OVERSIGHT?: There’s talk of AOC for president, yes, but the more likely scenario in the nearer future is Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s ascension to ranking member on the vaulted House Oversight Committee. If she’s successful, it would mean a profile boost for the Democratic Socialists of America, too, at a time when mainstream Democrats are sorting out how to win back working-class voters who broke for Trump. The 35-year-old House member has carved out a unique space for herself as a voice of influence in both the fringe and the establishment. The Bronx and Queens Democrat made her bid official Friday in a letter to colleagues amid a leadership shuffle, writing, “We must balance our focus on the incoming president’s corrosive actions and corruption with a tangible fight to make life easier for America’s working class.” The NYC-DSA chapter, among others, has been organizing in the wake of Trump’s election. Ocasio-Cortez and her local chapter hosted a “mass call” last week, and she discussed a collective response to the “incoming fascist administration.” What the DSA has that establishment Democrats do not, Ocasio-Cortez told the hundreds on the call, is “a real ability to mass mobilize and connect, particularly with disaffected people and people who are most marginalized.” Ocasio-Cortez ally and DSA City Council Member Tiffany Cabán told Playbook that having AOC at the helm of the Oversight Committee would spotlight the DSA’s “commitment to a government that works for and is accountable to everyday working-class people.” — Emily Ngo More from Congress: — Rep. Nicole Malliotakis says House Republicans should continue investigating Hunter Biden despite a pardon from his father, the president. (The Hill) — House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries picks Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) to serve a second term as head of the DCCC. (POLITICO) — New York Dems leading the House Asian Asian, Black and Hispanic caucuses vow to meet non-white voters where they are. (NY1)
| | | | Billions in spending. Critical foreign aid. Immigration reform. The final weeks of 2024 could bring major policy changes. Inside Congress provides daily insights into how Congressional leaders are navigating these high-stakes issues. Subscribe today. | | | | | | | NEW YORK STATE OF MIND | | — Rudy Giuliani’s alleged girlfriend sued John Catsimatidis for “humiliating” her and firing her from his radio station. (Independent) — Trump’s tariff plans could remake the economy along the Canadian border. (Times Union) — The city has not been doing much to prepare for the nation’s 250th birthday. (New York Post) UPSTATE OF MIND: A pack of rogue deer knocked two women off their feet during Watertown, NY’s annual Turkey Day Run on Nov. 28. (New York Post)
| | A message from Alibaba: New York companies of all sizes are partnering with Alibaba to reach over one billion international consumers. They’re generating big sales and it’s having an impact back home.
In one year alone, American businesses sold tens of billions of dollars worth of products on Alibaba’s online marketplace. These sales not only added billions to New York’s economy but also supported thousands of local jobs and billions in wages for New York workers.
Explore how Alibaba benefits local businesses and New York’s economy. | | | | | SOCIAL DATA | | Edited by Daniel Lippman IN MEMORIAM: New York City Board of Elections Commissioner Carol Edmead, a retired Supreme Court judge, died from a stroke Sunday. ENGAGED — Jack Friend, COO of Arianna Huffington’s health tech company Thrive Global (which recently partnered with OpenAI), recently proposed to Lily Rivkin, founder and CEO of Rooted Restaurants, launching in January on Madison Square Park in NYC. The couple met on Lox Club, but had unknowingly crossed paths at numerous events over the years, including her cousin's bat mitzvah party, but had never met. On a surprise trip to Paris, he proposed on Nov 9th in the backyard of the U.S. ambassador’s residence where Lily grew up as a teenager since her dad Charlie was the ambassador during the Obama administration. Pic … Another pic WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Seyward Darby, editor in chief of The Atavist Magazine, and Corey Sobel, a novelist and the author of “The Redshirt,” on Sunday welcomed Adair Darby Sobel. Pic MAKING MOVES: New York City District Council of Carpenters Executive Secretary-Treasurer Joseph Geiger is taking a broader role as vice president for the eastern district of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters. (The Real Deal) MEDIAWATCH: Paul Krugman retires as Times columnist. (New York Times) HAPPY BIRTHDAY: NYC Council Speaker Adrienne Adams … U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand … former Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin … DC37’s Henry Garrido … The Ford Foundation’s Maritza Silva-Farrell … Emil Skandul … DPS’s Richard Berkley … Michael Carey … Ryan Whalen … Glenn Youngkin … Brunswick Group’s Neal Wolin … ABC’s Terry Moran … FGS Global’s Eric Wachter … Andrew Ricci of Riccon Strategic Communications … Alexandra DeSanctis Marr … Nick Salerno … Alexander Fleiss … Jonathan Wald … … (WAS SUNDAY): NYCLU’s Donna Lieberman … former state Sen. John Brooks East Midtown’s Rob Byrnes … Gregorio Mayers … NYSDOT’s Glenn Blain … Ann Coulter … NBC’s Cesar Conde, Tom Mazzarelli and Elyse Perlmutter-Gumbiner … WSJ’s Sabrina Siddiqui … Reuters’ Scott Malon … Kerri Kupec … Joseph Zeballos-Roig … AP’s Pablo Martínez Monsiváis … Artemis Strategies’ Brooke Lorenz … ABC’s Marc Burstein … Lizzie O’Leary … Honey Sharp … artist Sophia Narrett … Robert J. Sternberg ... Ali Krimmer … Long Ellis … … (WAS SATURDAY): former CDC Director Tom Frieden … Jeff Leb … Anthony Andrews … Michael Steinhardt … Mike Klein … Bloomberg’s Bennett Roth … POLITICO’s Sam Sutton … Sarah Mucha … NYT’s Dean Chang … Ashley Killough … Hannah Fastov … Christina Freundlich … Jonathan M. Tisch ... Richard S. Sokolov ... Hannah Goldfield ... Jaime Leiman … (WAS FRIDAY): David L. Spector ... Julie T. Katzman ... Michael Greenstone ... Jon Ostrower Missed Friday’s New York Playbook PM? We forgive you. Read it here. | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
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