New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani reacts as he speaks during a press conference at NYPD headquarters in New York City, U.S., January 6, 2026. REUTERS/Angelina Katsanis
(New York, New York) – The rhetoric of New York City’s new tenant-rights leadership is colliding with reality after records revealed that the mother of a top aide in Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration owns a $1.6 million home in one of the most aggressively gentrified cities in the country.
Cea Weaver, has drawn widespread backlash after videos have resurfaced of her deeming homeownership, “a weapon of white supremacy”. Public records show Weaver’s mother, Celia Applegate, is a longtime homeowner in Nashville, Tennessee – where she and her partner purchased a Craftsman-style home in 2012 for just over $800,000. The property is now valued at more than $1.6 million.
The revelation has fueled criticism that Weaver’s ideology is less about housing justice and more about selective outrage. In archived social media posts, Weaver repeatedly attacked private property, landlords, and what she described as “gentrifiers,” while arguing that housing should be forcibly taken if deemed necessary by the state.
Despite the controversy, Mamdani has stood by the appointment, saying Weaver was chosen to “hold landlords accountable” and protect tenants. City Hall has declined to address questions about the apparent contradiction between Weaver’s public ideology and her family’s personal wealth tied to homeownership.
The issue has also drawn attention beyond City Hall. Officials in the U.S. Department of Justice signaled they are closely monitoring developments in New York, particularly as the Mamdani administration pushes aggressive tenant policies that critics warn could infringe on property rights.
For supporters, it has done little to dampen enthusiasm for an agenda aimed at reshaping New York’s housing market.
Either way, the contrast between rhetoric and reality is proving difficult to ignore – especially as City Hall elevates voices calling homeownership oppressive, while those closest to them quietly profit from it.
