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Cea Weaver
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Cea Weaver | |
|---|---|
 Weaver in 2019 | |
| Director of the New York City Mayor's Office to Protect Tenants | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2026 | |
| Appointed by | Zohran Mamdani |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1988 or 1989 (age 36–37) |
| Party | Democratic Socialists of America |
| Education | Bryn Mawr College (B.A.) New York University (M.A.) |
Cea Weaver (born Celia Weaver) is an American tenant organizer who serves as the director of the New York City Mayor's Office to Protect Tenants since 2026. She previously coordinated the statewide organization Housing Justice for All and was a central figure in the campaign that led to the passage of the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019. A member of the Democratic Socialists of America, Weaver has advocated for rent strikes and regulations that prioritize housing for community use rather than profit. She was appointed to her current municipal role by mayor Zohran Mamdani on January 1, 2026.
Early life and education
[edit]Weaver was born in 1988 or 1989 and grew up in Rochester, New York.[1] She completed a B.A. in Growth and Structure of Cities at Bryn Mawr College in 2010.[1][2] Weaver earned a M.A. in Urban Planning from New York University's Wagner Graduate School of Public Service in 2014.[2] Her father, Stewart Weaver, manages a rental property.[3]
Career and activism
[edit]Early activism
[edit]Following her graduation in 2010, Weaver worked as an AmeriCorps volunteer, organizing in multi-family buildings that were facing foreclosure during the aftermath of the financial crisis.[4][1] She began her career in tenant organizing in New York City that same year.[4] From 2010 to 2015, Weaver focused on organizing for tenant control over rent-stabilized housing in Crown Heights.[4] During this period, she helped form the Crown Heights Tenant Union (CHTU) to advocate for rent stabilization on a broader level.[4]
Weaver was a leader in the formation of the Upstate-Downstate Housing Alliance in 2017, which sought to unite renters across New York State.[5] She helped form and served as the coordinator for the statewide tenant organization Housing Justice for All, as well as the director of the New York State Tenant Bloc.[6][7][4] In this capacity, she was a central figure in the campaign that led to the passage of the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019.[8] The legislation eliminated vacancy decontrol and tightened regulations on rent increases for stabilized apartments.[5]
Political career
[edit]Weaver is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and served on the steering committee of its New York City chapter as of 2019.[1] She has stated that her interest in socialism stemmed from her experiences witnessing the housing crisis and the "unmooring" of the concept of homeownership for her generation.[1] In 2017, she posted that voters should "elect more communists".[9]
During the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City in 2020, Weaver advocated for rent strikes as a form of collective political action to pressure the government for intervention.[10] She argued for "turning a moment where people cannot pay into a moment of political activity."[10] On her X account, she vocally supported the #CancelRent movement and supported residents participating in eviction blockades.
In 2021, New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams nominated Weaver to the City Planning Commission.[11] However, following controversy surrounding her social media activity, Williams withdrew her nomination.[11][12]
On January 1, 2026, newly inaugurated New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani appointed Weaver as the director of the Mayor's Office to Protect Tenants.[6] Mamdani stated that the office would be "reinvigorated" under her leadership to defend tenants' rights and ensure swift agency action on unsafe conditions.[8]
Controversial social media posts
[edit]Following her appointment by Mamdani, deleted posts from Weaver's Facebook and X accounts reemerged that critics characterized as racially charged and radical.[13] Weaver's comments included a post celebrating the government's "sacred right to seize private property",[13] a 2018 post calling to "impoverish the white middle class" and labeling homeownership as "racist",[12][14] and a 2019 post arguing that "homeownership is a weapon of white supremacy masquerading as 'wealth building' public policy".[12][13][14]
Her remarks led to backlash from political opponents and property owner advocacy groups, who argued the views were extreme for a city official overseeing housing policy.[12][15] Former New York City mayor Eric Adams commented on X that, "Homeownership is how immigrants, Black, Brown, and working-class New Yorkers built stability and generational wealth despite every obstacle. You have to be completely out of your f****ing mind to call that 'white supremacy."[12][13] In response to the criticism, a spokesman for Mamdani said "she was vetted... we were aware of all of these tweets" and defended Weaver’s record as a tenant organizer, stating she would "work with us to hold landlords accountable and ensure New York City tenants are living in safe, clean homes".[12] In an interview, Weaver called her comments "regretful" and "not something I would say today".[13][14]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e Freeman, Joshua B. (2019). "DSA Today: Interviews with Activists in the Democratic Socialists of America". New Labor Forum. 28 (2): 16–24. doi:10.1177/1095796019837936. ISSN 1095-7960. JSTOR 26675612.
- ^ a b "Faculty: Cea Weaver". Gallatin School of Individualized Study. Retrieved 2026-01-02.
- ^ "More Cea Weaver posts unearthed, father "manages rental property"". Newsweek. 2026-01-07. Retrieved 2026-01-07.
- ^ a b c d e Elrod, Andrew (2025). "Tenants on the March: An Interview With Cea Weaver". Dissent Magazine. Archived from the original on 2025-10-10. Retrieved 2026-01-02.
- ^ a b Teresa, Benjamin; Howell, Kathryn; Demarest, Leah (2021). Case Studies (Report). Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. pp. Page 8–Page 19. JSTOR resrep43250.6.
- ^ a b Garber, Nick (2026-01-01). "Mamdani picks Cea Weaver for tenant job, wades into housing bankruptcy case". Crain's New York Business. Retrieved 2026-01-02.
- ^ Eisenpress, Cara; Weaver, Cea (August 2025). "The Debate: Freeze the rent". The Real Deal.
- ^ a b Prussin, Mark (2026-01-01). "Mamdani's 1st executive orders as NYC mayor boost renter protections, housing development". CBS News. Archived from the original on 2026-01-02. Retrieved 2026-01-02.
- ^ Curtis, Amy (January 5, 2026). "You'll Own Nothing: New York Socialists Are Coming for Your Home". Townhall.
- ^ a b Brenzel, Kathryn (May 2020). "New York real estate pros and foes clash on rent strike, Covid response". The Real Deal.
- ^ a b Kromrei, Georgia (March 2021). "Tenant Activist Cea Weaver Nixed From City Planning Commission". The Real Deal.
- ^ a b c d e f Rubinstein, Dana; Goldenberg, Sally; Zaveri, Mihir (2026-01-06). "This Activist Has Long Been Polarizing. Mamdani Is Standing by Her". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2026-01-09. Retrieved 2026-01-09.
- ^ a b c d e Prater, Nia (2026-01-07). "Mamdani Backs Housing Appointee As Past Social-Media Posts Resurface". Intelligencer. Archived from the original on 2026-01-07. Retrieved 2026-01-07.
- ^ a b c Offenhartz, Jake (2026-01-07). "NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani defends tenant official after backlash over 'white supremacy' posts". PBS. Archived from the original on 2026-01-09. Retrieved 2026-01-09.
- ^ Shivonne, Adeja (2026-01-05). "What to know about Cea Weaver, NYC's tenant advocate". FOX 5 NY. Archived from the original on 2026-01-06. Retrieved 2026-01-06.