Mamdani’s First Budget Unveiled: Numbers Did Not Match Promises
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s campaign promises that made waves during his election period are back in the spotlight with his first performance report! The figures disclosed on critical issues ranging from free child care to affordable housing revealed the gap between targets and outcomes.
The first comprehensive report revealing the performance of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani's administration was published. The 2026 Fiscal Year Mayor’s Management Report (MMR) laid bare the latest figures on child care and affordable housing policies that Mamdani highlighted in his campaign.
Participation in the 3-K Program Declined
One of Mamdani’s key promises in the 2025 election campaign was to expand free child care for children under five across the city.
However, according to the official report released on September 17, the number of students registered in New York City’s 3-K program for three‑year‑old children fell to 43,678 in the 2026 fiscal year. The previous fiscal year, the figure was 44,729.
Thus, while the program’s enrollment dropped by roughly a thousand students, it also fell short of the target set at 45,454.
A similar picture emerged in the city’s free Pre‑K program. Participation hovered at 55,042, while the target had been set at 59,250.
The Mamdani administration argues that the decline in childcare programs stems from insufficient promotion and access investments from previous years combined with demographic shifts. The administration aims to increase participation in the upcoming education term through new investments.
Numbers in Housing Policy
Another key agenda item of the Mamdani administration is solving the housing crisis in New York. The administration's "Block by Block" plan envisions the creation of 200,000 new affordable housing units and the preservation of 200,000 existing affordable units over the next decade.
According to the city's official data, 26,971 affordable housing units were completed in the 2026 fiscal year, the highest figure in the past five years. Mamdani's government also explained that financing was secured to create or preserve 12,491 affordable units during the first six months of 2026, the first half of the year since taking office.
In contrast, the New York Post noted that some other housing indicators in the report showed a slowdown in affordable housing financing compared with the previous fiscal year and also indicated a decline in performance regarding expedited application processes for housing applications.
The Administration Views the Report Differently
The Mamdani administration, however, evaluates the report overall positively. The mayor’s office highlighted progress in areas such as affordable housing, the decline in homicides, participation in youth programs, road maintenance work, and tree planting.
After the report was released, Mamdani said the administration is working to make New York more affordable and safer, adding that the results were deemed insufficient and that services need further improvement.
An important detail of the data in the report is that the entire assessment period does not belong to the Mamdani administration. The fiscal year 2026 covers July 1 2025 to June 30 2026; therefore the first six‑month section of the report corresponds to the tenure of former mayor Eric Adams, while the second half aligns with the first six months of Mamdani’s term. Consequently, the annual results in the report reflect Mamdani’s initial months in office but are not data generated entirely under his leadership.
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