By Bazona Barnabe Bado
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani attended the Bronx Economic Development Summit on Saturday, June 6, 2026, at the Andrew Freedman Home in the Bronx. The two-day summit brought together community, faith, and labor organizations to envision a stronger future for the borough. Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson and other elected officials were also present.
“Since 2019, community, faith, and labor organizations have come together to create a unifying vision for the future of our borough’s economy that brings us together across neighborhoods and advances an economy that is equitable, resilient, and environmentally sustainable,” the organizers said.
In his speech, Mamdani praised the summit’s organizers for their work on economic development in the Bronx and focused much of his remarks on housing policy. He pointed to the 1970s, when the Bronx was devastated by arson, disinvestment, and neglect that destroyed much of the South Bronx housing stock and displaced thousands of residents. He described the crisis as the result of landlord insurance schemes, systemic disinvestment, and government negligence.
“Today, the policies of the past continue to affect the lives of those who call the Bronx home,” Mamdani said. “The Bronx continues to suffer destructive fires at the highest rate in the city.”
He promised to crack down on the borough’s worst landlords and invest \$22 billion to build 200,000 new affordable housing units.
He also addressed the rising cost of groceries. “We will combat the rising cost of groceries by opening a grocery store in the Bronx next year,” he said.
Over the two days, participants took part in several panels exploring the core strategies and approaches that guided the Bronx CEDS process, the economic analysis that shaped the report’s priorities and action steps, and the ideas of leaders from across the Bronx, the nation, and abroad who are advancing bold, community-rooted economic development initiatives.