Mayor Zohran Mamdani wants to convert many private-sector housing units for low-income residents into public housing, freeze rents and impede private construction. Sure. That will bring rents down.

Last week, the city held the first of five “rental ripoff” show hearings – allowing tenants to air complaints about housing conditions. Fine. Expose slumlords.

But the hearings ban the 500,000 tenants who live in the city’s public housing units. What a story they would have to tell given the deplorable condition of these units and egregiously incompetent government oversight. It turns out the government is the worst landlord of all.

Why not privatize those public housing units and turn them over to the tenants for $1 so they can become owners? That’s the best way to make sure the apartments and the neighborhoods aren’t run down.

Oh yeah. We forgot. The mayor doesn’t believe in private property.