New York’s socialist mayor, Zohran Mamdani, promises to spend $22 billion over the next five years building 200,000 new “affordable” homes and “preserving” another 200,000. Time will tell if he meets that goal even as he sets higher minimum wages for construction workers. But an even larger transfer of wealth is embedded in the mayor’s new “Block by Block” housing plan, which will force many landlords to hand their property over to corrupt and unaccountable nonprofit organizations.Speaking May 26 in Brooklyn, Mamdani recounted past efforts that secured “stronger rent stabilization laws” for tenants and “right to counsel” for people being evicted in housing court. Mamdani promised to investigate “every single” complaint made by tenants and to support tenant organizations. “If you form a tenant union, the city will stand with you,” Mamdani said. “We will deliver the accountability you deserve from your landlord by doing a roof-to-basement inspection of your building.”Then he revealed what is really at the center of his plan. “Finally,” he said, “through our new citywide campaign, ‘Fix the City,’ we will focus on the worst landlords in New York City. When necessary, we will take aggressive legal action to remove negligent owners and property managers. And for buildings that have suffered chronic neglect, we will work to transfer ownership to responsible stewards. Stewards that include community land trust and nonprofits.”