Career and activism
Early activism
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
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
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]
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