New York City Mayor Mamdani recently appointed Cea Weaver as the new director of the Tenant Protection Office. Weaver has been known for fiercely criticizing the private homeownership system in the past, despite her own mother owning a luxury home, leading to accusations of inconsistency. On Wednesday morning, she briefly appeared outside her residence in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, but broke down in tears when faced with questions from reporters before retreating indoors without providing direct answers.
Various media outlets reported that when the 37-year-old Weaver left her apartment around 9 a.m. on Wednesday, she was questioned about her mother’s residence in Nashville, Tennessee, valued at around $1.6 million. The situation visibly distressed Weaver, who was seen leaving the scene tearfully.
Weaver has recently come under scrutiny due to unearthed social media posts from her past. In 2019, she stated, “Private property, especially homeownership, is a tool of white supremacy.”
Public records indicate that Weaver has an educational background from Bryn Mawr College and New York University. Critics argue that her criticism of private property from her middle-class white background while avoiding discussing her family’s ownership of high-value properties is hypocritical.
Facing mounting criticism, Weaver defended herself in an interview with NY1 on Tuesday, admitting regret over some of her previous language. She stated, “I don’t think I was irrational at the time, but there are things I wouldn’t say today… However, my decades-long experience in fighting for affordable housing speaks volumes by itself.”