NYC’s Eric Adams says homeownership is how immigrants built lasting wealth, blasts Mamdani pick for extreme comments

Core Perspective - The political controversy surrounding housing affordability in New York City has intensified due to remarks made by Cea Weaver, a key housing appointee, which have drawn criticism from former mayor Eric Adams and others [1][2][3] Group 1: Political Reactions - Former mayor Eric Adams criticized Weaver's statement that homeownership is a "weapon of white supremacy," arguing that homeownership has historically been a means for immigrants and working-class individuals to build wealth [2][4] - Adams described Weaver's comments as reflecting "extreme privilege and total detachment from reality," emphasizing the importance of homeownership across various racial and ethnic groups [4] - U.S. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon stated that the Justice Department is closely monitoring the situation in New York City, indicating potential federal scrutiny of the remarks and their implications [3] Group 2: Homeownership Statistics - According to the NYC Commission on Racial Equity, homeownership rates in New York City show disparities: 32.7% of Black families own their homes, compared to 46.6% of white families and 51% of Asian families [5] - Marlon Rice, a candidate for the New York State Senate, shared a personal story illustrating how homeownership served as a means to uplift his family from poverty, countering the narrative that it is a tool of white supremacy [4][5]