Cea Weaver

How do you solve a problem like Cea? 

That’s been the real estate industry’s question since at least 2019, when Weaver was instrumental in getting the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act passed in the state legislature. The law gutted the ability for owners of rent-stabilized units to raise their rents, creating a hole in the revenue projections of those properties. 

It’s rare for a tenant advocate to have such name recognition, but Weaver has personally become a stand-in for the tenants’ rights movement.

Weaver at one point became a prolific social media personality, something that’s gotten her in hot water with the tabloid press. 

Weaver was part of the team that founded the statewide Housing Justice for All with the goal of getting tenants ready for 2019, when New York’s tenants’ laws were going to sunset. HJ4A built a statewide coalition, adding Good Cause Eviction and opt-in statewide rent-stabilization to appeal to upstate renters.

Now, Weaver has a new and more powerful post. After years on the outside, she’s entering government, working from City Hall to head the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants. The gig could help her achieve her ultimate vision: vast city-owned portfolios, bought at fire sale prices after HSTPA. But it could also be a place where Weaver’s aspirations come head-to-head with political and material realities. 

— Lilah Burke