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Mamdani releases documentary on fight that changed NYC housing
The film follows a years-long campaign that reshaped the future of nearly 100 New York City apartment buildings.
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Malvika Choudhary - Thu, 06, Aug 2026
- 12:42 EDT
- 45
Documentary's poster / YouTube/ NYC Mayor's Office
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Aug. 4 released a short documentary highlighting the advocacy for better housing conditions by tenants of former Pinnacle Group buildings.
Titled, The Union of Pinnacle Tenants: A Short History of NYC Housing, the film chronicles how tenants across 93 buildings organized through the Union of Pinnacle Tenants (UPT) to secure a commitment from new owners to invest $30 million in repairs and forgive rent arrears.
Also Read: Mayor Mamdani sets 2.5% savings target for NYC agencies
The documentary features interviews with tenants and city leaders, along with footage from key moments in the years-long campaign. It also follows the tenants' ongoing efforts to negotiate fair lease renewals, quality repairs and other housing protections.
According to the mayor's Office, it documents how residents organized after Pinnacle Group filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2025, prompting tenants across the portfolio to form a citywide union and advocate for a greater role in determining the future of their buildings.
On his first day in office, Mamdani visited a Pinnacle building and directed the New York City Law Department to intervene in the company's bankruptcy proceedings in support of UPT.
City officials said the intervention helped secure commitments from the buildings' new owner, Summit Properties, to invest at least $30 million in repairs, forgive tenants' rent arrears and address housing code violations.
"The Union of Pinnacle Tenants has shown what becomes possible when neighbors organize. Across nearly 100 buildings, tenants came together and won important victories that made real, material impacts in New Yorkers' lives. I'm proud to stand with them as they continue the fight for affordable, dignified housing across the city," Mamdani said.
"This film tells the story of that organizing, but I hope it also reminds New York City tenants that the power to change their living conditions begins with one another. The most protected tenant is an organized tenant," he added.
The documentary is part of the administration's broader housing agenda, including its Block by Block housing plan and the Rental Ripoff Report, which seek to strengthen tenant organizing, increase enforcement against negligent landlords and advance policies such as legally recognizing tenant unions.
The administration has also issued a "Right to Organize" letter reaffirming tenants' rights to contact neighbors, form tenant associations and hold meetings without landlord interference.
Most recently, the Mayor's Office of Mass Engagement and the Mayor's Office to Protect Tenants launched the "Talk to Tenants" campaign to inform residents of their rights, including the right to organize tenant unions.
The Mayor's Office said it will also partner with UPT to host screenings of the documentary across New York City's five boroughs.
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