Holocaust survivor, 86, priced out of NYC says Mamdani skipped scheduled housing meeting
As a toddler, Sami Steigmann survived Nazi medical experimentation. Now, at 86, he is struggling to find safe housing in New York City.His situation comes as New York City residents...
By Fox News · Fox News
As a toddler, Sami Steigmann survived Nazi medical experimentation. Now, at 86, he is struggling to find safe housing in New York City. His situation comes as New York City residents face rising housing costs, despite campaign promises from city leaders to improve affordability. Steigmann, who has called New York City home since the 1980s, can no longer safely navigate his second-story apartment in Harlem. Earlier this year, he asked to have a one-on-one meeting with New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani , who ran on a platform centered on lowering housing costs. Although the meeting was scheduled, Steigmann says the 34-year-old mayor never kept the appointment. "Promises made, not kept," Steigmann told Fox News Digital. "His claim to fame was affordable housing. I'm not disappointed because I didn't expect him to keep his word. It is what it is." DEMS WHO RAN ON AFFORDABILITY NOW FACE BACKLASH AS COSTS CLIMB "It would have been nice, but you know politicians," he said with a smile. He added that he was no longer interested in meeting with Mamdani. Mamdani's office did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. For now, Steigmann said his focus is on finding a safe place to live as New York City's costs continue to climb. "New York is the most expensive city in the country, especially for independent living. Rent is about $6,000 a month for a one-bedroom apartment," he said. Steigmann, who lives on a fixed income of $1,649 per month, said he cannot afford an apartment that is both safe and accessible to public transportation. The physical toll of his current living situation has only added to the challenge. Born in 1939 in Romania, Steigmann was deported with his parents to a Nazi labor camp at about age 2. Too young to work, he was subjected to medical experimentation for at least three years before the camp was liberated. "I was subjected to medical experiments, so I'm in pain every single second, but I learned to live with it. Now, because of my age, 86, I h…