NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams has lost his Brooklyn home to foreclosure after amassing nearly $1 million in mortgage debt.
Williams, who earns a six-figure salary as public advocate, stopped paying on a $389,600 mortgage he took out in 2006 to fund a failed vegan sandwich shop in Park Slope.
Court records show Williams ceased making his $1,344 monthly payments in 2010, and the debt ballooned to over $784,000 by 2023 with interest and penalties.
Bank of America, which acquired the loan, foreclosed on the two-family Canarsie property in January.
A public auction last month failed to attract a single bidder willing to cover the $944,582 owed. The home now belongs to the bank.
Williams and his mother originally purchased the home in 2005 for $370,500, and he became the sole owner a year later.
Despite collecting rental income from tenants and earning an annual salary of $184,800, Williams fell behind on his mortgage payments, blaming bad loan terms and tenants who didn’t pay rent.
The foreclosure comes as a blow to Williams, who has built a public career advocating for tenants’ rights and holding landlords accountable.
Critics, including Queens Councilman Robert Holden, have accused Williams of hypocrisy, noting that he pocketed rent from tenants while failing to pay his own mortgage.
“Jumaane Williams has been paid a six-figure taxpayer-funded salary for years, yet he couldn’t manage his debts or keep his home,” Holden said.
“Why should anyone trust him to handle the people’s business if he can’t handle his own?”
Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar, who is challenging Williams in the upcoming primary for public advocate, echoed the criticism.
“Like the very slumlords he calls out, Jumaane Williams collected rent but couldn’t manage his own property.
This isn’t just bad judgment—it’s pure hypocrisy,” said Rajkumar’s spokesperson.
The property, located at 1392 E. 98th St., has faced additional issues, including sanitation fines and overdue water bills.
Williams was fined $300 in 2020 for maintaining a “dirty area” outside the property, and his water bill debt exceeded $10,000 in 2022 before it was eventually paid off.
Williams no longer lives at the Canarsie home. He currently resides in a townhouse at the Fort Hamilton US Army Garrison in Bay Ridge with his wife, a lobbyist, and stepdaughter.
As foreclosure proceedings continue to raise questions about his financial decisions and credibility, Williams remains a polarizing figure.
His housing troubles cast a shadow over his public role, leaving many to question whether his actions align with the principles he claims to stand for.