Adolfo Carrión, Jr., current commissioner at the Department of Housing, Preservation and Development, will serve as the new deputy mayor for housing, economic development, and workforce—replacing Mayor Maria Torres-Springer, who resigned last month amid turmoil over the mayor’s dealings with President Donald Trump.
Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office
Adolfo Carrión Jr. at a press conference with Mayor Eric Adams on Jan. 30, 2022, when he took the helm at HPD.
Adolfo Carrión, Jr., current commissioner at the city’s Department of Housing, Preservation and Development (HPD), will serve as the new deputy mayor for housing, economic development, and workforce—replacing Mayor Maria Torres-Springer, who resigned last month amid turmoil over the mayor’s dealings with President Donald Trump.
Mayor Eric Adams announced the appointment Friday, when he also filled three other high-ranking administration posts: Suzanne Miles-Gustave, Esq. will take over as deputy mayor for health and human services, Jeffrey D. Roth as deputy mayor for operations, and Kaz Daughtry as deputy mayor for public safety.
The positions were recently vacated after the four previous deputy mayors who held those roles said they were stepping down, following the Trump administration’s move to dismiss the federal bribery and corruption charges against the mayor.
Trump’s Justice Department said the indictment interfered with Adams’ ability to cooperate with the president’s immigration crackdown—spurring accusations of a quid pro quo (the mayor has denied any such deal, as well as the charges against him).
“I appreciate all the good work of our outgoing team members,” Adams said in a statement Friday of the departing deputy mayors. “All four have been vital to our work reshaping New York City. We’ve broken record after record together, and New Yorkers owe them an enormous debt of gratitude for their service to our city. I wish all four all the best in their future endeavors.”
Carrión, Jr.—who once ran for mayor himself—was appointed to lead HPD in 2022, where he’s overseen Adams’ “moonshot” goal of building 500,000 new homes as well as the mayor’s signature City of Yes for Housing plan, which updates the zoning code to make it easier to build residential.
“Our core task is to focus on the fundamentals that allow New Yorkers to succeed: a good home, a job, and the freedom to pursue their dreams in the greatest city in the world,” Carrión, Jr. said in a statement Friday. “We will continue to produce record affordable housing and create the stability and economic opportunity New Yorkers need to thrive, while ensuring our city remains an attraction for tourism and investment.”
His long career in public service includes working for the Obama administration’s White House Office of Urban Affairs, and as a regional administrator with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. He is a former city councilmember and was Bronx borough president from 2002 to 2009.
Carrión also previously worked for several years as a consultant for a Bronx developer investigated by the state for poor conditions and slow repairs at its properties, as City Limits reported in 2022.
The shake-ups at City Hall follow a tumultuous year for Adams, who was indicted in September for allegedly accepting bribes from Turkish nationals. The Trump administration is seeking to dismiss those charges, what critics say is intended to secure the mayor’s help in carrying out mass deportations. A federal judge is currently weighing that dismissal request.
Adams, who has denied wrongdoing, is up for re-election this year in an increasingly crowded mayoral race. Candidates vying for the top seat at City Hall include City Comptroller Brad Lander, State Sen. Jessica Ramos, State Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, former Comptroller Scott Stringer, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, among others.
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