The Advocate

A town hall creates space for members of the public to pose questions and share feedback with public officials or candidates. That is, a town hall is one of your best moments as a constituent to be in the same room with your representatives and make your voice heard, literally. 

If you’d like to be more active in the community, share ideas with your peers, and get more involved in local politics, town halls are a great place to start. 

We’re happy to share that the Office of the Public is hosting a town hall on Tuesday, June 17, and would like to invite you to join us. If you can’t make the event in person, you may watch the livestream via our website, advocate.nyc.gov.

Here are three reasons why town halls are important for civic engagement, and why you should join our 2025 State of the People Town Hall.

1 - Building Community

Town halls are not just about your elected officials. In fact, they’re more about constituents. This is a perfect space to meet other folks in your community and brainstorm ways to organize yourself and your neighbors. In a moment when a lot of New Yorkers are feeling powerless, take advantage of this space to cultivate collective care, community, and resistance. There’s power in numbers, so get ready to network!

2 - Providing Feedback

Democracy is a two way street, and town halls are an ideal opportunity to share your lived experience and your community’s needs. The role of the Public Advocate’s Office is to forge a connection between New Yorkers—all 8,478,000+ of us—and city government. At this town hall on June 17, we’re excited to hear directly from constituents.

3 - Brainstorming Ideas for a Better New York

If there are pieces of legislation or policies that you think would improve New York City, this is the time to let us know directly! Other constituents might be thinking the same thing as you or, even better, they can help you fine tune your proposal and bring it one step closer to making it a reality. Think carefully about your vision—we may all be able to help make it happen, together!

If you attend the 2025 State of the People Town Hall and want to be in similar collaborative spaces with your fellow New Yorkers, consider attending a Community Board meeting or joining to serve your neighborhood! Here’s how to get involved with your Community Board.

Photo Credit: Caroll Andrewsk for the Office of the New York City Public Advocate, 2024 State of the People

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