Press Room

"It is undeniable that housing costs are increasing for everyone, including owners, as the affordability crisis deepens. The solution cannot be to demand increased rent from tenants who are struggling to remain in their homes as it is. Rising, unpayable rents will do nothing to alleviate the costs incurred over the pandemic – rather, they will exacerbate the problem and escalate the mounting eviction crisis. The suggested increases have been unreasonable, untenable, and unacceptable – raising rents without raising wages would tax poor and working New Yorkers. The city and state need to support those who are struggling, such as through utility relief, not pass on the burden to tenants who have been left without a moratorium or good cause eviction protections.

"As the Rent Guidelines Board prepares to cast a preliminary vote this evening, I urge them to consider not only the costs, but the context of a pandemic that persists, even if some would prefer to pretend it doesn’t. In their vote which will affect the lives and livelihoods of so many New Yorkers, the board should continue the approach and trend of the past two years, as the economic and human impact of the pandemic continues."

“Eid Mubarak to all New Yorkers celebrating the end of the holy month of Ramadan. Across our city, members of the Muslim community break the fast this evening. I was honored to be able to share in several observances over the last month, including by hosting our inaugural Iftar as an office, and I have been invigorated by the spirit of compassion and community that I know will extend beyond today’s celebrations.

“As New York’s recovery continues – and as we continue to confront new variants and waves of the virus – Eid al-Fitr is a reminder of our obligation to serve and support one another in this shared struggle, through shared strength. The messages of Ramadan extend beyond the month itself, regardless of personal creed, and the principles of cooperation, charity, self-reformation, and community service guide our lives and our leaders.

"I hope that Ramadan has been a powerful time for all who practice Islam, and I pray that peace, blessings, and light are granted to all on this holy day and beyond."

"This last-minute order from the New York State Court of Appeals, just weeks before voting begins, will and already has created chaos and ultimately be a disservice to voters. Splitting primaries will raise costs and lower voter turnout, undoing the reforms of years past and causing voters to become disillusioned and disengaged. In New York City, after immense community engagement and input, advocates crafted ‘Unity Maps,’ which were ultimately unused. It is those maps which should now be considered as we move forward to create maps where communities and voters are well represented and heard.

"Regardless of where district lines ultimately fall, it now falls to the state to conduct a massive voter engagement and education effort, to attempt to mitigate the drop in voter turnout in a state where turnout is already historically low. This work needs to be done across neighborhood boundaries and language barriers, and it must be accompanied by collaboration with candidates who have had the time and resources they’ve spent now upended. It is important to create accommodations so that neither voters nor the people seeking to represent them are disenfranchised.

"Amid a tide of conservative efforts to reduce voters’ voice and power, New York had an opportunity to stand as a beacon. The goal of redistricting is to ensure that voters are equitably, accurately represented and served by their government, and it is clear that in this decision and the ones that led up to it, New York has failed in that goal."

"The budget framework that the mayor put forward today was encouraging — it seems to indicate broad agreement on some of the most urgent issues facing our city and in need of funding. There are points of disagreement on some specific approaches and allocations, there always are, and I will continue to highlight them. At the same, this proposal would make substantial investments toward many of the programs and initiatives our city desperately needs and that my office and I have long fought for.

"Public safety — not simply law enforcement but all it encompasses, including housing, healthcare, education, and economic justice — is clearly a priority in this budget, as well as for my office and for my colleagues in the City Council. I’m excited that many of the strategies and systems I’ve long advocated for are receiving the funds and focus they need. Additional funding for non-police responses to mental health crises, and for the community-based solutions to combat gun violence, are critical and welcome investments, and must be followed with a clear plan to better structuralize these systems and save lives. Substantially increasing youth services, both in school and over the summer through SYEP, is essential to not only meeting this moment for our city but for strengthening its future. I’m hopeful that as budget negotiations continue, as more details become known and clear, we can secure the resources needed to renew New York, building on strategies we know work and rejecting those that have failed New Yorkers for far too long.

"Much of what I heard from the mayor today was indicative of who I’ve worked with and the work we’ve done together to advance our city over the last decade in office. Over the next two months I look forward to working with the administration and the Council to finalize the budget — partnering where we agree, pushing where we differ, and prioritizing justice, equity, and investment in progressive solutions to the challenges our city faces."

"In 2019 we passed a resolution calling on NYCHA to add marijuana possession to its list of ‘overlooked offenses’ and stop using low level offenses as grounds for eviction. Three years later, even as the state has finally legalized marijuana, NYCHA’s antiquated and illogical prohibition is still in place.

"This ban is inherently inequitable – people in whiter, wealthier communities are able to openly use recreational marijuana at home, while NYCHA residents – often lower income New Yorkers of more color – could lose their homes for doing the same. While the city, state, and federal government fail to adequately support and protect NYCHA tenants from mold, pests, and other hazards, their focus should be on enforcing basic building codes, rather than harmful, outdated policies."

"As someone who benefited from the gifted and talented program in its original, pre-Bloomberg construction, I know the value of accelerated and enriched education. Adding more seats, more access, more opportunity is an improvement that will extend these benefits to more students. At the same time, it is also an expansion of a program that is inherently inequitable. Even when I was enrolled, the gifted and talented program had deep inequities, which have only become more pronounced in the decades since.”

“The most effective path forward is through a schoolwide enrichment model, integrating subject-specific accelerated programming, and the students receiving it, into mixed level classrooms rather than separating children onto different tracks as toddlers. The best way to ensure each of our children has the best education is to remove harmful barriers in the classroom and the social, racial, and economic inequities they represent and perpetuate."