Press Room

"In her State of the State address, the governor mentioned many of the issues facing New Yorkers, and this would represent a strong list of priorities – if the announcements on these issues demonstrated that they would be strongly prioritized. I welcome the discussion of many crucial topics including climate, housing, public safety, health care, and more. At the same time, in many areas, these intentions do not seem to be matched by the investments needed to truly renew the state, and the city I represent. Much of this speech could have been given pre-pandemic, rather than meeting the moment by envisioning a new normal.

"The governor spoke of the affordable housing and homelessness crisis – but her proposal of 100,000 units of nominally affordable housing is not sufficient to meet the need in New York City alone, much less the entire state. That commitment, compounded with a lack of commitment to pass Good Cause legislation and keep New Yorkers in their homes, shows a failure to meet the scope and urgency of the issues New York faces, which was a philosophy reflected across the address. In the area of public safety as well, I appreciated the governor’s pledges on the supply side of gun violence as well as in community group funding, but absent was a broader, bolder vision that reimagines public safety and examines its intersections with housing, health care, education, and other issues.

"I further appreciate the governor’s stated goals on ethics reform, as it remains abundantly clear that we need to eliminate the systems, structures, and incentives that empowered and enabled the previous governor’s abuses. But I also fear that this administration will make many of the mistakes of the last, whether by failing to fully reject the ways of the past or failing to learn from them in responding to the ongoing, surging COVID-19 pandemic.

"As I and others have in the past, the governor recalled the New Deal in her remarks. But absent from this address was a solid foundation of the kind of transformative economy a Renewed Deal for New York could provide. There are common sense, broadly supported measures which would generate sustainable revenue from the wealthiest New Yorkers as a civic responsibility to support struggling New Yorkers – but the governor has not supported these critical steps which would enable the kind of investment we truly need to renew New York.

"Discussion of these issues is important, acknowledged, and appreciated – but that discussion must be accompanied by the political courage to envision and enact transformational change for New York City and across the state."

"Congratulations to Speaker Adrienne Adams on being officially selected to serve as the leader of the City Council. Achieving this position requires earning the trust of your colleagues in government and the people of the city. I know from our years of partnership that she will be a strong steward of both, advancing justice and equity in our city’s laws and systems.

"To finally have a Black Speaker, a Black woman, leading the body and setting the course for the Council and the City, is as powerful as it is overdue. It is important to have diverse leadership in which New Yorkers can see themselves, leadership ready to take on this moment; and in Speaker Adams, the Council will have a leader that meets both needs. This is a momentous day in the history of the body and of our city. To hear Speaker Adams’ voice in the chamber sends a powerful message, echoing from Southeast Queens to neighborhoods around the city, empowering the New Yorkers we represent and serve.

"Assuming leadership in a time of immense challenges requires courage, and it is critical that we simultaneously overcome new obstacles, ongoing issues, and longstanding systems that have perpetuated many problems that our city faces. I am confident that under Speaker Adams’ leadership, with unity and resolve, we can create transformational change, and I look forward to joining her in leading our city through recovery and renewal."

"Amid the ongoing pandemic, it's critical that students in our city have the ability to effectively learn in a safe environment. Many students, parents, teachers and staff are concerned that those standards may not be adequately met at this moment, as both the preliminary attendance numbers and anecdotal evidence across the city show. As we approach what may be the Omicron variant's peak, with increased hospitalizations across the state, questions of increased safety risk and educational effectiveness continue to be raised.

"As we push forward we must do so recognizing, responding, and adapting to the scale of the issue. We needed mandatory testing – which the city does have the authority to implement – prior to returning to classrooms, and we need it even more urgently now. Expanded vaccination efforts in schools are also essential.

"It’s crucial that we have all the tools we need to meet this surge. Prior to the winter break, the previous administration had refused to establish the infrastructure needed for a potential temporary remote shift or even a remote option, despite nearly two years of calls to at least have a plan in place. Now, the new administration needs to prepare immediately to have these measures available, and when the situation on the ground and in our classrooms calls for it, be unafraid to use them. We must continually remember that the results of whatever action we take will not be felt for days, and act accordingly to mitigate harm."

"Solitary confinement is torture, and punitive segregation as it has been defined by the city is solitary confinement by another name. The United Nations has called for the abolition of solitary confinement, yet just a few miles away on Rikers Island, the practice continued unabated for years.

"This year, the city was finally set to implement the new Risk Management Assessment System, which was an insufficient but important step, before the administration paused it and prevented progress. As a new administration comes into office, the focus should be on creating the infrastructure needed to implement new systems and programs while ensuring that incarcerated people and corrections staff are safe, not on preserving the harmful practices of the past. Simultaneously, this means we need to continue efforts to decarcerate whenever possible as we advance the plan to expeditiously close Rikers. Passing legislation in the City Council to prohibit solitary, enshrining policy into law, is also essential and urgent. 

"This is a moment when we need to move forward; we cannot and will not go back. I intend to work with the incoming administration on achieving these goals."

"As I continue to isolate following my COVID-19 diagnosis, I am encouraged by some of the announced efforts to protect New Yorkers amid an Omicron wave and the holiday season, and deeply frustrated that they were not already in place. While expansion in testing and provision of at-home rapid tests are essential, the long lines across the city waiting for those tests show an abundant lack of preparation by the city. Barriers to testing also disproportionately harm lower income communities of more color, showing that we are still failing to learn from the mistakes of 2020.

"Given his apparent acknowledgement of the severity of risk, it is unclear to me why the Mayor has not yet shifted city workers to remote work wherever possible ahead of the holidays, with government offices leading by example. That shift should occur immediately. It also seems clear that despite calls since September, the Mayor and administration have not prepared the necessary infrastructure to make it possible to do the same for schools ahead of the holidays. They should begin preparations now in case a remote option should be necessary after the holidays, and follow the recommendation of incoming Comptroller Brad Lander to test students and educators ahead of a post-holiday return to classrooms.

"It’s not enough, as cases increase, to tout our vaccination rates in some areas. Vaccination and booster shots are the best and most essential tool we have to protect New Yorkers, but in this moment, they are not the only tool. We need to adapt – to mask up and get tested, and also to avoid large holiday gatherings and unsafe environments – to limit this wave, reduce the burden on our healthcare system, and prevent greater restrictions. New Yorkers know what works and what they can do to protect themselves and each other, and government needs to provide the infrastructure to make those precautions possible."

In the last week, New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams has announced multiple initiatives and actions aimed at advancing affordable, safe, equitable housing programs and policies for New Yorkers.

On Wednesday, the Public Advocate released a report on the shortcomings of the outgoing Mayor’s affordable housing policies, with a particular focus on Mandatory Inclusionary Housing. The report, Reviewing the Mayor’s Housing Plan to Bolster Affordability and Equity, outlines major changes the city should make to ensure our city’s housing policy no longer ignores those who are housing insecure or severely rent burdened, and prioritizes keeping New Yorkers in their homes. This analysis comes five years after the Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) policy was implemented, and as Mayor-elect Eric Adams is about to take office. It spotlights the ways in which MIH failed to address the needs of extremely and very low income New Yorkers, the benefits that it provides developers at the expense of neighborhoods, and the manner in which rezonings under MIH have exacerbated gentrification and displacement.

This follows last week’s confirmation of the Public Advocate’s appointee to the City Planning Commission, tenant’s rights attorney Leah Goodridge. Leah Goodridge has spent her career fighting for housing rights, racial justice, and community empowerment. On her appointment she said that “Development in our city is too often focused solely on profit, not on people – I believe it is not only possible, but essential to pair economic growth with community strength, and the City Planning Commission has an essential role in that work.”

Thursday, Public Advocate Williams released the annual Worst Landlord Watchlist, which spotlights the most egregiously negligent landlords in the city.The Public Advocate highlighted the city’s past failures to hold bad landlords accountable under Mayor de Blasio – and history as the worst landlord itself through NYCHA – and called on the incoming Mayor and City Council to prioritize landlord accountability as they prepare to take office next month.

The number one worst individual landlord for 2021 is David Schorr, who amassed an average 1,442 open violations across 17 buildings featured on the watchlist. Schorr ranked #75 on the 2020 list. The New York City Housing Authority, which continues to rank as the overall worst landlord in the city for the fourth year in a row, saw a dramatic increase in the number of deteriorating or dangerous conditions. As of November 2021, there were 600,480 open work orders in NYCHA buildings across the city. The de Blasio administration will end with a significantly greater number of open orders than when it began in January of 2013, when NYCHA reported a backlog of over 420,000 work orders citywide.

Public Advocate Williams also called on the incoming City Council to move swiftly to pass the Worst Landlord Accountability Act, a package of bills aimed at correcting and preventing disingenuous tactics used by some of those landlords in order to attempt to remove themselves from the list.

“The housing and homelessness crisis in our city must be addressed with action on many fronts, from planning and development to maintenance and negligence.” said Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams. “As a former tenant organizer and Housing Committee Chair, I’m committed to continuing the work with my office to push for housing justice and equity. From misplaced land use to misconduct by landlords, New Yorkers are facing increased cost and deteriorating conditions – it’s time to implement policies and programs that meet this moment and this need.”