Press Room

"This has been a year of loss and grief for so many across our city. As we now look with hope to a recovery - seen this weekend in outdoor gatherings that would have been unthinkable a year ago - we must acknowledge that recovery means remembering.

"Today in particular, we remember all those who have been killed in the course of military service for our nation. It is vital to show our gratitude, through memorial, for the sacrifice of all who risk and lose their lives in defense of others. We must separate opposition to particular military actions, which I often express, from appreciation of the people willing to answer the call to service, which include members of my own family.

"As New Yorkers celebrate safely this Memorial Day, we honor and uplift those who showed the dedication, resolve, and spirit of service to protect their fellow neighbor."

"One hundred years ago today in Tulsa, Black Wall Street burned. Hundreds of lives were lost as a violent mob, desperate to uphold white supremacy and oppress their Black neighbors, descended on a thriving Black community with bloodshed, burnings and bombings, destroying lives and livelihoods.

"This tragedy is so underdiscussed, undertaught, buried through willfulness and ignorance, that it can now feel incredibly distant by design. But as survivors of this attack know, as they still suffer the harm of a century ago, the massacre in Tulsa is not so far removed from this moment.

"For a mob fighting to uphold white supremacy through violence, we need only look back to January of this year. For efforts to suppress Black power, steal Black wealth, and take Black lives, we need only to look around our nation.

"The truth is that we're still rebuilding Tulsa. There, and in communities that have been denied support and investment all across the country, we are still waiting for renewal. And we must continue to fight back against systems that are working as designed to prevent that."

"When CityFHEPS housing vouchers are valued far less than the units they’re intended for, they become essentially useless – all but ensuring that New Yorkers most in need of safe, stable, affordable housing will not be able to access it. Half-measures perpetuate the affordable housing and homelessness crisis rather than meaningfully addressing it, and as rents continue to rise, the current voucher value becomes more inadequate.

"Intro. 146-C will fundamentally transform the program, matching CityFHEPS voucher value to federal Section 8 subsidies. New York should be leading the nation in efforts to provide low-income individuals and families access to quality housing – but it must at least be on par with national standards. This legislation would be transformative for homeless, housing insecure, and extremely low income New Yorkers – it’s fiscally prudent and morally necessary.

"I congratulate Council Member Levin, the City Council, and all of the dedicated advocates who have worked for years to finally bring Intro 146 to a vote, and I look forward to the Council passing it today."

"One year ago today, George Floyd was murdered on a Minneapolis street, and on camera. When the world witnessed his death, it launched a protest movement of a scale and scope unlike any we've seen in decades - and this anniversary asks us to reflect on where we've been, where we are, where we're going.

"In a year, we've seen the beginning of a long overdue national reckoning on racial injustices, demanded through activism across the country. But we've also seen many assert, whether through intention or ignorance, that Black lives matter less than white privilege. We've seen rising bigotry, and hateful voices condemn George Floyd in death, and condemn the movement his death inspired. We've seen the path before us on the moral arc toward justice, but also how far that arc still stretches. We've seen so, so many more Black lives lost.

"And while we heard millions declare a year ago that Black Lives Matter, it seems that removed from the moment, many of those voices have quieted in confronting the challenge of real change. It's vital that we not allow leaders to take a knee without then taking action. To use symbolic steps as a means of slowing or stopping real progress on injustices and public safety.

"It's critical to acknowledge that while George Floyd's death spurred a movement, while we lift up his name in the cause of justice, that he did not sacrifice his life. It was stolen from him. And when we talk about Justice for George Floyd, it doesn't simply mean consequences for Derek Chauvin. It means the kind of transformational change that would have kept George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Eric Garner, Ma'Khia Bryant, Breonna Taylor, Daunte Wright, Ramarley Graham, Philando Castile, Sandra Bland, Trayvon Martin, and too many others, alive. And that's change we'll still be pursuing for many more anniversaries."

"This weekend, dozens of New Yorkers were victims of the ongoing epidemic of gun violence - I pray for them, their families, and their communities. The staggering national increase in shootings over the last year coincided with the pandemic, but the trend continues today. I fear that as temperatures rise, so will those numbers, and the lives they represent. And I know, as this occurs in a city with the largest police force and budget in the country, that no amount of headcount or funding is the solution.

"On the eve of the anniversary of George Floyd's murder, this is a reminder of the reality that communities of more color are squeezed by both street violence and police violence, and that we should not have to choose between addressing one or the other. New York has an opportunity to lead, and I want to hear from the current leadership, and everyone vying to succeed them, about how they plan to keep New Yorkers safe with a holistic approach to public safety and without the past models that rely on oppressive overpolicing that we know destroy community trust and threatens community safety."

"As a parent, I'm glad that we have reached a point where this level of re-opening could be possible in September - we all know that in-person learning is our best educational tool. As a policy maker, I know that it's critical we approach this announcement, and this pending step, with caution, and ensure that we spend the next several months increasing vaccination and access while decreasing transmission in order to achieve this goal in line with medical guidelines.

"When over a third of families are still hesitant to allow their children to return to the classroom in person, it is incumbent upon the city to engage with communities to both ensure safety and assure hesitant New Yorkers of that safety. It's similarly crucial to make clear that measures and protections will be provided equitably. We now have the resources to help ensure that students' mental and physical well-being are prioritized and protected, and the city must begin to implement these strategies now in order to build infrastructure and trust. 

"As we have seen again and again since schools first went remote last March, the state of the coronavirus pandemic is constantly changing, and the school plans that changed with it created an untenable situation. Even now, as the Governor suggests he may again bigfoot city action with state policy, our leaders are still engaging in the back-and-forth bickering that has created confusion throughout this time. In moving ahead with its goal, the city needs to have a contingency plan for any problems that arise - and for meeting the needs of the most vulnerable - and parents, students, teachers and school staff have a right to see that plan well before we head back to school in the fall."