AFFORDABLE HOUSING

I will support legislation to reform and expand mandatory inclusionary housing beyond 20% affordable. I’ll fight tooth and nail for a community-driven approach to land development (ULURP). Moreover, I’ll vote to expand Right to Counsel for all tenants in NYC who seek representation. As a child, there were many times I came home from school to eviction notices on my front door. I remember the trauma of that housing insecurity like it was yesterday. As you read this, we have multiple high-priced condominiums opening in Harlem, while a record number of people are sleeping on our streets. This is an inflection point. Here’s what I will do if elected:

• Support Mandatory Inclusionary Housing beyond 20%

• Vote to expand right to counsel to all tenants who seek representation

• Support legislation that fully funds NYCHA

• Support every measure to preserve existing affordable housing

• Support reforming ULURP process to be community-driven and account for economic and racial justice

• Retain public land for public housing; any development of public land should be permanently affordable in perpetuity

• Work with our federal representatives to redefine affordable housing by changing the way Area Median Income is calculated

• Support a tax increase on habitable housing that is vacant for more than a year

• Work with community to introduce legislation that streamlines the process of creating community land trusts

• Organize pressure to fully implement Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act