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A GOVERNING PLATFORM FOR DISTRICT 3

New York does not lack ambition.
It lacks disciplined execution

HOUSING

The Facts

Over 52% of NYC renters are rent-burdened, and nearly 30% are severely rent-burdened, paying more than half their income on housing. NYCHA faces an estimated $78 billion capital repair backlog. Since the 1990s, more than 150 Mitchell-Lama developments have exited affordability protections. Manhattan median asking rents exceeded $4,000/month in 2024. Rising land values driven by speculation increase costs citywide.

My Record

Stood with NYCHA residents demanding transparency in redevelopment proposals


Challenged opaque land-use deals as President of The City Club of New York

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Reviewed environmental impact statements line by line as former CB5 Land Use Chair


Supported 100% affordable housing projects

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Opposed projects that fueled speculation without meaningful affordability

My Vision

Preserve NYCHA as Section 9 public housing


Protect Mitchell-Lama and limited-equity co-ops


Strengthen anti-harassment enforcement and tenant protections


Revisit large tax abatements that distort land values


Prioritize housing stability over speculative growth

EDUCATION

The Facts

NYC schools remain among the most segregated in the nation. Class size reduction mandates require caps of 20 (K–3), 23 (4–8), and 25 (high school), but implementation is uneven. Nearly 1 in 5 students has a disability, and IEP service delays persist.

My Record

Advocated for parents navigating special education systems


Supported public school families through civic leadership and district engagement


Defended democratic process as a district leader overseeing elections

My Vision

Fully implement class size reduction without budget cuts for individual schools


Enforce IEP compliance with real accountability

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Promote excellence without segregation


Expand arts and civic education across all schools

HEALTHCARE & MENTAL HEALTH

The Facts

NYC receives over 170,000 mental health-related 911 calls annually. Public hospitals serve more than 1 million patients each year, many uninsured. Emergency response often substitutes for preventive care.

My Record

Consistently supported strengthening public infrastructure over privatized shortcuts


Advocated for policy solutions that address root causes of instability

My Vision

Expand mobile mental health crisis teams


Strengthen community-based mental health centers


Protect and fund public hospitals


Integrate supportive housing with healthcare access

DISABILITY RIGHTS

The Facts

Only about 30% of NYC subway stations are ADA accessible. Elevator outages create daily mobility barriers. IEP noncompliance disproportionately impacts low-income families. Community boards do not represent the voices of the disabled community. Access to workforce is the biggest challenges faced by disabled people. 

My Record

Pressed for compliance with environmental and accessibility standards in development review


Opposed waivers and shortcuts that undermine accessibility

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Advocated for appointment of disabled individuals to community boards

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Advocated for sound signals for the visually impaired at Penn Station

My Vision

Accelerate subway accessibility upgrades

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Create pathways to ensure access to workforce


Enforce ADA compliance in public and private development


Improve elevator reliability and maintenance


Ensure emergency preparedness plans fully include people with disabilities

CLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT

The Facts

NYC discharges billions of gallons of combined sewer overflow annually during heavy storms. Nearly 1 million New Yorkers live in flood-prone areas. Buildings account for roughly 70% of citywide greenhouse gas emissions. Infrastructure upgrades often lag behind rezoning approvals.

My Record

Scrutinized environmental impact statements for infrastructure gaps


Demanded accountability in major land-use and redevelopment projects


Advocated for resilience planning tied to real capacity upgrades

My Vision

Upgrade stormwater and sewer systems before approving density increases


Accelerate responsible building electrification


Strengthen coastal resilience protections


Ensure environmental review has enforceable consequences

TRANSPORTATION

The Facts

Average Manhattan bus speeds hover between 6–8 mph. Over 700,000 vehicles enter Manhattan’s central business district daily (pre-congestion pricing). Penn Station serves over 600,000 passengers per day, yet remains operationally inefficient. Only 30% of subway stations are accessible.

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Congestion wastes time, increases emissions, and limits mobility.

My Record

Organized international rail panels advocating through-running modernization


Publicly supported congestion pricing implementation


Advanced transit accountability through civic advocacy

My Vision

Expand bus priority lanes and improve reliability


Modernize Penn Station with regional rail integration


Improve pedestrian safety and protected bike infrastructure


Reduce congestion to improve air quality and emergency response times

LGBTQIA+ RIGHTS & SAFETY

The Facts

District 3 is home to historic LGBTQIA+ communities in the West Village and Chelsea. Yet progress is not guaranteed. Hate crimes against LGBTQ+ New Yorkers have risen in recent years. LGBTQ+ youth experience disproportionately high rates of homelessness, with estimates suggesting they represent 20–40% of the homeless youth population while comprising a much smaller share of the general population. Transgender New Yorkers continue to face barriers in healthcare access, employment, and safe housing.

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Equality requires vigilance — not nostalgia.

My Record

Earned the endorsement of State Senator Tom Duane, a pioneer in LGBTQIA+ civil rights


Advocated consistently for public institutions that protect vulnerable communities


Supported sanctuary city protections for immigrant LGBTQ+ residents


Opposed displacement pressures that threaten long-standing LGBTQ+ cultural spaces

My Vision

Strengthen funding for LGBTQ+ youth housing and homelessness prevention


Protect gender-affirming healthcare access


Ensure NYPD training and accountability on hate crimes enforcement


Support trans-inclusive policies in schools and city agencies


Preserve cultural institutions and historic LGBTQ+ spaces in District 3

ARTS, CULTURE & CREATIVE INFRASTRUCTURE

The Facts

New York City’s cultural sector supports over 300,000 jobs and generates billions in economic activity. Yet small theaters, nonprofit arts organizations, and working artists face rising rents and shrinking rehearsal and studio space. Affordable artist housing is increasingly scarce. Federal changes under HOTMA (Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act) could affect rent calculations and income eligibility for residents in subsidized housing — including artists living in federally assisted developments.

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When artists leave, neighborhoods lose more than performances. They lose identity.

My Record

  • Advocated for preservation of artist housing and cultural institutions in District 3

  • Supported Westbeth and other limited-equity and mission-driven housing models

  • Challenged land-use proposals that threatened cultural infrastructure

  • Elevated arts policy in civic forums and public programming

My Vision

  • Protect and expand funding for the Department of Cultural Affairs and small arts nonprofits

  • Preserve and expand affordable housing for working artists

  • Monitor and ensure fair implementation of HOTMA rules so artists in subsidized housing are not displaced by federal regulatory shifts

  • Integrate cultural space preservation into land-use decisions

  • Treat arts as core civic infrastructure — not an afterthought

SMALL BUSINESS & COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS

The Facts

Small businesses employ nearly half of New York City’s private workforce. Yet commercial rents in Manhattan remain among the highest in the country. Post-pandemic recovery has been uneven, with storefront vacancy persisting in some corridors while regulatory burdens — from permitting to compliance fines — strain small operators. Illegal cannabis shops proliferated citywide, distorting legal markets and frustrating corridor stability.

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Small businesses are not “amenities.” They are neighborhood infrastructure.

My Record

  • Advocated for fair land-use decisions that protect neighborhood retail character

  • Opposed oversized developments that destabilize local commercial corridors

  • Supported balanced outdoor dining policies with accountability

  • Consistently pushed for transparent regulatory enforcement

My Vision

  • Streamline permitting for small businesses

  • Support state-level commercial rent reform efforts

  • Strengthen enforcement against illegal smoke shops while protecting legal operators

  • Ensure outdoor dining remains seasonal and well-regulated

  • Treat small businesses as economic anchors, not collateral damage

PUBLIC SAFETY & QUALITY OF LIFE

The Facts

While major crime remains below historic highs of past decades, felony assault complaints in Manhattan remain elevated compared to pre-2020 levels. Retail theft, subway incidents, and street disorder contribute to public anxiety. At the same time, mental health crises increasingly intersect with public space. Quality-of-life concerns — sanitation, lighting, noise, sidewalk obstruction — directly shape daily safety perceptions.

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Public safety is both enforcement and environment.

My Record

  • Advocated for serious, evidence-based governance rather than performative rhetoric

  • Supported infrastructure and environmental upgrades that reduce disorder

  • Opposed policies that ignore neighborhood impacts

My Vision

  • Focus enforcement on serious and repeat violent offenses

  • Expand mental health crisis response teams

  • Improve lighting, sanitation coordination, and public space maintenance

  • Strengthen hate crime enforcement, particularly for LGBTQIA+ and immigrant communities

  • Balance safety with civil liberties

 

Safety must be steady, not politicized.

SANITATION & STREET MANAGEMENT

The Facts

New York generates over 12,000 tons of residential waste daily. Rat mitigation, sidewalk cleanliness, and containerization remain ongoing challenges. Outdoor dining sheds, sidewalk obstructions, and construction staging often strain pedestrian access — particularly for seniors and people with disabilities.

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Clean streets are basic governance.

My Record

  • Supported containerization and rational street management policies

  • Advocated for pedestrian-first planning in land-use decisions

  • Opposed long-term infrastructure that diminishes public space usability

My Vision

  • Expand containerized trash collection

  • Enforce shed removal deadlines

  • Improve sidewalk accessibility enforcement

  • Coordinate sanitation, DOT, and NYPD for consistent corridor management

  • Protect pedestrian space as public space

SENIORS & AGING IN PLACE

The Facts

More than 1 million New Yorkers are over age 65, and District 3 includes large NORCs and naturally occurring senior communities. Many seniors rely on rent stabilization, SCRIE/DRIE protections, and accessible transit. Elevator outages and rising living costs threaten aging in place.

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Stability for seniors stabilizes neighborhoods.

My Record

  • Advocated for housing preservation that protects long-term residents

  • Supported limited-equity housing models that sustain intergenerational communities

  • Prioritized accessibility in infrastructure discussions

My Vision

  • Strengthen SCRIE/DRIE outreach and enrollment

  • Improve elevator maintenance accountability

  • Expand senior center programming and healthcare navigation

  • Improve pedestrian safety at high-injury intersections

  • Ensure seniors can remain in their homes and communities

PARKS & PUBLIC SPACE

The Facts

District 3 includes Hudson River Park, Washington Square Park, Chelsea Waterside Park, and numerous community gardens. Public space usage surged during and after the pandemic. Maintenance funding and capital investment must keep pace with demand.

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Parks are public health infrastructure.

My Record

  • Advocated for responsible waterfront and land-use planning

  • Opposed development that compromised open space access

  • Supported environmental accountability in waterfront projects

My Vision

  • Secure consistent funding for park maintenance and staffing

  • Protect community gardens from development pressure

  • Strengthen waterfront resilience planning

  • Improve lighting, cleanliness, and safety in high-use parks

  • Treat parks as essential civic infrastructure

COMMUNITY BOARDS & LOCAL DEMOCRACY

The Facts

New York City has 59 community boards, volunteer bodies that review land use applications, liquor licenses, capital budgets, and neighborhood planning proposals. While technically advisory, their recommendations influence multimillion- and multibillion-dollar decisions. Yet boards often lack independent planning resources, early disclosure on major projects, and truly representative membership. When appointments skew toward insiders, public trust erodes.

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Community boards are where democracy meets the block.

My Record

  • Served for years on Community Board 5, including as Chair of the Land Use Committee

  • Led rigorous review of rezonings and environmental impact statements

  • Strengthened procedural transparency and serious deliberation

  • Treated public testimony as substantive input — not ceremony

My Vision

  • Recommend appointments that reflect the full diversity of District 3 — renters, NYCHA residents, small business owners, seniors, artists, and working families

  • Ensure representative voices across race, income, age, and neighborhood

  • Oppose the appointment of registered lobbyists whose professional interests conflict with community representation

  • Advocate for earlier disclosure of major projects before formal ULURP certification

  • Provide boards with independent technical planning support

 

Community boards should reflect the people who live here — not the interests that profit here.

STANDING UP TO SPECIAL INTERESTS

The Facts

Major development projects often receive hundreds of millions in tax abatements. Land-use decisions shape billions in property value shifts. Public trust declines when negotiations lack transparency.

My Record

  • Litigated pro se when transparency failed

  • Opposed deals that did not withstand scrutiny

  • Maintained independence from political machine structures

My Vision

  • Full transparency in land-use negotiations

  • Strong oversight of tax abatements and subsidies

  • Independent governance free from machine politics

  • Decisions driven by residents — not donors

THE STANDARD

Competence.
Transparency.
Independence.

District 3 deserves leadership that reads the fine print — and enforces it.

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