If you guessed New York made the list sadly, that is incorrect. We had a painful, years’ long “Fight for $15” in 2012. It would take more than a decade for us to earn a whopping $1 more. In the meanwhile, a monthly MetroCard rose from $112 to $132 today; a gallon of milk went from $3.49 to over $6. But the lion’s share of many district 7 residents’ monthly income goes to rent. As you climb farther north in the district, we are among the most severely rent-burdened. Despite the average cost of a studio being only $1,444 per month in cities like Tukwila, Washington, their workers earn over $20 per hour. Seatac and Mountain View follow closely behind. Contrast Tukwila with the average cost of a studio in our district. The $0.50 increase is not much to celebrate.

What can I do as Council woman to mitigate the effects of this problem? The solutions primarily rest in my housing, education and economic development policies!

Growing up here I remember the boisterous laughter of children playing as soon as the weather was decent; grandparents retiring at a reasonable age; immigrant families like mine who despite working blue collar jobs were able to purchase a home where they could raise families then retire in with their children eventually doing the same without the student loan debt-to-income ratios that now prevent many from becoming homeowners or even renters. My dream is to restore New York City to being the intergenerational, place of social mobility and opportunity of my childhood—minus the crime! Don’t let neoliberal nonsense bamboozle you into believing that it’s the stuff of communism or pipe dreams to attempt a return to that. I am running for City Council because affordable housing, educational opportunities that lead to professional success and healthier, stable communities are not only possible, but we have a right to them. Ask me how at our next town hall event!

New York has a right to shelter, but not a right to housing. While well-intentioned, that right to shelter has given rise to the “shelter industrial complex”, which not only leave us morally bankrupt, but cost at a minimum 3.6% of the city’s budget not counting privately run shelters. Some of this is due to unnecessary displacement like fire evictions. I have worn many hats in the housing fight from helping pro-se tenants litigate to working to preserve affordable co-ops.