Op-eds by stakeholders, policymakers and other citizens of New York
‘Single room occupancy units are one of the earliest forms of affordable housing, allowing hundreds of thousands of working-class residents to live here. And yet, New York City has limited their construction for 65 years, supposedly in the name of progress.’
‘NYCHA buildings are dilapidated, and residents are bombarded with every health and quality of life issue imaginable, from leaking pipes to broken elevators.’
‘Restaurants are a critical part of the economy, employing 10 percent of New Yorkers. We saw during the pandemic how important they are to communities. Outdoor spaces, heated and cooled, were gathering spaces through the year for weary New Yorkers.’
‘We are seeing a rampant level of opposition to every suggestion of new housing going back to before the COVID-19 pandemic. If we are going to address the housing shortage and fuel the recovery, we must strengthen our practices to ensure there is always a net positive for communities.’
‘I’m telling my story in the hope that fewer people like me, struggling with drug use and mental health issues, end up in here. I am writing to ask the New York State government to pass the Treatment Not Jail Act, which would mean people who get arrested because they really need help actually get treatment, and not jail.’
‘The department has chosen to pursue a reopening plan—decided upon in April 2021 and not revisited since—that goes against the wishes of the student body and common-sense health concerns.’
‘Though the Commission’s mandate is simple—everyone should be able to live as their full selves with dignity and respect—executing that mandate takes investment, commitment, and resources.’
‘In one of the most expensive housing markets in the country, people will continue to rent basement apartments whether they are legal or not. We need legalization to make them safe.’
‘This month, the mayor announced he will be reopening one of the closed jails on Rikers to accommodate the rising jail population driven by unchecked fear mongering from his police commissioner. This is the wrong move, especially under the horrific conditions in which people are currently being held.’
‘I marched alongside thousands of people to send an unequivocal message to Democrats in Congress, including my own representative Sen. Chuck Schumer, that they make the rules, not the parliamentarian. They have the power to deliver an expansive and inclusive pathway to citizenship through reconciliation this year.’
‘If our most affluent public school families choose to donate the value of their P-EBT card, New York City charities could reap as much as $150 million.’
