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What type of housing do you live in? Regulated rental apartment
Are you now, or have you ever been a landlord? No
If yes, how many units and briefly describe what your experience has been.
Does your campaign accept contributions from real estate developers (including related individuals), corporate lobbyists, organizations that participate in the carceral system, and/or landlords? No
Have you ever worked in, or had another affiliation with, the Real Estate industry? No
Have any of your campaign or advisory staff held a position as a corporate lobbyist or an executive role with the Real Estate industry? No
If so, how can we be assured you will have tenants’ interests in mind?
Do you believe housing is a human right? Yes
If so, what does that mean to you, and if not, why not? I recognize housing as a fundamental human right, shaped by my personal experiences growing up in an impoverished area of Santo Domingo, where I faced housing insecurity and endured homelessness twice in this country. Since immigrating to the United States, my family has lived in low-income housing in The Bronx, paying rent while navigating the challenges of an expensive city. Over the years, I have assisted thousands of constituents with housing issues. With the rising cost of living and rent, I am committed to collaborating with housing organizations and policy experts to make meaningful investments in affordable housing, homeownership, and ending our homelessness crisis. We must halt unreasonable rent hikes, build true affordable housing for all, hold landlords accountable for deceptive practices that force constituents out of rent-stabilized units, and invest in programs that create pathways to homeownership.
What actions have you taken in the past to fight for housing justice? Throughout my career, I have remained committed to empowering communities, advocating for policies that enhance the lives of working individuals, and assisting families in navigating government bureaucracy. From a young age, I have been a passionate advocate for tenants’ rights and affordable housing, including my involvement in the expansion of Columbia University in West Harlem during the early 2000s, where I worked alongside the Mirabal Sisters Cultural and Community Center, Inc. I have also managed thousands of housing-related cases as Director of Constituent Services at the NYC Comptroller’s Office, ensuring tenants are connected with essential social services to help them secure and maintain stable housing. I am deeply committed to advancing policies that prioritize low-income housing and firmly believe that the future of our city depends on bold leadership that consistently supports working families and fosters opportunities for all.
What are the most pressing housing issues, and what would you do as an elected official to address them? We must halt unreasonable rent hikes, end the homelessness crisis, build true affordable housing for all, hold landlords accountable for deceptive practices that force tenants out of rent-stabilized units, and invest in programs that create pathways to homeownership.
I am committed to collaborating with housing organizations and policy experts to ensure meaningful investments are made in the creation of low-income housing, expedite the processing of rental assistance vouchers, and prevent future rent hikes that align with the rising cost of living. These efforts will be critical to protecting tenants and ensuring affordable housing options for everyone.
Have you or anyone close to you (family, friend, etc) been evicted or been threatened with eviction? Yes
Have you ever had to fight a landlord for repairs or faced harassment? Yes
Do you believe that housing should be decommodified (publicly owned and tenant-controlled)?
No
Please explain your answer. I don’t fully believe that housing needs to be entirely decommodified to ensure that it serves as a human right rather than a commodity for profit. While there are some landlords in our city who provide safe and livable conditions for our residents, there are others who fail to meet these standards, and their buildings should be considered for public ownership and tenant control.
I believe we can create a more equitable system by making decisions with the well-being of tenants in mind. In addition to developing low-income housing, we must also push for the creation of low-income homeownership opportunities. By shifting control to communities and prioritizing long-term affordability, we can build a system that serves the people, not just the market.
What is one rent and/or eviction protection you would enact if you had the opportunity?
If given the opportunity, I would enact a rent freeze for tenants facing financial hardship, those who have previously experienced homelessness, and in cases where the Department of Social Services has failed to process any pending applications for rental assistance. This protection would provide stability for vulnerable tenants, preventing displacement and giving them the time needed to access necessary support and resources.
Do you agree that all evictions are violent? Yes
Why or why not? I believe housing is a fundamental human right, and evictions not only contribute to the housing crisis but also have a profound impact on the mental health of residents, their families, and children. There is always room for negotiation to ensure that proper solutions are reached, allowing us to address the challenges we face and work toward the betterment of our city.
Do you support the concept of universal rent control? Yes
For decades the Rent Guidelines Board has fueled the affordability crisis it was created to address. Most NYC tenants are rent-burdened, and hundreds of thousands of families, primarily Black and brown, are forced to deprive themselves of necessities to keep a roof over their heads, while owners’ profits hover near the 40% mark. Do you support freezing or even rolling back rents given these circumstances?
Yes
Do you support proposals to revise the RGB to make it more responsive to the needs of the tenants it was created to protect? Yes
Why or why not? The RGB was created to address and protect the needs of NYC tenants. However, with rising rents and the growing affordability crisis, the board has shifted away from prioritizing the concerns of the very people it was designed to protect. By ensuring that the board takes into account the economic realities faced by tenants—such as the rising cost of living and wage stagnation, we can better protect the working class and vulnerable renters, ensuring access to proper housing for all.
Do you support the NYCHA 2.0 Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) and other privatization schemes? No
Please explain why or why not: I fully commit to opposing efforts to privatize NYCHA and will advocate for increased funding and resources to address its urgent needs. Our government must take decisive action to prevent privatization, which could result in the loss of true low-income housing. The years of mismanagement and lack of accountability within NYCHA have placed immense pressure on its residents, and we must ensure that public housing remains accessible and secure for those who need it most.
NYCHA has suffered from chronic underfunding, neglect, and disrepair. What do you see as the best strategies to rectify these problems?
For years, I have worked closely with tenants, community leaders, and housing authorities to ensure proper living conditions and help navigate the complex process of resolving thousands of work orders for necessary repairs. To promote greater accountability and transparency in NYCHA’s management, I will advocate for stronger oversight measures, including annual agency audits, and work with fellow lawmakers to make deceptive practices, such as falsely closing work orders or misrepresenting completed repairs, punishable by law.
Additionally, I will collaborate with my colleagues in government to secure the necessary funding for NYCHA developments, ensuring that the over 300,000 residents who call NYCHA home have access to safe and livable housing.
How would you use your office to put pressure on landlords to make repairs and stop harassing tenants?
As Councilmember, I will leverage my experience as one of NYC’s Directors of Constituent Services to build a strong and well-versed constituent services unit. I will advocate for the presence of a housing lawyer in our office twice a week to provide critical legal support to tenants.
Additionally, I will organize periodic community meetings with tenants and housing organizations to create a space where housing concerns can be openly discussed and addressed. This proactive approach will ensure that we are effectively working to resolve housing issues and supporting our community in a meaningful way.
Do you support regulating the 300,000 deregulated rent-stabilized apartments? Yes
Do you support significant expansion of HPD’s emergency repair program, including adequate funding, with the city correcting hazardous violations when the landlord doesn’t act promptly, then bills the landlord for the repairs and takes title to the building if the landlord doesn’t pay, keeping it as social housing? No
Why or why not? Yes, I strongly support the significant expansion of HPD’s emergency repair program, with a focus on ensuring it is adequately funded. The city must take a more proactive role in protecting tenants from unsafe living conditions, particularly when landlords fail to address hazardous violations promptly.
By empowering HPD to play a more active role in correcting these violations and billing the landlord for repairs, we send a clear message: if landlords want to do business in our city, they must uphold their responsibility to provide safe and habitable housing for our residents.
When landlords fail in this duty, we must hold them accountable. We must take decisive action to ensure tenants remain in safe, secure homes and that their rights are protected. This approach will strengthen tenant protections and promote greater accountability within the city’s housing system.
Do you support stronger penalties against landlords that practice source of income discrimination? Yes
Despite the city’s commitment to a right to counsel for low income families facing eviction in housing court, currently fewer than half of eligible tenants are getting lawyers. Meanwhile, landlords have pressed the courts to speed up the eviction process so they can take advantage of record high rents, negating efforts to reduce homelessness. Do you support fully funded right to counsel and slowing down the housing court eviction mill?
Yes
What other ideas do you have to address the housing crisis, and what is your strategy for accomplishing them?
The homelessness crisis has deeply impacted my district and The Bronx as a whole. In neighborhoods where affordable housing is scarce and the cost of living continues to rise, we see the placement of unwanted shelters and a lack of comprehensive, sustainable housing plans for this vulnerable population.
To address this crisis and the shortage of true affordable housing, one of our campaign’s key platforms is to expand affordable housing options and homeownership opportunities for all. This includes supporting the construction of more affordable housing units, increasing the percentage of those units allocated to individuals experiencing homelessness, and expanding housing on vacant city-owned lots. We will also advocate for the immediate processing of rental assistance vouchers and push for the creation of a dedicated unit that ensures families and individuals qualifying for these vouchers can access housing without delay.
Additionally, we will work closely with the Department of Social Services to ensure that landlords and housing providers are not only paid on time but also feel supported in offering housing to this vulnerable population. We will also pursue legal action against those who discriminate against tenants in need of housing.
Finally, we will collaborate with the Department of Homeless Services to explore innovative solutions that make current temporary housing locations more welcoming and ensure social services are a top priority in helping constituents find permanent housing.
Through these initiatives, and others, I am committed to addressing the housing and homelessness crisis head-on, offering long-term solutions that provide housing for all.