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votehenderson41
votehenderson41
What type of housing do you live in? NYCHA
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? As someone who is consistent in being on the front lines fighting for it, it means that everyone has access to affordable, high-quality housing without discrimination, corporate greed or seeing tenants as a dollar sign.
What actions have you taken in the past to fight for housing justice? Recently, I was in Albany with Citizen Action of NY and Community Voices Heard who lead a coalition of us fellow NYCHA residents for the annual public housing lobby day. In the past, I have attended public housing days in both Albany and City Hall. I have done press conferences standing up for true housing justice and this is something I’ve been consistently committed.
What are the most pressing housing issues, and what would you do as an elected official to address them? Affordability, Quality and Access. As an elected official, I will push for immediate funding by being on the finance and economic development committees to help bring funding to our communities that are in immediate need. I will also pass legislation that will enforce vacant units in the city to participate in the section 8 program and fill in the over 500,000 residents waiting for affordable housing.
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)?
Yes
Please explain your answer. As a NYCHA resident, I am seeing what RAD is doing to developments who chose to say yes, and the eviction rates are higher, the conditions are worse and tenants are being force in even more horrifying spaces; its important in these times that NYCHA residents be in support of each other. This is also important for buildings who have horrible landlords who want to be free from their terrible leadership .
What is one rent and/or eviction protection you would enact if you had the opportunity?
I would greatly expand the good cause eviction legislation
Do you agree that all evictions are violent? Yes
Why or why not? As someone who has been evicted, it retraumatized me as I remember how it felt when NYPD came in to take us away to go into foster care; they dont care about how you feel, they treat your things like its nothing and they are armed as if we are not supposed to feel a way as we are overwhelmed with emotions. This is wrong and inhumane
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 members of the RGB are not a reflection of the people of our city; they answer to the mayor. As councilmember I will greatly push for everyday tenants to be a part of the board through introducing legislation, where they can provide answers that will help tenants the RGB greatly ignore every year.
Do you support the NYCHA 2.0 Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) and other privatization schemes? No
Please explain why or why not: It is an intentional tactic to drive out Black and Brown residents; I have yet to hear any good report about RAD and I will not allow it come come into our district.
NYCHA has suffered from chronic underfunding, neglect, and disrepair. What do you see as the best strategies to rectify these problems?
Immediate funding and we present it in phases that are in immediate need; the City has the money to do it, its about getting it done and moving forward.
How would you use your office to put pressure on landlords to make repairs and stop harassing tenants?
I would introduce legislation that will protect tenants from harassment and included in the legislation i will enforce severe fines that will go towards the immediate repairs that will be completed withing 90 days to 1 year.
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? Yes
Why or why not? There are tenants who are living in horrible conditions, every year the city releases the worst landlord list, and justice is not served, we have to see our tenants as people who need our support because they put their trust in us by voting for us.
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?
All Housing in the 41st District will be 100% true affordable housing, with units having an AMI no greater than 40%; if public private partnership should happen, the AMI’s greater than 40% must be section 8 eligible to ensure the people in the district can afford it.