@sandyforcouncil
@sandyforcouncil21
sandynurse.blusky
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? It means just what it says.
What actions have you taken in the past to fight for housing justice? Many. I’ve joined Met Council on a number of actions over the years in support of keeping housing affordable and for new affordable housing.
What are the most pressing housing issues, and what would you do as an elected official to address them? Rent raises, the dwindling stock of rent stabilized apartments, lack of strong code enforcement, lack of enough personnel to address code enforcement, not enough housing lawyers.
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. I believe in this concept, but I don’t see how the tenants who should be most in control of their apartment buildings can attain that without incredibly state resources.
What is one rent and/or eviction protection you would enact if you had the opportunity?
Stopping Illegal Evictions – I have a package of bills on this issue.
Do you agree that all evictions are violent? Yes
Why or why not? They are violent.
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? I support a reform of the RGB that gives equal power to the Council and the Mayor.
Do you support the NYCHA 2.0 Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) and other privatization schemes? No
Please explain why or why not: Same problems as the old problems. Although there are upgrades that I can appreciate.
NYCHA has suffered from chronic underfunding, neglect, and disrepair. What do you see as the best strategies to rectify these problems?
The state should commit to funding them since we aren’t getting any money from the federal government anytime soon.
How would you use your office to put pressure on landlords to make repairs and stop harassing tenants?
All I do is yell at landlords and agencies. It’s like 90% of my job.
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? I support it.
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?
We have a ton of bills that we hope to move forward around housing.