Aleda Gagarin is running for New York City Council from District 29 — Forest Hills, Kew Gardens, Rego Park, and Richmond Hill — because NYC’s future hangs in the balance. As we battle unprecedented challenges in public health, housing, schools, policing, transportation, climate change, the collapse of so many key industries that sustain our families, and the exodus of half a million New Yorkers (and counting) since March, we cannot afford timid steps or half measures.
Our city has been decimated by Covid-19, and while all of us have suffered, working class communities and communities of color have been hit hardest. To truly protect from our city from Covid and future crises, we need an intersectional approach.
I’ll ensure local businesses have access to grants, low-interest loans, and the support services they need to thrive while they continue to serve and employ our neighbors.
The New York City public school system should be the envy of the nation, but failed leadership, bad policy decisions and executive waste now pit communities against each other, with educational success determined by your zip code.
What we need is deeply and truly affordable housing, not more development that leads to half-empty, overpriced condominiums that serve as investment properties while thousands of families get pushed out.