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There has been some interest expressed about my past work at Phipps Neighborhoods (PN) in relation to my campaign and our approach to housing policy. Though not the best medium, I’m going to address some of that here. A thread:
At PN, I oversaw & managed programs in education, job training & services for tens of thousands of NYC families, including building an afterschool model that was replicated city-wide by DYCD. I also advocated for and supported tenants against displacement. I’ve got the receipts.
I am extremely proud of the efforts we made at PN to address deeply rooted inequities and disparities, and I am committed to solving the systemic housing crisis that existed long before the pandemic.
To be clear, our systems meant to help and protect neighbors and neighborhoods are fundamentally broken. But they are working exactly as constructed and serving the wrong interests.
Ive seen the damaging effects of these systems, fought against these systems, & Im running to bring change to these systems at their root. I strongly condemn the displacement of residents. To suggest anything less is to dismiss 35 years of my work helping neighbors & communities.
One of the reasons I am running for Mayor is to address the systemic failures with a radically reimagined set of principles and priorities. As Mayor, I will prioritize building public power and expanding democratic processes to the people whose lives are most impacted.
The pandemic exacerbated our housing crisis but we have the know-how and capacity to bail ourselves out now. We need to fully restore funding cuts to affordable housing, change our outdated zoning rules, hold corrupt landlords accountable and commit to long-term solutions.
Community land trusts, rent control, right of first refusal, repurposing space for residential use, investing in the upgrading & retrofitting of public housing and resident controls are better uses of our land & resources and the beginning of a NYC that prioritizes people.
Social supports like education and job training, access to health care + legal services are essential to housing stability and homelessness prevention. Throughout my career, I’ve worked with communities to create these programs for tens of thousands of families.
Above all, as Mayor I pledge to make housing a human right and confront the fundamental crisis in our housing system that values profits and private interests over human needs and the people who literally keep this city running.
Read more about my housing policy goals: http://www.dianne.nyc/housing
