Council Member Sara M. Gonzalez was raised and educated in Sunset Park since she was a year old. She attended community public schools including PS-1, PS-314 and Fort Hamilton High School. Gonzalez is a graduate of Staten Island College, and attended Columbia Graduate School of Business Management. In November 2002, she was elected to the New York City Council in a special election to represent the 38th Council District. She was re-elected in November of 2003.

In the Council, Gonzalez has been at the forefront of the fight for affordable housing. She was successful in negotiating with the mayor's office, in cooperation with Council Speaker Gifford Miller and other colleagues, to secure a commitment from the Department of Housing Preservation and Development to earmark $6 million to build affordable housing over the next five years in Southwest Brooklyn. Gonzalez has also continued her opposition to the placement of power plants in residential areas. She has fought for health care for all, increased emphasis on schools, and for immigration reform. In the Council she is fighting to ensure a fair share of city resources for the 38th Council District.

Prior to her election to the Council, Gonzalez was a civic activist and community leader for over three decades. She served as the first Latina chairperson of Community Board 7 in Brooklyn and as the Executive Director of Hispanic Young People's Alternatives, a non-profit community-based organization serving youth and seniors throughout Southwest Brooklyn. While chairperson of Community Board 7, Gonzalez worked for environmental justice, waterfront development, and health care for all. She helped get funds designated for a new high school within the 38th Council District. She collaborated with the Chinese American Planning Council to continue the Beacon program at Pershing JHS, fostering harmony between the two communities. She was instrumental in continuing the Beacon program at MS-136. She helped spearhead the movement for HIV/AIDS education and prevention and was Co-Founder of Discipleship's HIV Programs in 1988. Gonzalez' experience, initiative and commitment to the community have contributed to the improvement of the quality of life in the district.

Entered City Council: 11/20/2002
Current Term Expires: 12/31/2009

Represents: Bay Ridge Towers, Boerum Hill, Brooklyn Waterfront, Gowanus Houses, Park Slope, Red Hook, Sunset Park, Windsor Terrace, Wycoff Gardens

Committees: Juvenile Justice (Chair); Aging; Land Use; Planning, Dispositions & Concessions; Women's Issues; Youth Services