For the past decade, District 34 experienced some of the most extensive residential, commercial, and manufacturing displacement in New York City. Real estate speculation, rising rents, loss of rent-stabilized housing, and new developments with out-of-reach “affordable housing” have left families that have called Bushwick, Williamsburg, and Ridgewood home for decades with no other option than to pack up and relocate. The district is also home to a historic industrial business zone, with long-standing manufacturing businesses that provide good-paying and local jobs to thousands of New Yorkers, which are being pushed out by nonindustrial uses such as nightlife venues, tech office developments, last mile warehouses, and self-storage facilities. Small businesses that have been central to the community are priced out by rising rents, only to be replaced by vacant storefronts.

As your City Council Member, I am working to ensure that future development in the district is inclusive and balanced, with truly affordable housing, preservation of our industrial sector, community-serving uses, and opportunities for jobs and entrepreneurship that are open to all. This document serves as a guide for any future rezoning and construction in District 34, grounded in an understanding that we will only consider equitable developments that strengthen the existing community. We expect developers and city agencies to work collaboratively with us and the local community to craft proposals that are reflective of these values and principles prior to commencing the formal ULURP review process.