Closing racial gaps in wages, housing credit, lending opportunities, and access to higher education 

Equity is defined as,

“the consistent and systematic fair, just, and impartial treatment of all individuals, including individuals who belong to underserved communities that have been denied such treatment, and otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality.”

Affordable Rental Housing and Homeownership Equity

Lack of affordability in rental housing for Black and Brown working families

2021-22 initial proposal – NYC Mayor to apply local neighborhood AMI standards and restructuring the affordability brackets in use for developments

Lack of safety and habitability in public housing for low-income families

2021-22 initial proposal – NYC Mayor to hold NYCHA to state-law warranties of habitability and quiet enjoyment

Violations of the laws and tenets of the Fair Housing Act in NYC supported 421-a

2021-22 initial proposal – NYC Mayor to impose mandate that HPD apply NYS tenant protection laws, and impose penalties for rental overcharges, harassment of rent regulated tenants, rental price gouging, and lack of access to, and price-discrimination in, NUC government-sponsored, -funded or -supported developments

Lack of access to homeownership retention options for working-families

2021-22 initial proposal – NYC Mayor to request that NY Congressional delegation consider federal legislation to 1. Stop the HUD and the GSEs distressed mortgage loan programs; and 2. mandate residential mortgage-loan modifications on delinquent residential mortgage loans for working families that can afford repayments, and to also address the NYS Court Administration’s lack of commitment to state-law mandated meaningful foreclosure settlement conferences/alternatives to foreclosure sales and auctions

Prevalent land grab of Black and Brown homes by NYC governmental agencies

2021-22 initial proposal – NYC Mayor to abolish HPD’s TPT Program; deliver on the City’s commitment to TIL residents; provide incentives for the long-term success and further development of HDFC cooperative homeownership

Lack of opportunities to increase one- to four-family Black and Brown homeownership

2021-22 initial proposal – NYC Mayor to develop a working-family homeownership acquisition and retention initiative; to develop/promote working-family home ownership developments and communities

ADVANCING RESIDENT AND COMMUNITY SAFETY EQUITY

 

Accountability in policing

2021-22 initial proposal – NYC Mayor to propose how he or she will specifically support and/or advance the letter, tenets and spirit of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021

Continued increase in gang and gun violence in Black and Brown communities

2021-22 initial proposal –

Challenges to achieving social justice and racial justice in Black and Brown communities

2021-22 initial proposal –

Racial disparity in NYC family, civil/housing courts, and in NYCHA proceedings

2021-22 initial proposal –

Increase in COVID-19 Pandemic hate crimes

2021-22 initial proposal –

NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT, NEIGHBORHOOD EQUITY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

Continued existence of food deserts in Black and Brown communities

2021-22 initial proposal – NYC Mayor to provide incentives for the development, in low-income communities and in NYC public schools in those communities, of 1. community-operated farmers’ markets and 2. food or grocery stores that market and sell of healthy foods

Lack of upgrade to commercial corridors in Black and Brown communities

2021-22 initial proposal – NYC Mayor to propose tax incentives for the development of technologically and economically vibrant, safe, service-driven, business, service and retail districts in Black and Brown communities

Lack of safe green spaces in Black and Brown communities

2021-22 initial proposal – NYC Mayor to develop, upgrade or expand recreational and athletic park services in Black and Brown neighborhoods and developments

Removal of environmental burdens/taxes on African-American and other marginalized communities in NYC outer boroughs especially

2021-22 initial proposal – NYC Mayor to propose how he or she would reverse the climate injustice and burdens placed on NYC communities of color historically environmental justice in NYC’s communities of color

Lack of access to capital, business start-up or operational, working-capital financing, lack of competitive pricing in financing for minority and women-owned, community-based businesses

2021-22 initial proposal –

Further Equity Initiatives

 

Equity in Voting Rights

  • Civic Education

  • Redistricting (to counteract impact of)

  • Rank Choice Voting (to increase resident/voter participation in local elections)

 
 

Equity Business and Entrepreneurship, including:

  • Expand MWBE participation in government contracts and private sector

  • Create/improve/expand access to start-up and operational capital

Equity in Education , including:

  • Reform of Pre-K – 12 Education (better assess and address the needs of students in our communities to advance school-wide enrichment )

  • Expand Access to Higher Education and Technical Institutions

  • Broadband (“eradicate the broadband and digital divide”)

  • Curriculum (“implement [components of] critical race theory”)

  • Class Size (achieve parity with school districts serving white students)

 

Equity in Income and Wealth Building

  • Achieving economic parity and equity

  • Wage Equality

  • Access to quality employment

  • Opportunities for intergenerational transfer of wealth (homeownership, business ownership, parity in real-property taxation)

 

Equity in Government Access and Accountability

To address lack of meaningful access to local government leaders and services providers in period between elections to address problems and implement equity-focused initial proposals