Safe, Thriving Neighborhoods

A Smart, Fair, and Sustainable Housing & Public Safety Strategy for NYC

New York City is facing a housing crisis, rising costs, and a growing migrant population. Instead of throwing money at expensive, short-term fixes, we need a plan that actually works—for both longtime New Yorkers and new arrivals.

This plan will:
✅ Reduce crime by preventing poverty-related offenses.
✅ Stop wasting money on overpriced, ineffective hotel shelters.
✅ Invest in real, long-term housing solutions that lower costs for everyone.
✅ Ensure small businesses and working-class New Yorkers aren’t left behind.

I. Housing First: Smart, Cost-Effective Housing Solutions

Right now, NYC is spending billions on hotels for migrants—at $200 per night, that’s $6,000 per person per month. That’s more than most New Yorkers pay in rent. Instead of wasting money on overpriced temporary shelters, we should:

1. Convert Existing Vacant Buildings into Housing

  • Turn empty office buildings, hotels, and unused city-owned properties into affordable housing.

  • This costs less than paying hotels and provides permanent stability for families.

2. Use City-Owned Land for Temporary Housing

  • NYC owns thousands of vacant lots—instead of paying hotels, we should build modular or prefabricated housing for both migrants and low-income New Yorkers.

  • This solution is cheaper, faster, and fairer than luxury hotel stays.

3. Expand Housing Vouchers for Migrants & Low-Income Residents

  • Instead of giving $200/night to hotels, provide rental assistance so migrants can move into actual apartments.

  • This prevents homelessness, reduces shelter costs, and integrates new arrivals into communities faster.

4. Stop Displacing Existing New Yorkers

  • Stronger rent control so landlords can’t jack up rents and force longtime residents out.

  • Legal support for tenants so no one gets evicted simply because they can’t afford a lawyer.

  • Community land trusts to ensure housing stays permanently affordable.

✅ We should be spending money on building homes, not making hotels rich.
✅ Housing First works—it’s cheaper, reduces crime, and stabilizes communities.

II. Public Safety: Making NYC Safer Without Over-Policing

Instead of returning to failed "tough-on-crime" policies, we need real solutions that address the root causes of crime—poverty, homelessness, and lack of economic opportunity.

1. Protect Small Businesses from Theft Without Over-Criminalizing Poverty

  • Provide grants for security upgrades (cameras, reinforced storefronts, lighting).

  • Crack down on organized retail crime, not just desperate individuals.

  • Expand community-led safety patrols to deter theft without relying on police for every incident.

2. Expand Non-Police Public Safety Programs

  • Fully fund mental health crisis response teams so police aren’t the first responders for nonviolent situations.

  • Invest in violence prevention programs that stop crime before it happens.

  • Improve public spaces (better lighting, clean parks, thriving businesses) to naturally reduce crime.

✅ We can keep neighborhoods safe without returning to mass incarceration.
✅ Investing in community-led safety solutions works better than policing alone.

III. A Fair & Sustainable Response to the Migrant Crisis

NYC has been forced to handle a national crisis on its own, while the federal government drags its feet on funding and work permits. We need a smarter, more sustainable approach.

1. Demand Federal & State Funding for Migrant Housing

  • NYC taxpayers should not be footing this bill alone.

  • The federal government must fully reimburse NYC for migrant housing costs.

2. Fast-Track Work Permits So Migrants Can Support Themselves

  • Migrants want to work—but federal red tape forces them into shelters instead of letting them be independent.

  • We must pressure the federal government to speed up work authorizations so migrants can contribute to the economy instead of draining city resources.

3. Prevent Migrant & Longtime Resident Tensions

  • Housing solutions should serve both groups—newcomers should not be housed at the expense of working-class New Yorkers.

  • Build more housing, period. If we expand affordable housing for everyone, we prevent fights over resources.

✅ NYC can welcome migrants without straining resources—if the federal government does its part.
✅ Work permits are key—people want to work, not rely on shelters.

IV. Funding the Plan: Where the Money Comes From

People ask, "How do we pay for this?" Here’s how:

✅ Luxury Vacancy Tax: Charge a hefty tax on luxury apartments sitting empty—NYC has thousands of them.
✅ End tax breaks for luxury developers: Stop subsidizing billionaires while working-class people struggle.
✅ Divert police budget from handling nonviolent cases: Fund mental health & housing programs instead of wasting resources on arrests that don’t solve the problem.
✅ Demand federal reimbursement for migrant housing costs: This is a national issue—NYC shouldn’t pay for it alone.

This isn’t about spending more money—it’s about spending it smarter.