Note that our office will be closed on Monday, January 19 in observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Dear John,

Tomorrow, we honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day and his vision of the Beloved Community, a society rooted in justice, equity, and mutual care. Dr. King reminded us that building this community isn’t just an idea—it’s something we create through action—by caring for our neighbors, fighting for justice and civil rights for all, remaining committed to peace and anti-militarism, and building a society where political power and wealth are more equitably distributed.

Dr. King also understood democracy as something we must actively build and defend. Justice does not arrive on its own––it is demanded, organized for, and sustained through collective action. For him, democracy lived both in the halls of government and in the daily work of caring for one another in our neighborhoods.

The dual responsibility––fighting for justice at City Hall while staying grounded in the needs of our communities––guides my work every day. At the citywide level, it means advancing legislation to protect immigrant New Yorkers from ICE, defend trans communities and reproductive freedom, and ensure workers are treated fairly. It also means fighting for a city budget that truly invests in our schools, health care, housing, and safety, rather than doubling down on a punitive carceral system that entrenches harm. 

At the local level, it means partnering with the organizations in our district that do the quiet, essential work of building the Beloved Community—providing food, housing assistance, health care, and mutual aid. Participatory Budgeting is one way we bring this vision to life: a form of micro-democracy that gives District 39 residents a direct role in deciding how our shared resources are used.

This same commitment to justice is why I joined nurses from NYSNA on the picket line at Mount Sinai West on Friday. Dr. King believed deeply in the dignity of labor and in standing with workers––not only for fair treatment, but for the well-being of the communities they serve. Supporting nurses as they fight for safe staffing, quality patient care, and fair health coverage is part of the broader struggle for economic justice that Dr. King called on us to pursue.

In my role as your Council Member, I carry Dr. King’s vision with me: a society rooted not only in equity under the law, but in compassion, economic justice, and shared responsibility. His legacy challenges us to see public service not as a career, but as a calling—to bend the arc toward justice through policy, solidarity, and care for one another, every single day.

I encourage everyone to not only take part in acts of service this week, but to reflect on how we can incorporate acts of service in our daily lives year-round. Your actions, big or small, help make our neighborhoods stronger, more inclusive, and more connected.

Chairing the Committee on Disabilities and Accessibility

At the January 15 Stated Meeting, the first of the year, the City Council finalized committee assignments. I was grateful to welcome my sister and mentor, Dr. Debbie Almontaser, to the Council Chambers to deliver the invocation during Muslim American Heritage Month. 

I am honored to chair the newly created Committee on Disabilities and Accessibility. My journey into public service began long before I ran for office. I was diagnosed with Lupus at seventeen, an illness that eventually required both hip replacements and a left shoulder replacement. After being denied Access-A-Ride, I experienced firsthand how difficult it is to navigate our city with an inaccessible subway system and prohibitively expensive car service options. 

Disability justice is both a civil rights and an affordability issue. Accessibility must be built into every aspect of city policy, infrastructure, and public services––not treated as an afterthought. A truly just, inclusive, and caring New York City is one where all of us can access what we need to fully participate in public life.

In addition to chairing the Committee of Disabilities and Accessibility, I will serve on the Transportation, Civil and Human Rights, Small Business, Sanitation, Workforce Development, and Technology Committees. I am thankful to Speaker Julie Menin for entrusting me with leading the Committee on Disability and Accessibility and am eager to get to work for all New Yorkers.

Gowanus Model Section 3 Initiative

Section 3 is a critical workforce development program that ensures low-income residents are hired for federally funded projects in their own neighborhoods. On Tuesday, we launched the Gowanus Model Section 3 Initiative in partnership with the National Institute for Section 3 Empowerment (NISE) to ensure that the significant public investment flowing into Gowanus translates into meaningful jobs, training, and contracting opportunities for local residents.

For District 39, this means expanding access to good-paying jobs and long-term career pathways––particularly for NYCHA residents in our district and surrounding neighborhoods––so that public investments directly benefit the people who have long called this community home.

Constituent Corner

MTA Bus Arrival Display Restored (7th Avenue between 10th & 11th Streets – B67/B69)

Following roadwork on Seventh Avenue between 10th and 11th Streets, the electronic bus arrival display at this stop stopped showing real-time arrival information for the B67 and B69 buses traveling downtown.

After a constituent contacted our office, we raised the issue directly with the MTA. The bus arrival display has since been repaired and is now fully operational. The constituent—who relies on this stop to travel to their senior center—confirmed that service has been restored. We will continue advocating for subways and buses to run at least every six minutes, every day—because fast and reliable service should be the standard.

Local Land Use Updates and Community Meetings

Below are a few upcoming opportunities to engage in major land use decisions affecting our district:

Atlantic Yards Public Workshop #3

The third Atlantic Yards Public Workshop will be held virtually on Thursday, January 22, from 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM. Participants are encouraged to submit questions in advance for Empire State Development (ESD) and the Development Team. Attendees will also be able to ask questions––both in writing and verbally––during the meeting. Register here.

Atlantic Yards Online Survey

The Atlantic Yards Online Survey will remain open until Friday, January 23 at 8:00 PM.  Hundreds of residents have already shared their feedback and questions with ESD as part of this process. If you haven’t yet, I encourage you to add your voice. Fill out the survey here. 

Prospect Farm ULURP Acquisition – City Council Call-Up Hearing

Prospect Farm has been a community-built garden in Windsor Terrace for more than 15 years, transforming a former dumping site into a shared open space that supports composting, environmental stewardship, and free public programming. Following a public hearing and approval by the City Planning Commission in December for Parks’ acquisition of the core site, I called up the Prospect Farm ULURP application for a City Council hearing to ensure that outstanding interagency issues between Parks, DOT, and the farm community are addressed before final acquisition, particularly given the overlapping land parcels and shared agency responsibilities involved.

With a future Seeley Street Bridge and ADA ramp design process anticipated and distinct from the farm acquisition, this call-up also seeks clear commitments to community engagement during the interim bridge design period, so that this long-standing community garden asset is protected and constituents have meaningful opportunities to engage on design decisions as future bridge and ADA ramp planning advances.

The Landmarks Subcommittee will hear the application on Tuesday, January 27 at 11:00 AM, at 250 Broadway, 8th Floor, Hearing Room 1, and community members are encouraged to submit testimony and attend.