Housing, Public Health Issues Tackled By Brooklyn Council Member In New Podcast

BROOKLYN, NY — Council member Chi Ossé, in his fourth year representing Bedford–Stuyvesant and parts of northern Crown Heights, joined Ilana Glazer on her podcast, It’s Open with Ilana Glazer, released on Thursday, to discuss affordable housing, public health and “challenging power.”

Leadership For A New Era

As the youngest member elected to City Council, Ossé, now 27, said his politics stem from a generational and moral reckoning. He condemned the influence of corporate donors on politics, noting that small-donor campaigns empower leaders to act in the best interests of their constituents.

“If the people are paying, you owe them,” Glazer interjected.

Ossé criticized the influence of large corporate donors on national politics, noting that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries receives substantial contributions from AIPAC, Lockheed Martin, which manufactures weapons, Blackstone and BlackRock.

In the 2023–24 election cycle, Representative Hakeem Jeffries’ campaign raised $22,977,197, including contributions from individual employees at Lockheed Martin, BlackRock and Blackstone, but none from AIPAC or AIPAC-aligned political action committees, according to a Patch analysis of Federal Trade Commission data.

The contributions came from employees, not corporate PACs or company treasuries, which are barred from donating directly to federal candidates. Many donations arrived in repeated small-dollar increments, a practice known as bundling, which can amplify the overall impact of supporters from a single company.

Earlier cycles show similar patterns: no recorded contributions from AIPAC or its affiliated PACs in 2020–21, and a total of $6,037,499 raised in that period, followed by $8,897,654 from January through September 2025.

Small-dollar donations, defined as $200 or less, made up 74% of Ossé’s $74,299 raised, according to a Patch analysis of his campaign contributions.

“This is exactly how we show that the people are more powerful than the people in power,” Ossé said. “It’s not about wealthy insiders. It’s about real people shaping real policy.”

In contrast, 31 large donors contributed nearly $19,300 — including Glazer herself, donating $1,000.

Other notable contributions came from political action committees and unions, including the Doctors Council of New York Committee on Political Education, the New York Hotel Trades Council Political Action Committee, the New York State Nurses Association Political Action Committee, the Communications Workers of America District One Political Action Committee, the United Federation of Teachers, 1199 SEIU and the Civil Service Employees Association.

Housing And Neighborhood Equity

Ossé and Glazer spent considerable time discussing the Fairness in Apartment Rental Expenses (FARE) Act, a law Ossé sponsored to shift broker fees from tenants to landlords. Passed by the City Council on Nov. 13, 2024, and taking effect June 11, the law prohibits landlords’ brokers — such as those who list units on StreetEasy or other platforms — from charging prospective tenants a broker fee. Previously, these fees often ranged from 10 to 15% of a year’s rent, pushing upfront costs for renters well over $10,000, according to the city’s website.

The FARE Act also requires landlords to provide full, itemized disclosure of any fees a renter must pay before signing a lease, giving tenants greater transparency and recourse if fees are misrepresented. While landlords may attempt to adjust rents in response, enforcement mechanisms and renter education are in place to ensure the law’s intent — protecting tenants from surprise costs — is upheld.

Beyond the FARE Act, Ossé highlighted investments in parks, roads, bike lanes and thousands of affordable housing units.

“We are worth clean bathrooms, greenery and spaces for our children,” he said, linking physical improvements to social equity.

Saving Lives Through Public Health

The conversation also turned to public health and harm reduction, pillars of Ossé’s approach.

He described legislation requiring bars and nightclubs to carry Narcan and fentanyl test strips, interventions aimed at communities where overdoses are common.

“I see every life as something that should be protected, regardless of if someone’s doing drugs or not,” he said.

Glazer pressed him on the broader implications for the city, and Ossé emphasized that harm reduction is not only about saving lives but also about creating a safer, more responsive city system.

He praised municipal workers, particularly the Department of Sanitation, calling them “unsung pillars of the city.”

“If they didn’t exist, could you imagine what the city would look like? We would be so messed up,” he said.

Brooklyn At The Center

Ossé reflected on life and leadership in Brooklyn as a young, Black, gay man.

“I can’t navigate my day-to-day life without stressing about what’s happening within Washington,” he said.

Glazer asked how national politics shapes his local priorities. Ossé described the intersection of local and national issues: housing, public safety, and social services are influenced by broader policy decisions.

“Our neighborhoods can thrive when residents are empowered, and leadership is strongest when rooted in real experience and deep empathy,” he said.

Watch the full episode of It’s Open with Ilana Glazer featuring Chi Ossé on YouTube.