Here's Where Central Harlem Candidates Stand On Your Issues

HARLEM, NY — In February, four months before the June 22 City Council primary elections, Patch asked Harlemites to weigh in about which neighborhood issues mattered to them.

All told, nearly 100 people filled out our survey, shedding light on what residents are looking for in the candidates for Harlem's three City Council seats.

The survey showed most readers live in District 9: the Central Harlem seat currently occupied by Bill Perkins, who is being challenged by a whopping 12 candidates amid claims that he has been largely absent from the district. (Stay tuned for more coverage of the candidates in West Harlem's District 7 and East Harlem's District 8.)

Among the takeaways: housing and homelessness emerged as a key issue, with 29 percent of respondents naming it as their most important topic. It was followed by public safety, policing and crime at 24 percent and urban quality of life (public transit, street safety, bike lanes, parks) at 10 percent.

Now, with about two weeks remaining until the election, we asked all District 9 candidates to respond to those issues, as well as dirty streets, methadone clinics and the big new development on 145th Street.

The issues

Bill Perkins and Billy Council did not respond to our questions. Bernadette McNear responded to our separate questionnaire but not answer these questions.

Here's each question we asked, with excerpts of each candidates' response:

1. Many in Harlem are worried about gentrification and the displacement of longtime residents. What is one specific policy you would push for to slow gentrification?

Kristin Richardson Jordan said she would push for rent-to-own schemes that would allow renters to buy out their own apartments.

Pierre Gooding, Athena Moore, Ruth McDaniels and Joshua Clennon all said they would work to revise the Area Median Income, which has faced criticism for being higher than the true median in most neighborhoods. Gooding said he would try to push it down to $35,000, Moore said she would encourage developments to include more affordable units, and Clennon said he would prioritize permanently affordable housing through a new citywide plan.

Cordell Cleare said she would advocate a Good Cause Eviction law to restrict landlords from pushing out tenants. William Allen said he would aim to provide at-risk tenants with lawyers and keep more rent-stabilized units.

Keith Taylor said he would expand protections for low- and middle-income affordable housing and prioritize affordable developments. Mario Rosser pledged to pass legislation that caps rent hikes and focus on constituent services to help tenants access existing support systems.

Sheba Simpson-Amsterdam would push to repeal 421a, a policy giving tax breaks to developers, and wants to require new developments to invest in the community through schools, community centers or other programming.

2. Some Harlem residents complain that the neighborhood is “over-saturated” with methadone clinics. Would you welcome more services for vulnerable people in the neighborhood, or push for a moratorium?

Taylor, Allen, Moore, McDaniels, Clennon, Rosser and Simpson-Amsterdam all said they would support a moratorium on methadone clinics in Harlem. Clennon said he supported the moratorium as a member of Community Board 10; Moore said she would support legislation that prioritizes evidence-based injection sites without burdening any single neighborhood; and Taylor said he would work to spread clinics out more evenly citywide.

Cleare said she would push for "proper management of the facilities we have." Jordan said complaints of over-saturation were "valid," but argued that combatting drug addiction should also include rehabilitation facilities, decriminalizing some drugs and distributing Narcan.

Gooding joined Moore in calling for safe-injection sites, saying his perspective was informed by his work at homeless shelters.

3. Many Harlemites have complained of dirty streets during the pandemic. How would you help clean up the sidewalks?

Jordan, Gooding, Cleare, Allen and Simpson-Amsterdam all said Harlem needs more garbage cans.

Clennon said he would use data to fight street litter by installing trash bins with sensors that indicate when bins are full.

Jordan pointed to the city's removal of hundreds of litter baskets from Harlem, saying she would push to restore those baskets and increase the Sanitation Department's budget. Cleare also said she would advocate for more baskets and more frequent pickups, as well as anti-littering awareness campaigns.

Rosser said Harlem needs a "call to action campaign" against littering, more frequent pickups and more focus on the issue from elected officials.

Allen said he would launch a similar youth-focused campaign, titled "Keep Harlem Clean." Taylor would push the Sanitation Department to organize community clean-ups and deploy its Precision Cleaning Initiative.

Simpson-Amsterdam said Harlem should get new cans with eco-friendly garbage bags.

McDaniels said she would use her Council office's funds to hire local residents and private workers to clean up streets, while Moore said she has organized clean-ups through the 125th Street B.I.D., and would bring together city agencies to address quality-of-life issues in the Council.

4. Plans were recently unveiled for a large new development on 145th Street — it would include up to 282 affordable apartments, but some neighbors suggested that the buildings are too large for the neighborhood. As Council Member, would you support this project, oppose it, or push to change it?

Rosser said he opposes the project and "won't support it until there are more actually affordable apartments," calling it a "poster child for irresponsible development." Simpson-Amsterdam also said she opposes it, citing "minimum community input" on the part of developers.

Gooding, McDaniels, Cleare and Jordan all said they would push to change aspects of the development. McDaniels and Jordan both said they thought the building was too large, while Gooding said he wants there to be a "significant increase" in its allotment of affordable housing and pledged to "participate actively" in the development's review process.

Clennon said he had concerns about its size and affordability, but said it would be "irresponsible" to take a stance before all details have been revealed since he will eventually vote on the project as a member of Community Board 10.

Allen did not take a stance but promised to meet with constituents, developers and the community board to "decide what is best" for the project.

Taylor did not comment directly but bemoaned the demolition of other historic buildings in Harlem and pledged to support contextual developments in the Council. Moore also declined to comment directly but said she would advocate for as many affordable units as possible and ensure that it undergoes extensive review.

In the coming days, Patch will publish individual profiles of each candidate including their full answers to these four questions, plus others.

This article has been edited to add responses from Mario Rosser and Sheba-Simpson Amsterdam.

Previous coverage:

• Harlem's 3 City Council Races: Where Things Stand
• Bill Perkins Jolts Harlem Council Race, Launches Re-Election Bid
  
• Harlem City Council Races: What Issues Matter To You?