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Championing Affordable Housing & Ending Homelessness

Council Member Keith Powers is building a city where all New Yorkers have equitable access to housing. 

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Defending Tenants’ Rights

Keith is a proven champion for tenants–lauded in the New York Times for his affordable housing plan at Waterside Plaza, a “rare happy outcome for renters in today’s real estate market.”

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Keith’s advocacy has saved hundreds of renters from displacement and high-rent increases, and he will continue to fight for tenants’ safety and security on the East Side.     

 

Fighting for Affordable Housing

As Council Member, Keith is committed to preserving and developing affordable housing for Manhattan residents and their families. Preserving rent regulation for nearly 6,000 units in Stuyvesant Town is just one of Keith’s myriad victories for advancing affordable housing. 

 

Ending Homelessness

Council Member Keith Powers is “showing us how to treat the homeless like neighbors rather than enemies,” as described by the New York Times. 

 

Keith also allocated $100,000 to homeless outreach programs with a "meet people where they're at" approach, as part of his ongoing mission to uplift all New Yorkers. 

 

Developing Innovative New Housing 

Keith is leading the effort to convert Midtown Manhattan’s empty office buildings into new housing. He is praised by Mayor Eric Adams as an advocate for the City’s ambitious plans to create nearly 20,000 new homes. 

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Spurring Economic Development & Protecting Small Business

Council Member Keith Powers is a proven leader of economic development on the City Council, spearheading support for multi-billion dollar developments that create tens of thousands of jobs while also ensuring small businesses thrive. 

 

Championing Small Businesses

Keith – a son of a small business owner – has championed game-changing bills to help small businesses, including legislation to repeal the commercial rent tax, COVID lease relief, suspend the liquor license tax, dismantle scaffolding, end unfair enforcement of signage laws, and help restaurants against predatory practices. 

 

He also was the local champion of “Save Our Stages” during COVID to assist independent theaters and arts.

 

Spearheading Job Growth

As the City Council Member for Midtown, Keith led negotiations for developments spurring Manhattan's growth while benefiting the entire community, including the new headquarters for JP Morgan Chase, the New York Blood Center, and much more.

 

Keith has a strong track record of advancing engines for economic growth, fueling thousands of new construction jobs for New York City, pedestrian improvements in Midtown, and welcoming more office employment. 

Creating Better Neighborhoods

Council Member Keith Powers has been leading the City Council on combating issues affecting quality of life and supporting measures to improve public safety to create a better community for all. 

 

Fighting for Better Quality of Life

Council Member Keith Powers is spearheading legislation to combat e-bike fires, curb noise pollution, tackle scaffolding reform, and much more to benefit our community and NYC. 

 

Keith is relentlessly focused on improving the quality of life for his constituents by attentively addressing their concerns. 

 

Protecting Public Safety 

Council Member Keith Powers is promoting public safety by supporting our first responders while ensuring a fair justice system. 

 

Last year, Keith joined Mayor Adams to announce a new initiative to expedite gun violence investigations, co-sponsored legislation to track illegal guns, and voted for legislation that would strengthen protections against unlimited conceal-carry laws.

 

Uplifting the Vulnerable

Council Member Powers is dedicated to protecting frequently-targeted communities of hate crimes and addressing the pain that these attacks have inflicted. 

 

Leading legislation to eliminate loopholes in hate crime statutes, Keith understands the importance of ensuring that everyone feels safe in our community.

Preventing Climate Change and Saving the Environment

Council Member Powers has advanced community and legislative measures to tackle climate change and improve our environment, earning him a perfect score from the New York league of Conservation Voters. He’s received their endorsement for his work to prevent climate change, conserve land and water, and protect New Yorkers’ health, creating a healthier and sustainable community for all for generations to come.

 

Keith has focused on protecting our future, spearheading coastal resiliency construction on the East Side and introduced new legislation to improve air quality.

 

Historic Zero Emissions Legislation

Council Member Keith Powers is championing legislation that will see New York City’s entire vehicle fleet converted to zero-emission electric vehicles, crucially lessening our climate impact and serving as a model for nation-wide change. 

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Zero Waste NYC

Keith is also working to tackle waste, passing legislation including the Zero Waste Act, which expands the city’s composting initiative and reduces our carbon footprint. 

Moving Transportation Forward

Council Member Powers has been a powerful advocate for improving the safety and ease of New Yorkers’ commutes, receiving the endorsement of StreetsPAC. 

 

Keith has pioneered proposals to increase bike lanes and designed a more pedestrian-friendly Fifth Avenue and Rockefeller Center, as well as helped lead the creation of a new 14th Street busway to alleviate congestion and an ongoing redesign of Third Avenue. 

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Keith has also created a new law that would address the rapid increase in commercial deliveries and double parking in the district, authored a law to convert the municipal vehicle fleet to green vehicles, and sponsored legislation to ease congestion caused by for-hire vehicles and commercial careen businesses.

Key Legislative Accomplishments

Council Member Keith Powers serves as Majority Leader for the City Council, and has been ranked as the top lawmaker by City & State Magazine for his legislative accomplishments.

 

He serves on the Committee on Finance, Committee on Rules, Privileges and Elections (Chair), Budget Negotiating Team, and has introduced 55 bills in the current legislative session.

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Notable Legislation:

  • Protecting Employees Against Sexual Harassment (Introduction 657-2018)

  • Childcare for Local Candidates (Introduction 899-2018)

  • Prohibiting Source of Income Discrimination (Introduction 282)

  • Zero Waste Act (Introduction 280/281-2023) 

  • Expanding Mental Health Crisis Centers (Introduction 1021-2023)

  • Suspension of Liquor License Tax for Small Businesses (Introduction 357-2022)

  • Small Business Storefront Signage Reform (Introduction 886-2023)

  • E–Bike Battery Swap Program (Introduction 0949-2023)

  • Reforming NYC’s Scaffolding (Introduction 0971-2023)

  • Indoor Air Quality Package (Introduction 1127-1130-2023)

  • Zero Emission City Vehicles (Introduction 0279-2022)

  • Healthy Food in Chain Restaurants (Introduction 0687-2022)

  • Suspending Commercial Rent Tax for Pandemic Recovery (Introduction 0497-2022)

  • Noise Reduction Package (Introduction 0773-0778 -2022)

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