1.   Restore Mitchell Lama legislation passed in 1955.  Privatization of tenants benefits them.  Let people enjoy the fruits of ownership.  In addition, they become better neighbors who take pride in their neighborhood.  Mitchell Lama was a successful program that helped tens of thousands of New Yorkers live and raise families in our wonderful city.

2.     Build moderate-income housing using state and city pension funds so that our new teachers, police, firemen, and other government employees just starting out have affordable housing.

3.     Reduce zoning regulations and incentivize private contractors to build more affordable housing.

4.     Rebuild NYCHA.  Its leadership has failed residents for years and new leadership must be installed to offer transparency in all financial matters.  More federal funding is essential so that buildings are adequately maintained:  make sure everyone has heat and hot water!  Boilers must be repaired in a matter of days, not weeks.  If it takes longer, NYCHA will be required to quickly install portable boilers.  Everyone must live with dignity!  Next, address mold.  We need greater autonomy from the federal government so the mayor can act and be held accountable.

5.     Work with developers to build low-income housing for those who are making much less than $47,000 year.

6.     Foreigners and the very rich must be further taxed to discourage real-estate builders from endlessly catering to the rich instead of the middle class desperately in need of affordable housing.  I propose an initial tax of a percentage of the purchase price then an annual tax for those who live in facilities under six months per year.

7.     Use 10% of city and state pension plans to build union housing.  This is a good investment for the present and future health of our union employees.  It can help us recruit new teachers, firefighters, police officers, and other public employees whose starting salaries make it almost impossible for them to live in New York City.

8.     Reduce time and paperwork to approve new buildings.  It can take almost 3 years from the time a developer submits his or her intentions to the city before approval is finalized.  We need new apartments now!  The only way to solve this problem is to reduce bureaucracy.  It is ludicrous that paperwork delays building by one third to one half of the time.

9.     Strengthen punishments for landlords who abuse tenants in rent-regulated buildings.  Landlords who illegally raise rent and physically/mentally abuse tenants should face financial fines and jail time.  Owners know what the incomes from rent-stabilized buildings are going to be, and, if the mortgages far exceed incomes, it is their fault and their responsibility.  It is also the bank's responsibility to give them those loans.  Banks should also be held accountable.  I don't want to make this all one-sided.  We must make it easier for landlords to get rid of tenants who are not paying rent or who destroy property without landlords having to endure months of court appearances or thousands in legal fees.  We need a fair system for both tenants and landlords.  Landlords should be able to make money but not by breaking the law.  We must balance the needs of current and future residents with the rights of landlords to make fair profits.

10.     End all subsidies to developers building luxury buildings and put those subsidies into moderate and low-income housing. We need to make it tougher on both landlords and tenants who abuse our system.