2025 City Council Election: Elizabeth Lewinsohn's Candidate Statement
Today's statement is from Elizabeth Lewinsohn, who is running for the District 1 City Council seat currently held by Council Member Christopher Marte.
This op-ed is part of East of the Bowery's 2025 City Council Democratic primary coverage, where candidates answer: "What specific policy goals will your office achieve within 4 years to improve the Lower East Side?"
Today's statement is from Elizabeth Lewinsohn, who is running to be District 1 City Council member. District 1 covers most of Manhattan south of Houston Street, including the Lower East Side, Chinatown, Soho, Tribeca, Fidi, Battery Park City, and Governor’s Island.
Elizabeth Lewinsohn: A Shared Path Forward: Strengthening the Lower East Side and Neighboring Communities
The Lower East Side is one of the most dynamic, diverse, and historic neighborhoods in New York City. But it’s also a community at a crossroads, facing enormous pressures from rising costs, climate risks, displacement, and years of uneven investment. As your next City Council Member, I will fight every single day to ensure that this neighborhood remains a place where working families can thrive, where seniors can age with dignity, where children have every opportunity to succeed, and where the unique culture of the Lower East Side is celebrated and protected — not pushed out.
Robust Constituent Services
Let me start off with the basics—constituent services are at the heart of this job. If elected, my office will be accessible, responsive, and rooted in the daily needs of the people of District 1. Whether it's helping a senior navigate city services, advocating for a family facing eviction, or cutting through red tape for small businesses, I will make sure every resident feels seen and supported. One of the most important parts of my job is making sure District 1 gets its fair share of resources and value from the City’s $112.5 billion budget. Throughout my campaign, we’ve hosted dozens of meet-and-greets and had thousands of conversations knocking on doors—and it’s clear that many residents feel they don’t have a place to turn to for their biggest challenges. By being accessible, proactive, and transparent, I will make sure your concerns are heard, your needs are met, and our community is always prioritized. I am committed to establishing a robust constituent casework office that goes beyond traditional services. We will launch regular mobile office visits, bringing our team directly to community centers and gathering places throughout the district — because constituents shouldn’t have to come to us; we will come to them.
Housing Stability and Affordability
Lower East Side and nearby neighborhoods like Chinatown and Two Bridges are under enormous pressure from rising costs, displacement, overdevelopment, and government inaction. As your next City Council Member, I will fight every day to ensure that the Lower East Side remains a thriving, inclusive, and livable neighborhood for generations to come. My vision is grounded in the belief that every family deserves safe housing, every child deserves a great education, every worker deserves economic security, and every senior deserves to age in place with dignity. Here’s how we’ll get there. As your Council Member, I will champion a housing strategy tailored to the unique needs of our community—one that prioritizes deeply affordable housing designed not only to meet citywide goals but to address the real challenges facing our neighbors. I’ll work alongside State elected officials to secure increased investment in our NYCHA campuses, insist that all new developments include genuine affordability based on our local Area Median Income, and push for stronger protections against harassment and illegal evictions. I will advocate for deeper affordability and better enforcement in the Mandatory Inclusionary Housing program. I will oppose rezonings that accelerate displacement or luxury towers that don’t serve the community. And I will support new tools to help tenants convert distressed properties into community land trusts and cooperatives, giving residents long-term control over their housing.
Supporting Small Businesses
Small businesses are the heart of the Lower East Side. These storefronts create jobs, shape our streetscape, and give our community its unique character. But today, they’re struggling to survive under the weight of skyrocketing rents, excessive fines, and outdated city regulations. According to a 2024 study by the NYC Department of City Planning, the vacant storefront rate is over 20% in Two Bridges and over 16% in the Lower East Side, with many of those vacancies being long-term. These empty spaces represent not only economic loss but also a loss of neighborhood vibrancy and opportunity. As your Council Member, I’ll fight to give small businesses a fair shot at staying open. We have lost neighborhood staples like diners, delis, and family-run shops that had served generations. Do we want a neighborhood with no local businesses? That’s where we’re headed if we don’t change our approach. I’ll start by championing a storefront vacancy registry with penalties for landlords who leave spaces empty for years. We also need regulatory reform. I’ll push to modernize zoning to allow more flexible use of space — whether for childcare, culture, or community services — and encourage temporary retail activations like pop-up shops and art installations. I’ll support grants and loan programs to help small businesses manage rent increases and build long-term stability. And I’ll fight for fairer, more transparent city enforcement that doesn’t penalize honest business owners for minor, first-time violations. When we fight for small business, we’re fighting for the soul of the Lower East Side.
Improving Our Public Schools
Education will be a top priority of my office, and I am proud to be the only candidate in this race endorsed by the United Federation of Teachers (UFT). Our schools must be places of possibility — safe, well-funded, and inspiring. I’m endorsed by the UFT because they know I will be a champion for our public schools. I will work to fully fund our schools, protect universal Pre-K and 3-K, and expand after-school and arts programs. Many school buildings in the LES and Chinatown are decades old, with outdated HVAC systems, overcrowded classrooms, and crumbling infrastructure. I will push for a targeted capital plan to modernize classrooms, improve air quality, upgrade electrical systems, and ensure ADA compliance. Every child deserves a state-of-the-art learning environment, no matter their ZIP code. I will also fight to ensure that our schools meet the needs of multilingual learners and immigrant families. That means supporting bilingual programs, culturally responsive curriculum, and parent engagement strategies that reflect the diversity of our district. And I’ll ensure that mental health resources and restorative practices are available in every school, so that students feel safe, supported, and ready to learn.
A Safer Lower East Side
Public safety and quality of life demand urgent attention—too many residents no longer feel secure in their own neighborhood. I will prioritize making our streets well-lit to deter crime and increase visibility, alongside ensuring scaffolding comes down promptly using the tools provided by new laws. Whether it’s the rise in reported assaults, persistent street disorder, or concerns about traffic violence, the City must act decisively. I support a community-first approach to public safety, including more visible foot patrols, greater investment in mental health crisis teams, and stronger enforcement against quality-of-life offenses that undermine residents’ sense of security. Traffic safety will also be a top priority across the LES, where dangerous intersections and reckless behavior by drivers and electric bike riders continue to threaten lives.
Homelessness
The homelessness crisis is complex and demands both compassion and coordinated action. District 1 has shouldered a disproportionate share of the City’s unhoused crisis, placing an unfair burden on our community. While the City expands shelter beds and services within the district to meet urgent needs, it is also critical that the City also invests in expanding beds and shelters in other districts. A more equitable distribution of resources and facilities across the City will help ease pressure on the district and create better outcomes for people experiencing homelessness citywide. We must provide safe, dignified housing options and supportive services that meet the varied needs of people experiencing homelessness—especially those who are chronically homeless or facing mental health and substance abuse issues. I support expanding shelters with on-site services as one important tool, but housing solutions must go far beyond temporary shelters. True progress requires increasing affordable housing, investing in comprehensive mental health care, and ensuring coordinated supportive services that help individuals regain stability and rebuild their lives. Equally important is meaningful community engagement and transparency in all homelessness-related decisions. Too often, affected neighborhoods are left out of the conversation, leading to distrust and frustration. As your Council Member, I will advocate for policies that balance compassion for those in need with respect for the quality of life of all community members. Homelessness won’t be solved by warehousing people; it requires real investment in long-term, sustainable solutions that support both individuals experiencing homelessness and the communities they live in.
Environment
The LES is one of the most climate-vulnerable parts of Manhattan. The City’s delayed East Side Coastal Resiliency project and lack of green infrastructure — leaves more to be desired. I will fight to expand our tree canopy, invest in flood protection, and fight to retrofit NYCHA buildings for extreme weather. I will also fight for transparency and accountability in how resiliency dollars are spent and demand real community oversight over major infrastructure projects. I will support legislation to hold city agencies accountable for missed deadlines and cost overruns, and I will work to ensure that environmental investments create economic opportunities for the communities most affected by the climate crisis.
Conclusion
True progress happens when leadership listens and collaborates—that’s why I believe in co-governance, not top-down decision-making. It means creating real opportunities for community voices to be heard through town halls, transparent communication, and a constant, engaged presence in the neighborhood. Together, with bold leadership and deep community partnerships, we can shape a future for the Lower East Side where working families can build their lives without fear of displacement, small businesses can thrive and innovate, schools can ignite passion and opportunity, and every neighbor feels safe, respected, and truly seen. This is the vision I am ready to fight for—and the future I am committed to delivering over the next four years.
If you like what you see, you can follow Elizabeth’s work and advocacy on Instagram and her website. Thank you Elizabeth for participating!
