By Linda Nwoke | Photo courtesy of Lander for Mayor NYC
With less than 100 days until the Democratic primary, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander is stepping into the mayoral race with a bold vision for the city’s future. Lander shares his priorities for the first 100 days if elected in an exclusive interview with Pearl Phillip, Editor-in-Chief IQ Inc’s multicultural publications and Host of People, Power and Politics Radio Show & Podcast.
Operation Accountable Leadership
In a time when public trust in government is at a low, Brad Lander is committed to making city leadership more transparent, responsive, and people-centered. Drawing from his experience as a Comptroller, he shared an example of how he involved NYCHA residents in deciding what to audit. This level of transparency is designed to keep you, the residents, informed and involved in the city’s governance. “People just don’t believe that government is working for them,” he said, citing repeated dissatisfaction with public housing repair vendors. However, by inviting residents to choose audit priorities, his office uncovered that nearly half of the vendor invoices lacked proof of completed work.
Brad Lander doesn’t just uncover problems, he proposes practical, human-centered solutions. Inspired by apps like Uber and Yelp, he introduced a concept where NYCHA tenants rated contractors before payments are issued. This approach is designed to make you, the resident, feel valued and considered in his policies. “If they didn’t do the work, then we’re not going to pay them,” he explained.
Restoring Integrity to City Hall
Brad Lander has a bold vision for NYC. He is not just calling for change, he’s outlining a clear public integrity plan to eliminate corruption and foster transparency in City Hall. This commitment to integrity is designed to reassure you, the residents, and instill confidence in his leadership. He’s encouraging checks and balances, with the intent of showing New Yorkers that leadership can be both honest and competent.
For instance, promoting reforms that will make the Conflicts of Interest Board more independent, such as moving the oversight of harassment and legal defense decisions to neutral bodies, like the Comptroller’s Office. To build public trust, he intends to subject certain key mayoral appointments, like the police commissioner and school chancellor, to City Council review. “Appoint good professional people who aren’t cronies,” says the Comptroller, criticizing current practices of bypassing scrutiny.
Brad Lander is not afraid to call out the unchecked abuse of power by political figures like Andrew Cuomo. He highlights the moral and financial toll on New Yorkers, pointing out that Cuomo’s actions have made the public foot the bill for his legal defense to the tune of $60 million.
In his view, power in the wrong hands can do real damage, as New Yorkers will have to pay the price through their taxes.
Promoting Belongingness in New York City
Brad Lander is committed to protecting immigrant communities. He emphasizes New York City’s proud identity as an immigrant haven and outlines a vision for leadership that operates on integrity, safety, and inclusion.
However, he noted that while the city is grappling with corruption at the top, immigrant communities are quietly fighting their own battles under the radar. For immigrant families, the fear of deportation often overshadows daily activities. “We need people to feel comfortable reporting domestic violence, sending their kids to school,” says mayoral candidate Lander. He explained that when safety is compromised, everyone suffers, especially children in mixed-status households.
He explained that the city’s sanctuary laws protect the legacy, ensuring people can thrive without fear of persecution; however, when the mayor cooperates with ICE, that promise is broken. With his election, he envisions a different kind of leadership that doesn’t play politics with people’s lives but protects, uplifts, and includes everyone.
Two major plans will be initiated to safeguard immigrant communities – educating city employees and contractors, on sanctuary city laws to ensure they do not allow ICE access. Secondly, the revival of the Action NYC initiative and organizations like ‘Mixteca and Make the Road’- groups that are better positioned to help immigrants navigate asylum applications and gain work authorization, “People are very anxious about coming to a government office, that’s why we should fund the groups out in the neighborhoods, where people feel safe and understood,” says Lander.
Reaction to DEI Initiatives
Lander addressed the federal rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, sharing some of the steps already taken in his office as the Comptroller, which he intends to expand as mayor. He emphasized the importance of addressing the racial wealth gap, which is astronomical in New York relative to the national average. Lander proposes to deliberately grow the city’s pension investments with diverse asset managers managed by Black, Latino, and women-owned firms by nearly 40%. He defended DEI as a value that benefits everyone, not just marginalized communities. “DEI benefits everyone,” he stressed.
If elected, DEI will be prioritized, by diversifying the city’s procurement process, ensuring more contracts go to minority- and women-owned businesses. Regardless of federal setbacks, he stresses that New York has the power to uphold its inclusive policies. “There is talent everywhere, if you choose not to find it, you’re going to have less talent,” he says.
Addressing the Needs of Black and Brown Communities in New York
Addressing the issues predominantly in the black and brown communities, Comptroller Lander acknowledged the frustrations felt within the group, particularly those disappointed by the current leadership, concerning housing issues and rising costs. He recognized problems related to deed theft and the overwhelming cost of living, which have driven people out of the city, “It feels like black New Yorkers have done more for New York City than New York City is doing for black New Yorkers.” Hence, the core part of his plan involves addressing the housing crisis, particularly the lack of homeownership opportunities for Black New Yorkers. He stated, “White New Yorkers are more likely to own homes than black New Yorkers.” He noted that the city abandoned initiatives like the Mitchell-Lama program, which helped working-class families achieve homeownership.
In addition to housing, supporting small businesses and offering more access to capital for entrepreneurs of color were highlighted as creating employment opportunities, particularly for young people. He cited a recent experience in East Harlem where third graders actively engaged in acts of entrepreneurship. “Those are the kinds of things that we can be doing in our schools,” he noted.
Housing Development and Displacement Concerns
New York City’s housing crisis remains a concern. As a Mayor, he intends to declare a public housing state of emergency, to be addressed by the construction of 500,000 new housing units and the creation of a citizens’ assembly—a diverse group of residents who will help shape housing policy to ensure developments reflect community needs and values. “We need a lot more housing, but we want it to be at all incomes and more affordable with the focus on people who need it,” Lander emphasized. He intends to also reduce the lengthy Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) from nine months to just three. “Instead of going through the whole long ULURP process, we’ll do it in just three months,” he explains. The streamlined approach cut delays and hastened the building of affordable housing.
Ending Street Homelessness for People with Serious Mental Illness
For homeless New Yorkers, a key pledge in his campaign is to end street homelessness for individuals with serious mental illness. He criticizes the current administration’s approach, which relies on sweeping people from place to place without providing lasting solutions. “Eric Adams’ policy is just to sweep people from place to place,” he says. Lander suggested a better option of introducing the Housing First model, which provides supportive housing as the initial step, with a success rate in cities like Salt Lake City, Denver, and Houston, and more than 70% of individuals stably housed.
He stressed the importance of a “coordinated continuum of care” and the role of mayoral leadership. Having personally visited outreach teams and mental health facilities, he believes the Housing First approach will be successful with proper coordination. “You need a mayor who’s looking,” he says, emphasizing that leadership is key to resolving the issue of street homelessness. “That Housing First model worked 70 to 90% of the time, and it’ll add up to ending street homelessness,” he asserts.
Universal Childcare and After-School Programs
Another key issue of importance is expanding childcare services, building on the success of universal pre-K for four-year-olds. He explains that childcare costs an average of $25,000 annually, which can be financially crushing for working families. “The difference in not having to pay that 25 grand and knowing your kid is socializing with others and learning to read: amazing,” he says; highlighting the positive impact of affordable childcare. As mayor pledges to fulfill the promise of pre-K for three-year-olds within his first year and aims to secure universal childcare for two-year-olds if elected. However, funding the expansion will require state support through progressive taxation, part of the “New Yorkers United for Childcare” campaign advocating for statewide funding.
However, flexibility remains key to fostering inclusiveness, such as offering childcare near homes or workplaces and ensuring providers can cater to different languages and cultural needs. “You can do that with the network of providers,” he concludes, buttressing his commitment to a diverse and accessible childcare system.
Public Safety and Police Staffing
Response to the rise in disorder caused by the pandemic is generally adjudged slow by the progressive community, including the Comptroller, causing a surge in mental health crises and crime and the disruption of the social fabric. It has led to a shift in public safety stance, particularly in increasing police ranks. While emphasizing his commitment to ending street homelessness for people with serious mental illness, which he sees as a housing issue more than a policing one, he recognizes the need for adequate police staffing. “By January 1st, when I take office, we could be down 3000 cops below the budgeted headcount,” he stated.
The NYPD cadet program will expand, offering educational support for those interested in joining the force, an initiative that will broaden the pool of candidates.
He also plans to address housing for city workers, including police officers. “Homes for City Workers” would use pension fund investments to help municipal employees like officers and teachers afford homes, doubling the value of a house they could purchase. Such would provide an attractive incentive for city workers to remain on the job and help them build wealth, which is essential for retention.
Transportation in the City
Concerning transportation, the plan is to expand the Select Bus Service (SBS), also known as bus rapid transit, deemed an efficient and cost-effective way to improve transportation. Expanding beyond its current routes will benefit as it will connect boroughs, particularly in areas like the Bronx and Brooklyn, where working-class families reside. Additionally, the Comptroller addressed equitable access and affordability concerns, highlighting the need to balance transit infrastructure improvements with New Yorkers’ financial realities.
He aims to bridge gaps between the boroughs, provide better connections to Manhattan, and improve mobility for underserved communities. To accomplish all these, citizens must participate in ranked-choice voting (RCV), where they can rank their top choice and others who align with their values.
Hence, as the campaign progresses, New Yorkers must stay informed, volunteer, and vote to ensure that leadership prioritizes honesty, integrity, and the well-being of working-class families. As Lander puts it, “New Yorkers are amazing and so diverse,” his goal is to lead a city that values every citizen and addresses their needs for a brighter future.
To learn more about Brad Lander’s mayoral campaign visit landerfornyc.com
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