NYC Council District 7 Election: Marti Allen-Cummings Seeks Seat

NEW YORK, NY — Voters in New York City's 7th Council district, which includes West Harlem, Morningside Heights and parts of Washington Heights and the Upper West Side, will see 12 names on their ballots when they vote in the June 22 primary election.

One of those names will be Marti Allen-Cummings, a Community Board 9 member, drag artist, activist and advisor on the city's Nightlife Advisory Board.

Patch reached out to all candidates in the election to create these profiles. Allen-Cummings's responses are below.

Age (as of Election Day)

33

Position Sought

City Council

Party Affiliation

Democrat

Neighborhood of residence (i.e., East Village, Astoria, etc.)

Hamilton Heights

Family

Blake Allen (husband)

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

no

Education

American Musical & Dramatic Academy

Occupation

Gig Worker, Drag Artist, Producer (14 years)

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Community Board 9, NYC Nightlife Advisory Council

Campaign website

https://www.martiformanhattan....

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am not a typical candidate but typical isn’t working. I am running for office to be of service to this community in a new way and fight for working class people first and foremost. I see every day how many of our neighbors are struggling with food insecurity and housing insecurity and as a gig worker, I know the struggle of living paycheck to paycheck. I want to bring that lived experience to City Hall.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The most pressing issue facing District 7 is housing affordability. I plan to fight for more affordable housing by increasing the number of units of public housing, providing more direct rental assistance and instituting a housing-first plan to address our housing crisis and to help our neighbors experiencing homelessness. A roof is a right and providing safe housing that people can afford is essential to addressing all other issues.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

With a new Mayor and 35 new City Councilmembers, we have the opportunity to transform our city. But we can only do that by building coalitions of everyday New Yorkers rolling up their sleeves and working for real change. We are doing that already through this campaign - with 1,500+ donors, 600+ volunteers, and 50+ grassroots endorsements - we are already building a block-by-block movement that is changing the way we run our city to make it work for those who have been left out of the conversation.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

I think that our current Councilmember did a respectable job in addressing the coronavirus as the Health Committee Chair but there is so much more we could be doing. Even now, as a record number of New Yorkers face rental arrears we have a duty to act to keep people in their homes and out of bankruptcy. I have called for the city to cancel rent for low-income renters and will continue to call for bold action to prevent rising housing insecurity in District 7.

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?

Gentrification poses a grave threat to the character, affordability and preservation of our neighborhood. In order to fight gentrification, we need to take on the two biggest drivers of displacement: Columbia and the real estate industry. I am proud that our campaign takes no real estate money and while on City Council, I will fight against supertalls and luxury buildings that will increase costs for everyone. Instead, I will work to revise zoning laws to prevent developers using loopholes to build luxury complexes without community input and push for the rezoning of Morningside Heights

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

Quality of life issues are too often forgotten but I hear from residents every day about the garbage piling up, increased noise, and concerns about street and park safety. These issues are a direct result of the city cutting funding, services, and personnel in our District. Our campaign has hosted more than 30 community clean ups to address the problem but we need long-term solutions and funding restored from the city. In addition, I would like to see employment opportunities for youth in improving our streets and the expansion of composting/recycling programs uptown.

A developer is seeking to build a 17-story building on 142nd Street that would include 20 affordable apartments, but which some neighbors criticized for its size and the proposed rezoning. As Council Member, would you support this project, oppose it, or push to change it?

I would oppose this project. The proposal would result in a net gain of ZERO affordable units which is disqualifying.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

In addition to making housing more affordable, our campaign is fighting to reduce class size and integrate our schools, address climate change with a Green New Deal for NYC, and invest in community instead of broken windows policing. New York city has a budget larger than all but a few states and we are seeing nearly $100B flow to the state from the federal government. There is no doubt we have the funding to address our communities’ needs but we must prioritize working people and pass a budget that reflects our values.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I have been fighting for LGBTQ+ young people experiencing homelessness for more than a decade. As a Board Member of the Ali Forney Center, I have been advocating for youth who are erased by the systems that are supposed to protect them. That led to my work with the RDJ Refugee Shelter and founding a mutual aid network uptown that does street outreach to our unhoused neighbors. I was also appointed to serve on the Nightlife Advisory Council and Community Board 9, where I serve on the senior issues committee, providing me unique insight into City Hall as well as the hyperlocal needs of our community.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

The best advice I have ever received was to never lose sight of what my goals are. I entered this race for city council because I firmly believe the status quo is not working and we need new, true progressive, voices in City Hall. I will remember that every day if I am blessed to serve on City Council.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I never thought I would run for office but I feel called to serve my community in this critical moment for our city. I am tired of politicians who win one election and then start campaigning for a new job. This campaign is not about me but about the massive wave of people who have gotten involved in local politics for the first time. I have never been more hopeful about what we can accomplish together. Join us!