NYC Council District 35 Race: Curtis Harris Seeks Brooklyn Seat

CROWN HEIGHTS, BROOKLYN — Voters in New York City's 35th Council District — which extends over Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Bed-Stuy and Crown Heights — will see seven names on their ballots when they vote in the June 22 primary election.

One of those names will be Curtis Harris, a former member of Brooklyn's Community Board 8, the founder of the Green Earth Poets Cafe and a former accountant.

Patch reached out to all candidates in the election to create these profiles. Harris' responses are below:

Age (as of Election Day)

63

Position Sought

NYC Councilmember 35th District

Party Affiliation

Democratic

Neighborhood of residence

Crown Heights

Family

six children Emmanuel 15, Curtis II 18, Naomi 25, Nia 31, Ashton 33, Ashleigh 35 and grandson Levi Mars 3 years old.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

Masters degree Bernard Baruch Public Administration, BS Accounting Medgar Evers College

Occupation

Executive Director Nonprofit Performing Arts Organization 8 yrs, Accountant 44 years (retired).

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Community Board#8 member, 57th AD County Committee Member KCDP

Campaign website

www.curtisharris2021.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am running for City Council because I am frustrated with decisions that have been made and opportunities that have been missed. And I'm running because I am hopeful and know our community can do better.

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

Housing. - There is a housing crisis in the 35th CD, many developers promise affordable housing but only deliver gentrification. Since 2013 many Black, Brown and poor people have been displaced from the district because of this. I will no longer seek to build "affordable housing" , but low and moderate income housing. This will help alleviate the homelessness crisis also in our district and the City of NY.

In addition, I will revisit the AMI formula for fairness as well as the ULURP process which is very developer favored. Lastly rezoning in the district and how we use City own property must be people centered and not profit centered per se.

Finally I will be an advocate of Community Land Trusts to help secure the housing rights for low and moderate income individuals as well as our seniors who are most susceptible to our housing crisis and homelessness. I believe that housing is a human right and we must provide the tools, assets and policy to guarantee good housing comes to and stays in the 35th Council District.
NYCHA public housing stock will under my administration be protected from privatization and development.

I plan to put the people first by focusing on increasing access to real affordable housing, requiring developers to provide more real affordable units, and protecting renters from being priced out of neighborhoods they helped build.

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

The critical differences between myself and the other candidates is my age and experience. I am 63 and a parent; father of 6 children and grandfather of one and as such have gained wisdom regarding family needs and priorities ( e.g., healthcare, education, childcare) as examples.

Another critical difference is I am a financial professional of 40 years and that experience of being a financial steward will be an asset to our district and City as I safeguard tax dollars and City assets and examine policy which must be examined from a financial and policy point of view as well. Our City is facing a $9B budget deficit and we must have someone who understands finances from experience and not theory learning on the job. Finally I am the Arts and Culture candidate as the Executive Director of a 501 C 3 nonprofit performing arts organization that was established in 2013 to help serve the youth and seniors in our community. Our district is home to the Barclays Center (Go Nets), Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, BAM, BRIC the International African Arts Festival at commodore Barry Park as well as a host of smaller arts and cultural organizations. No one running has a genuine love and appreciation for artists and the arts that I possess. These are just a few of the critical differences between myself and other candidates.

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

Local officials have done the best they could do in responding to coronavirus. I was more concerned with my volunteering at my local food pantry, visiting senior citizens who have been very isolated as a result of covid, and volunteering at our local parks to help keep them clean. I have been distributing PPE and face masks and communicating with our neighbors using social media about health protocols and safety measures as well as where food could be obtained and how housing rights could be protected (eviction prevention).

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

As Your Next Councilmember, I Will Empower Brooklyn By Focusing On:
Covid-19 Relief:
Increasing Supportive Services: I will work to make sure health & wellness resources are accessible to all residents in our district, no matter the zip code, nor economic or racial status.
Protecting Truly Affordable Housing: I will fight to make sure our residents stay in their own homes by providing FREE legal services.
Providing Job Support: I will provide a range of opportunities that includes job readiness programs and technology classes to assist and sustaining families who depend on it more than ever in the wake of COVID-19.
Low and Moderate Income Housing:
I will make housing affordable for everyone by fighting for universal rent control.
Education:
I will fight to ensure that every child has access to high quality K-12 education, demand an elected school board, and put a stop to the school to prison pipeline.
Seniors:
I am an advocate for seniors. I will direct City Council funds to support senior programming including cultural field trips, health screenings, and meal delivery programs.
Criminal Justice Reform:
As your next Councilmember I will fight to reform New York’s criminal justice system by erasing Broken Windows Policing.
Ending Broken Windows Policing: Broken Windows focuses on policing minor crimes and activities such as loud music and loitering. Eric Garner, Michael Brown and countless others have died because of Broken-Windows Policing.
Expanding Bail Reform-95% of the people jailed on Rikers Island are black or brown, confined because most are too poor to make bail.
Immigration:
Supportive Services: It’s hard to navigate our government and systems even as a native speaker. I will work to make sure resources are accessible to all communities and provide more translated materials in Haitian Creole, Urdu, and similar neighborhoods.
Environmental Justice:
The effects of elevated blood lead might not be immediately visible, but our neighborhoods face this hidden neurotoxin at levels sometimes worse than Flint, Michigan.
As your City Council member, I will provide free lead poison testing, as well as proposed laws to strengthen protections of our babies.
Climate Change:
is another looming threat. It may seem far off or something happening in distant places, but it is inevitably poorer communities in every country who will be disproportionately affected. We all need to act immediately to protect the world’s environment to prevent more suffering.

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

Of the many accomplishments I would cite is being a father. Fatherhood is the greatest joy one could experience. As a parent you develop a genuine love and desire to serve people as you help them grow and develop. As a parent you learn as much from your children as you desire to share with your children, for life demands change. It demands you have an open mind and that you remain humble at all times. As a parent I've learned to be quick to repent, to be quick to apologize and to remain teachable.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

What we see with our eyes and hear with our ears is colored by the condition of our hearts.

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

I love roller skating.

Read More:

• Brooklyn District 35 City Council Race: Where Things Stand