Brooklyn Org and BRIC, in partnership with local community organizations, convened a public forum on Wednesday, bringing together over 100 North and Central Brooklyn residents and community leaders to discuss some of the most urgent issues facing Brooklyn: housing affordability, immigration, mental health, and community safety.
The themes mirror the top concerns highlighted in the People’s Pulse, a citywide survey of 3,000 New Yorkers which launched earlier this year to help community organizations, policymakers, and candidates better understand and respond to local priorities.
Similar issues have consistently surfaced over the past three years through Brooklyn Org’s Neighborhood Listening Tours, which gather direct input from Brooklyn residents, according to Brooklyn Org President and CEO Dr. Jocelynne Rainey.
BKO President & CEO Dr. Jocelynne Rainey and BRIC President Wes Jackson moderated the event. Panelists included Councilmembers Lincoln Restler, Rita Joseph, Shahana Hanif, and Crystal Hudson, alongside community leaders, including Kendra Chiu, executive director of North Brooklyn Angels; Ligia Guallpa, founder and executive director of the Worker’s Justice Project; Chino Hardin, executive director of the Center for Nu Leadership; John Leyva, founding member of Save 63 Tiffany; and Sada Connel, peer facilitator of KAVI and Coro fellow of BKO.
Rainey and Jackson introduced each topic with contextual data from the People’s Pulse survey and then invited a community leader to raise a question grounded in that data, which councilmembers then addressed in turn.
Affordability
78% of New Yorkers said housing costs have worsened and nearly half have considered leaving the city. ” — People’s Pulse survey
In response, Leyva criticized affordable housing policies that favor developers over low-income residents and urged the use of neighborhood-specific Area Median Income, and called for investments in community land trusts.
Councilmember Restler echoed that urgency. “The Black population in Brooklyn is shrinking for the first time since the Great Migration,” he said, adding that Williamsburg and Greenpoint — areas in the northern part of his district — have lost 15,000 Latino residents in the past 15 years, according to the North Brooklyn News.
Restler also called for stronger collaboration between policymakers and community partners to expand truly affordable housing and tenant protections. Councilmember Hudson, who noted her district lost 20% of its Black population in the decade before she took office, outlined a community-driven land use plan, which aims to reverse that trend by producing more affordable housing tailored to neighborhood-level income data.
“61% of New Yorkers report growing difficulty meeting basic needs such as housing, healthcare, and food.” –– People’s Pulse survey
Based on the data, Chiu highlighted the increasing strain her organization, North Brooklyn Angels, is facing as small nonprofits like hers try to provide free meals while staying afloat. She called for dedicated funding to support their operations without compromising their missions.
Councilmember Hudson echoed Chiu’s concern, stressing the need to reduce bureaucratic barriers and remember the more flexible, responsive government funding practices used during the pandemic.
Councilmember Joseph proposed upfront funding, similar to early childhood provider models, to ease the burden on small nonprofits that often lack the resources to front costs or navigate complex reimbursement processes. She also advocated for creating a nonprofit coalition to foster collaboration and resource-sharing among organizations doing overlapping community work.
Immigrants and Labor
“Nearly half of New Yorkers (49%) would support legislation to provide faster pathways to work authorization for immigrants as a way to address labor shortages and boost the city’s economy.” — People’s Pulse survey
In response, Guallpa raised the question about how the city addresses the root causes of inequality, such as low wages and inadequate infrastructure, rather than penalizing or neglecting the needs of working-class communities.
Councilmember Hanif underscored the struggles immigrant essential workers face, especially delivery and construction workers, who endure low pay, injuries, and retaliation.
Public Safety
“Half (50%) of New Yorkers say they feel less safe than they did five years ago. The majority of respondents (68%) said they avoid the subway, and nearly half (49%) said safety affects their willingness to be outside.”— People’s Pulse survey
Accordingly, Sada asked about concrete plans to expand school- and neighborhood-based violence prevention programs.
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Councilmember Hudson acknowledged that “defunding the NYPD” may not have been the best phrasing, but emphasized the intent was to reallocate resources from an overfunded police department to underfunded public institutions like hospitals, schools, and housing. She also called for greater investment in community-based, people-centered organizations that prevent violence and promote public safety before police intervention is needed.
Councilmember Hanif mentioned she has held monthly roundtables with diverse high school students to understand how schools address incidents of hate and found that students consistently lacked a trusted person or system to turn to when experiencing abuse or discrimination. She called for greater local investment in programs like peer mentorship and restorative practices programs, especially as federal support for restorative justice declines.
Councilmember Joseph described deteriorating school conditions and called for increased resources to support students’ basic needs, including food, housing, mental health care, and inclusive curricula.
Mental Health
“84% of participants believe the city is facing a serious mental health crisis, with a majority saying too many people with mental illness lack adequate care, and 58% express empathy for those struggling with their mental health in public spaces.” — People’s Pulse survey
Hardin raised the need for community-led accountability, arguing that relying solely on institutions for solutions is unrealistic. He emphasized that real accountability comes through budget decisions, including rewarding effective community organizations and defunding those that underperform.
Councilmember Hanif acknowledged the deep, compounding mental health crisis, driven by issues like housing insecurity, food scarcity, and the high cost of care. Sharing her personal battle with lupus, she stressed the importance of community support, vulnerability, and grassroots conversations as a foundation for both healing and systemic change.
