T!C’s NY Primaries 2026 Candidates Guide:
State Assembly 65 —by Issue

What are your views on the Borough Based Jail Project (BBJ) and the community-led proposal for affordable housing in its place? What specific actions have you taken to support your views and/or mitigate the impact of BBJ on the Chinatown community?

JASMIN SANCHEZ
I oppose the Borough Based Jail project and support the community-led proposal for affordable housing, open space, and community-serving uses instead. Rikers must close, but not by building a massive new jail in Chinatown through a flawed process that has ignored community needs. Public land should address displacement, housing, and neighborhood stability, not expand incarceration. As a lifelong Lower Manhattan and NYCHA resident, I have led marches, spoken at rallies against the jail, and engaged Chinatown residents, tenants, and small businesses. If elected, I will fight for the housing alternative and demand enforceable construction mitigations and language-accessible accountability.

ILLAPA SAIRITUPAC
I was a vocal opponent of building new jails in the community. Since the jails are already being constructed, we need to ensure that the number of incarcerated people and the local impacts on the community are minimized. Chinatown is a naturally recurring retirement community, a thriving tourist destination, and a neighborhood that struggles with an affordability crisis. Our land use priority should be affordable housing, including accessible housing for seniors and the disabled.

MARIAMA N. JAMES
I am unequivocally opposed to the Chinatown mega-jail project. Our neighborhoods of color have been systematically oversaturated with jails, shelters, and drug clinics, while our demands for investments in our people are routinely ignored. I firmly stand with community leaders, residents, and local business owners who oppose this construction.

Instead of a multi-billion-dollar jail facility, I fully support the community-led proposal to utilize this site for 100% affordable housing. My track record proves my commitment to this exact model: as a co-founder of a local housing coalition, I successfully fought for permanent, 100% affordable housing on public land, specifically advocating for maximum affordability at the major 5 World Trade Center (5WTC) development site. [Response truncated due to exceeding word limit]

WEI-LI TJONG
I oppose the construction of the BBJ and support the grassroots proposal to use the White Street site for affordable housing and community use. Our district faces an affordability crisis. At a time when residents are being priced out, we must prioritize housing and community needs. We must consider alternative sites, including the currently vacant federal detention facility. Community members have spent years organizing around a vision that better addresses housing needs and senior living, while protecting the neighborhood's long-term commercial vitality. We must be true to that vision.

LILAH MEJIA
I support the goal of closing Rikers Island and creating a more humane justice system. However, after listening to Chinatown residents and attending a community meeting recently on the Borough Based Jail Project, including presentations on the Environmental Impact Statement, I have serious concerns about the current location. Residents have raised valid issues regarding air quality, construction impacts, truck traffic, environmental burdens, and the close proximity of the proposed facility to homes, schools, and small businesses.

I am also sympathetic to the community-led proposal to use the site for affordable housing, especially given the ongoing affordability crisis facing our area. I believe we should seriously explore alternative locations, including existing correctional facilities, while prioritizing housing and community needs.

JAY JACKY WONG
Candidate did not respond.

As an elected official representing Chinatown, how would you navigate the tension between engaging City and State agencies on the design and construction of the jail, and reflecting the community’s strong opposition to this project?

JASMIN SANCHEZ
I would be clear that engaging agencies on design or construction impacts does not mean accepting or legitimizing the jail. I will continue to reflect Chinatown’s strong opposition to BBJ, oppose the plan, and fight for the community-led affordable housing alternative. At the same time, if the City moves forward, I would demand language-accessible updates, transparent timelines, air and noise monitoring, traffic and pedestrian safety plans, small business protections, public reporting, meaningful community oversight, regular public meetings, and consequences for agencies or contractors that fail Chinatown.

ILLAPA SAIRITUPAC
As an elected official, I would host and send representatives to community meetings. I think the prior administrations moved too much without community and movement input and we should try to engage our communities on the design and construction as much as possible with the current conditions. I would share constituent concerns with relevant agencies in order to ensure that we can address them as quickly as possible.

MARIAMA N. JAMES
My office will not accept the jail as a foregone conclusion. My primary duty is to reflect the will of the community, which has spoken clearly: no mega-jail. Therefore, my engagement with City and State agencies will not be to politely negotiate the aesthetics of a jail, but to aggressively challenge its footprint, environmental impact, and disruption to our neighborhood.

I will leverage my position to demand full transparency, halt progress whenever safety or environmental violations occur, and amplify the voices of grassroots leaders. I am running to represent the community to the government, not to sell the government's plans to the community.

WEI-LI TJONG
Opposition and engagement are not mutually exclusive. I can oppose the current plan while still fighting for residents who must live with its impacts. In the Assembly, I would continue advocating for community-supported alternatives while demanding transparency, enforceable mitigation measures, multilingual outreach, air-quality monitoring, and protections for local businesses, schools, and senior housing. The community deserves a representative who both elevates its concerns and holds local and state agencies accountable for their actions.

LILAH MEJIA
 My responsibility would be to ensure that the people most impacted have a seat at the table. I would create a task force made up of resident leaders, nearby businesses, community organizations, and other stakeholders so that I can receive firsthand feedback on the impacts of the project and ensure that community concerns are driving the conversation. I believe all actions related to the project should be transparent and aligned with the recommendations of that task force. I would also work to strengthen communication and engagement between the community, the City, and the State so residents are not hearing about decisions after they have already been made. 

JAY JACKY WONG
Candidate did not respond.

The Chinatown Connections project combines $11.5 million in DRI awards with $44.5 million in City capital to revamp Chatham/KimLau Square. What are your views on how the Chinatown Connections process has unfolded? Have you personally engaged in the Chinatown Connections process or addressed community concerns around it? 

JASMIN SANCHEZ
I support long-overdue investment in Chinatown’s public spaces, pedestrian safety, accessibility, walkability, and small business corridors. Chatham/KimLau Square should be safe, beautiful, culturally meaningful, and usable for community life, not just a pass-through space. However, the Chinatown Connections process must be more transparent, language-accessible, and accountable, with clear timelines, construction impact information, and real incorporation of resident feedback. I have spoken with Chinatown residents, small business owners, and community members about ensuring this investment strengthens the neighborhood without accelerating displacement or tourist-focused development. If elected, I would push agencies to serve existing residents and businesses first.

ILLAPA SAIRITUPAC
I believe the Chinatown Connections project should go further to create usable public space. For example, Park Row should ideally be returned to community use and not merely cosmetically improved.

MARIAMA N. JAMES
While investments in Chinatown's infrastructure are long overdue, the Chinatown Connections process has unfortunately mirrored a familiar pattern: top-down planning that fails to genuinely integrate grassroots community feedback. Large-scale capital projects must not be imposed on a neighborhood without deep, culturally competent, and transparent consensus.

Throughout my career in civic leadership, I have consistently advocated for community-driven planning. My views align directly with the small landlords, store owners, and community members who feel their daily realities—such as commercial loading needs, pedestrian safety, and cultural preservation—are being secondary to bureaucratic timelines.

WEI-LI TJONG
Chinatown Connections seeks to improve safety, accessibility, and public space at one of the neighborhood's most heavily used intersections. I have attended community discussions on the project and saw firsthand how strongly people care, even when they disagree on the best path forward. Projects of this scale require meaningful engagement. Residents, seniors, small businesses, cultural organizations, and neighborhood institutions should have a voice throughout implementation. The final project should improve safety and public space while remaining responsive to community concerns.

LILAH MEJIA
To be honest, this is the first time I am hearing about the Chinatown Connections project in detail, so I would not want to pretend that I have been actively involved in a process that I have not participated in. That said, my approach to projects of this scale is always the same: the people who live, work, and own businesses in the neighborhood should be at the center of the decision-making process. Before forming a final opinion, I would want to meet with residents, merchants, community organizations, and project leaders to understand both the benefits being proposed and the concerns being raised.

JAY JACKY WONG
Candidate did not respond.

The ongoing closure of Park Row and coordinating traffic with our NYPD neighbors is a contentious issue that has not been addressed in the Chinatown Connections project. What are your views regarding traffic on Park Row and how it should be resolved?

JASMIN SANCHEZ
I believe Park Row’s closure has significantly harmed Chinatown’s access, traffic circulation, and connectivity, and it should be addressed directly within Chinatown Connections. NYPD’s operational needs matter, but they cannot be the only factor shaping a public street. Chinatown residents, workers, and small businesses deserve a meaningful voice in how Park Row functions. If elected, I would push DOT, EDC, NYPD, and other agencies to develop a transparent, language-accessible, data-driven traffic plan that improves pedestrian safety, transit, cycling, emergency access, and local circulation, with the goal of reconnecting Chinatown and ensuring public streets serve the public.

ILLAPA SAIRITUPAC
Park Row should be fully restored to public access. Closing Park Row has created more congestion on neighboring streets, isolated our neighbors from each other, and made it more difficult for drivers to bring tourists into Chinatown.

MARIAMA N. JAMES
I have stood firmly with the community on reopening Park Row. The permanent, post-9/11 closure of this vital artery has choked Chinatown’s economy, isolated its residents, and created severe traffic congestion in surrounding corridors.

As someone who has spent over two decades in public service and has extensive experience handling complex, hyper-local infrastructure and urban resiliency issues, I know how to navigate these challenges. For example, I previously successfully advocated for the permanent closure of a street to establish a dedicated public park on Fulton Street by working with the community to improve the local landscape. [Response truncated due to exceeding word limit]

WEI-LI TJONG
Park Row was a thoroughfare when I grew up and now has remained closed for decades, affecting mobility, local businesses, and neighborhood connectivity. Any long-term solution must balance legitimate security concerns with the needs of Chinatown residents. I support a transparent review of the closure's impacts, including traffic, environmental, and economic effects. Security measures should be regularly justified and reassessed rather than treated as permanent by default. Chinatown deserves a solution that improves access, supports local commerce, and maintains public safety.

LILAH MEJIA
For more than 20 years, Chinatown has shouldered the impacts of the Park Row closure. I think it's fair for residents and businesses to ask whether the current restrictions are still necessary and whether there are alternatives that can maintain security while reducing congestion and improving quality of life. Before making a final determination, I would want to bring together residents, businesses, transportation experts, and the NYPD to evaluate the data and develop solutions that put the community at the center of the conversation.

JAY JACKY WONG
Candidate did not respond.

The reconstruction of 70 Mulberry, a public building designated for Chinatown’s nonprofits and cultural organizations, is extremely behind schedule. How will you help ensure progress moves forward on the project? 

JASMIN SANCHEZ
70 Mulberry is one of Chinatown’s most important public buildings, and the delay in its reconstruction is unacceptable. Before the fire, it housed vital nonprofit, cultural, and community organizations that served Chinatown for generations. If elected, I would push for a clear public timeline, regular progress updates, and direct accountability from the agencies responsible for the project. I would also work closely with displaced organizations and Chinatown community leaders to ensure their needs remain central, including affordable nonprofit and cultural space, community-serving uses, and a real path for displaced organizations to return.

ILLAPA SAIRITUPAC
I was devastated when the tragic fire hit 70 Mulberry in 2020, which injured a dozen people and damaged a historically significant building that had stood as a pillar of the community for over a century. I will use my office to advocate for expediting the project with communication and transparency with our local organizations.

MARIAMA N. JAMES
The delays at 70 Mulberry are unacceptable. This building is the historic heart of Chinatown’s civic and cultural infrastructure. As a professional accountant and controller, I look at government projects through a lens of fiscal accountability and project management.

I will use the power of my office to demand rigorous oversight over the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS). We need public, monthly milestone reports and strict timeline enforcement. I will work to ensure that funding is fully locked in and that bureaucratic red tape is cleared so that the historic tenants and nonprofits can finally return home.

WEI-LI TJONG
The rebuilding of 70 Mulberry must move forward with urgency, transparency, and accountability. Chinatown has waited too long to see this important civic and cultural space restored. I would work with local elected officials, community organizations, and city agencies to ensure regular public updates, clear project milestones, and accountability for delays. The community deserves confidence that the project will be completed as soon as practicable, and that the final building reflects the needs identified through years of public engagement. Right now, that is sorely lacking.

LILAH MEJIA
The fire at 70 Mulberry displaced many of Chinatown's cultural, nonprofit, and community organizations, and it is understandable that residents and stakeholders are frustrated by the slow pace of reconstruction. These organizations provide critical services and help preserve the history, culture, and identity of Chinatown.

As a State Assembly Member, I want to be honest that 70 Mulberry is a City-owned building, and I would not have direct authority over the reconstruction process. However, that does not mean I would sit on the sidelines. I would use my office to convene the impacted organizations, City agencies, and elected officials to ensure there is transparency, accountability, and regular communication with the community. [Response truncated due to exceeding word limit]

JAY JACKY WONG
Candidate did not respond.

During the 70 Mulberry design process and many other public outreach efforts, the community has repeatedly identified the need for more cultural gathering spaces such as performing arts theaters, cultural centers, and affordable spaces for local nonprofits. Have you personally taken any steps towards addressing this ongoing and growing need? And how will you help ensure DCAS addresses community needs in the design process?

JASMIN SANCHEZ
Chinatown needs more places for residents to gather, create, organize, and access trusted services in their own community. Performing arts theaters, cultural centers, and affordable nonprofit space are essential infrastructure, especially for older adults, immigrants, and working-class residents. I have spoken with Chinatown residents, small business owners, and community members about protecting Chinatown’s cultural identity and ensuring public investments serve local needs. If elected, I would push DCAS to provide language-accessible updates, show how community feedback shapes the design, stay engaged with displaced tenants and cultural groups, and include flexible, affordable space for performances, gatherings, programming, and nonprofit use.

ILLAPA SAIRITUPAC
One of my top priorities is establishing a Social Housing Development Authority in New York, which would be able to directly fund community and cultural spaces. I’m inspired by other world cities that support art and culture where people live and work, and I know that’s also possible here. I would encourage agencies like DCAS to host public forums to ensure the community can participate in design processes.

MARIAMA N. JAMES
Throughout my life, I have been deeply invested in youth, education, and community spaces, having served on the board of youth recreation and wellness nonprofits and school leadership teams. I understand that physical spaces are vital to preserving a community's soul.

To ensure DCAS addresses these needs, I will condition my legislative support for city initiatives on their responsiveness to local demands. I will mandate that the design process for 70 Mulberry explicitly prioritizes multi-functional, affordable spaces for local nonprofits and cultural performing arts, ensuring that the final structure reflects the living culture of Chinatown, not just administrative convenience. [Response truncated due to exceeding word limit]

WEI-LI TJONG
The organizations displaced by the fire should absolutely be able to return in ways that make sense for how they now operate, but the conversation cannot end there. Chinatown's nonprofit and cultural ecosystem has grown significantly in recent years, and harnessing the energy of generations to come means also making room for newer organizations that struggle to find affordable space to serve our constituents. I would advocate for state cultural capital funding, nonprofit support, and additional community-serving spaces that expand opportunities for arts, education, and civic engagement.

LILAH MEJIA
While I have not been directly involved in the 70 Mulberry process, I understand the importance of preserving and creating community spaces that serve as cultural, educational, and organizing hubs. In the Lower East Side, we have faced a similar struggle with CHARAS/El Bohío, a building that for decades served as a vital cultural and community center. I have supported efforts to return that space to community use because I believe neighborhoods need places where residents can gather, organize, celebrate culture, and access services.

JAY JACKY WONG
Candidate did not respond.

$50+ million in “community funds” were designated to MOCA, Columbus Park, and 70 Mulberry as part of the the Borough-Based Jail plan. The Chinatown Partnership LDC receives approximately $1.8 Million annually in property assessments and oversees nearly $1.7M in projects out of the $20M NYS Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) funds. How would you work with these organizations to ensure the Chinatown community is informed and in agreement with how these public funds are spent?

JASMIN SANCHEZ
The community deserves clear information about how decisions are made, who makes them, and how residents, small businesses, and local organizations can shape the outcome. If elected, I would work with these organizations while holding them publicly accountable through regular multilingual updates, accessible meetings, clear budgets, timelines, and reporting on how funds are used. Outreach must reach tenants, older adults, immigrant residents, small business owners, and local nonprofits, not only those already able to navigate government processes. I would push for advisory structures with real influence so public dollars strengthen Chinatown’s existing residents, businesses, parks, cultural institutions, and community spaces.

ILLAPA SAIRITUPAC
Nonprofits such as the CPLDC are inherently less democratic institutions, since they are private entities with no obligation to make their decision-making transparent to the public. I think our government should be directly creating, funding, and providing resources with public input. Chinatown should have more participatory budgeting, and I am inspired by current examples in NYC such as The People’s Money and PBNYC.

MARIAMA N. JAMES
Public funds must serve the public trust, and there must be absolute transparency in how they are allocated. My office will institute a formal, regular reporting mechanism where these entities must present clear financial accounting and project updates directly to the community.

Furthermore, I believe that funds distributed under the guise of "jail mitigation" must be heavily scrutinized to ensure they are genuinely benefiting grassroots community preservation. I will work closely with community watchdogs, local small business owners, and residents to ensure that these large allocations are spent in alignment with the broader neighborhood's needs, rather than being concentrated without community consensus.

WEI-LI TJONG
Public dollars should serve the public good. None of these organizations exist in a vacuum, and we must demand transparency, accountability, and meaningful community participation. Whether funding comes from the Downtown Revitalization Initiative, the Borough-Based Jail commitments, or other public sources, residents deserve clear information about how funds are allocated and spent. I support regular public reporting, multilingual community meetings, and ongoing engagement with neighborhood stakeholders to ensure investments reflect community priorities and deliver measurable public benefits.

LILAH MEJIA
 I would not want to pretend that I know all the details of these funding allocations or the decisions that have been made regarding them. What I do know is that whenever public dollars are being invested in a community, the people who live and work there deserve transparency, accountability, and a meaningful voice in how those funds are spent.

JAY JACKY WONG
Candidate did not respond.

The Chinatown community uses public spaces intensively, despite lack of infrastructure such as well-maintained lighting, public restrooms, and electrical hookups to support community events. Community-led efforts have activated public spaces, like the day & night markets at Forsyth Plaza and lighting projects in SDR Park. Have you worked towards improvements to parks and plaza spaces in Chinatown?

JASMIN SANCHEZ
I have not personally worked on improvements to parks or plaza spaces in Chinatown, but I strongly support community-led efforts activating spaces like Forsyth Plaza and SDR Park. Chinatown’s public spaces need basic infrastructure like safe lighting, public restrooms, electrical hookups, seating, and reliable maintenance. This is an accessibility issue: public spaces must be usable and welcoming to the communities they serve. If elected, I would work with Chinatown organizations, residents, vendors, and small businesses to identify needed improvements and push City and State agencies to fund and maintain safe, accessible, day-and-night public spaces across AD-65.

ILLAPA SAIRITUPAC
Community-led efforts are vital to the community, but they should not substitute for the government’s obligation to maintain and create public spaces. I will fight for more funding at the state level to ensure that Chinatown has more access to public restrooms, better lighting, and street infrastructure.

MARIAMA N. JAMES
Yes. I have a long, proven track record of advocating for green spaces, waterfront protection, and public parks. My past community work includes successfully transforming local street infrastructure into vibrant public park space.

WEI-LI TJONG
Chinatown's public spaces are some of the most heavily used in New York City, yet they often lack the infrastructure needed to support the number of residents and community events. I will strongly advocate for investments in lighting, safety, seating, public restrooms, accessibility improvements, electrical hookups, and increased park maintenance. Public spaces are extensions of our homes in a dense neighborhood like Chinatown, and they should be safe, welcoming, and capable of supporting the cultural events and community gatherings that make the neighborhood unique.

LILAH MEJIA
I have not personally worked on improvements to parks and plaza spaces in Chinatown. I believe it is important to be upfront about where I have direct experience and where I am still learning.That said, I recently had a conversation with FABnyc about their efforts to bring more programming and community activities to Sara D. Roosevelt Park. I appreciated hearing their perspective because it reinforced how important activated public spaces are to a neighborhood's health and vibrancy.

JAY JACKY WONG
Candidate did not respond.

How would your office specifically support community efforts to improve infrastructure in public spaces and support community uses such as cultural events and street vending?

JASMIN SANCHEZ
My office would support community-led public space improvements by helping residents and organizations navigate government, secure funding, and hold agencies accountable. Communities often identify clear needs, like lighting, restrooms, electrical hookups, seating, maintenance, and safer street design, but the process is confusing and slow. I would convene agencies, track commitments, elevate community priorities, and advocate for state and city funding. I would also support cultural events, markets, and street vending by pushing for more accessible, fair permitting and enforcement. Chinatown’s plazas, parks, and streets should support daily community life, cultural programming, and local economic opportunity.

ILLAPA SAIRITUPAC
I will use my office to advocate for street vendors and fight for infrastructure funding at the state level. I would also work with member organizations such as Street Vendor Project to ensure that our efforts adequately meet vendors’ needs.

MARIAMA N. JAMES
My office will act as a direct accelerator for community initiatives. We will:

- Streamline the Permitting Process: Provide dedicated staff to help local cultural organizations navigate the bureaucratic maze of SAPO and Parks Department permits.

- Direct Capital Funding: Seek to allocate funds specifically for mobile infrastructure (like portable sound systems, staging, and lighting) that community groups can utilize.

- Protect Street Vendors: Advocate for fair, clear regulations that protect traditional cultural street vending, which is an essential part of Chinatown's economy and vibrant street life, while ensuring paths remain accessible for pedestrians.

WEI-LI TJONG
My office would work to secure state funding for public-space improvements while partnering with community organizations to identify grants, advocate for capital projects, and help navigate city and state agencies when projects stall. I support investments in lighting, electrical access, sanitation, accessibility, and event infrastructure that make public spaces more usable year-round. I would also work with community groups to support cultural events, night markets, and street vendors, which are vital to Chinatown's economy and often serve as a launching point for new small businesses.

LILAH MEJIA
Supporting community events is not something I hope to learn as an elected official it is something I have been doing for years. Through organizing the Lower East Side Puerto Rican Parade and Festival, community food distributions, cultural celebrations, and neighborhood events, I have firsthand experience navigating permits, coordinating with City agencies, securing resources, and overcoming the logistical challenges that community groups face when activating public spaces.

JAY JACKY WONG‍
Candidate did not respond.

The Open Streets program on Canal street has been a source of friction in the community between restauranteurs/hospitality groups and residents/other businesses. What guardrails on the Open Street program would your office work toward to ensure a lively economy, equitable use of public space, and harmony in the neighborhood?

JASMIN SANCHEZ
Open Streets can support small businesses, safer pedestrian space, and lively commercial corridors, but only if residents and other businesses are heard. On Canal Street, I would push for clear, enforceable guardrails around hours, noise, sanitation, emergency access, pedestrian circulation, and the amount of space used for commercial activity. Public space should not serve only one industry. Restaurants matter, but so do residents, longtime merchants, and street vendors. If elected, I would work with DOT, CB3, businesses, residents, and community organizations on multilingual outreach, public complaint and enforcement reporting, and seasonal adjustments when problems arise.

ILLAPA SAIRITUPAC
I would advocate for accessible loading and drop off zones to ensure local businesses can operate efficiently while our restaurant industry can benefit from the high foot traffic.

MARIAMA N. JAMES
Open Streets cannot be a "one-size-fits-all" policy especially when they really mean closed streets for particular groups. On a major commercial artery like Canal Street, we must balance the economic benefits for restaurants with the baseline operational needs of other small businesses, apparel shops, wholesalers, and the safety of local residents.

I will work to implement the following guardrails:

- Mandatory Loading/Unloading Windows: Guarantee dedicated hours and spaces for commercial deliveries so small businesses and family-run property owners are not disrupted.

- Strict Sanitation and Noise Enforcement: Ensure participating hospitality groups take full financial and operational responsibility for clean-up and noise management.

- Localized Curfews: Ensure Open Streets hours do not infringe upon the quiet enjoyment and accessibility needs of [Response truncated due to exceeding word limit]

WEI-LI TJONG
Open Streets should support both neighborhood quality of life and economic activity. I would support regular community review, clear sanitation and noise-management plans, effective enforcement measures, ensuring emergency and delivery access, and engagement with residents, restaurants, retailers, and other businesses. The goal should be a program that benefits the entire neighborhood. Food, shopping and nightlife are economic drivers for our neighborhood, but residents should not be held hostage to bad actors. Successful public spaces require ongoing management and community engagement.

LILAH MEJIA
I believe public spaces should serve the entire community, not just one group of stakeholders. Open Streets can be a valuable tool for supporting small businesses, cultural programming, and economic activity, but it must also be responsive to the concerns of residents and other businesses that are impacted by it.

I would support creating a community advisory group made up of residents, merchants, restaurants, vendors, and community organizations to regularly evaluate the program and make recommendations. Guardrails should include clear communication, language-accessible outreach, sanitation standards, reasonable operating hours, and opportunities for community feedback. My goal would be to ensure that Open Streets remains an asset to the neighborhood while balancing quality-of-life concerns and creating equitable access to public space. [Response truncated due to exceeding word limit]

JAY JACKY WONG
Candidate did not respond.

What is your plan to protect Chinatown’s ecosystem of affordable housing, small businesses, and family-run property owners? Which of the following do you support or oppose and why?  

Commercial Rent Stabilization:

JASMIN SANCHEZ
I support commercial rent stabilization or similar commercial tenant protections for small businesses, especially legacy businesses that are being pushed out by sudden and unaffordable rent increases. Chinatown’s small businesses are not interchangeable storefronts; they are part of the neighborhood’s cultural identity, local economy, and daily life. Any policy should be designed to prevent displacement, curb speculation, and give small businesses the stability they need to remain in the neighborhood. Protecting long-standing community businesses is essential to preserving Chinatown as a place where residents can continue to live, work, and access culturally relevant goods and services.

ILLAPA SAIRITUPAC
I fully support and would co-sponsor Assembly Member Emily Gallagher's Small Business Rent Stabilization Act.

MARIAMA N. JAMES
Our community is being squeezed out by corporate landlords and bad government policies. I am proud to be formally supported by key Chinatown leaders like Jan Lee, Triple Edwards, and Tim Wong, alongside numerous local restaurant owners, store owners, and small property landlords. My plan is built on protecting mom-and-pop ecosystems, not corporate developers.

Chinatown’s legacy is built on its unique small businesses. When corporate landlords drastically hike commercial rents, they don't just displace a business; they erase community history. I support a fair framework that protects small, independent merchants from speculative rent gouging while ensuring a fair return for local, small-scale property owners but I’m not an expert in this area. [Response truncated due to exceeding word limit]

WEI-LI TJONG
I support exploring commercial rent stabilization and other commercial tenant protections, particularly in neighborhoods like Chinatown where rising rents threaten longstanding small businesses and cultural institutions. We want to preserve Chinatown’s traditions while ensuring room for future growth. However, any proposal must account for family-owned buildings that rely on commercial income to maintain affordable residential units. My priority is a balanced approach that protects local businesses from displacement while recognizing the realities faced by small property owners.

LILAH MEJIA
As someone who works in Chinatown, I see firsthand the challenges facing the neighborhood's small businesses, family-run property owners, and longtime residents. I have watched storefronts sit vacant, businesses close, and commercial corridors struggle to recover. One example that stands out is the market area beneath the Manhattan Bridge, where many businesses have shuttered over the years. At the same time, rising costs, changing development patterns, and congestion pricing have raised concerns among merchants who rely on customers from other boroughs and neighboring communities to support their businesses.

Protecting Chinatown's ecosystem requires recognizing that affordable housing, small businesses, and family-owned properties are interconnected. When residents are displaced, businesses lose customers. [Response truncated due to exceeding word limit]

JAY JACKY WONG
Candidate did not respond.

Rent Vouchers for Legacy Businesses:

JASMIN SANCHEZ
I support rent vouchers, grants, or targeted subsidies for legacy businesses, particularly businesses that have served Chinatown for generations, provide culturally important goods and services, or employ local residents. These businesses help keep Chinatown livable for the people who call it home, not just attractive to visitors. Any voucher program should be easy to access, multilingual, and paired with technical assistance so small businesses are not excluded by complicated applications or limited administrative capacity. Public support should prioritize businesses that are rooted in the community and at real risk of displacement.

ILLAPA SAIRITUPAC
I am open to discussing rent vouchers for legacy businesses. I currently believe commercial rent stabilization is the most robust solution for small businesses.

MARIAMA N. JAMES
Legacy businesses provide cultural continuity and vital services. Providing targeted rent vouchers or tax credits to landlords who keep legacy businesses in place is a win-win that maintains neighborhood stability and directly supports our local economy.

WEI-LI TJONG
I support targeted rent assistance and voucher programs for legacy businesses that contribute to Chinatown's cultural identity, economy, and community life. Many operate on thin margins yet provide services, jobs, and neighborhood character that cannot easily be replaced once lost. I would explore a joint state-city fund to help defray commercial rents for legacy businesses and support a community-based commission to help inform voucher allocation. These programs can help stabilize important institutions while broader efforts address rising commercial rents.

LILAH MEJIA
I support programs that provide financial assistance to legacy businesses that contribute to the cultural and economic fabric of Chinatown. These businesses are community institutions, and targeted assistance can help them remain in place during periods of rising costs and economic uncertainty.

JAY JACKY WONG
Candidate did not respond.

Other: (please add any other policy tools you are passionate about using to support Chinatown’s local economy):

JASMIN SANCHEZ
I would support a broader anti-displacement strategy for Chinatown’s local economy, including stronger protections for rent-regulated and affordable housing, property tax relief or technical support for small family-run property owners who keep rents affordable, enforcement against warehousing and speculative vacancies, and expanded legal assistance for small businesses facing lease issues or displacement. I would also push for public investments that make it easier for local businesses to survive, including sanitation, streetscape improvements, fair permitting processes, language-accessible services, and support for street vendors. Chinatown should not be treated as just a commercial district or tourist destination. It is a living neighborhood, and policy should help the residents, workers, small businesses, and property owners who built it stay here.

ILLAPA SAIRITUPAC
I believe addressing the affordability crisis is critical for Chinatown’s local economy. Too many residents are being priced out. Many workers can’t afford to live in Chinatown, and they are forced to commute long distances to work. If we don’t act, displacement will negatively impact the character of our neighborhoods. I will fight for the funding to build affordable housing, with an emphasis on accessibility for seniors and the disabled.

MARIAMA N. JAMES
I strongly support Priscilla's Law to ensure transparency, equity, and accountability in our local infrastructure and transit policies. Additionally, I will fight for targeted property tax relief for small, family-run property owners who keep their residential and commercial rents affordable. We must distinguish between predatory corporate real estate trusts and the local immigrant families who invested in our neighborhood decades ago and form the backbone of Chinatown.

Furthermore, we must fundamentally repair, if not entirely dismantle, the current Congestion Pricing framework as it applies to Chinatown. As it stands, this toll functions as a regressive tax on our historic immigrant community. [Response truncated due to exceeding word limit]

WEI-LI TJONG
Candidate did not respond to this question.

LILAH MEJIA
I support investments in technical assistance, language-accessible business services, low-interest loans and grants for immigrant-owned businesses, and stronger protections for legacy businesses. Organizations such as Welcome to Chinatown, Think!Chinatown, CPC, and the Chinatown BID have done important work connecting businesses to resources, grants, and technical assistance, but it is clear that more support is needed. I also believe we should closely evaluate the economic impacts of congestion pricing on Chinatown merchants and residents. If data shows that small businesses are being disproportionately harmed, we should explore mitigation measures, exemptions, or targeted assistance while continuing to pursue cleaner air and environmental goals. [Response truncated due to exceeding word limit]

JAY JACKY WONG
Candidate did not respond.