Group of city councilmembers push for federal takeover of Rikers Island
At least seven City Council members are now urging a federal judge to appoint a receiver for Rikers Island. In a letter obtained exclusively by NY1, these lawmakers say Rikers Island has only become more deadly and the only way to turn things around would be through a federal takeover. Eighteen people in custody or recently released from custody have died this year. “Over the past 11 months, many of us have visited the jails and have held public and private meetings with the Department of Correction’s executive leadership. On these visits, we have continued to witness Rikers’ deteriorating conditions and spoken with dozens of detainees who experience a lack of basic services and safety precautions,” the councilmembers wrote. “Despite promises from leadership, the jails have grown more deadly and far less transparent.”
Prospect Heights Council Member Offers Free Turkeys And Music
Come get your free turkey, courtesy of your local Council member! On Saturday, Nov. 19, first-term Council Member Crystal Hudson is hosting a free turkey giveaway from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Prospect Heights Educational Campus located at 883 Classon Ave. The announcement promises “all the fixins’” in addition to the seasonal birds.
Childcare bills signed into law
Mayor Eric Adams signed a package of childcare bills into law last week sponsored by a majority woman city council. The bills address chronic issues with the city’s child care system and access to services. “No parent leaves home without their phone, their keys, and without knowing that their child has a proper place and well-being. COVID-19 really decimated families of far too many; they had to make some strong and challenging decisions,” said Mayor Adams at the signing on Wednesday, Nov. 9. “They have lost wages and childcare in the process. We understand that and we’re focused on rightsizing to get this right.”
Local Dems push for ranked choice voting
Crystal Hudson may have been in first place, but she was still not officially “first,” at least not until New York City’s system of ranked choice voting was applied. Then she became the winner. Hudson was part of a webinar Tuesday night from the Democratic Party of Evanston, as DPOE tries to convince Evanstonians to change the way city officeholders are chosen. “Ranked choice voting is the way to go,” Hudson said, reflecting on her own experience running for New York’s City Council, saying the system “empowered” the voters.
New $500K Plan Recruits LGBTQ+ Workers For Unions Jobs: PH Elected
Council member Crystal Hudson announced Friday a $500,000 initiative to help get more LGBTQIA+ workers at unionized positions, according to the lawmaker's office. The initiative will help fund recruitment efforts at nonprofits and city agencies with the aim to get more LGBTQIA+ employed at union jobs. Funding will also prepare workers for jobs across different sectors — like building trades, pre-apprenticeships, civil service and certification exams — and provide support on the job, Hudson's office said in a release.
Prospect Heights Hopes For Rat Help From New Council Member
It’s not secret that rats are a major problem in this otherwise bucolic neighborhood. And finally, after years of community meetings — and dodging rats on the streets — residents say a meeting with their new council member left them with a sense of change. At the start of the meeting on Monday Sept. 26, residents were not quite seeing the light. Some told Patch that they felt frustrated by presentations on how 311 works and the basics of the Department of Health Rat Academy lessons.
51 Council Members in 52 Weeks: District 35, Crystal Hudson
The majority of the New York City Council members are new and are part of a class that is the most diverse and progressive in city history. Over the next year Brian Lehrer will get to know all 51 members. This week, Councilmember Crystal Hudson, talks about her priorities for District 35, which includes Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Crown Heights, Prospect Heights and Bedford Stuyvesant.
Brooklyn firehouse reflects diversity of community
A group of Brooklyn firefighters was recognized on Friday. They hail from Engine 234, which holds the distinction as one of the most diverse fire companies in the FDNY. “We’re proud of that,” Capt. Paul Washington said. The fast-paced firehouse is stationed in the heart of Crown Heights. “Some of our members were born and raised in this community or surrounding areas so we have a special feeling for the neighborhood,” Washington said. PIX11 News was there as City Council member Crystal Hudson stopped by to recognize Engine 234, tour the firehouse and say thank you. “These are places that we don’t actually get into all the time, and that we don’t see necessarily who’s behind the uniform,” Hudson said. “To see all different types of people serving a community that looks like me — it is inspiring.”
Op-Ed: New York City isn’t ready for its aging population
Our city’s affordability crisis knows no bounds. Its effects are not only unquestionably tangible today but also a harbinger of crises to come. Presently, skyrocketing rents undermine the health and wellbeing of our communities, forcing scores of long-time residents out of the neighborhoods they’ve long called home and making our city uninhabitable for the millions of poor and working class, Black and Brown New Yorkers continually pushed into the margins of society. But have you considered the effects this crisis has on older New Yorkers — those living on a fixed income, those with mobility limitations or chronic illness, those living close to the loved ones that care for them, or those who simply want to age in place in the comfort of their own homes?
Hudson, older NYers call for more age-in-place protections for seniors
Data shows older adults represent New York City’s “fastest growing demographic.” Councilmember Crystal Hudson, The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), and other electeds joined forces to introduce bills that will help senior tenants age in place on Sept 7. At least 23 out of the 55 census defined neighborhoods citywide have a majority immigrant older adult population, said Hudson. She added that older New Yorkers, ages 50+, generally want to age in their homes and neighborhoods rather than institutional settings.
City Council and LGBTQIA+ Caucus to introduce monkeypox bills
Councilmembers Crystal Hudson, Chi Osse, and the LGBTQIA+ Caucus introduced a package of bills last week to address the monkeypox crisis as well as vaccination equity and public outreach, just as the COVID-19 pandemic recedes. “This City has had more than two years to learn from the COVID-19 pandemic; to study its missteps and put into place a rapid response plan to handle any future outbreaks of infectious disease effectively and efficiently,” said Hudson in a statement.
Brooklyn councilmembers propose new legislation on affordable housing, monkeypox response
Brooklyn councilmembers took the reins at Thursday’s regular full City Council meeting, introducing new packages of legislation relating to affordable housing, the monkeypox outbreak and more, and celebrating as their previously-written bills were approved by their colleagues. The Council on Aug. 10 overwhelmingly voted to approve a package of bills on reproductive health and maternal mortality. Four of the seven bills in the package were sponsored by Brooklyn pols, and the newly-approved legislation will create education programs, force more transparency between hospitals and birthing patients, and more.
Council passes package of reproductive health legislation, expanding doula and midwifery services
Building on their mission to counter the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning Roe v. Wade last month, the City Council Thursday passed a package of reproductive health and maternal mortality legislation following an abortion protections package they passed last month. The seven bill and five resolution package includes legislation requiring the city Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) to post its annual Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Report on its website and to provide doula services to low income communities across the five boroughs as well as direct the city to distribute educational information on doula and midwifery services.
LGBTQIA+ Caucus Members In BK Want To Close Monkeypox Vax Equity Gap
The city is falling short on distributing the monkeypox vaccine, especially among queer minorities, a prominent Crown Heights Council Member charged this week. Crystal Hudson, co-chair of the Council's LGBTQIA+ Caucus, plans to join her colleagues in introducing bills to stop the spread of the virus. The bills also aim to focus on people of color in the LGBT communities, who have long been ignored in past inaction, she said.
As cases of monkeypox increase across the country, so are the calls for a change in the way the vaccine is distributed. As CBS2's Astrid Martinez reports, new legislation was introduced in New York by the City Council's LGBTQ caucus Thursday. Emergency orders declared. Long lines of people waiting hours for a monkeypox vaccine. New York City residents detailing their struggles to get a shot.
Missing Crown Heights Teen Found After Week-Long Search, NYPD Says
After going missing for over a week and spurring a neighborhood-wide search effort, a Crown Heights teenager was found Thursday, officials confirmed. "Aunisty Elliot has been found and is safe!!!" announced Brooklyn Councilmember Crystal Hudson, who spearheaded the local search efforts. Police also confirmed she has been found and is safe. Elliot, 14, went missing from her Prospect Place home on the morning of July 27.
Brooklyn politician wants ‘urgency’ in search for teen
The New York City Council member who represents central Brooklyn called on the NYPD to treat the disappearance of a 14-year-old girl last week with “urgency.” “We know that statistically, Black girls are labeled as runaways,” Council member Crystal Hudson observed, “even when, you know, there might be evidence of trafficking or other types of foul play.”
Brooklyn Electeds Introduce Bills to Provide No-Cost Doula Services for NY’ers
New York City Councilmembers Jennifer Gutiérrez, Farah Louis and Crystal Hudson last week introduced legislation to build a pipeline of no-cost professional doula services and an educational campaign across the city. “This country has one of the highest rates of maternal mortality among high-income countries, especially when it comes to women of color,” said Gutiérrez. “We know that when people use doulas during pregnancy and birth, they’re two times less likely to have birth complications and four times less likely to have a low birth weight baby. Those are life-saving statistics”
A Q&A with New York City Council LGBTQ Caucus Co-Chairs Tiffany Cabán and Crystal Hudson
New York City Council Members Tiffany Cabán and Crystal Hudson are looking to shake things up as co-chairs of the council’s LGBTQ Caucus – starting with its name. “We’re finalizing our bylaws, but the name of the caucus is formally being changed to the LGBTQIA+ Caucus,” Cabán told City & State recently. Transitioning to a more inclusive name might not achieve material gains for the community, but it’s indicative of the approach that the two co-chairs are taking to lead the caucus. While the co-chairs wouldn’t talk much about a package of bills that the caucus is working on, Cabán and Hudson said they were “unapologetic” in their intention to focus on the most at-risk members of the LGBTQ community, including transgender youth and seniors as well as queer people of color.
Brooklyn pol makes good on ‘Black Agenda’ campaign promise with 4 new bills
Councilmember Crystal Hudson made good on her campaign policy “A Black Agenda For New York City” on Thursday, introducing a package of bills central to the policy’s goals in the City Council. Hudson, who represents parts of Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Prospect Heights, and Bedford-Stuyvesant, introduced the policy early on in her campaign, releasing a comprehensive study identifying the most pressing needs of Black New Yorkers and a list of recommendations for elected officials way back in February 2021. Now halfway through her first year in office, Hudson is taking her own advice and introducing four bills that address health, economic, housing and discrimination justice.
Council approves Atlantic Avenue buildings after Hudson negotiates more affordable units
The New York City Council voted 48-1 to approve a pair of new buildings on Atlantic Avenue on Thursday, a move Brooklyn Councilmember Crystal Hudson said would change the game for affordable housing in future rezonings.
Making NYC Age-Friendly: An ABC7 Town Hall with AARP
Channel 7 Eyewitness News anchor and reporter Mike Marza will moderate a discussion on the needs of older New Yorkers and NYC's responsibilities to them. The panel will discuss a wide range of issues, including ageism, affordable housing, transportation, food security and more.
City Council Member Crystal Hudson, a Democrat representing parts of Brooklyn, joined the show to discuss her work chairing the Council's Committee on Aging, city budget priorities, housing policy, and more.
Bill aims to increase heat in NYC apartment buildings following deadly Bronx fire
An effort is underway to require New York City apartment building landlords to turn up the heat during the coldest months of the year to help prevent devastating fires. The deadly fire back in January that killed 17 people in the Bronx, started with a space heater.
City Council eyes boosting minimum heat rules
The City Council is looking to turn up the heat on landlords. In a bid to reduce the use of space heaters like the one which caused the Bronx blaze in January that killed 17 people, Councilwoman Crystal Hudson (D-Brooklyn) introduced legislation that would require building owners to raise the minimum temperature in all residential units during the eight-month “heat season.”
NYC Council Member Crystal Hudson Inaugurated in Brooklyn
Crystal Hudson, the newly elected New York City Council Member of District 35, was sworn in to her new role at an Inauguration Ceremony on Saturday night in Brooklyn. Elected officials joined Hudson’s supporters, family, and friends for the celebration which included speakers New York Senator and the Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Attorney General of New York Tish James, Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, and New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams.
Councilwoman Crystal Hudson to co-chair LGBTQ caucus
Councilwoman Crystal Hudson was recently appointed co-chair of the LGBT Caucus, alongside Tiffany Cabán from Queens. She joined Errol Louis on “Inside City Hall” on Thursday to talk about some of her legislative priorities. Hudson is also the chair of the Council's Committee on Aging and represents District 35, which covers all or part of Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Prospect Heights and Crown Heights.
Op-Ed: NYC’s homecare workers need care too
Imagine spending two hours on a bus and sitting on three subway trains twice a day to get to your job. Once you get there, you work for 24 hours straight but only get paid for 13 because of an archaic state law. And you’re forced to go into work during a global pandemic even if you’re not feeling well. Odds are you’d likely join the millions of workers who are voluntarily quitting their jobs and try your luck finding a new one. But many workers don’t have that choice.
Resolution backs Fair Pay for Home Care Act
A new New York City Council resolution calls for minimum wages for home care aids through the funding and approval of the state’s funding of the Fair Pay for Home Care act. The act also requires at least 150% of the minimum wage for home care aids, or other set minimum, and sets regional minimum rates of reimbursement under medicaid and managed care plans, according to the resolution introduced by Council Member Crystal Hudson, chair of the Committee on Aging. The legislation's main sponsors are state Sen. Rachel May and Assembly Member Richard Gottfried.
NYC Councilmember Hudson talks Adams’ faith leader controversy
New York City Mayor Eric Adams continues to face criticism, even from within the Democratic Party, over a recent appointment. This past week, Adams named Bronx pastor Fernando Cabrera his senior faith advisor. Many City Council members, as well as New Yorkers, took issue with the appointment because of Cabrera’s past comments praising Uganda’s anti-LGBTQ policies.
Bronx Fire Prompts Safety Walkthroughs At Crown Heights Buildings
A long list of repairs in three major Crown Heights apartment complexes are getting renewed attention given the fatal fire in the Bronx, which was caused by a faulty space heater. Tenant leaders in the Ebbets Field apartments, Tivoli Towers and Stoddard Place complexes led a group of elected officials on a tour through their buildings this week in the hopes of correcting long-standing problems, including heat issues, that have spurred even more concern given the January fire.
'Anti-Gay' Mayoral Appointments 'Disappoint' Local LGBTQ Leader
An LGBTQ local leader spoke out against Mayor Eric Adams' choice to appoint a pastor who rallied against gay marriage and a politician who praised a law criminalizing homosexuality to his administration. "As a member of the NYC Council's LGBTQ Caucus, I am disappointed with a number of [Mayor Eric Adams'] appointments," wrote Council Member Crystal Hudson, alongside a joint statement written by the City Council caucus.
City Watch: New Brooklyn Councilmember Wants to Streamline Housing Aid
Central Brooklyn’s newest councilmember is urging New York City and state to streamline assistance for renters in need as she settles into her first term in office amid an affordable housing shortage. Councilmember Crystal Hudson, who represents Brooklyn’s 35th District, appeared on City Watch on WBAI 99.5 FM Sunday to discuss her priorities for her first term in office. Hudson was appointed chair of the Council’s Committee on Aging earlier this month. She said one of her goals is to connect seniors with rental assistance and permanent housing after eviction protections expired Jan. 15.
13 Brooklyn Pols Appointed City Council Committee Chairs
The almost all-new slate of New York City councilmembers have been hard at work at City Hall for just about three weeks now, and on Thursday they received their committee assignments, setting the course for which issues they’ll champion over the next four years. The council’s 38 committees — or 39, including a new special task force on fire prevention, formed in the wake of the deadly Twin Parks fire — handle most of the Council’s day-to-day work, hashing out the details of proposed legislation, taking votes, and holding hearings to receive feedback from the community. A number of subcommittees, including the newly-formed Subcommittee on COVID Recovery and Resilience and the often popular Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises, handle specific issues within their larger committees.
Queer Councilmembers Secure Committee Assignments
The seven new members of the City Council’s LGBT Caucus have received their committee assignments under City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, and several of them have been tapped to serve as committee chairs. Crystal Hudson will chair the Aging Committee; Chi Ossé will lead the Cultural Affairs, Libraries, and International Intergroup Relations Committee; Lynn Schulman will be chair of the Health Committee; and Tiffany Cabán will chair the Committee on Women and Gender Equity.
Crystal Hudson Keeps An Odd Campaign Promise
Crystal Hudson, New York City Council Member-Elect of District 35, has kept a campaign promise she made to Crown Heights residents about an issue brought to her attention by comedian Mendy Pellin. Hudson, whose district 35 includes the neighborhoods of Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Crown Heights, Prospect Heights and Bedford Stuyvesant, campaigned heavily in Crown Heights ahead of the election last November.
Want some good election news? Women won a majority on the N.Y. City Council
For the first time ever, New York's City Council has a female majority. Thirty-one women won seats on the council in this month's municipal elections, making history and bringing gender equity — finally! — to the nation's largest and most diverse city. Believe it or not, until now, women have never held more than 18 of the council's 51 seats. That's more than two centuries as a male clubhouse dominated by old-guard elites. No longer. New voices and rising generations will have a seat at the table. And many of these victors have busted through exciting barriers of their own, which sets up a more progressive and inclusive future.
Historic first with Crystal Hudson’s City Council win
Democratic Candidate for City Council District 35 Crystal Hudson celebrated a win for the LGBTQ+ community in the general election last Tuesday. She made history as the first openly gay Black woman elected to the City Council. Hudson won the election by a landslide with 94.67% of the votes so far, according to the Board of Elections (BOE) unofficial election night results. Hudson said she is excited to be part of such an incredibly diverse incoming City Council with more representation than in previous years. This election season also marks the first time the City Council has majority women elected and the first Muslim woman member along with more LGBTQ+ officials.
NYC Elects Record Six Out City Council Members
New York City elected a record six out candidates to its City Council Tuesday night. The winners are Crystal Hudson (District 35) and Kristin Richardson Jordan (District 9), the first two Black women from the LGBTQ+ community elected to the council; Lynn Schulman (District 29) and Tiffany Cabán (District 22), the first women from the community elected to any public office from Queens; Chi Ossé (District 36), at 23 the youngest person ever elected to the council; and Erik Bottcher (District 3), who will preserve LGBTQ+ representation in his district, which is home to the Stonewall Inn.
Out100 2021: 18 LGBTQ+ Policy Makers and Advocates Changing the World
Public service figures prominently in Crystal Hudson’s life, and it will continue to do so as she becomes one of the first queer Black women elected to office in New York City. After winning the Democratic primary in June and facing no major opposition in November, Hudson will join the New York City Council in January. She’ll represent District 35 in Brooklyn.
8 LGBTQ candidates who could make history in November
Even though it’s an off year for elections, there are still plenty of people heading to the polls across the U.S. this November — and some of them will have the option to cast their vote for a historic LGBTQ candidate. At least 237 lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer candidates will be on the ballot on Nov. 2, 18.5 percent more than in the last off-year election in 2019, according to the political action committee LGBTQ Victory Fund.
What Will They Do? Incoming Brooklyn Council Members Speak!
After the dust settled on the primary elections for next year’s City Council [certified results here], we began reaching out to the presumptive new lawmakers from the dozens of districts that will get new leadership on Jan. 1, 2022 to see what transportation priority the incoming Council Member has at the top of his or her list. Today, we examine Brooklyn, where 13 districts are getting new leadership.
Sorry, haters: Ranked-choice voting produced the most diverse city council in NYC history
It's an election of firsts. While we don't yet have the certified results, it's clear from preliminary numbers that when New York's next city council takes office, it will be the most diverse in the city's history — and that's just the start of it. A 51-member council long dominated by men will have gender equity — and with at least 29 women elected, a female majority — for the first time ever. A council that had been the province of old-guard political elites — and has never had more than 18 women — will share power with new voices and rising generations, some breaking inspiring barriers of their own.
Why New York Progressives Are Pinning Their Hopes on the City Council
In a City Council district in Upper Manhattan, a dozen candidates are on the Democratic ballot, including a former aide to the mayor, a tenants’ rights lawyer, a nonprofit executive, a 21-year-old college student and a drag performer with activist roots. In the Bronx, eight candidates, some of them fresh to politics, are running for a seat left vacant by a longtime political stalwart. And over in Queens, six Democratic contenders are vying for a shot at flipping that borough’s sole Republican Council seat.
Comedian Mendy Pellin Calls Council Candidate Crystal Hudson
Crystal Hudson, a community organizer and former member of Community Board 8, is running to succeed Laurie Cumbo as the representative of District 35 in the New York City Council in the upcoming elections on June 22. District 35 includes the neighborhoods of Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Crown Heights, Prospect Heights and Bedford Stuyvesant. Early voting is open from June 12 through June 20.
As NYC Council-Member Crystal Hudson Would Introduce Black Agenda
Crystal Hudson is running to represent New York City’s 35 Council District, which covers Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Prospect Heights, plus parts of Crown Heights and Bedford-Stuyvesant. While this is her first-time seeking elected office, Hudson is not a newcomer to politics. She has served as a Deputy New York City Public Advocate and as chief-of-staff to Council-member Laurie Cumbo. Prior to entering the political realm, she was a marketing and advertising executive with WNBA and later Amtrak. Hudson was instrumental in forming Amtrak’s diversity and inclusion marketing campaign.
City Council Candidate Tours Rebbe’s Library
Crown Heights City Council candidate Crystal Hudson visited the Library of Agudas Chassidei Chabad on Monday, and met with members of the Crown Heights Jewish community including Rabbi Berel Levine, head librarian. Hudson was accompanied by Baila Olidort, Editor-in-Chief at Lubavitch News Service, Crown Heights businessman Shaya Gorden, and community activist Yaacov Behrman.
Hakeem Jeffries Endorses Crystal Hudson in Crown Heights Council Race
Brooklyn Rep. Hakeem Jeffries on Tuesday threw his weight behind City Council candidate Crystal Hudson, who is running to represent the 35th district in central Brooklyn. Jeffries, the fifth highest-ranking house Democrat in Washington, cited Hudson’s community activism while making his endorsement. “When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Crystal was there. When we came together to demand transformational police reform, Crystal was there,” Jeffries said May 4. “When public housing residents and those victimized by displacement needed a voice, Crystal was there.”
Crystal Hudson, a leading candidate in the competitive race to represent Crown Heights and nearby neighborhoods in the City Council, announced endorsements from eight local community leaders today, including tenant association presidents, activists and a prominent pastor. Hudson is running to replace her former boss, term-limited Council Member Laurie Cumbo, in the seat for Council District 35, which also includes Fort Greene, Prospect Heights, and parts of Bedford-Stuyvesant. The endorsees include Beverly Newsome, tenant president of the Ebbets Field Houses and a former district leader candidate who has clashed with building workers in her push for stronger rent regulations.
Opinion: A Black Agenda for New York City
We’re nearing the end of Black History Month — a month of celebrating and honoring the Black people who have enriched and advanced our city. From Audre Lorde to Shirley Chisolm, we have no shortage of artists, entrepreneurs, and trailblazers to celebrate. We’re also nearing the end of another February in America. A month in which we continue to see Black people die at the hands of the police at alarming rates. A month in which we continue to face a pandemic that is killing Black people at twice the rate of other Americans. A month in which our city’s vaccine roll-out continues to leave behind Black people who have experienced a disproportionate amount of loss from this crisis.
OPINION: The Bedford Union Armory Project Is A Disgrace. We Can’t Let It Happen Again.
Last week marked the three year anniversary of the City Council’s severely flawed decision to approve the Bedford Union Armory (BUA) development project. It was a mistake at the time, and the evidence on why it was a bad deal has only compounded since. Time and again, from BUA to East New York to Inwood, local community members who have been forced out of their homes from rising rents are given the false choice of creating a few jobs or affordable housing units only if they also accept the poison pills of luxury housing and amenities for the rich, non-union labor, and any number of other factors that ultimately hurt our communities and drive economic inequality in our city.
Brooklyn LGBTQ Democrats Endorse Four Queer Council Candidates
Lambda Independent Democrats of Brooklyn (LID), an LGBTQ political club, endorsed a slate of four queer City Council candidates at the organization’s virtual meeting on November 19. The club threw its support behind Crystal Hudson in District 35, Jacqui Painter in District 38, Josue Pierre in District 40, and Wilfredo Florentino in District 42. LID made the endorsements roughly seven months ahead of voters flocking to the polls for Democratic primary competitions across the city.
Queer Women Vying for Council Nab 21 in ‘21 Endorsements
A grassroots group aiming to bring much-needed gender diversity to the New York City Council in next year’s elections unveiled dozens of new endorsements on October 19 — including some of the out LGBTQ women running for city office.
Crystal Hudson Collects Endorsements for Her Bid to Take City Council Seat
Crystal Hudson recently received a string of endorsements for her bid to represent District 35 in the City Council, a seat thats currently held by term-limited City Council Majority Leader Laurie A. Cumbo. On Sept. 20, the Road to Justice NYC endorsed Hudson among its slate of four candidates who are running for various offices in 2021. The organization is comprised of union members from 1199 Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Make the Road Action and Community Voices Heard Power.
EXCLUSIVE: NYCHA Tenant Leaders Endorse Crystal Hudson For City Council
Tenant leaders from four New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) developments in the 35th Council district– which includes Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Prospect Heights, and parts of Crown Heights and Bedford-Stuyvesant– endorsed Crystal Hudson for City Council in the 2021 elections. Hudson, a vocal advocate for fully funding NYCHA, is vying to become the first openly LGBTQ Black woman elected to a city office. “Hudson is shaping a campaign platform that focuses on championing local issues like bike lane expansions, city rather than state control of the subway system, educational initiatives, additional job opportunities, and more,” Gay City News reported. “That approach appears to be a reflection of Hudson’s initial goal when entering the public sector: To be involved on a grassroots level in her own community.”
Hudson Jumps Out of the Gate in Race to Succeed Cumbo
Democratic Candidate Crystal Hudson, Co-Director of Outreach for the City Council, is running for District 35’s seat held by term-limited City Council Majority Leader and Councilmember Laurie A. Cumbo (D-Prospect Heights, Crown Heights, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, and Bed-Stuy). If successful, Hudson would be the first openly gay Black woman elected to City Council. Hudson credits her strides in fundraising, $66,328 currently, to her strong connections in the community and positions she held in offices for Cumbo and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams. She has also served on Community Board 8, and has held positions on the boards of Lambda Independent Democrats of Brooklyn, North Prospect Heights Association, and New Leaders Council.
Crystal Hudson Brings Diverse Experience to Historic Brooklyn Council Run
Crystal Hudson was cruising along more than a decade into a career in advertising and marketing that included stints at the WNBA, the NBA, and Amtrak. Then everything changed. Her mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, which was especially heartbreaking because Hudson is an only child. It forced Hudson to turn into a full-time caregiver, watching her mother struggle to gain access to services and resources and helping her navigate the bureaucracy.
P’Heights Organizer Launches Local Mutual Aid Network to Help Neighbors In Need
A Prospect Heights do-gooder has launched a volunteer support network for local seniors and other people in need of a helping hand, saying she wanted to channel goodwill in the neighborhood toward helping local oldsters struggling during the viral coronavirus outbreak. “There’s a strong sense of community that folks feel as things become more localized,” said Crystal Hudson. Mutual aid groups, which help distribute much-needed resources between neighbors, have become a popular mechanism for communities to support themselves as the COVID-19 pandemic has brought most of the economy to a standstill, said Hudson.