Veteran Caribbean American New York State legislator Assemblyman N. Nick Perry on Thursday threw his support behind City Council Member Farah N. Louis in her re-election bid in the 45th Council District in Brooklyn.
“In just about two years in office, Councilwoman Farah Louis has demonstrated that she is well equipped with the knowledge and ability to take on the challenges that every member of the City Council faces daily, and she has done so with dedication and tenacity,” said Jamaican-born Perry, who represents the 58th Assembly District in Brooklyn.
“I’m proud to endorse Farah for re-election to the City Council and look forward to our continued partnership, as together, we work for the many people we jointly represent,” added Perry, who is currently the assistant speaker pro tempore of the New York Assembly; chairman of the New York State Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus; and regional chairman, (Region 2, NY & PA) National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL).
Perry also serves on the New York Assembly Committees on: Rules, Ways & Means, Codes, Banks, Labor and Transportation.
“I’m so grateful to have Assembly Member Perry’s support,” said Louis, the daughter of Haitian immigrants, who chairs the Mental Health, Disabilities and Addictions Committee in the City Council.
“Assembly Member Perry has an impressive track record in the state assembly,” she added. “He’s a champion for social justice, families and youth, and truly understands our community’s needs. I look forward to working in partnership with him to support our constituents.”
The 45th Council District comprises Flatbush, East Flatbush, Midwood, Marine Park, Flatlands and Kensington in Brooklyn.
In just under two years in office, Louis said she has accomplished “a great deal on behalf of District 45 and New Yorkers across New York City.”
When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the city, she said she “immediately sprang into action” to support the community by distributing meals and PPEs, securing iPads for students participating in remote learning, and by fighting for the first COVID-19 testing site in Flatbush.
As rates of the virus decline and the city continues to reopen, Louis said she is not interested in a recovery that calls for a return to “normal.”
She said she will continue to advocate for support and resources for frontline and essential workers, and work closely with the community to bolster the 45th District’s small businesses, especially those hit hardest by the crisis.
Noting that Black and Brown communities have been disproportionately affected by violence, health disparities, the loss of loved ones and housing instability, Louis said she has worked on key legislation to expand access to health care, and has supported the city’s initiatives to centralize mental health resources and create a provider pipeline.
She said she is committed to ensuring that New Yorkers who need it most have “comprehensive, immediate, culturally competent and accessible mental health care.”
Louis said she has been fighting for increased equity and excellence in education for students and educators.
During the pandemic, she said she passed legislation to provide free legal assistance at schools to families with housing issues, to create a remote learning training program for parents, and to provide families of children with disabilities the necessary training and equipment to enable distance learning.
Stating that she is an advocate for public schools, Louis said she will continue to advocate for students, educators and parents.
In addition, Louis said she will continue to advocate for more affordable housing in the district, and push for greater oversight and enforcement against landlords who fail to address hazardous conditions on behalf of their tenants.
She said she wants seniors in District 45 to be able to “age in place”, adding that she is “committed to improving livability, so that Brooklyn residents have homes that are safe, healthy and affordable.”
Louis said addressing gun violence and ensuring that residents feel safe in their community is her top priority.
She said that the pandemic has led to an increase in shooting incidents, “as New Yorkers continue to struggle with the emotional and economic impacts of the crisis.”
She said she is “committed to helping residents take back our streets,” and will work with non-profit partners, elected officials and the community “to secure even more resources for the district to interrupt violence before it happens and to create productive alternatives to crime.”
As co-chair of the Women’s Caucus, Louis said she sponsored legislation against sexual harassment and passed a resolution that calls on Congress to pass the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act.
Understanding that health issues that are specific to women’s bodies impact the entire community, the council member said she has co-sponsored legislation to increase reporting, transparency and accountability regarding maternal mortality.
She said she also aims to launch the first Women’s Health Clinic in Brooklyn’s 45 District.
Louis said she has prioritized legislation to close the food insecurity gap that “too many New York City residents face.”
She said she is a major advocate of the city’s 10-Year Food Policy Plan to increase food access for all New Yorkers, and that she will not stop working until every person has access to affordable, good quality food.
She said that public transit system is not equally accessible to all New Yorkers, especially people with mobility disabilities “who are effectively denied access to over two-thirds of our subway system, given the way these facilities have been constructed.”
As chair of the New York City Council Committee on Mental Health, Disabilities and Addiction, the councilwoman said she is “committed to expanding accessibility.”
She supports partnerships between new properties and the MTA with the ultimate goal of a 100 percent accessible public transit system.
Additionally, Louis said she is also committed to pushing legislation that will make the streets safer for pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers.
“It’s time for a Brooklyn that works for all of us,” she said. “June 22, 2021, I am asking you for your continued support in my fight for affordable housing, funding for education and economic development for our neighborhoods of NYC.”
