NILES: The cost of living in New York City is pushing too many families, seniors, tenants, homeowners, and young people out of the communities they helped build. My plan to make New York City more affordable starts with housing, because housing is the biggest pressure people are facing. I will fight to protect tenants from unfair rent increases, expand truly affordable housing, strengthen protections against deed theft and housing scams, and make sure longtime homeowners are not taxed or priced out of their homes. I also believe affordability means lowering everyday costs. That includes fighting for prescription drug affordability, expanding food assistance for seniors and working families, supporting childcare access, and investing in good-paying jobs so people are not just surviving in New York — they are able to build a future here. We also need to support small businesses, because when commercial rents and operating costs rise, those costs get passed on to the community. I want to see more support for local businesses that hire locally and serve our neighborhoods. For me, affordability is about dignity. No senior should have to choose between food and medicine. No parent should have to choose between rent and childcare. No family should be forced out because the city they love has become too expensive to live in. My focus will be simple: protect tenants and homeowners, lower everyday costs, and make sure NY-13 families can afford to stay in NY-13.
PATCH: What is your position on bike lane expansion and street redesigns?
NILES: I support safer streets, but I believe street redesigns must be done with the community, not to the community. Bike lanes can help reduce accidents, support cleaner transportation, and make our streets safer for cyclists and pedestrians. But in neighborhoods like ours, redesigns also affect seniors, people with disabilities, small businesses, delivery workers, drivers, emergency vehicles, and families who rely on curb access. My position is simple: safety first, community input always. Before any major street redesign, residents and local businesses should have a real voice. We need safer crossings, better lighting, traffic calming, protected bike lanes where they make sense, and designs that do not create more congestion or hardship for working families.
PATCH: List two ways you plan to make New York safer.
NILES: First, I want to invest in prevention, especially for our youth. That means more after-school programs, job training, mentorship, mental health support, and safe spaces so young people have opportunity before they ever end up in the justice system. Second, I want to focus on community safety and accountability. We need law enforcement that responds quickly and respectfully, but we also need to address quality-of-life issues, housing insecurity, substance abuse, and lack of services. Safety is not just about policing — it is about making sure people have stability, support, and a future.