Shana Harmongoff - NYS Senate District 30

Why are you running and why are you the best candidate for tenants?

I love Harlem. It’s the community I was born and raised in. For many years I've listened to so many politicians promise these wonderful things to the community and don’t actually deliver. I want to deliver for my community! I’ve been serving the community for over 30 years and have listened and responded to their needs. The role of a State Senator is to create, debate, and vote on legislation that either makes new laws or modifies existing ones. I am well versed in the law as I have received both my Masters (in legal studies) and Juris Doctor degrees. I worked on creating and drafting legislation pertaining to mental health and have formerly worked for a previous state senator in the NY State Senate.

What are the top three priorities of your campaign?

Mental Health; Housing the Homeless; and Ending Gun Violence

How do you define affordable housing?

Housing that people can actually afford to live in is affordable housing. Housing is a basic human right that everyone should have access to including the homeless population.

What do you consider the most important issue facing New York State in terms of housing supply and affordable housing, and how would you address it?

The most pressing issue facing New York State in terms of housing is not enough housing and the housing needs to be affordable. I believe elected officials need to work with housing organizations groups like Tenants and Neighbors to see if they can come up with a solution that works for everyone. We also need to increase the percentage of affordable housing units to about 55%-60%.

If you had the power to enact one change to our rent and eviction protection laws, what would it be?

New York City is a place where rent is just ridiculously high. Many people have loss their jobs during COVID and have not been able to bounce back. I think in order to change or create a law you must include people in the discussion who the law is affecting. I would bring housing organizational groups to the table like Tenants & Neighbors to make sure the law regarding rent and eviction protection is actually in the best interest of the community.

If elected, what services and resources will you commit to help tenants organize and receive timely repairs?

I will fight to ensure that repairs to housing units are mandated by law within 7 days of being reported. I will also hold press conferences and rallies shedding light on this issue and how it’s unacceptable. Having safe housing is a basic human right.

The tenant leaders and staff at Tenants & Neighbors are predominantly Black and Brown women, and this is not just coincidence. Because of centuries of structural racism and ongoing discrimination in the housing market, people of color are far more likely than white Americans to face evictions and experience homelessness in the United States today. What is your plan to remedy these injustices and promote housing stability for communities of color?

The way tenants in the NYC public housing system have been treated in my opinion is unacceptable. As recently as the last 5 years, Black and Hispanic residents occupied over 90% of NYCHA housing units. Everyone of all colors, backgrounds and walks of life deserves the dignity of being able to live in a safe home where they can raise their children and take care of their families.

If elected, not only will I fight to make housing a human right, but I will also fight to ensure that repairs to public housing units are mandated by law within 7 days of being reported. This will be done by providing additional funding to NYCHA so that the organization’s leaders have the tools they need to do the job. The conditions of mold, lead, leaks and rodent infestations pose a public health emergency to those living in NYCHA housing units. It is unconscionable that tenants can go weeks, months and in some cases years without receiving any assistance.

A well funded and staffed team should also be put in place, independent of NYCHA, to hold the public housing system and its leaders accountable to making timely repairs and responding to the needs of tenants.