Issues
Emphasize Neighborhood Revitalization as part of the Rochester 2034 Comprehensive Plan:
I will work to ensure resident voice and vision are a part of planning processes across the City of Rochester. Neighborhood and Business Development support must continue to be strengthened and I will advocate for increased resources to implement community level plans. I will fight to increase neighborhood investments overall, with equity in mind, creating new amenities for our residents while improving the social determinants of health. Upgrades to parks, reinvestment in blighted properties, increasing home ownership, and leveraging the resources of the City to create more investments in communities will be my main emphasis in the comprehensive plan implementation.
Advancing Equity
Where we have concentrated challenges, we must have concentrated solutions and investment. A focus on addressing neighborhood level challenges and investment into strengthening our assets are important. Marginalized communities historically have lacked the resources and amenities necessary in their neighborhoods to thrive. I will focus on equity in access. Issues such as food insecurity, financial education, banking amenities, workforce development opportunities must be addressed across our City. During this pandemic, ensuring there is support for language access, awareness of COVID-19 resources, and inter-agency collaboration have been essential roles for me and I believe I can continue to have a greater impact as a member of the City Council. Ensuring equal pay for similar work for women and people of color.
Coalition Building
We must get to a place where we find the collective strengths and assets rather than our deficiencies. Every neighborhood across the City of Rochester has their own unique identity and I will work to build off the positives in our neighborhoods and create new opportunities for affordable housing, economic development, and community-level strategic vision. I prescribe to Asset-Based Community Development and will work to bridge communities across Rochester to ensure diverse thinking and equitable solutions are in place with residents having a seat at the table. I will serve as a bridge to black and brown communities, doing my best to unite communities of color around common concerns and issues that disproportionately impact our citizens.
