MAYORAL CANDIDATE
Shaun Donovan
Dubbed a "housing specialist," Donovan served as the Commissioner of the The NYC Department of Housing and Preservation and Development from 04'-09' under former Mayor Bloomberg and as the United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Developmentfrom 09'-14' under former President Obama. Donovan also served as the Director of the US Office of Management and Budget from 14'-17'. Donovan started out volunteering at a homeless shelter in college, which led to working for non-profits in Brooklyn that focused on rebuilding neighborhoods
What Stands Out: Housing. Donovan claims that his experience guiding the U.S. out of one of the greatest housing crises in history has given him insight on how to make cities like New York more attractive. With COVID driving families out of New York to live in more spacious and affordable areas, Donovan has suggested New York should be a city of “15-minute neighborhoods,” meaning all New Yorkers live within walking distance of a good school, efficient transit, grocery stores, and a park. His experience on a national level has given him insight as to how other cities all over the country operate and how New York can adopt some of their methods. Donovan believes that his ability to understand housing is inextricably tied to reviving NYC’s COVID hit economy.
SHORT ANSWERS
On COVID: "We will get New Yorkers back to work quickly by creating 500,000 jobs by 2025. Through partnerships with Business Improvement Districts, apprenticeship programs, and an NYC Job Corps, we will get back the jobs we lost due to COVID."
On Healthcare: "We will work to close the coverage gap by expanding eligibility for the Essential Plan to all low-income New Yorkers, regardless of immigration status, and invest in quality community health centers in each neighborhood."
On Criminal Justice: "I’ll prioritize a community-led approach to safety, expand the network of professionals asked to address emergencies, appoint a commissioner that shares my view of public safety, and build an NYPD leadership team that is representative of the city’s diversity."
On Housing: "We must improve housing protections and vouchers, invest in preserving and expanding our affordable housing, and revise land use policies to ensure the production of affordable and equitable housing occurs across the entire city."
Learn more about his policies here: https://shaunfornyc.com/plan/