KIM ON THE ISSUES

COVID Recovery

“So many communities across Brooklyn are already being left behind before recovery even begins.
Several months ago, my father died of COVID. I wanted him to go to the best hospital, but the ambulance took him to the closest hospital. Our zip code shouldn’t dictate whether we receive good medical care. No one should die because of where they live.”
As Borough President, Kim will:

Vaccines:
Work with trusted leaders in the community to encourage…

Kim Council Proposes Financial Initiatives

Kim Council, a prominent Brooklyn community servant, and respected faith leader has recently proposed a range of financial initiatives aimed at improving the financial stability and well-being of Brooklyn residents. These initiatives include a Small Business Microloan Program, Student Loan Forgiveness Program, Affordable Housing Insurance Program, Mortgage Assistance Program, Financial Literacy Workshops, Emergency Savings Fund, and Homeownership Assistance Program. Council’s proposals demonstrate her commitment to ensuring that all Brooklyn residents have access to the financial resources and support they need to thrive, particularly those from underserved communities. If implemented, these initiatives could significantly improve Brooklyn residents’ economic and social well-being.

Healthcare

“When my father was hospitalized with COVID, I didn’t want him to go to the hospital near me, but I didn’t have a choice — he had to go where the ambulance took him. I lost him to COVID, and I know a lot of other people who lost loved ones in that same hospital. Your zip code shouldn’t determine whether you get adequate healthcare — and it doesn’t have to. The inequity of our healthcare system is completely fixable.

I’ve been working to get people better healthcare for a long time. When St. Mary’s Hospital shut down, I worked with my church nonprofit to open an affordable health clinic, where we not only provided healthcare but also helped people sign up for health insurance. I am completely dedicated to making sure every neighborhood has the healthcare infrastructure it needs.

Youth & Education

“Every child deserves a decent home, a safe community in which to live and play, and a quality education — nothing less.”

As the Executive Director of the Berean Community & Family Life Center, Kim managed extracurricular programs for kids, including an award-winning drum line. She also served as a member of the White House Community Leader Briefing Series, where she advised high level Obama Administration officials on educational policy.

Kim will fight for:

• Increased baseline funding for education by both the state and the city that includes fully funded necessities like nurses, teachers assistants, librarians, and social workers….

Seniors

“Seniors deserve to live out their golden years with dignity and respect in the communities they helped build. 

I’ve built multiple buildings of affordable housing dedicated for seniors. I’ve also created extensive programming for seniors — I even brought in someone from the Securities and Exchange Commission to do a training on fraud prevention. As Borough President, I’m going to keep doing what I’ve been doing, because we’ve all relied upon seniors for support in our youth. Now, it’s our turn to support them.”

Kim has called to:

• Scale well-run programs that support seniors.
• Build more affordable housing for seniors.
• Fund senior centers with programs and activities that encourage participation….

Policing & Criminal Justice

“I know firsthand what it is like to fear for my life in an interaction with the police, and I know many people who have had experiences worse than mine.

I also know the hurt that violent crime causes: When I was 17 years old, my best friend was shot and killed.

Our communities aren’t safe enough. Crime has gone up and NYPD clearance rates have gone down. Black and brown people are afraid of the people who are supposed to protect them, and we have good reason to be afraid. Victims are afraid to report crimes to the police because they don’t want to be complicit in police violence, or don’t want to get deported…

Small Business

“Small businesses aren’t just important because they create jobs, or generate revenue for our communities. They’re important because of the character they bring to our communities, and because every small business represents the manifestation of its owners’ hopes, dreams, and hard work.

Small businesses were struggling long before the pandemic, and now things have only gotten worse. It is completely essential that our economic recovery centers on helping small businesses recover, and that we make substantive changes to reduce the burdens placed on small businesses. It’s hard to start and run a small business, and it should be. But it should also be just a little bit easier.”

Environmental Justice

“After Hurricane Sandy, I went with other women clergy leaders to Coney Island to help out however we could. We handed out essentials like food and diapers, and helped however we could. I was horrified by what I saw. We wanted to go into a NYCHA building to help people there, but security wouldn’t let us in, because they had been instructed to cover up how bad conditions were — sewage was backed up to the 7th floor.

It’s easy to ignore our environment, or to treat it like it’s not an urgent issue. But the longer we wait to take this issue seriously, the longer black and brown communities will suffer. When our electrical grid gets overextended on the hottest days of summer, blackouts and brownouts occur in black and brown communities. The impact of our environmental crises is always unequal. Some neighborhoods are prone to toxic floods, others have high rates of pollution. It’s time to level the playing field.”

Food Insecurity

“I grew up often not knowing where our next meal would come from. Decades later, people in my neighborhood still worry – and the pandemic has only made things worse.”

Kim will continue working on the ground to make sure people are fed by:

• Creating a mutual aid hub in Borough Hall to coordinate efforts across Brooklyn.
• Using the One Brooklyn nonprofit to provide support and funding to organizations doing essential work that the government has failed to do.
• Advocating to make sure that government food aid accommodates people with dietary restrictions, including religious diets.
• Helping people navigate government benefits like SNAP through her constituent services office and Mobile Borough Hall.

Cannabis Legalization

“Legalization is coming. We need to do it right.”

Kim will:

• Help owners of existing illegal businesses legalize their businesses through the Small Business Resource Center
• Advocate for alternatives to incarceration for people currently operating illegally and help legalizing businesses, especially MWBE businesses.
• Call for criminal records for cannabis possession and dealing be expunged.
• Push for laws and regulations to be written in a way that is simple and clear so that the industry is accessible to business owners without advanced degrees.
• Demand that cannabis tax revenue be reinvested in social services for communities who’ve been impacted most by the war on drugs.

Arts & Culture

“Brooklyn is one of the great cultural capitols of the world, but creative enterprises were hit hard by the COVID pandemic. As Borough President, I’m committed to helping revitalize our arts, culture, and leisure industries.”

As Borough President, Kim will:

• Compile a guide to Discover Brooklyn’s Hidden Treasures, which will feature arts and cultural institutions and businesses in every neighborhood in Brooklyn, and make it available both online and in print for locals and tourists alike.
• Launch a Restaurant Week-style event for arts and culture businesses to encourage people to explore new performance venues, galleries, theaters, and museums.
• Invest in free concert and performance events featuring Brooklyn-based performers.
• Provide funding for youth art and music programs, including a borough-wide marching band.

Women

“I’m a mom, a law librarian, a faith leader, and a nonprofit executive, so I know how much women have on their plates. I know that our complicated lives give us a different perspective, and that perspective needs to be uplifted and heard.

When I’m inaugurated as Brooklyn Borough President, I’ll be the first woman to serve in that position, but that’s just the beginning. As BP, I’m committed to making sure women are involved in decision making and leadership, and I’ll center women in all of my policy making.”

Kim will:

• Guarantee gender parity in all of her appointments and ensure that those appointments are demographically reflective of Brooklyn’s many communities. 
• Push companies doing business in Brooklyn to diversify their leadership and close the wage gap….

LGBTQ+

“Everyone deserves to be accepted for who they are, full stop. But it’s not enough to simply oppose discrimination: We have a long way to go to create a more inclusive society in which LGBTQ+ people are fully equal.”

Kim will:

• Fund organizations that provide access to PEP and PrEP as well as shelters and transitional services for homeless LGBTQ+ youth.
• Advocate for hate crimes to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and decriminalize sex work.
• Support legislation for pronoun accommodations in city government.
• Advocate for trainings for professionals like police and healthcare providers to address discriminatory practices.
• Use the bully pulpit of Borough Hall to encourage acceptance and tolerance, and speak out against violence.
• Support more comprehensive paid family leave.

Immigrants

“Immigrants contribute so much to our communities: They own businesses, do essential jobs, participate in civic organizations and houses of worship. As members of our communities, immigrants deserve a say in our communities, and access to all the support and resources this city has to offer. No matter where you’re from, if you live in Brooklyn, you’re a Brooklynite.”

Kim will:

• Advocate for translation equity on all government documents and for translators to be available for all government services.
• Demand that government food aid accommodate dietary restrictions, including religious diets.
• Help immigrants access government support and resources through Borough Hall’s constituent services center and…