Inside Government with PoliticsNY is new a Q&A series that gives New Yorkers a glimpse inside the role of the elected officials who represent them. This edition of Inside Government features New York State Assembly Member Harvey Epstein. Assembly Member Epstein represents the 74th Assembly District in Manhattan which includes the neighborhoods of the Lower East Side, East Village, Stuyvesant Town/Peter Cooper Village, Murray Hill, Kips Bay, Tudor City and the United Nations.
Q: What piece of legislation are you most proud to have passed this legislative session?
A: We secured the inclusion of my bill, the Affordable Housing Retention Act (AHRA), which preserves affordable units in buildings where affordability restrictions are at risk of expiring. This will help protect thousands of affordable apartments in high-cost neighborhoods without any additional governmental subsidies and create desperately needed new apartments. We also won a 50-million-dollar investment in the Housing Access Voucher Program to support folks who lost or are at risk of losing their housing.
Q: How does your office work to support your constituents in their day-to-day lives?
A: Our constituent services department assists individuals who are having difficulties connecting with agencies, accessing benefits, facing housing instability, and so much more. In 2024 alone, we closed over 450 cases. Constituents can call our office at 212-979-9696 to speak with a member of our team. We also host walk-in hours at our office and Hang with Harvey events throughout the year to meet face-to-face with constituents to discuss their concerns.
Q: What is the most prevalent issue facing your constituents and how are you working to resolve it?
A: Housing instability is the most prevalent issue facing my constituents. As landlords’ profits rise, so does the cost of living. Evictions are rising, and inflation-adjusted wages are going down each year. We need to develop new permanently affordable apartments for working-class New Yorkers, including using government land to do so. We are fighting for the expansion of middle-income housing, a rent freeze, and funding for NYCHA developments and Mitchell- Lamas.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish by the end of 2025?
A: I have been fighting tirelessly to make phone calls to incarcerated individuals free. No family should have to face financial turmoil just for a child to talk to their parent. Our justice system should be a place of rehabilitation, transformation, and healing. Starting August 1st, no family will have to endure this again. I am hoping for a smooth rollout and that justice-impacted individuals will make more meaningful connections with their families and communities.
Q: What is the proudest moment of your political career?
A: Since its founding, our Youth Council has led a campaign to broaden access to student Metrocards. In July of 2024, we won the expansion to four swipes per day for seven days per week, year-round, 24/7 for hundreds of thousands of NYC students. As an elected official, you must use your position to empower others to fight for the things they care about. It was a joy to mentor these young leaders.
