Inside Government is 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 with PoliticsNY, sponsored by AARP New York City, features New York City Council Member Carmen De La Rosa. Council Member De La Rosa represents the 10th Council District in Manhattan which includes the neighborhoods of Washington Heights, Inwood and Marble Hill.
What are your goals for 2026?
To explore how local government plays a role in the emergence of advanced technology to ensure its responsible and equitable access, while identifying spaces to uplift the municipal workforce’s work through secured technology.
How does your work in the City Council affect constituents in their daily lives?
Our district office remains an open door in a high-need district where we see hundreds of people weekly, some on the verge of eviction and others excited to be civically engaged. Their experiences and feedback inform everything we do, from events to legislation and where we put taxpayer dollars.
What services does your office provide to constituents?
We provide veteran, legal immigration services, food, housing, education, notary, and other services. If we cannot complete the work in-house, we refer the constituent to a trusted community-based organization.
What is the top issue in your district and how are you working to resolve it?
Housing remains the top issue. We’ve hosted townhalls, funded programming to preserve and create truly affordable housing, fight bad landlords, and organize our tenants while assisting others in keeping their homes with our constituent services.
From AARP New York City: Will you commit to raising the percentage of the overall NYC budget that goes to NYC Aging/DFTA to ensure older adults can age with dignity in the communities they helped build?
Seniors make up almost a third of our population, and they deserve to age in place with dignity. We already support senior programming for community engagement and enrichment, older adult services, SARA housing, and assist older adults with senior care services.
