COVID-19 Recovery

When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the city, Farah Louis immediately sprang into action to support the community by distributing meals and PPE, securing iPads for students participating in remote learning, and by fighting for the first COVID-19 testing site in Flatbush. As rates of the virus decline and the city continues to reopen, Farah Louis is not interested in a recovery that calls for a return to ‘normal.’ She will continue to advocate for support and resources for our frontline and essential workers and work closely with the community to bolster the 45th District’s small businesses, especially those hardest hit by the crisis.

Mental Health

Black and Brown communities have been disproportionately affected by violence, health disparities, the loss of loved ones and housing instability. Farah Louis has worked on key legislation to expand access to health care and has supported the city’s initiatives to centralize mental health resources and create a provider pipeline. She is committed to ensuring that our New Yorkers who need it most have comprehensive, immediate, culturally competent and accessible mental health care.

Education and Youth

New York City has the largest school district in the country. Farah Louis has been fighting for increased equity and excellence in education for our students and educators. During the pandemic, she passed legislation to provide free legal assistance at schools to families with housing issues, to create a remote learning training program for parents, and to provide families of children with disabilities the necessary training and equipment to enable distance learning. Farah is an advocate for public schools and will continue to advocate for students, educators and parents.

Affordable Housing

Our neighbors deserve to stay in their homes and tenants deserve safe and habitable housing conditions. Farah Louis will continue to advocate for more affordable housing in the district and push for greater oversight and enforcement against landlords who fail to address hazardous conditions on behalf of their tenants. Farah wants seniors in District 45 to be able to age in place and she is committed to improving livability so that Brooklyn residents have homes that are safe, healthy, and affordable.

Crime and Safety

Addressing gun violence and ensuring that residents feel safe in their community is Farah’s top priority. The pandemic has led to an increase in shooting incidents as New Yorkers continue to struggle with the emotional and economic impacts of the crisis. Farah Louis is committed to helping residents take back our streets. Working with non-profit partners, elected officials, and the community, she plans to secure even more resources for the district to interrupt violence before it happens and to create productive alternatives to crime.

Furthermore, as Co-chair of the Women’s Caucus, Farah Louis sponsored legislation against sexual harassment and passed a resolution that calls on Congress to pass the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act.

Maternal Health

Several neighborhoods in our district have among the highest rate of maternal complications in the city, resulting primarily from racial disparities in healthcare. Farah Louis understands that health issues that are specific to women’s bodies impact the entire community. This is why she has cosponsored legislation to increase reporting, transparency and accountability regarding maternal mortality. Farah Louis also aims to launch the first Women’s Health Clinic in Brooklyn’s 45 District.

Food Insecurity

Farah Louis has prioritized legislation to close the food insecurity gap too many New York City residents face. She is a major advocate of the city’s 10-Year Food Policy Plan to increase food access for all New Yorkers. She won’t stop working until every person has access to affordable, good quality food.

Transportation

Our public transit system is not equally accessible to all New Yorkers, especially people with mobility disabilities who are effectively denied access to over two-thirds of our subway system given the way these facilities have been constructed. As Chair of the New York City Council Committee on Mental Health, Disabilities, and Addiction, Farah Louis is committed to expanding accessibility. She supports partnerships between new properties and the MTA with the ultimate goal of a 100% accessible public transit system. She is also committed to pushing legislation that will make our streets safer for pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers.