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Vanessa Aronson - Ballotpedia

Vanessa lives with her husband, Reid, and their two children.

Vanessa currently works as a nonprofit strategist. She previously worked as a United States Foreign Service Officer, a senior advisor to the president of Hunter College, and a New York City public school teacher.

Vanessa Aronson previously ran for City Council in NYC District 4 in 2017, but did not win.

Supports small business development by removing tax breaks for landlords with vacant properties, eliminating the Commercial Rent Tax, and supporting the Small Business Jobs Survival Act.

- Supports small business development by removing tax breaks for landlords with vacant properties, eliminating the Commercial Rent Tax, and supporting the Small Business Jobs Survival Act.

Economy

Supports expanding access, availability, and information about city parks and recreation resources for older adults.

Supports increasing funding for sanitation, including more public waste bins and environmentally-friendly services like recycling and composting.

Supports funding more spay/neuter programs and enabling acceptance of companion animals in rental apartments.

Wants to "strengthen and broaden systems to detect financial fraud and abuse."

Plans to work with local businesses to ensure compliance with sanitation laws.

- Supports expanding access, availability, and information about city parks and recreation resources for older adults.
- Supports increasing funding for sanitation, including more public waste bins and environmentally-friendly services like recycling and composting.
- Supports funding more spay/neuter programs and enabling acceptance of companion animals in rental apartments.
- Wants to "strengthen and broaden systems to detect financial fraud and abuse."
- Plans to work with local businesses to ensure compliance with sanitation laws.

Public Services

Supports expanding school enrichment programs, such as art, music, or coding, to increase student engagement and cultivate critical skills.

Supports the Lunch4Learning program to provide free and healthy school lunch for all.

Supports prioritizing special education services for both students with special needs and gifted and talented students to ensure compliance with federal law.

Supports increasing training for educators in non-exclusionary discipline methods to decrease suspensions.

Supports increasing Teacher's Choice funding, which reimburses teachers for a portion of what they spend out of pocket on classroom supplies.

Supports making mayoral control of schools permanent.

Supports increasing the number of 3-K and pre-K seats.

Supports expanding LGBTQ+-inclusive curricula in public schools.

Wants to address overcrowded schools by using updated census and demographic data to better plan for the future.

- Supports expanding school enrichment programs, such as art, music, or coding, to increase student engagement and cultivate critical skills.
- Supports the Lunch4Learning program to provide free and healthy school lunch for all.
- Supports prioritizing special education services for both students with special needs and gifted and talented students to ensure compliance with federal law.
- Supports increasing training for educators in non-exclusionary discipline methods to decrease suspensions.
- Supports increasing Teacher's Choice funding, which reimburses teachers for a portion of what they spend out of pocket on classroom supplies.
- Supports making mayoral control of schools permanent.
- Supports increasing the number of 3-K and pre-K seats.
- Supports expanding LGBTQ+-inclusive curricula in public schools.
- Wants to address overcrowded schools by using updated census and demographic data to better plan for the future.

Education

Supports converting commercial spaces to residential use.

Supports the Small Business Jobs Survival Act, which would provide small businesses with 10-year leases and renewal rights to prevent rent increases.

Supports Housing First policies, which prioritize providing the homeless with permanent housing without preconditions.

Supports creating "vibrant communities where seniors can age-in-place in the neighborhoods they built and sustained."

Plans to preserve affordable housing by auditing rent-regulated apartments and preventing illegal deregulation by landlords receiving tax benefits.

Supports providing legal representation for low-income tenants in housing court to prevent unlawful evictions.

- Supports converting commercial spaces to residential use.
- Supports the Small Business Jobs Survival Act, which would provide small businesses with 10-year leases and renewal rights to prevent rent increases.
- Supports Housing First policies, which prioritize providing the homeless with permanent housing without preconditions.
- Supports creating "vibrant communities where seniors can age-in-place in the neighborhoods they built and sustained."
- Plans to preserve affordable housing by auditing rent-regulated apartments and preventing illegal deregulation by landlords receiving tax benefits.
- Supports providing legal representation for low-income tenants in housing court to prevent unlawful evictions.

Housing & Urban Development

Supports establishing a 24-hour hate crimes hotline, expanding hate crimes training for prosecutors and judges, and increasing local support for specialized victim support organizations.

Supports using data-driven programs to combat bullying in schools.

Supports the Sex Worker Protection Act and the removal of the NYPD VICE Squad.

Supports the registration of mopeds, motorbikes, and e-scooters to reduce unlicensed vehicles endangering pedestrians.

- Supports establishing a 24-hour hate crimes hotline, expanding hate crimes training for prosecutors and judges, and increasing local support for specialized victim support organizations.
- Supports using data-driven programs to combat bullying in schools.
- Supports the Sex Worker Protection Act and the removal of the NYPD VICE Squad.
- Supports the registration of mopeds, motorbikes, and e-scooters to reduce unlicensed vehicles endangering pedestrians.

Public Safety

Envisions a "PeopleWay" on 14th street with a pedestrian promenade, bicycle space, and a free shuttle bus when the L train closes.

Supports demanding that the City's contribution to the MTA capital plan includes funds to update the more than 75% of subway stations that currently do not have elevators.

Supports prioritizing the installation of pedestrian ramps and the maintenance and repair of the existing ramps. Install pedestrian countdown timers at dangerous intersections in the city.

Supports prioritizing accessibility in transportation and infrastructure, including updating subway stations, listing elevator outages, and installing pedestrian countdown timers.

- Envisions a "PeopleWay" on 14th street with a pedestrian promenade, bicycle space, and a free shuttle bus when the L train closes.
- Supports demanding that the City's contribution to the MTA capital plan includes funds to update the more than 75% of subway stations that currently do not have elevators.
- Supports prioritizing the installation of pedestrian ramps and the maintenance and repair of the existing ramps. Install pedestrian countdown timers at dangerous intersections in the city.
- Supports prioritizing accessibility in transportation and infrastructure, including updating subway stations, listing elevator outages, and installing pedestrian countdown timers.

Transportation & Infrastructure

Supports preserving and expanding inpatient care for severe mental illness, stopping the closure of Mount Sinai Beth Israel, and expanding the Transition to Home program.

- Supports preserving and expanding inpatient care for severe mental illness, stopping the closure of Mount Sinai Beth Israel, and expanding the Transition to Home program.

Healthcare

Supports New York's goal of reducing emissions by 80% by 2050.

Supports investing in green jobs and industries.

Believes green spaces enhance neighborhoods and protect against heat, flooding, and pollution.

- Supports New York's goal of reducing emissions by 80% by 2050.
- Supports investing in green jobs and industries.
- Believes green spaces enhance neighborhoods and protect against heat, flooding, and pollution.

Energy & the Environment

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Vanessa Aronson

Supports increasing funding for special education services.

Supports ensuring the Metropolitan Transit Authority immediately lists elevator outages on their website and makes intercom announcements in stations.

Believes "billions of dollars from the City to the MTA Capital Plan are being spent irresponsibly, without oversight."

Supports small business development by advocating for tax breaks for landlords with vacant properties, eliminating the Commercial Rent Tax, and supporting the Small Business Jobs Survival Act.

Supports increased funding for park maintenance and expansion.

Supports creating more green spaces in underutilized streets and highway margins.

Supports increasing the number of public waste bins and environmentally-friendly sanitation services, including recycling and composting.

Supports prioritizing special education services for both students with special needs and gifted and talented students.

Supports protecting and expanding funding for LGBTQ+-inclusive curricula in public schools to foster safe, affirming environments for all students.

Supports protecting existing affordable housing and holding the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and Department of Buildings (DOB) accountable for enforcing affordable housing requirements.

Supports long-term permanent housing solutions through Housing First policies without preconditions.

Supports protecting the current stock of affordable housing, noting a net loss of over 150,000 units in NYC since 2019 and over 4,000 rent-stabilized units in 2023 alone, with illegal deregulation occurring.

Supports converting vacant commercial spaces, particularly in Midtown, into residential housing to address the 20% office vacancy rate and create up to 85,000 new mixed-income units by increasing allowable density.

Supports creating age-in-place housing for seniors, along with rental assistance, accessibility upgrades, and in-home care.

Supports the construction of modern housing for the middle class.

Believes new construction should meet affordability targets, saying "even when developers participate in mandatory inclusionary housing... we end up with fewer affordable units than we had before. This isn’t acceptable, and it isn’t going to help solve the crisis."

Plans to work with stakeholders to ensure new housing projects increase middle-class and affordable housing stock.

Supports preserving and expanding inpatient care for people with severe mental illness.

Plans to work with law enforcement and community advocates to reduce violent crime, combat business theft, and keep neighborhoods safe.

Supports improving transportation accessibility for people with disabilities.

Supports preserving and expanding inpatient care for severe mental illness, opposes closing Mount Sinai Beth Israel, and backs student loan forgiveness to recruit psychiatric care professionals.

Supports investment in green jobs and industries.

Plans to address the increasing risk of storm surge and sea-level rise in riverfront neighborhoods.

Supports small business development by advocating for tax breaks for landlords with long-term vacancies, eliminating the Commercial Rent Tax, and supporting the Small Business Jobs Survival Act.

Supports increasing public waste bins and environmentally-friendly sanitation services like recycling and composting.

Plans to protect tree pits and green spaces by encouraging proper leashing and dog-walking procedures.

Supports funding for spay/neuter programs and enabling acceptance of companion animals in rental apartments.

Supports stronger local protections for public education.

Said, "As a former New York City public school teacher, I know our youngest New Yorkers are bright, energetic, and full of promise. Our education system should do everything it can to give all students the opportunities they deserve to reach their full potential."

Supports protecting existing affordable housing and enforcing affordable housing requirements in new developments.

Supports Housing First policies, which prioritize providing permanent housing without preconditions.

Supports protecting the current stock of affordable housing, noting a net loss of over 150,000 units since 2019 and over 4,000 rent-stabilized units in 2023 alone, with illegal deregulation occurring.

Plans to address homelessness by securing stable housing, improving service coordination, and protecting access to inpatient mental health care.

Plans to preserve affordable housing by auditing rent-regulated and recently deregulated apartments to prevent illegal deregulation by landlords receiving tax benefits.

Supports the plan to grant low-income tenants free legal representation in housing court to prevent unlawful evictions from rent-controlled and rent-stabilized apartments.

Supports repealing the Urstadt Law, which prevents New York City from setting its own rent control policies.

Supports residential development if it meets school capacity, occupancy rates, and affordable housing criteria.

Supports protecting existing affordable housing and enforcing affordable housing requirements to address homelessness and ensure the success of new housing programs.

Supports the mayor's plan to provide free legal representation for low-income tenants to prevent unlawful evictions from rent-controlled and rent-stabilized apartments.

Supports residential development if it meets certain conditions, including sufficient school capacity, high occupancy rates, and affordable units for middle-class tenants.

Proposes establishing a 24-hour hate crimes hotline, expanding hate crime training for prosecutors and judges, and increasing local support for specialized victim support organizations.

Supports the removal of the NYPD VICE Squad and the Sex Worker Protection Act.

Supports reducing crime and addressing antisemitism and bigotry.

Supports holding delivery services accountable for "unsafe practices" such as "time targets that can’t be met when following basic safety and legal rules."

Supports holding the MTA accountable for maintaining and updating its aging infrastructure.

Supports holding commercial spaces accountable for adhering to sanitation laws by ensuring proper and equal enforcement.

Supports reducing emissions from buildings, transportation, and waste.

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- Council Members oversee city agencies, ensuring they effectively serve the public and address community needs. ​

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