Harvey Epstein: Policy Positions
Housing and Tenant Rights
Epstein has described housing as a right rather than a privilege and has made tenant protections the central pillar of his political career . He co-authored the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019, which eliminated vacancy decontrol, capped Individual Apartment Improvement increases, and strengthened protections for rent-stabilized tenants across New York State . He supports Good Cause Eviction protections and voted for their inclusion in the 2024 state budget . Epstein has called for the creation of more public housing and has opposed privatization schemes for NYCHA, including the Rental Assistance Demonstration program, on the grounds that it privatizes publicly owned housing stock . He supports expanding the Rent Guidelines Board's regulatory authority, decommodifying housing through community land trusts, and changing the baseline date for rent regulation from 1971 to 2024 .
Affordable Housing Development
Epstein has advocated for legalizing basement apartments through a pilot program that brings existing illegal dwelling units into compliance with safety standards, particularly to protect immigrant tenants who may be reluctant to report hazardous conditions . He sponsored the legislation that allowed New York City to establish such a program, which was signed into law as part of the 2024 state budget . He has also introduced legislation to tax ultra-wealthy New Yorkers to fund public housing capital needs .
Education
As a public school parent and former PTA president, Epstein has supported increased funding for public schools, after-school programs, early childhood education, and higher education . He championed diversity in public school admissions and served as president of the District 1 Presidents' Council, where he advocated for equity and excellence in education . He supported legislation creating new educational opportunities for people with disabilities, including making it easier for incarcerated individuals to earn college degrees .
Environment and Climate
Epstein helped pass the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which commits New York State to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 85 percent by 2050 . He introduced legislation to create composting programs in state agencies and to reduce plastic use statewide . He advocated for the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project to protect Lower Manhattan from climate-related flooding while calling for independent expert review and community oversight of the project . He also fought against plans to construct fossil fuel-burning combined heat and power plants in Stuyvesant Town, citing the state's climate goals .
Criminal Justice Reform
Epstein has supported ending the excessive use of solitary confinement in state prisons, legalizing adult-use marijuana, expunging records for New Yorkers with marijuana-related offenses, reforming the parole system, and expanding access to higher education for incarcerated people . He has framed these positions as addressing deep inequities within the criminal justice system.
Healthcare
Epstein was a leading voice in the campaign to prevent the closure of Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital, arguing that shutting down the institution would disproportionately affect low-income, Medicaid-eligible, and disabled residents of Lower Manhattan . He called for the state Department of Health to enforce its cease-and-desist order against Mount Sinai and pressed for continued access to full-service hospital care in the area .
Homelessness and Mental Health
Epstein has proposed doubling the number of supportive housing apartments for people experiencing homelessness who also face mental health challenges . His platform includes expanding mobile outreach through the SHOW program, training more mental health professionals and 911 operators for crisis response, demanding accountability for release planning from shelters and hospitals, and revolutionizing care for New Yorkers with dual diagnoses of mental health and substance use disorders .
LGBTQIA+ Rights and Reproductive Freedom
Epstein supported legislation protecting the rights of LGBTQIA+ and non-binary New Yorkers and helped codify Roe v. Wade in New York State law through the Reproductive Health Act . On the City Council, he has introduced legislation addressing housing decisions for transgender, gender nonconforming, non-binary, and intersex individuals 15.
Public Safety
Epstein has advocated for expanding after-school programs, opening community centers in the evening, and offering wrap-around services including counseling, job training, and education as components of a community-based public safety strategy . He is the lead Assembly sponsor of legislation that would authorize lowering the speed limit on shared streets to five miles per hour .
Voting Rights and Democracy
Epstein supported legislation expanding early voting access for New Yorkers and has consistently backed measures to make voter participation easier .