Kevin Riley: Policy Positions
Housing and Land Use
Riley has positioned affordable housing as a central legislative priority throughout his Council tenure. As Chair of the Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises and subsequently Chair of the Land Use Committee, he has consistently advocated for development that includes meaningful affordability requirements . He supported the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity zoning overhaul in December 2024, voting in favor of the proposal at both the subcommittee and full Council levels, while simultaneously pressing for modifications to protect neighborhood character in low-density districts . Riley publicly stated that one-family zoned districts represent a valuable resource for maintaining diversity of housing choices for New Yorkers . He also raised constituent concerns about the infrastructure strain that additional density could create, particularly regarding sewer capacity in northern Bronx neighborhoods . His campaign materials credit him with helping shepherd over 40 land use applications and unlocking more than 12,000 new housing units across the city, claiming over 63 percent of those were affordable . He has authored an op-ed in amNewYork outlining his perspective on reducing housing costs and increasing production .
Public Safety and Gun Violence Prevention
Riley has identified public safety as a top concern for District 12, citing an uptick in youth-related crime as particularly pressing . He has sponsored legislation to create a three-digit gun violence intervention hotline (Intro. 414-2026), modeled on the approach of making crisis intervention accessible through a simple, memorable number 8. Prior to entering office, Riley co-founded Music Over Violence, a nonprofit that organized peace summits and community rallies to address violence and social injustice in the Northeast Bronx . He has called for increased police presence alongside expanded programming designed to prevent crime rather than relying solely on enforcement .
Youth Development and Education
Riley has championed expanded investment in youth services, including securing funding to help expand the Summer Youth Employment Program to reach 100,000 young people citywide . In 2024, he launched the Roads to Invest Fest: From the Bronx to Atlanta initiative in partnership with Roads to Success and AIMHigh Empowerment Institute, providing Bronx youth with exposure to financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and higher education . He also operates the Limitless Leaders mentorship program at The Academy for Scholarship and Entrepreneurship in the Bronx, which focuses on civic education, leadership development, and career readiness for young men . Riley has introduced legislation to establish a youth entrepreneurship and business development program (Intro. 415-2026) 8.
FDNY Diversity and Equity
Riley sponsored two of five bills in the Council's FDNY Diversity legislative package, which was signed into law in November 2022. Intro. 552-A requires the FDNY to produce annual demographic reports on the composition of each firehouse and special operations unit, and Intro. 553-A mandates ongoing diversity, equity, and inclusion training for all FDNY employees, including targeted training at facilities with documented policy violations . He framed the legislation as necessary to dismantle systemic barriers that have historically prevented women and people of color from accessing equal opportunities within the fire department .
Small Business and Economic Development
Riley sits on the Committee on Economic Development and has advocated for resources to support small businesses in his district, particularly along corridors like White Plains Road . He introduced legislation to establish a pilot program matching small businesses with social media content creators for marketing assistance (Intro. 408-2026) and promoted the initiative alongside Speaker Menin at a TikTok small business event in May 2026 . He has also introduced bills addressing nutrition standards for children's meals in food service establishments (Intro. 405-2026) and cooperative apartment board member training (Intro. 406-2026) 8.
Mental Health and Social Services
Riley has sponsored legislation requiring the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to create and distribute materials identifying mental health resources for individuals who have experienced pregnancy loss 13. He has also supported legislation on youth mental health, co-sponsoring bills to study the impact of social media on young people's mental health and to restrict social media usage for youth 8.