Candidate interviews: Dinowitz and Evers compete for Assembly seat

With less than a week until the Democratic primary elections, Assembly District 81 remains competitive. The Press interviewed the candidates, Assembly member Jeffrey Dinowitz and educator and activist Morgan Evers, on key community issues ahead of the June 23 contest.

Assembly member Jeffrey Dinowitz

Assembly member Jeffrey Dinowitz was elected to his position in February 1994, and currently chairs the Assembly Codes Committee. He also serves on the Rules, Health, Election Law, and Ways and Means committees.

The biggest issue in the district is housing and tenant matters, Dinowitz said. He referenced the Covid-19 Emergency Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention Act, legislation he championed that aimed to prevent tenants experiencing financial hardship post-pandemic from getting evicted. Dinowitz added though it is important to develop new affordable housing, it’s also vital to maintain and preserve the affordable housing already in the community, including Mitchell-Lama housing.

He also said in this year’s state budget, the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption was extended to include people with disabilities. When asked how else he plans to support the older adult population in the district, Dinowitz said his office informs residents on the rent increase exemption program, and helps them apply.

When asked about local storefront vacancies, Dinowitz pointed to a piece of legislation by Assembly member Linda Rosenthal that would penalize commercial landlords if they don’t rent out their space within a certain period of time.

Regarding food insecurity, Dinowitz said he puts discretionary funding toward organizations that support the community with food pantries or distribution, such as the Riverdale Y, Riverdale Neighborhood House and Mosholu Montefiore Community Center.

On transportation, Dinowitz said he has been outspoken on greater funding toward the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and sponsored a bill passed in 2018 that aimed to protect MTA funding from being used for other state expenses. He also said he’s vouched for more buses and improved bus service, especially for the Bx10 line.

Responding to concerns around affordability and cost of living, Dinowitz said the largest driving factor is inflation caused by the Trump administration, evidenced by rising gas prices and utility rates.

Finally, addressing aggressive measures by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Dinowitz said he has been outspoken against the agency, and aims to continue pushing legislation that protects immigrants.

Morgan Evers

Morgan Evers is an educator, community activist and disability rights advocate. Her campaign is focused on preserving affordable homeownership, protecting tenants’ rights, affordable childcare and supporting local businesses. She previously served as the district’s female state committee member.

Evers said the issue impacting the district the most is affordability. She said she would address the crisis by separating it into three points to address individually: housing, childcare and the local economy. Evers also emphasized taxing New York’s wealthiest.

For housing, she said she wants to hold neglectful landlords accountable. On childcare, she said she supports investment for kids from birth to 12, including after-school and summer programs.

Regarding empty storefronts, Evers said she supports a vacancy tax on landlords purposefully keeping spaces vacant. She believes this is the part of her platform that will resonate most with voters.

She also hopes to implement programs to help small business owners, such as the City of New York Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise Program. Evers’ campaign also focuses on civil rights, especially addressing rising healthcare costs and aggressive ICE tactics. On wrongful ICE arrests, she believes nonprofits that educate residents on their rights should be supported, such as Hands Off, with whom she collaborated last year when Riverdale’s Rapid Response Group formed.

On food insecurity, Evers said she works with nonprofits such as Theory 9, and on food distributions with state Sen. Gustavo Rivera. She said she wants her office to be a space of mutual aid.

Evers said regarding the older adult population, she wants to find ways to make transportation more accessible, as well as hold educational sessions so that older adults are aware of scams with the rising use of artificial intelligence. For them, as well as those with disabilities, she believes there should be an automatic enrollment in the city’s Fair Fares NYC program, which reduces transportation costs. Lastly, on cross-borough transportation, she advocated for faster buses and different routes.