Christine Quinn, Michael Nelson Win Council Seats
by Jenny Laurie

Candidates with strong tenant support won special elections Feb. 16 for two vacant City Council seats. Both districts have large tenant populations. In Manhattan, the Chelsea/Clinton District 2 seat was won by Christine Quinn. Quinn, a former housing organizer and aide to then city Councilmember Tom Duane, was supported by the major tenant voices in the district (Met Council endorsed her).

In Brooklyn, Michael Nelson won the Council seat vacated by Anthony Weiner, who has gone on to Sen. Charles Schumer’s old Congressional seat, and now represents the neighborhoods of Midwood and Sheepshead Bay. Nelson had worked as a community aide for Schumer and for State Senator Karl Kruger, and like Quinn, had a lot of experience working with tenants in a heavily rent-regulated district.

In response to questions on key tenant issues faxed to them by Met Council, both Quinn and Nelson pledged to support renewing and strenghening the city’s rent laws next year without any weakening amendments. “Renewing rent protection intact in the year 2000 is one of my top priorities,” wrote Quinn. “I want my Council office to be used as an organizing center for the tenants in my district as well as the city-wide groups. I will seek to take a leading role in educating and organizing my fellow Councilmembers in support of the rent laws.” With many Councilmembers barred by term limits from seeking re-election in 2001, she adds that “We must ensure that the landlord lobby is not permitted to buy desperate members’ votes by offering them support for their next endeavor.”

Nelson said he would “vote against any weakening and lobby as necessary—we must regain lost ground.”

On lead-paint legislation, Quinn said she “completely supports” Intro 205, the Lead Paint Poisoning Prevention Bill (which is endorsed by Met Council, the New York Public Interest Research Group and many other housing, tenant, and environmental groups). “I recognize that the real-estate industry is going ALL out to weaken the bill,” she added, saying she plans to advocate “the strongest lead-paint protections possible.”

Nelson replied that he was “still examining” Intro 205, but “will support any bill that I feel comprehensively provides protection for all children.” Both new Councilmembers support increasing the number of housing-code inspectors. “We need at least 800 inspectors to provide minimal coverage city-wide,” said Nelson.

Quinn agreed, writing that “that we have basically the same number of inspectors now as we did during the fiscal crisis of the ’70s is an outrage. Budget cuts have practically disabled the inspection unit at HPD.” She urges “very aggressive oversight,” especially in the budget process, to make sure that the Mayor and HPD actually hire code inspectors instead of refusing to spend funds allocated for them. Also, “we need to save and restore the legal unit at HPD and the anti-eviction programs within the Human Resources Administration.”

On other issues, Nelson wants to raise the maximum income for the SCRIE program to $25-30,000 a year, while Quinn seeks to advance the Chelsea/Clinton urban-renewal plan and get the Chelsea 197A zoning plan implemented and enacted by the City Planning Commission.