ISSUES

 

Fighting COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated our community, and Francisco has been hard at work to secure PPE, expand access to testing and vaccines, and protect our frontline workers. 

  • Secured over 120,000 pieces of PPE for Elmhurst Hospital in the first week alone. 

  • Distributed resources and support to food banks working to address food insecurity.

  • Introduced and passed legislation to protect NYC restaurants from greedy third party delivery services like Grubhub charging exorbitant fees. 

  • Partnered with Hispanic Federation to provide $50K in support for local restaurants

Created an emergency burial assistance fund for low-income and undocumented families. Congressional leaders passed similar legislation at the federal level. Secured weekly mobile testing sites and vaccination sites across the 21st District.

Standing up for immigrants

Francisco has been a strong advocate for immigrants throughout his career, and has championed numerous pieces of progressive legislation to protect these communities from discrimination and mistreatment.

  • Passed legislation to remove “illegal” and  “alien” from city language referring to noncitizens. The Biden administration also sought this change at the federal level. 

  • Wrote the New York State Liberty Act and the DREAM Act to establish protections for undocumented immigrants and expand college opportunities for DREAMers.   

  • Wrote the Green Light Bill which allows undocumented immigrants to apply for a driver’s license.

  • Was the first to secure funding for the statewide Family Unification Act, giving free legal representation to undocumented immigrants who’re in the process of deportation

Protecting Our Children’s Future

Our students deserve the best. As our City Councilmember, Francisco has worked to deliver the resources and support they need to succeed in and out of the classroom. 

  • Secured $13.2 million for school infrastructure projects; arts, sports, and after-school programs, and new technology.

  • Utilized public-private partnerships to expand STEM opportunities in the classroom. 

  • Working with the UFT to ensure teachers have the support they need

  • Secured funding for the construction of the newly built P.S. 19 while Assemblymember.

Protecting Working New Yorkers

Francisco has fought for workers’ rights throughout his entire career, ensuring that workers are protected from unsafe working conditions, and that all workers have the rights, protections, and wages they deserve.

  • Co-sponsored legislation to increase the number of permits for street vendors. 

  • Fought for fair wages regardless of sex, race, orientation or immigration status. 

  • Enacted legislation that protects drivers from predatory financial agreements as they purchase for-hire vehicles.

  • Co-sponsored legislation to establish Just Cause for fast food employees.

  • Secured protections for workers in new development projects. 

  • Fighting for resources for gig workers and for-hire drivers. 

  • Co-sponsored legislation to ensure that security workers in homeless shelters that are operating under City contracts

  • Championed Carlos’ Law to ensure negligent developers are held accountable for unsafe working conditions.

Securing affordable housing and supporting tenants

Francisco has been a longstanding ally of tenants and working families over the course of his public career, fighting to expand affordable housing, and to keep families in their homes.

  • Wrote legislation to expand access to rental assistance, including with utilities, to those in need.

  • Used his position as Chair of the Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchise to institute a moratorium on neighborhood rezonings until there have been studies on the secondary displacement they cause.

  • Fighting for both legal and economic resources for renters.

  • Protected tenants during the pandemic by advocating for the continuation of the eviction moratorium.

  • Demanding big private developers do more to provide affordable housing units in new developments.

  • Long time advocate and supporter for the Home Stability Support legislation at the state level.