Continuing our new series of
political “Snapshots,” the Bronx
Times sat down with each of the
Bronx’s recently elected offi cials
for a discussion on their 2022 legislative
agendas and issues of
importance to their districts.
BY ALIYA SCHNEIDER
City Councilwoman-elect
Amanda Farias, who will be
replacing Ruben Diaz Sr., will
represent Soundview, Castle
Hill, Parkchester, Clason Point
and Harding Park beginning
January 2022.
Her priorities for her fi rst
term are transit equity, affordable
housing, holistic public
school experiences, job training
and fi ghting food insecurity.
Farias believes the district,
which is scheduled to be part of
the e-scooter pilot in 2022 and
a new Metro-North station in
Parkchester, needs various affordable
and effi cient transit
options. She wants to ensure
new transportation options are
implemented properly alongside
infrastructure designed
for safe use, like bike lanes.
She also wants to improve
ferry access. Currently, riders
pay separate fares for the bus
and ferry, but Farias believes
there should be a free transfer
swipe or shuttle to the ferry.
For affordable housing, Farias
wants to ban privatization
efforts of NYCHA developments
and protect public funding for
city housing. She also wants to
explore affordable and senior
housing opportunities while
avoiding overdevelopment.
“There are people in my
community that are doubled up
(in housing), that are tripled up,
that are homeless essentially,”
she said.
As a councilwoman, Farias
said she can look at rezoning
and work with the local
community board to fi nd housing
options, adding that there
are vacant lots that could have
small-story homes built on
them.
“Being proactive is better
Sight
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than being reactive in this
realm,” she added.
She also wants to advocate
for fair long-term leases for
small businesses, pointing to
the impact of the pandemic.
Farias believes public
schools should serve as holistic
support systems for families,
and wants to help more schools
become “community schools,”
which offer healthcare services,
enrichment programming
and in some cases, tenant
resources. She also wants
schools to stay open on weekends
and over the summer for
family-wide recreational programming.
The councilwoman-elect
thinks high schools should
have job training opportunities,
moving away from a “college
for all” model and toward a
“college or career for all” experience.
“We have retiring workforces,
but we don’t actually
have the apprentices or trainees
to fi ll those jobs,” she said.
Amanda Farias talks to a family at a backpack giveaway she hosted in
the district on Aug. 30. Photo courtesy Offi ce of Amanda Farias
She believes the city’s workforce
development money needs
to be restructured and that there
should be more unionized city
trade job opportunities. She also
wants to work with state partners
to reform the Department
of Labor civil service exam.
Farias said she has been
working to address food insecurity
throughout her campaign.
She hopes to work with community
partners to create food pantries
and provide fresh produce
to neighborhoods and senior
centers.
SNAPSHOTS | Amanda Farias eyes
transit, education improvements
AMANDA FARIAS
AGE: 32
NEIGHBORHOOD: PARKCHESTER
POLITICAL IDEOLOGY: PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRAT
Fun Fact: “I’m a huge sports fan and played basketball
growing up in the community.”
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