Andrew Cuomo, candidate for mayor, met with congregants of the Masjid Ansarudeen Islamic Center in the Bronx on Saturday, engaging in a wide-ranging discussion on housing, education, affordability, and public safety.
The event, moderated by Sheikh Ibrahim Niass, drew community members eager to hear Cuomo’s plans for addressing challenges facing New Yorkers. Cuomo outlined proposals to expand affordable housing, strengthen education through charter school opportunities, support African small businesses and nonprofits, and increase transportation accessibility.
“I’ve never been more concerned about New York than I am right now,” Cuomo told the audience. “We face serious problems and two very different paths forward. Crime, affordability, and a public education system that is failing too many children, especially in poor Black and brown communities.”
Cuomo emphasized public safety by calling for more police officers to work with communities. On education, he argued that struggling schools should be closed and replaced with charter or specialized schools to give students better opportunities.
Niass welcomed Cuomo’s backing for an Arabic charter school, describing it as “welcomed news.” He added that Cuomo’s message of unity reflects the congregation’s vision for “a safer, more affordable, and more inclusive New York City.”
Affordability was another central theme. Cuomo proposed grocery subsidies and free MTA rides for New Yorkers earning up to $50,000, along with large-scale housing development to relieve the city’s tight rental market. “We currently have a 1% vacancy rate in our housing stock,” he emphasized. “At 1%, if you don’t rent the apartment, the person right behind you will.”
Niass praised Cuomo for engaging with the community and recognizing issues important to Muslim New Yorkers. “We thank former Governor Cuomo for visiting the Masjid Ansarudeen Islamic Center today and engaging in an important dialogue with our community,” Niass stated. He highlighted Cuomo’s long-standing opposition to Islamophobia, recalling his stance against Trump’s Muslim ban and support for building a mosque in lower Manhattan.
