UES 73rd District Assembly Race 2022: Adam Roberts Profile

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — Voters in New York City's 73rd Assembly district, which includes parts of the Upper East Side and Midtown, will see five names on their ballots when they vote in the June 28 primary election.

One of those names will be Adam Roberts, a party leader, former aide to Councilmember Ben Kallos and policy director at the American Institute of Architects who is among the Democrats seeking to replace retiring member Dan Quart. (One of the five names on the ballot will be May Malik, who has since dropped out of the race.)

Early voting runs from June 18-26. (Find your polling sites here.)

Patch reached out to all candidates in the election to create these profiles, asking for their positions on issues like affordable housing and public safety, and giving them the chance to describe their records in detail. Roberts's responses are below.

Name

Adam Roberts

Campaign website

https://www.adamrobertsnyc.com...

NYC neighborhood of residence

Upper East Side

Office sought

State Assembly

District, if applicable

73rd Assembly District

Party affiliation

Democrat

Education

Johns Hopkins University, Bachelor's Degree; Columbia University, Master's Degree

Occupation

Director of Policy, American Institute of Architects (AIA) New York; five years

Family

Mother--Joan, Sister--Elyssa, Significant other--Rachel

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

N/A

Age

30

Previous public office, appointive or elective

N/A

Why are you seeking this office?

I am running to use my extensive government experience to improve the quality of life on the East Side of Manhattan, as well as throughout New York State.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ___, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is the lack of housing, and I will fight to change our zoning laws to create more housing options at a lower cost. If we fail to do this, prices will continue to skyrocket, sending young people to other states where they can have larger homes at lower prices.

How would you address ongoing concerns about public safety in New York City?

We must stop the increasing about of random attacks throughout our city. In the short term, we must allow judges to detain violent offenders. In the long term, I will fight to rebuild our psychiatric facilities and expand the ability of the state to institutionalize those with severe mental illness.

Do you think the NYPD's response to the recent surge in crime will affect efforts at police reform and, if so, how?

The NYPD needs to refocus its efforts to reduce the types of crimes that have grown on the East Side. These are random attacks, often committed by those with severe mental illness. Furthermore, many of these are anti-Semitic and anti-Asian in nature. Therefore, the NYPD should be more focused on keeping those with a tendency to commit these types of violent crimes off the streets.

What is one policy you would support to make housing more affordable in New York City?

I would support transit-oriented development, which is a policy of concentrating growth around transit hubs like subway stations. New York is facing a supply problem with its housing, in that there is not enough conveniently located housing. This creates a high demand for those places like the Upper East Side and Midtown East, which are located near subway stations and offices. As we have seen over the last few years, it has caused prices to skyrocket in these areas. If we do not make more of New York accessible, prices in these few truly accessible neighborhoods will continue to rise.

Should officials do more to encourage New Yorkers to return to work in person? If so, how? If not, why not?

Yes, some in-person work is critical for the economy of New York City, particularly the East Side. Midtown's economy is based upon its office space and the spending of those office workers. The best way to incentivize in-person work is to make it easier to get to work. The subways are in terrible condition, requiring significant funding and procurement reforms to improve their state. Furthermore, I will fight to complete the Second Avenue Subway, which will make Midtown East far easier to access for commuters.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I am the most experienced candidate on the issues that matter: housing, transportation, and safety. Working for Council Member Ben Kallos, PBS, UJA-Federation, and the American Institute of Architects (AIA) New York, I have extensive experience advocating for policies around all of these critical issues.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

I will advocate for cleaning up the streets. There is no reason New York City has to be as dirty as it is. Instead of disposing of garbage in plastic bags on the street, we should be putting waste in containers. If the city will not enact a policy of "containerization" on its own, then the state must require it to do so.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I organized countless community events on the East Side for Council Member Ben Kallos; produced a documentary for PBS on US-Russia relations; led a $1 million fundraising campaign for UJA-Federation; led the American Institute of Architects (AIA) New York's successful efforts to pass the Climate Mobilization Act, Bird Friendly Glass Law, Congestion Pricing, SoHo/NoHo Rezoning, and other critical policies.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Solve the problems that people want to be solved

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I've lived on the East Side my entire adult life. I want to raise a proudly Jewish family in our neighborhood. Therefore, skyrocketing home prices, dangerous and dirty streets, and the rise in random anti-Semitic attacks are all deeply personal.