Three candidates for the District 7 New York City Council seat spoke at a Thursday candidates’ forum hosted by Broadway Democrats at Bank Street College.

The candidates—Tiffany Khan, SIPA ’10, Edafe Okporo, and incumbent Shaun Abreu, CC ’14—discussed issues ranging from housing to public pre-elementary education. The candidates also briefly discussed Columbia’s role in displacement in West Harlem.

At the beginning of the forum, each candidate gave a two-minute opening statement about their plans and goals if elected. Abreu focused on highlighting his accomplishments, such as securing $5 billion for infrastructure, allocating $17 million for the upkeep and development of Morningside Park, and expanding 3-K programs—education programs for children under three.

Okporo, running to be the first former asylum seeker on the New York City Council, contested Abreu’s claims regarding public education. He criticized Abreu’s endorsement of Mayor Eric Adams and his 2024 vote for a $200 million cut to the education budget.

Khan, a small-business owner and former government Spanish and French interpreter, also criticized Abreu’s vote for the funding cut. She said that “there are 15 slots that are only available in each of these classes for kids that are in 3-K.”

Candidates discussed the need for more affordable housing.

“Affordability affects everyone. Whether you’re making $30,000 a year—even if you’re a middle class family making $100,000 a year—in both situations, people both need housing,” Abreu said. “There’s a new proposal coming for 800 units on the West Side, 100% affordable housing project.”

Okporo said that New York experienced a 53 percent increase in homelessness in 2024 because “politicians are in developers’ pocket.”

“We have someone saying that you should be able to define affordability while you are taking thousands of dollars from developers who do not care about people like us, people who stand on that food pantry line,” Okporo said, referring to Abreu.

When asked how she would assure that non-Columbia affiliates maintain a voice in discussions on housing and land use in Morningside Heights, Khan noted that “North of 125th street, a lot of people feel ignored.”

“In 2010, we had a lawsuit because Columbia decided, through using eminent domain, to take control of property that, by the way, is still not developed on,” Khan said. “If we are giving them tax breaks, they shouldn’t be able to benefit from them and continue displacing people.”

In an interview with Spectator after the forum, Okporo said that the use of “eminent domain has led to a lot of displacement of a lot of Black and brown people in the community.”

He said he aims to renegotiate the Community Benefits Agreement, a 50-page document signed in 2009, in which the University promises the community $180 million in benefits over 36 years. He hopes to hold Columbia accountable for its impacts on surrounding neighborhoods.

Both Okporo and Abreu discussed the need for an elevator at the 125th Street subway station, a commitment outlined in the agreement.

“I’ve been doing incredible work in the last three years to get Columbia closer to an agreement with the MTA to install three elevators—one that gets you from the mezzanine to the the subway platform, and one that gets you from the ground to the mezzanine,” Abreu said.

Candidates also discussed congestion pricing in New York City.

“I support congestion pricing all the way. I think that we are in dire need for major capital improvements for our subway system. We have seen the impact on the wear and tear. We need new tracks. We need new subway carts,” Abreu said. “We also need to make sure that the resources we get from congestion pricing are sort of going to build that new modern day infrastructure.”

Abreu said he also supported a parking permit system in order to reserve spaces for New York residents to park their cars. He is currently involved in related legislation led by City Council member Carmen De La Rosa.

Although Khan supports parts of congestion pricing, she said it was “basically a tax on the lower middle class.”

“I know a lot of families who live uptown, well beyond 125th Street, who take their children back and forth to school or have other requirements, work downtown for example, and that nine-dollar toll is a big burden on some of those families,” she said. “Perhaps we can have an exemption for certain families, for New Yorkers, basically.”

Okporo also expressed support for congestion pricing.

“There are too many of us that are rent burdened, that are paying 50 percent of our income, never mind caring for an elder or having prescriptions or other life expenses we need to have,” Khan said.

She said West 142nd street had an entire row of rent stabilized and state protected townhouses, but “unfortunately, that row was purchased by one developer who decided to tear them down.”

The forum ended with a discussion on how each candidate would approach issues of hate speech, hate crimes, and freedom of speech.

“I’m an activist,” Okporo, who fled his country after being persecuted as a gay man, said. “I know what it’s like to protest, but we also want to have legislation which will create safety nets for people. I condemn antisemitism of any kind. … I want everyone of every religion to be able to practice their religion safely, but we need to protect freedom of speech, because that’s what makes us truly American.”

Abreu emphasized combating hate through education.

“I was proud to pass a resolution to require Jewish heritage day within our schools,” he said.

Khan discussed a need to think more critically about hate crime incidents.

“Many of those instances were people who were deeply disturbed, who were not receiving the mental health services that they need, and actually had a track record of harming other people, including within their own racial ethnic groups,” Khan said. “So we need to have more critical thinking about what’s happening. And of course, free speech is also important. It’s right in our constitution, that goes without saying.”

Several members of Broadway Democrats said they attended the forum to learn about the upcoming race.

“I’m hoping to get some information to help me make a decision,” Josephine Mongiardo-Cooper, BC ’67, Barnard music faculty member, said. “Even though I might have a bias when I come, the information that’s fed to me is the important thing.”

The New York City Council primary will be held on June 24, and the general election is on Nov. 4.