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1. Economic Inequality and Job Opportunities
2. Affordable Housing and Tenant Protection
3. Public Safety and community Health
Economic Inequality and Job Opportunities - Expand job training and support small business and attract green economy investment to uplift working-class families.
Affordable Housing and Tenant Protection - Fight for truly affordable housing, strengthen tenant rights, and demand transparency and accountability from developers and city housing agencies.
Public Safety and community Health - Champion violence prevention through community-based programs, improve mental health services and reallocate resources toward public health and youth developments
These will be championed:
1. Economic Inequality and Job Opportunities
2. Affordable Housing and Tenant Protection
3. Public Safety and community Health
General affordability
mobilization of political leaders to garner the will-power of political leaders
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City/Town of Residence
Staten Island, New York
Current Political Office (if applicable)
New York City Council District 49
Education
Attended College of Staten Island
Experience and Qualifications
Kamillah’s commitment to her community spans over two decades. She is the founder of the Historic Tappen Park Community Partnership, an initiative boosting cultural and economic development in Stapleton and surrounding neighborhoods. Additionally, she pioneered Staten Island’s first YouthBuild program, providing out-of-school and out-of-work young adults with vocational training, leadership development, and life skills.
Community Involvement
With a background in marketing and finance, over 20 years of experience in the public and private sectors, and a record of transformative leadership, Council Member Kamillah Hanks remains dedicated to building a safer, more inclusive, and prosperous future for the North Shore of Staten Island.
Party Affiliation
Democrat
Key Endorsements
Labor Strong, 1199 SEIU, DC 37, UFT, CSA, NYC District Council of Carpenters, LiUNA NY, United Sanitation Assoc.
Campaign Telephone Number
917-816-1123
Campaign Office Address
719 Forest Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10310
CampaignWebsite
https://www.hanksforcitycouncil.com/
Instagram
www.instagram.com/kamillahmhanks/?igsh=a3dlZXp5czIyeGpo#
As a lifelong Staten Islander and mother of four, I understand the challenges families have faced in our community. I’ve championed initiatives like establishing Staten Island’s first Community Justice Center and securing $7 million to expand neonatal and pediatric care at Richmond University Medical Center. As a champion of MWBE, I founded the Minority Women in Business Association to support women entrepreneurs and have secured over $75 million for local schools, parks, and healthcare. Funding public education is paramount, and I’ve worked to enhance educational resources, including funding for a new 600-seat public school as part of the North Shore Action Plan. I’m committed to building a safer, more equitable Staten Island where women and families thrive.
As a proud member of the New York City Council’s first-ever women-led majority, I know how essential it is for local government to center the everyday experiences of women and families. Whether it’s safety in our streets, economic opportunity for working mothers, or access to high-quality schools and healthcare, I approach every decision with the belief that our neighborhoods deserve dignity, investment, and leadership that listens.
1. Public Safety and Community Health
In my district, safety means being able to walk to school without fear, take transit at night without worry, and raise children in a community where opportunity outweighs danger. That’s why I helped lead the effort to create Staten Island’s first-ever Community Justice Center. This initiative is groundbreaking: it will provide our youth with access to wraparound support like legal assistance, education services, mental health counseling, and alternatives to incarceration. This kind of investment is how we build real safety—by supporting people before they fall through the cracks.
In the Council, I’ve introduced and supported legislation to bring more transparency to policing, including a bill requiring the NYPD to publicly report on arrests of individuals under 18. I’ve also worked to improve neighborhood lighting on “step streets” and under-resourced corridors to ensure safer environments for pedestrians, especially women and seniors.
I believe in a comprehensive model of public safety—one that recognizes that housing, youth engagement, health, and infrastructure all play a role.
2. Economic Opportunity and Support for Women-Owned Businesses
The economic impact of COVID-19 was particularly severe for women, and especially for mothers, caregivers, and women of color. In many ways, the pandemic exposed what women in our communities already knew: we’ve been holding up our families and our neighborhoods without the support we deserve.
I founded the Minority Women in Business Association of Staten Island to provide support, training, and advocacy for women entrepreneurs who are often overlooked by traditional funding and networking systems. We host workshops, create space for mentorship, and work closely with city agencies to ensure these businesses have access to city contracts and recovery resources.
As a Council Member, I’ve also helped direct over $75 million in public investments to our schools, parks, hospitals, and cultural institutions—many of which provide local jobs and vital services to families in our district. And through the $400 million North Shore Action Plan, I’ve ensured that our vision for revitalizing Staten Island’s waterfront includes over 7,500 jobs and real opportunities for MWBEs to participate in building our future.
3. Education and Healthcare Access
Every child deserves a strong start, and every family deserves access to care. These are personal issues for me, as a mother and as someone who has spent years working with youth and families on the North Shore. That’s why I’ve prioritized funding our schools, after-school programs, and early childhood centers. Through my work with the Council and the Economic Development Corp., I secured a commitment for a new 600-seat public school in the North Shore Action Plan, a much-needed investment as our district grows. But we still have a long way to go. I’ll continue advocating for smaller class sizes, fully funded school-based mental health supports, and capital improvements for aging schools.
In my first 100 days, I will focus on delivering real results that reflect the needs of women, families, and working people in District 49.
First, I’ll advance the next phase of the North Shore Action Plan to ensure the promised housing, jobs, public school, and open space begin moving forward with community input and transparency. We’ve secured a historic $400 million investment, now it’s time to make sure it delivers for our residents.
Second, I’ll strengthen support for youth and public safety by expanding violence prevention programs and securing permanent funding for the new Staten Island Community Justice Center. I’ll also continue pushing for legislation that increases transparency and accountability in law enforcement, because safety must include justice.
Third, I’ll prioritize small business recovery and economic equity, especially for women- and minority-owned businesses. That includes launching new workforce partnerships, streamlining access to city resources, and investing in the community anchors, like childcare and healthcare, that keep families stable and our economy strong.
My most ambitious goal is to transform Staten Island’s North Shore into a model for equitable, community-driven development, one that delivers real opportunity without displacing the people who’ve built this community. Through the $400 million North Shore Action Plan, I aim to bring thousands of jobs, affordable housing units, a new public school, and 20 acres of open space to our district, while ensuring MWBEs and residents are centered in the process. This isn’t just about development; it’s about creating a safer, healthier, and more inclusive future that reflects the needs of our families, especially women and working-class New Yorkers who are too often left out of big decisions. I want our children to grow up in a North Shore that offers them not just safety and services, but pride, belonging, and opportunity.
The biggest challenges to achieving this vision are the lack of community trust for large-scale development, and ensuring that funding reaches our residents. Too often, transformative plans get stalled by red tape or reshaped without meaningful input from the communities most impacted. On Staten Island, skepticism toward development is real and justified when residents feel ignored or displaced. That’s why I’m committed to transparency, accountability, and making sure North Shore residents, especially women, families, and MWBEs, are at the center of every decision. We also need stronger interagency coordination and sustained political will to keep this $400 million investment on track and aligned with our values. My job is to be the bridge between residents and City Hall, vision and execution, and I’m ready to keep fighting for a North Shore that works for all of us.
