For Immediate Release
Contact: bowman.press@mail.house.gov

MAMARONECK, NY – On Monday, a meeting at the Mamaroneck Village Hall to discuss an affordable housing proposal was postponed due to overcrowding. As Community Resource Center (CRC) staff and clients were waiting in line to go inside to the public meeting, a group of people verbally attacked them with racist and anti-immigrant language.

“I strongly condemn the racist and anti-immigrant language that targeted our Mamaroneck neighbors who were trying to meet about housing affordability, one of the most important issues our communities are facing,” said Congressman Jamaal Bowman Ed.D. (NY-16). “Throughout our history, housing has been used as a tool to uphold segregation, both explicitly and implicitly. There is a long-standing legacy of opposition to affordable housing in particular, which is rooted in segregation and misinformation. To build a just and prosperous society, we cannot give in to these impulses. Instead, we must work together to build a beloved community. The Community Resource Center has done incredible and exceptional work to support immigrant and working class families and I extend my full support to their organization and the victims of this hateful incident.”

“An economically and socially diverse community is essential to the health and vitality of our Village,” said the Community Resource Center Board of Directors. “For over 25 years, the Community Resource Center has embodied our mission to empower immigrant and low-income families. Trust is the cornerstone of our relationship with the community, and we have consistently demonstrated honesty and transparency in all our endeavors. We share a history with the Washingtonville community, having faced challenges such as flooding and relocation alongside our neighbors. We condemn, in the strongest terms, the racist verbal attacks on CRC staff and clients at the recent meeting on affordable housing. As a Village, we must come together to the greatest extent possible to create a welcoming environment and enable residents to have affordable places to live where they are not threatened by flooding.”

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