The Bronx Faces Local Elections Amid Housing Crisis

The Bronx.— Unlike past decades, when The Bronx was synonymous with violence, organized crime and gangs, the main concern of its residents is no longer safety, but how to survive in the midst of an economy that is pushing them out of their own neighborhood.

With a population where more than 64% is of Hispanic origin, the so-called "county of salsa, merengue, reggaeton and hip hop" faces a new crisis: rising rents, a shortage of affordable housing, evictions and growing poverty, factors that are strongly felt as the primary elections of next June 24 approach.

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The more than 720,000 registered voters will have the opportunity to vote for candidates for mayor, county president, and 13 council members representing the different districts before the City Council. However, many voters are still unclear about what functions those local positions fulfill. “You ask me what a councilman or the county president does and I don't know,” says Claudia Rivera, a Puerto Rican resident of Melrose. “Here in The Bronx what we have seen are beautiful new buildings, which the poor cannot afford. What we are seeing is more poverty, evictions, unemployment and people using drugs in the streets”. Despite efforts to revitalize entire areas of the territory, many residents claim that the renovation projects have displaced more than benefited traditional communities.

A key choice, with low visibility

For analysts and community activists, this year's elections will be crucial in determining whether Bronx voters manage to channel their frustration into more active participation, or whether the cycle of apathy and political abandonment continues.

“We have to understand that council members and the county president can directly influence issues such as housing, education, and social programs,” said Luis Herrera, a community organizer in the South Bronx. “But if people don't vote, others will decide for them.”

The general elections will be held in November, but the primaries are held this June 24, where the winners of the internal elections are usually the favorites to hold the final positions.