Last Updated: May 30, 2025
By Ling Ye for NYC Council – District 38
My name is Ling Ye, and I’m running for New York City Council in District 38.
I immigrated to Brooklyn with my mother when I was 14. Our first place was a small, dark, cramped basement apartment, far from safe. My teenage years in Brooklyn were tough, but they were nothing compared to the many families today who are stuck in NYC’s shelter system, trapped in limbo, unable to build stable lives.
District 38 is home to hardworking families, seniors, immigrants, and essential workers — all deserving safe, affordable housing and strong neighborhoods. I care deeply about those in need and believe homelessness requires compassionate, effective solutions.
The shelter system has become a dead end—unsafe, expensive, and lacking dignity. Complaints have surged dramatically, arrests doubled last year alone, and taxpayers pay up to $350 per person each night, mostly lining the pockets of private shelter operators.
The planned 225 25th Street shelter is a glaring example. DHS is pushing a massive, warehouse-style shelter for 200+ men in an area already struggling with crime and decay — with no real public input. The billionaire developer behind it, David Levitan, is notorious for neglecting communities.
On day one, I will push for a moratorium on new shelters in Community District 7 until true borough-wide equity is achieved.
South Slope and North Sunset Park are already carrying a disproportionate share of the city’s shelter system. Within just a few blocks of the proposed site, multiple shelters already operate, placing an outsized burden on our neighborhood compared to other areas of the city.
We need real solutions, not temporary fixes.
As your Council member, I will tirelessly work to:
I promise to fight relentlessly for safer neighborhoods and dignified housing for all.
Unlike present leadership that ignores constituent voices and fails to protect our neighborhoods, I am committed to real change. It’s time to move beyond tribal politics and division.
Sunset Park belongs to all of us — and together, we can build a community where everyone is valued and supported.
Ling Ye for NYC Council, D38
