Kamal for Mayor
An Equitable City
I envision a Hudson where there are opportunities for everyone living and growing up here to thrive. When we take care of our most vulnerable, everyone benefits. As Mayor, I work to build connections - between community members, educational organizations, businesses, and government leaders - so that all residents can benefit from the changes that have come to our City.
Housing Access & Affordability
The City of Hudson has been awarded a New York State Anti-Displacement Learning Network Grant by Enterprise Community Partners, Inc. (Enterprise) in partnership with the New York State Attorney General.
“This grant is an important step in addressing our housing crisis. I look forward to partnering with community leaders from Hudson and around New York State to create solutions.” - Mayor Kamal Johnson
The City of Hudson has also requested proposals for the Affordable Housing Development Plan, a huge step in the creation of equitable housing for the people of Hudson, NY.
Safe Streets & Improved Public Infrastructure
The Hudson Shared Streets program, which ended on November 1st, 2020, allowed for local business to continue safely throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Hudson Shared Streets gave businesses on Warren Street the opportunity to expand activities to sidewalks and select parking spaces. Traffic was discouraged from Warren Street and slowed to 5 miles per hour to keep diners and shoppers safe in these spaces, and allowed pedestrians to practice social distancing by walking in the road. The Shared Streets program allowed people to be in the street, and drivers were expected to yield to them.” — Learn more here
The City of Hudson is now working with MJ Engineering & Land Surveying, P.C., creating a Truck Study to propose alternate truck routes for safer streets for our citizens.
“Residents need a more walkable, bikeable city, with safe streets that are accessible to all,” says Mayor Kamal Johnson. “The high volume of large trucks through dense residential neighborhoods is the wrong route and this study will help create solutions.”
The City of Hudson was also awarded the NYSDEC Urban Forestry Grant for $20,000 to fund the creation of a tree inventory as well as a management plan spearheaded by professional foresters.
“The grant is an important opportunity to plan ahead and create a city that values our natural resources and a healthy environment,” says Mayor Kamal Johnson.
The Mayor’s office is also focused on ADA Accessibility, ensuring all of our residents are able to access our City’s services. You can learn more here, and contact mayoralaide@cityofhudson.org for more information.
Addressing the Opioid Epidemic
Transitions to Treatment is the second committee created by Mayor Kamal Johnson in response to police reform, and will work to address the opioid epidemic and crisis intervention. In partnership with the Greenburger Center, County Supervisors, County and City mental health providers, local judges and police, Transitions to Treatment will identify the gaps in services for those with serious mental health diagnoses and histories of substance abuse.
More news on Transitions to Treatment coming soon!
Employment Opportunities & Workforce Development
HudsonUP is a basic income pilot created by The Spark of Hudson and Humanity Forward and based in Hudson. The initiative is being designed in collaboration with the community and Mayor Kamal Johnson. This program allowed for 25 residents to be provided with $500 a month for the next 5 years. Learn more here.
$50,000 in grants were provided to minority-owned small businesses in the City of Hudson, made possible with funding by the Galvan Foundation.
“As mayor, my highest priority is bringing equity to our city. That means improving access to health care and housing, as well as making sure that entrepreneurs of color can successfully start and grow businesses. The programs we are announcing today will help our businesses get through these unprecedented times and thrive in the years to come,” — Mayor Kamal Johnson.
On October 26th, 2020, a Virtual Job Fair provided information to residents in search of employment. Presentations by AAF Flanders, Columbia-Greene Workforce NY, Devereux, Ghent Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, Ginsberg’s Food, Hudson City School District, Inflight Inc., Key Bank, Pretium Packaging, and Tollgate Road Logistics helped our residents learn about job opportunities, from entry-level to management.
Youth
The Talking is Teaching Campaign is a public awareness and action campaign that helps parents recognize their power to boost their children’s early brain and vocabulary development through simple, everyday actions - like describing things while walking outside, or singing songs together during bath time. Using books, parent videos, text messaging, social media, and information from expert partners, Talking is Teaching empowers parents and caregivers with fun and easy ways to improve their babies' learning.
“In Columbia County 47% of students scored proficient in the NYS 3rd grade reading test. In Hudson 35% scored proficient in 3rd grade for the (2018-2019) ELA state test. As a county we need to make it a part of our culture that literacy starts at home. My office will be joining in the efforts put together by Greater Hudson Promise Neighborhood and Columbia Opportunities, Inc. funded by Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation.” — Mayor Kamal Johnson
Talking is Teaching is a campaign of Too Small to Fail, an initiative of the Clinton Foundation in partnership with Greater Hudson Promise Neighborhood, Columbia Opportunities, and Berkshire Taconic.
In 2020, a pizza give-away was organized for students who had 80 percent attendance for online learning. Mayor Kamal Johnson helped raise money and safely hand delivered pizzas directly to students!
Mayor Kamal also created a weekly “sock challenge” versus HCSD Administrator Ian McCormack. This sock challenge not only provided entertainment during the height of COVID-19 but also served as a method of getting families information on community resources, mental health services, food resources, employment, and youth services. The sock challenges were viewed by over 150 parents and faculty on a weekly basis.
At the height of the pandemic, Mayor Kamal worked with the Spark of Hudson and Unity Now to provide over 50 Wi-Fi hotspots to students in need of internet access for online learning.
Police & Community Relations
The Police Reconciliation & Advisory Commission (PARC) was formed in 2020 to produce a Reconcilliation Report which can be found here.
Members of the Commission include Filmmaker Theo Anthony, Lifelong Resident Vern Cross, Writer Elizabeth Dickey, Sgt. Christopher M. Filli, Sgt. Mishanda Franklin, Lawyer Linda Friedner, Greater Hudson Promise Neighborhood Project Director Joan E. Hunt, Gregory Mosley, Alderman Dewan Sarowar, and Officer Randy J. Strattman. You can read more about the commission and it’s members here.
“The organizing principle of this committee is that by working alongside our police department we can better understand our officers and, in exchange, our officers can better understand the needs of our community,” says Mayor Kamal Johnson. “Our goal is to always be proactive instead of reactive.”
In addition, the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation (BTCF) awarded a $2,200 grant to the Greater Hudson Promise Neighborhood to expand on the work of Mayor Johnson’s Police Advisory and Reconciliation Commission (PARC). Read more here.
Stay up to date on the many Police Reform initiatives here and read the Year One plan below!
