Virginia Maloney (District 4 City Council candidate) – Meet the Candidates 2025!

The Murray Hill Neighborhood Association reached out to all the candidates running for office in 2025 that intersect our neighborhood (Mayor, Manhattan Borough President, City Council District 2, and City Council District 4, etc.) with questions sourced directly from our members via our Ask the Candidates questionnaire. See the candidate’s answers below.

How you would improve our streets and quality of life?

Everyone deserves to feel safe on our streets. We have to tackle: mental illness, retail theft, and out of control e-bikes. E-bikes can cause serious injuries if they hit a pedestrian, and we need better enforcement across the board. We also need to ensure that the tech companies that have driven a lot of the proliferation of e-bike traffic on our streets are held accountable for incentivizing safety over just speed of delivery. We need to give our police force the resources they need to enforce the laws; and we need more community policing building connections between residents and store owners and the local precincts. I’ve spoken to store owners who don’t even bother to report shoplifting because they don’t think it makes a difference. That would be different if they knew the officers that were working on these cases and had the relationship that allowed them to follow up directly with the precinct.

How are you going to handle the illegal migrant situation that has escalated into NYC?

New York is the most diverse city in the history of the world. It’s one of our great strengths. I will defend the rights of immigrant New Yorkers and work for the safety of all New Yorkers. There is no contradiction in standing up to Trump by defending immigrant New Yorkers and enforcing the law if migrant gangs are engaging in violent crime.

How can housing become more affordable and not just for low income candidates?

Fundamentally, the only way to bring down housing costs is to increase housing stock. We need to take a holistic approach to housing that includes building more affordable housing, protecting the affordable housing we already have, and making it easier for the construction of new market rate housing. I will focus on updating out-dated zoning regulations while preserving our neighborhoods, identifying under-used City owned properties that would be better suited for siting affordable housing, and converting empty commercial space in Midtown to residential.

How would you address homelessness and mental illness in NYC?

Homelessness is a crisis we can’t ignore. My plan takes a holistic approach — improving mental health services and supportive housing, expanding legal services for those facing eviction, and investing in long-term solutions to keep New Yorkers safe and housed. We need real oversight of our shelter system to ensure it’s safe, accessible, and effective. Every New Yorker deserves dignity and security, and that starts with making sure our shelters meet the needs of those who rely on them. Families shouldn’t have to uproot their lives every 60 days. It’s time to reform the shelter rule that forces families with children in school to move constantly, disrupting education and stability. Let’s prioritize long-term solutions that keep families housed. Some of the issues that harm the City’s ability to provide mental health services have to do with federal policies that limit Medicaid reimbursements for many of our psychiatric facilities, and I will work with my federal colleagues to correct this situation.

How would you support the Murray Hill Neighborhood Association?

I will work closely with the Murray Hill Neighborhood Association to address quality of life issues in the neighborhood especially pedestrian safety, sanitation, and e-bike regulation. Civic organizations like yours are such important advocates for our communities, and I look forward to having a longterm relationship with the Murray Hill Neighborhood Association.

Bio

Virginia Maloney is a born and raised East Sider running to represent New York City Council District 4 to make New York more safe and more affordable. She grew up in a family where service wasn’t just a value — it was a way of life, and throughout her career, she has worked to improve lives both in the public and private sectors. Virginia worked for the New York City Economic Development Corporation during Mayor Bloomberg’s administration to expand internet access. She also consulted extensively with the Federal government while overseeing high-speed rail initiatives in the Northeast Corridor. Virginia is still working to improve people’s lives in her current job as a tech executive, striving to harness technology to create tangible impacts for our communities. Virginia is committed to addressing public safety — because all New Yorkers deserve to feel safe on our streets — and making it easier for seniors to age in place. She is also proud to be a participant in the City’s campaign finance matching funds program, which New Yorkers fought so hard to implement and expand.

https://www.virginiamaloney.com/