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For Immediate Release

New Documentary Calls For A Green New Deal For Public Housing

A new short documentary imagines what Sen. Sanders and Rep. Ocasio-Cortez’s Green New Deal for Public Housing Act looks like in action.

WASHINGTON

As Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez introduce new legislation for a Green New Deal for public housing, Organize For Justice, a sister organization of Justice Democrats, and Sunrise Movement released a new short documentary focused on a Green New Deal for Public Housing, featuring Representative Jamaal Bowman. The documentary is the third in a series of short documentaries calling on Joe Biden and Democrats to enact a climate, jobs, and justice agenda.

The documentary follows Jasmin Sanchez and La Keesha Taylor, who both grew up in NYCHA developments, and continue to fight for their community and fellow tenants every day. But with lead paint, mold and infestation, inadequate heating and cooling, and a backlog of $32 billion worth of repairs needed across the city, NYCHA residents feel neglected and abused. During the COVID-19 pandemic, NYCHA residents were left for a week without running water. NYCHA public housing residents are also more than twice as likely to die from COVID than New Yorkers who don't live in public housing.

"A Green New Deal for public housing would allow people to live with dignity and respect," said Congressman Jamaal Bowman in the video. "We all have to pressure the Biden administration, from both inside and outside of Congress, to make sure he continues to move on implementing a Green New Deal."

A Green New Deal for NYCHA would mean retrofits and infrastructure upgrades, thousands of jobs for working-class public housing residents, and a healthier community more broadly across all five boroughs. Senator Sanders and Representative Ocasio-Cortez's Green New Deal for Public Housing Act would expand President Biden's infrastructure package and modernize public housing to reflect public housing residents' vision for a sustainable, safe, and healthy community.

Justice Democrats is recruiting and supporting progressive Democrats all over the country, starting with Congress. We're working to transform the Democratic Party while building independent power. We do this by running primary challengers against out-of-touch Democratic incumbents and organizing to hold the party accountable to our issues.

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