The 2025 mayoral race, arriving amid rising costs of living and post-pandemic recovery, offers a crucial opportunity to reimagine how New York feeds and cares for its most vulnerable. In April, the CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute, in collaboration with partners including Hunger Free America, United Way of New York City, Equity Advocates, Food Bank for New York City, City Harvest, Feeding New York State, Community Service Society, and Community Food Advocates, convened a forum focused on hunger, poverty, and food justice. The event featured four mayoral candidates: Michael Blake, Zellnor Myrie, Scott Stringer, and Brad Lander.
Across shared concerns and a wide variety of solutions, one theme prevailed: food policy must be central, not peripheral, to the city’s next administration. Below is a summary of the candidates’ answers to a set of hunger and food equity-related questions. Moderator for this forum was political anchor for Spectrum News and columnist for New York Magazine, Errol Louis
Universal School Meals
All four candidates affirmed the importance of universal school meals, viewing them as both a nutritional right and a policy imperative. Michael Blake opened with a personal story, his mother once sold dinners from their Bronx apartment to pay the rent, and pledged to ensure that “no child starts or ends the day hungry.” He proposed reallocating NYPD overtime funding and implementing a vacancy tax to finance all-day school nutrition, including culturally relevant meals provided through community-rooted programs like Green Bronx Machine.
Zellnor Myrie underscored his legislative record fighting for universal school meals. He advocated expanding afterschool food access and proposed funding it by collecting unpaid city taxes and redirecting surpluses from the city’s Economic Development Corporation.
Scott Stringer brought attention to gaps in inclusivity. “Some kids need halal food. Some need kosher. And many don’t like what’s on offer,” he said, citing efforts he led as Manhattan Borough President to pilot inclusive school menus. His funding solution: a $1 billion reserve split between city and state to protect food programs from volatile federal policy shifts.
Brad Lander emphasized participation. “Meals are already free, but kids aren’t showing up to eat them,” he noted. To remedy that, he proposed encouraging schools to serve breakfast in classrooms and pairing meals with music, art, or family activities that create welcoming routines.
Fixing the Funding Pipeline for Nonprofits
The city’s persistent failure to pay social service nonprofits on time was roundly condemned as both inefficient and unjust. Michael Blake proposed a shift from reimbursement to upfront payments, especially for organizations supporting children and food access. He also called for reforming the city’s cumbersome Passport system to reduce paperwork burdens.
Zellnor Myrie pushed for structural changes, including financial penalties for city agencies that delay payments and the creation of a Blue Ribbon Commission to audit and reform the city’s procurement processes. He also backed a charter change to allow small grants, up to $50,000, to be disbursed without excessive red tape.
Scott Stringer, leveraging his experience as City Comptroller, argued that the issue stems from neglecting basic management. “Nobody in City Hall is prioritizing procurement anymore,” he said. He committed to restoring staffing and systems to clear backlogs and expedite contracts.
Brad Lander, the current Comptroller, highlighted that his office processes contracts 37% faster than before. If elected mayor, he would require deadlines across all agencies and scale up a platform called “ContractStat” to track performance and ensure transparency.
Designing a City That Plans for Food
Each candidate agreed that food infrastructure should be integrated into zoning and development, not treated as an afterthought. Michael Blake tied zoning to equity, proposing that developers demonstrate how their projects address food access, just as they do for affordability. He emphasized that culturally appropriate food vendors and spaces should be built into city planning from the beginning.
Zellnor Myrie linked the conversation to public health, noting that many communities suffer from predatory marketing and limited options. “What if we were more proactive about what we allow in a neighborhood?” he asked. His platform includes zoning incentives for healthy food access.
Scott Stringer spoke of building rooftop gardens on public schools and vertical farms in NYCHA developments, initiatives he started as Manhattan Borough President. He cited East Harlem’s Go Green Initiative as a model, where residents co-designed farmers markets, asthma clinics, and healthy food education.
While Brad Lander did not delve deeply into zoning, he emphasized the importance of community-based organizations and school-based food programs in transforming access from within neighborhoods.
Closing the Digital Divide in Social Services
Four years after a promise to create a one-stop portal for social services, the city’s MyCity platform remains incomplete. Candidates agreed that the lack of digital cohesion harms low-income families.
Blake proposed a “technology for good” approach, enabling residents to track services as easily as they track a meal delivery or bank transfer. Myrie framed the problem as managerial inertia: “This is a failure of leadership problem.”
Stringer condemned the $100 million spent on a failed app and called for rebuilding internal IT capacity rather than outsourcing. Lander, who has already improved contract processing without new hires or vendors, promised to finish what the MyCity project started, and take it further. He proposed a “sovereign ID” that would give New Yorkers control over their data and eligibility across programs, potentially becoming a new model for tech-enabled equity.
Protecting Immigrants’ Right to Food and Services
With federal immigration enforcement on the rise, candidates pledged to safeguard schools, shelters, and food pantries from ICE intrusion.
Blake proposed codifying safe zones across the city and increasing legal aid for undocumented residents. “ICE will not be allowed in our community centers without a judicial warrant,” he said. Myrie echoed that stance and promised to add 50 attorneys to the city’s law department to defend immigrant rights proactively.
Stringer emphasized the human toll, noting that fear of ICE has led some children to stop attending school. Lander reminded voters that he co-sponsored the city’s sanctuary laws and opposed ICE’s presence at Rikers Island. He pledged legal guidance for nonprofits and clear protocols for front-line workers.
Preserving Autonomy in SNAP and Food Choices
Finally, the candidates rejected proposals to restrict what SNAP recipients can purchase, such as sugary drinks. Instead, they championed education, incentives, and systemic change.
Myrie and Blake called out the food industry’s targeting Black and Brown communities and urged a pivot toward local, healthy food ecosystems. Stringer advocated for expanding farmers markets and youth nutrition programs while creating a “food revolution” across all 59 community boards. Lander supported positive reinforcement models, like universal basic income pilots, to nudge healthier choices without stigma or control.
Conclusion: Civic Engagement Is the Key Ingredient
The 2025 NYC Mayoral Candidates Forum made clear that addressing hunger and poverty isn’t just about emergency response, it’s about structural transformation. As voters, providers, and advocates, New Yorkers have a vital role in demanding leadership that treats food as a right, not a luxury.
The CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute is proud to help bring these conversations to the forefront. To watch the full forum, learn more about each candidate’s platform, and continue the work of building a more just and nourishing city, visit our website and stay connected.
Election Day is June 24th, 2025
Watch the full forum here.
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ABOUT AUTHOR:
Craig Willingham is the Managing Director of CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute where he oversees a diverse portfolio of food policy related research. Previously he worked for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Center for Health Equity where he developed and implemented strategies to make it easier for consumers to buy healthier products in food retail venues throughout the City. He has a diverse professional background that includes business management, secondary school education, regional agriculture, and technical training.
