ABOUT KEITH
City Council Member Keith Powers represents Council District 4, covering the East Side of Manhattan and Midtown.
Keith was recognized as the top lawmaker in New York City in 2019 by City & State magazine and has been selected as a CUNY Lindsey Fellow and a NewDEAL Leader.
During his time in the City Council, Keith has authored and passed 12 laws and introduced more than 40 bills, including legislation to protect employees against sexual harassment, prevent housing discrimination, expand recycling and composting, reform the criminal justice system, and support small businesses.
In the district, he has worked hard on important issues focused on the future of our community on the East Side. In 2019, Keith helped pass the historic affordable housing deal at Waterside Plaza that lowered rents by 30% for long-term tenants. He has also championed public transportation, including championing the historic 14th Street Busway, Sixth Avenue bus lane and pedestrianizing Rockefeller Center, as examples. And locally, he has delivered long-term storm protections on the East River, advocated for both a new dog run and composting site to Stuyvesant Town, and funded a new street cleaning program in Murray Hill and Carnegie Hill.
As the son of a small business owner, Keith has fought to support small businesses. During COVID-19, he championed the outdoor dining program, introduced legislation for tax relief, proposed an affordable lease program, and pushed for reform to city regulations that hurt small businesses. He has also been an outspoken supporter of the city's arts and culture.
Keith serves as the Chair of the Criminal Justice Committee in the City Council and sits on the Finance, Health, Economic Development, Contracts, Public Safety, Government Operations, and Oversight and Investigations Committees. He also Chairs the East Midtown Governing Group, which oversees public transportation improvements funded through East Midtown development.
He is a third-generation resident of Peter Cooper Village and Stuyvesant Town. Keith attended The CUNY Graduate Center and University of Dayton.