Make the Road New York

Make the Road New York engages in cutting-edge public policy advocacy work to catalyze high impact social change that promotes safe and affordable housing, dignity in the workplace, civil rights, effective public education, and environmental justice. We bring grassroots voices and experiences to center stage of the major public policy debates of our time.

Each year, Make the Road New York hosts a spring Community Assembly and a fall Democracy Day that bring together more than 1,000 low-income New Yorkers to share our policy concerns with elected officials from every level of government.

What sets apart our advocacy work is that it comes from the bottom up, based on the experiences and observations of our members. Through our membership and with the support of staff, these experiences become the basis for formulating legislative or policy change at the city, state and national level. Make the Road New York's substantial legal expertise, both on staff and through our pro bono partners, enables us to strategically analyze current policies and develop a blueprint for change-including litigation and innovative legislation.

Once an issue has been identified, Make the Road New York conducts research to document the problem, and builds strong coalitions for maximum effectiveness. There is substantial outreach to legislators and the media by Make the Road New York staff and members.

Although our policy advocacy generally begins with a small group of committed members and staff, the end results affect millions of New Yorkers. For example, passage of Local Law 1 was spearheaded by Make the Road New York and our allies and is the strongest lead poisoning legislation in the country. The law has spurred a public investment of tens of millions of dollars each year to remove lead paint hazards and to protect children from the debilitating effects of lead poisoning.