On the Issues
Larinda has spent the last decade working to make Queens a better place to live.
Learn More about Larinda's Leadership on the Issues That Matter to Queens Residents
Through her lifelong advocacy, position on the East Elmhurst Corona Civic Association, and work at Elmcor, Larinda Hooks has proven to be an ally to families looking for a safe and affordable quality of life filled with opportunities and possibilities.
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HOUSING
As a lifelong Queens resident, born and raised in East Elmhurst and Corona, Larinda has seen how skyrocketing rent and housing costs have driven displacement and the homelessness crisis. On the East Elmhurst Corona Civic Association, Larinda has fought to bring deeply affordable housing to our neighborhoods – including affordable senior and supportive housing on Northern Blvd. As our Assemblymember, Larinda will fight to create truly affordable housing for working-class and low-income families, spur additional housing development, protect local residents from eviction and displacement, and focus on infrastructure to stem flooding.
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JOBS
Larinda knows that the unemployment rate, especially for Black and Latino people, is unacceptable. That’s why Larinda, in her role at Elmcor, held job fairs that drew over 4,000 people and connected 824 local residents with good jobs. Larinda has always been committed to creating good, permanent union jobs in our neighborhoods, and will demand that any development project in our communities use union labor for both construction of the project and for future jobs at the development. In the Assembly, Larinda will fight to raise the minimum wage and address wage theft, an issue that has a particularly devastating impact on immigrant communities.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
From creating job development programs at Elmcor to fighting to help small businesses recover from the pandemic, to ensuring development projects benefit the community, Larinda is always fighting for us. In the Assembly, she will work to bring in new businesses and development projects that will create good, union jobs with a path to the middle class for local residents. Larinda knows that the lack of affordability in Queens impacts everyone. That’s why Larinda will fight for cost of living adjustments to help families keep pace with rising costs.
EDUCATION
As a NYC public school graduate and a mother of five children who all attended our public schools, Larinda knows how important our schools are for both our children and our communities. That’s why Larinda served as PTA President at Veritas High School and PS 127Q. She’ll fight to ensure that our schools are fully funded, to expand the community schools model, and make sure all our children have the resources they need to succeed - from early childhood education to free or low-cost after-school opportunities.
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YOUTH
Larinda has dedicated her life to helping and mentoring our youth. She has served as a youth football and basketball coach for nearly two decades, and also led our youth as part of the Girl Scouts, Soap Box Derby, Summer Youth Employment Program, and the Civic Association Youth Council. Larinda is committed to providing programs for our youth to keep them off the streets and on the right path.
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SENIORS
For more than a decade, Larinda has worked at Elmcor to improve and expand services for older adults. Larinda spearheaded the efforts to create three new senior centers in our neighborhoods - expanding one from a satellite to become a full-time center, opening a senior center in Lefrak at the DEP building and, another center at the Elmcor gym on 108th Street in Corona. Larinda has also run the food pantry and grew it from serving just 50 people into a 300-400 person distribution. During the pandemic she was serving up to 900 people per week. From offering free trips, to arts and crafts, to physical health programs for seniors, including in-language programs in Spanish, nobody does more for our older adults and no Assemblymember will fight harder to deliver for them.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Larinda is committed to making our communities safer. Larinda has worked in East Elmhurst to combat car and package thefts, burglaries, and scams targeting our seniors. In Corona, she has worked to tackle the guns, gangs, and violence in our neighborhood. In LeFrak, Larinda has taken on the issues of shootings and violence. And districtwide she’s fought for traffic and pedestrian safety. From funding anti-violence initiatives to hosting gun buyback programs, in the Assembly, Larinda will work to get the illegal guns off our streets and ensure public safety,
QUALITY OF LIFE
For the last two decades, fighting to improve our quality of life has been a top priority for Larinda. As President of the East Elmhurst Corona Civic Association, Larinda has worked on many quality of life issues, from taxes to sanitation to neighborhood, park, and business district clean ups. Larinda successfully fought to get ACE to come in for sanitation along Astoria Blvd and to get the Sanitation Department to clean up dumping sites on 99th and 97th Streets. In the Assembly, she will continue to prioritize our safety and quality of life.
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