Some
low-income New Yorkers got a chance to speak out about the issues that affect
them at a community assembly in Queens
Saturday.

They packed
the auditorium at Ganesh
Temple to share their
life experiences and to suggest policy reforms to elected officials from every
level of government. Topics ranged from housing and immigration reform to
policing.

"This
past May, 32 young people were arrested without cause on their way to a
friend’s funeral in my community. Every day we hear new stories of immigrants
in Queens and Staten Island who are harassed
and unfairly arrested by the NYPD with terrible consequences including
deportation," said one community member.

"There’s
still a lot we have to do on education, on housing, on police reform, on so
many issues. And I just want to say, all of us in the council stand ready to
remain in partnership with ‘Make the Road‘ and to work on these issues," said City Council Speaker
Christine Quinn.

Make The Road, a
community-based organization, hosted the three-hour event.