Housing Works congratulates Taylor Brown, the inaugural Director of the NYC Mayor’s Office of LGBTQIA+ Affairs and applauds Mayor Zohran Mamdani for his leadership in establishing this office at this critical moment.

Brown, a nationally recognized civil rights attorney, is also the first transgender person to lead a New York City office or agency. The establishment of this office and the appointment of a trans leader demonstrate Mayor Mamdani’s commitment to the safety and wellbeing of all LGBTQIA+ New Yorkers. This is especially meaningful at this political moment, as trans Americans around the country are facing ongoing threats to healthcare access and civil liberties. We also know that trans people––and especially transgender women of color––face some of the highest rates of housing instability in the country and are among those most at risk for HIV transmission.

“We applaud Mayor Mamdani for his leadership and commitment to uplifting LGBTQIA+ New Yorkers,” said Charles King, CEO of Housing Works. “We look forward to partnering with Director Brown and the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQIA+ Affairs to advance policies that expand housing stability, protect access to healthcare, and ensure all LGBTQIA New Yorkers can live full, healthy, and safe lives.”