SOLIDARITY ECONOMY POLICY LANDSCAPE — NEW YORK CITY
Two Decades of Proposals for Community Ownership and Economic Justice
This document distills twenty years of solidarity-economy proposals to support Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s transition team and organizers advancing worker cooperatives, community land trusts, public banking, and other community-ownership strategies rooted in equity and justice.
Strengthening New York City’s Solidarity Economy
This report brings together two decades of major policy proposals shaping New York City’s solidarity economy. It serves as a resource for Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s transition team and for organizers working to advance community ownership, equity, and economic justice across the city.
This overview distills essential recommendations across worker cooperatives, community land trusts, housing, food, waste, and energy democracy initiatives, public banking, and other community-ownership strategies. It highlights how these proposals intersect with the experiences and needs of marginalized communities, offering a foundation for policies rooted in racial and gender equity, community power, and direct democracy.
Why This Matters
New York City stands at a critical moment. As communities continue to face economic inequality, housing insecurity, climate impacts, and widening racial and gender disparities, the need for transformative, community-rooted solutions has never been greater. The solidarity economy offers a proven path forward—one that centers collective ownership, democratic participation, and the leadership of those most impacted by systemic injustice.
This report is important because it gathers two decades of policy proposals that have the power to reshape how resources, land, and economic opportunity are distributed in NYC. By bringing these ideas together in one place, it equips Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s administration, organizers, and institutions with the tools needed to enact policies that move beyond traditional reforms and toward real structural change.
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A. General Solidarity Economy / Community Wealth Building
Cooperatives for a Feminist Economy
Cooperatives for Environmental Justice and a Just Transition
Worker Cooperatives
Housing Cooperatives & Community Land Trusts
Food Cooperatives, Food Hubs & Community Food Policy
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Whether you have questions, want to collaborate, or need more information about this publication, our work, or upcoming initiatives, we’re here to connect. Reach out to our team to explore partnerships, request support, or learn how you can engage with New York City’s growing solidarity economy movement.
