Mayor Eric Adams (photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office)

Eric Adams, then the Democratic Brooklyn Borough President, ran for Mayor of New York City on an extensive policy platform and many big promises.

Not long after becoming mayor, Adams' campaign took down its website. Below, find links to the texts of all of the Adams 2021 campaign policy plans, saved by Gotham Gazette from the campaign website -- https://ericadams2021.com/ -- in late 2021 and recreated verbatim to

A Greener City, A Brighter Future
More than 50 years since the first Earth Day, our planet is in greater peril than ever, with climate change endangering coastal populations like New York City due to intensifying storms and rising seas. Yet, we are also presented with incredible possibilities to reverse the tide, thanks to the advancement of clean energy technologies and the potential of employing a new generation in a growing green economy. As a city that prides itself on its resilience and innovation, New Yorkers are primed to be global leaders at this critical moment, shrinking our carbon footprint and living more sustainably.

We also know that our city

My fellow New Yorkers: 

New York City is at a crossroads. We need bold, clear leadership to unite  us and move us forward. But that path must also be lit with ideas for action.  As a lifelong New Yorker who faced homelessness, hunger, economic hardship  and brutality at the hands of police as a young man, I know all too well the  systemic problems that have kept this city from reaching its true potential  for generations. 

Now that we face this pandemic and its economic fallout, we must ask  ourselves a question that will determine the future of our city: Are we going  to try to fix our old problems, or just our new ones? 

Each mayoral candidate must answer that

The Tailwind for Our New New York Economy:Eric Adams' Plan to Grow the Wind Power Industry in NYC
New York City has always been a center for innovation, new ideas, and progressive thinking. Now we face a new green economy with new challenges and new opportunities--and New York must lead once again. In particular, our city is well-positioned to become the hub of the wind power industry for the Eastern Seaboard because of its location, ports, and existing infrastructure.

But to take advantage of this opportunity, New York must have a clear plan to harness the potential of the wind power industry and take action to capitalize on the public

Moving Forward Together

New York City only really works when its transportation system works, and for too many New Yorkers it has not worked for a long time — or ever. New York City buses are notoriously slow and were losing ridership even before COVID-19 hit, impacted in large part by chronic and persistent congestion. Our subway system has suffered from decades of underinvestment and neglect, and is facing a true safety crisis. The vision of Vision Zero has yet to be realized, with a rising number of pedestrians and cyclists struck by traffic violence. There is an even more serious disconnect for our neighbors with disabilities and older residents, who face

WeRISE Plan (Raise Immigrant Safety and Empowerment)

New York City is, and has always been, a city of immigrants. It is the “gorgeous  mosaic,” as former Mayor David Dinkins famously put it, that defines what this city  means to people from all over the world, as a destination for diversity and a place  where everyone is embraced and free to pursue their dreams. We are not only home to  the United Nations; we are the home of people from every nation. 

It’s true by every metric. A 2015-19 estimate from the U.S. Census Bureau showed that  36.8 percent of this city’s residents — more than one out of every three — is  foreign-born, living across the five

New York City wastes billions of dollars every year simply because it operates dysfunctionally, spending irresponsibly, failing to address issues before they become disasters, and governing in conflict with itself as one agency creates a problem for another. Worst of all, these inefficiencies lead to inequalities; and those inequalities lead to injustice—largely for lower-income Black and Brown communities who most need government to deliver for them.

By identifying the dysfunction, we can eliminate the waste and better deliver services for New Yorkers at a time when they most need it. These “25 Inefficiencies That Lead to Inequality” are each

Lower Crime Through Precision Public Safety
Our city faces an unprecedented crisis that threatens to undo the progress we have made against crime. Gun arrests, shootings and hate crimes are up; people do not feel safe in their homes or on the street.

As a police officer who patrolled the streets in a bulletproof vest in the 1990s, I watched lawlessness spread through our city, infecting communities with the same terrible swiftness of COVID-19.

We cannot allow New York to go back to a city that is unsafe.By saving money through technology and efficiency, and using it to fund targeted initiatives that reduce serious crime, I will more effectively

Honor Our Heroes

As we remember and pay tribute to all of the fallen servicemen and women who we have lost, we recommit to honor their sacrifice and the sacrifices of the veterans and military families who are so fortunately part of our communities. These heroes deserve a city that honors them as they have honored us, going above and beyond to connect them to the services they need to lead healthy, prosperous lives.

According to 2019 data from the U.S. Census Bureau, there are about 138,000 veterans living in the New York City area, ranging from those who served in World War II to those who enlisted after 9/11. As a former chair of the Veterans, Homeland

The NYC Aid Plan (Advanced Income Deployment)

New Yorkers are in crisis because of COVID-19--and they need immediate, serious financial assistance to get through. Unfortunately, much of the assistance that  New Yorkers qualify for is significantly delayed because it is tied to federal and  local tax credits that are paid out just once a year. 

To get New Yorkers the money they need right now, Eric Adams proposes the NYC AID (Advanced Income Deployment) initiative to get struggling individuals and  families their Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC) in advanced monthly payments, while also substantially increasing the amounts of the credits to deliver the

Cash, Childcare & Housing  Assistance—And A City That Delivers
New York City has always been a place of immense wealth and persistent poverty.  Generation after generation, whether our overall economy is up or down, most New  Yorkers struggle to get by either some of the time or all of the time. That is because  most New Yorkers do not have a firm foundation on which to build their wealth—and the  government services and programs that are meant to provide that foundation are either  inadequate or inefficiently managed. 

I experienced this as a young man facing hunger and homelessness while my single  mother struggled to keep food on our table and a roof

Heart Of The Arts

The arts are essential, but too often artists and members of our creative class  feel left behind in a city that is too expensive and too bureaucratic to make their  works come to life. We felt how important our cultural community is during this  pandemic, as children were cut off from arts education and our museums,  studios, and theaters all went dark. The arts are truly healing, with research  showing the positive impact on coping, reduced levels of depression and anxiety,  and higher levels of self-esteem. For our aging population, it is a helpful aid in the  fight against loneliness, strengthening social connections. For our young people, 

The Subway Safety Plan

Our city is just starting to come back from the pandemic. Progress cannot be derailed by  crime and New Yorkers living in fear of being slashed, roundhouse punched, or robbed on  their way to work or on their way home. Real concerns about subway safety are making  too many New Yorkers hesitant to return to mass transit. Sustained declines in ridership  will crush struggling small businesses, reduce investment in our city, and harm tourism —  all of which will ultimately hit working-class New Yorkers hardest. I have said it time and  time again: Public safety is the prerequisite to prosperity. 

We are continually seeing violent

Upstream Justice

The Spofford juvenile detention center was long a symbol of what’s wrong with  New York, and it will always be a reminder to me of how I started on my path to  fixing this city. It was there — inside those walls as a juvenile — that I turned my  

pain into purpose. I spent the night as a 15-year-old, just hours after officers  repeatedly beat me in the basement of the 103rd Precinct. It felt like that place  was my destiny, that I couldn’t escape the pipeline to incarceration, hardship, and  hopelessness. 

I was one of the lucky ones. Most of the boys I was in with did not succeed. They  were not given the care it takes to change

By saving money through technology and efficiency, and using it to fund targeted initiatives that reduce serious crime, I will more effectively deploy resources while ensuring that police do the real police work needed to get the bad guys and prevent crime in the first place. I will do that by:

• Being laser-focused on violent crime—especially guns.
• Reinventing the anti-crime unit as an anti-gun unit, using cops with the skills and temperament to balance community relations and catch the bad guys.
• Civilianizing areas of the NYPD that don’t need to be staffed by cops.
• Shifting detectives and other officers from low-crime areas to crime hot-spots

To deal with our housing crisis in New York, the city must rapidly build new affordable housing while protecting existing apartments everywhere. That means bold, aggressive measures that are even more necessary now as we simultaneously fight a pandemic and an economic crisis. Here’s how:

• Up-zone wealthier areas where we can build far more affordable units.
• Repurpose city office buildings and hotels for affordable housing.
• Think big by thinking small and add basement apartments, SROs and other small units.
• Provide homes and help for the homeless and those struggling with rent.

Add housing – for everyone – in wealthier

As a former police officer who stood up against racism and corruption in the NYPD while simultaneously protecting our streets, I know how entrenched systemic bias is in the department. The fastest way to true reform is to add as much diversity to the NYPD as fast as we can, while building trust through transparency. I will do that by:

• Adding Black and Brown officers who will respect and protect New Yorkers.
• Appointing the city’s first woman police commissioner.
• Making it easier for good cops to identify bad cops–and publicizing the list of cops being monitored for bad behavior.
• Empowering communities to have a say in their precinct

In the City school system, evaluations of our students mostly stop at grades and test scores — and we often ignore critical challenges impacting their performance, such as learning disabilities, health care, and trouble at home. If we are going to be truly successful in providing a quality education to all young people, we have to look at the whole child and provide what they need to succeed — inside and outside of the classroom. I will do that by:

• Identifying and supporting students with disabilities and other learning challenges.
• Providing healthy eating options and social services directly in schools.
• Create more culturally-aware

Much of our city is zoned for another era when all New Yorkers lived in one area and worked in another. When COVID-19 hit, it economically decimated neighborhoods dominated by tall office towers, where retailers, restaurants, and other businesses relied almost entirely on 9-to-5 workers. The city also relies too heavily on office workers and the service economy overall, when it could and should be expanding employment options in areas like life sciences, urban agriculture, and manufacturing.

• Create more live/work communities.
• Empower community development corporations and non-profit land trusts.
• Give faith-based institutions the tools to provide

Even before the pandemic, we knew that tens-of-billions of dollars was needed to make basic improvements to NYCHA complexes throughout the city. The virus exposed even more immediate issues We need an all-in approach to raise enough money to save NYCHA tenants from dilapidated buildings and deteriorating apartments.

• Save NYCHA through bold moves like allowing the agency to sell air rights.
• Keep NYCHA tenants informed to hold the agency accountable.
• Support tenants impacted by lead paint with greater accountability and immediate assistance.

Sell NYCHA’s air rights to raise billions for NYCHA tenants.

We can literally pull $8

Education inequalities in New York are so systemic that we barely acknowledge them anymore. I was one of the first high school students to be bussed in the city, from South Jamaica to Bayside, in order to reduce segregation and inequality. That was more than 40 years ago, and those problems are still as persistent and pervasive as they were then. To make our education system more equitable, I will:

• Significantly expand learning options in the summer to prevent the summer slide and provide parents with more choices.
• Invest in equity by directing far more capital dollars and programmatic funding into struggling districts.
• Creating the world’s best remote

The City’s responsibility for our young people should extend far beyond the years they spend in our schools. In fact, some of the most important help and attention from the City can come at the very beginning of a young person’s life and right before they enter adulthood.

That is why my administration will offer a full continuum of support at every stage of a young person’s life: from prenatal care to childcare to school to professional development to job placement. I will do that by:

• Providing childcare for every parent who needs it.
• Greatly increasing job training in high schools and matching students with internships and employers.
• Creating

Our small businesses are the backbone of our economy—and we must provide them with the support to re-open and grow. At the same time, we have to spend New Yorkers’ tax dollars on New Yorkers and their businesses, focusing on minority and women-owned businesses that have historically not been included in economic booms and City spending.

• Prioritizing minority- and women-owned businesses for City contracts.
• Eliminating fees and significantly reducing fines for small business.
• Supporting our bars and restaurants – and their workers – with tax breaks.

Slash the red tape to save small businesses.  

Right now, small businesses pay up

Working class New Yorkers are struggling during this financial crisis—and they need direct assistance now and a much stronger safety net for the future. We also must do a much better job of finding jobs for New Yorkers. I will do that by:

• Providing direct cash assistance to New Yorkers through my NYC AID program.
• Offering subsidized or free childcare to any New Yorker needs it.
• Creating an unprecedented effort to place New Yorkers in new jobs.

Enact an NYC AID program to expand the Earned Income Tax Credit.

We will keep precious dollars in the hands of New Yorkers who most need it by boosting the City’s Earned Income Tax Credit

Estimates are that, even after the COVID crisis is somewhat under control, New York City will have half-a-million fewer jobs than before the pandemic. To recover faster and stronger, and to grow an equitable economy, we must expand into new emerging industries that have the potential to provide work for New Yorkers from all backgrounds and educations. I will do that by:

• Investing significantly in green jobs, including renewable energy production and transmission, building retrofits, infrastructure improvements and a booming wind power industry.
• Growing the life sciences industry here with incentives and changes to our land use and buildings