Lena Afridi
Former Director of Policy
Former Director of Policy
Lena Afridi was ANHD’s Director of Policy. Born in Karachi and raised in Queens, Lena is committed to fighting for good jobs and safe and affordable housing for low wealth communities of color and immigrant communities. At ANHD, Lena helps implement policies that address economic and racial inequity in New York City through research, data analysis, and advocacy. Lena has worked across movements for over a decade, and connects issues of race, labor, and city planning. She was a 2016 Urban Design Forum Forefront Fellow and a 2017 Next City Vanguard Fellow. Lena holds a BA from Mount Holyoke College and a Master of Regional Planning Degree from Cornell University. In her spare time, Lena can be found writing or powerlifting.
Lena's Blogs
Blog
October 22, 2015
New York City is experiencing major financial growth. But despite its economic dynamism, the city’s economic vitality remains unevenly distributed, and income inequality is at an all-time high. The City’s economic successes remain particularly out of reach for the low-, middle- and working-class communities that constitute the backbone of New York City.
Blog
June 30, 2015
Mayor de Blasio has made taking on income inequality a primary goal of his administration, and the New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC), will play a major role in shaping how that goal is met.