Housing advocates hoped to empower tenants dealing with lead in their homes.
Eddie Velazquez
Eddie Velazquez is a Syracuse journalist covering economic justice in the region. He is focused on stories about organized labor, and New York's housing and childhood lead poisoning crises. You can follow his work on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ezvelazquez.
Eddie is a frequent contributor to Central Current and can be reached at edvel37@gmail.com
Posted inSchools
‘Wild, wild west’: New York’s lead reporting laws do not apply to private schools
Public health experts hope new legislation can change that.
Posted inHousing
New York progressives have a plan to achieve energy affordability: make power public
Central New Yorkers have long struggled with National Grid’s rates. Progressives across the state are pitching public ownership of power.
Posted inNews
2026 Election Q&A: New York State Assembly 126th District candidate John Lemondes
Assemblyman Lemondes, a Republican, will look to retain his seat for a fourth term in Albany, facing off against Democrat Ian Phillips in November.
Posted inNews
2026 Election Q&A: New York State Assembly 126th District candidate Ian Phillips
Democrat Phillips is seeking to unseat Republican Assemblyman John Lemondes who is on his third term in Albany.
Posted inCNY Decides 2026
2026 Election Q&A: New York State Assembly 129th District candidate Maurice ‘Mo’ Brown
Brown, a Democrat, faces Republican Shawn Fiato in the race for the seat. The Democrat challenger took down longtime incumbent Bill Magnarelli in the Democratic primary in June.
Posted inElections
AOC comes to Syracuse in an effort to reengage dormant Democratic voters
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’ Monday trip to Syracuse was the last leg of a three-city tour across Upstate New York. She also visited Ithaca and Buffalo.
Posted inCNY Decides 2026
Democrats in CNY and labor unions disagree on how to regulate data centers. Why?
Unions and Democrats have long had a tight relationship. However, in Central New York, they are split on how to regulate data centers.
Posted inNews
New York shifts from reactive to proactive on lead safety in homes. Advocates question whether it’s enough.
The state has started ramping up its enforcement of a lead rental registry program approved in 2023 by lawmakers and Gov. Kathy Hochul.
Posted inNews
What are the bottlenecks in housing production leading to Syracuse’s housing crisis?
Central Current dove into the issues clogging the pipeline of housing production and what city officials are doing to speed up construction as the region experiences unprecedented need.
