Ritchie Torres

Council Member Ritchie Torres was elected in November 2013 to represent the 15th Council District in the Central Bronx. During the 2014-2017, he was a Deputy Leader of the City Council, making him the only Freshman Council Member to hold a leadership position. As Chair of the Council’s Committee on Public Housing, Council Member Torres oversaw the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) which is the largest provider of affordable housing in the country. He introduced and enacted legislation on a wide range of issues including expanding job opportunities for public housing residents; protecting the City’s affordable housing stock; improving mental health resources for the LGBT community; and establishing work standards for industrial laundromats. Council Member Torres is a leading voice on issues related to affordable and public housing, police reform, school integration and youth civic engagement.

Council Member Torres became active in politics at an early age, first as a fellow in the inaugural class of the Coro NY Exploring Leadership Program, and then going on to work as the Housing Director for Council Member Jimmy Vacca before running for office in 2013. The youngest member of the City Council, Council Member Torres is a rising star in City politics and has been profiled by numerous media outlets including New Yorker Magazine, New York Times, Newsweek, Observer, Daily News and others.