Unopposed District 43 councilmember reviews results, outlines challenges

Brooklyn Councilmember Susan Zhuang of District 43 is set to win another term.

In a recent interview with the Sunset Post, she reflected on her first two years in office, stressing education as her top priority and highlighting funding for community programs. She also pointed to efforts to promote unity across ethnic groups and to address business and public safety concerns along Sunset Park’s Eighth Avenue.

Education, community centers, and legal aid

“Our Chinese community doesn’t have enough funding. I’ve worked hard to bring resources to us, and education is always my top priority,” Zhuang said, reviewing her record. Each year she helped secure about $8 million for school infrastructure repairs. She also added 400 new seats in after-school tutoring programs and directed funds to senior centers, supporting art projects that enrich the lives of older residents.

Zhuang emphasized the important role of local nonprofits in providing immigrant services. Many, she said, devote themselves to the community but don’t know how to apply for funding because of language barriers and lack of information. To help, she partnered with the Brooklyn Chinese-American Association (BCA) to launch a program that trains nonprofit leaders to complete paperwork and apply for government grants. Once they learn the process, she said, they can seek funding on their own.

Since March, Zhuang’s office has also seen a rise in cases of constituents being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) — now at least one a week. In response, she has worked with the Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC) and other organizations to provide free legal consultations.

“Some people come in for green cards or citizenship forms, and for others who have been picked up by ICE, their families ask about bail and other legal issues. Everyone in my office speaks at least one other language besides English, so we can help more people,” Zhuang said, urging residents in need to call her office.

Challenges on Eighth Avenue

Asked about Sunset Park’s current challenges, Zhuang first pointed to sanitation problems on Eighth Avenue. Despite $250,000 invested in cleanup, results have been limited. She believes forming a Business Improvement District (BID) would allow for more systematic management. While she acknowledged it might raise property taxes for landlords, she argued the added resources and government support would ultimately be worth it.

Her office has also fielded more complaints from merchants on Eighth Avenue. Many have long depended on customers coming from outside the city, but with ICE stepping up enforcement, fewer people are visiting, cutting into business. “Right now what we can do is bring them more funding and subsidies, and we’re also exploring street-renaming events as a way to boost the local economy,” Zhuang said.

Another issue, less visible to the broader community, is the spread of prostitution. Once concentrated in Flushing, it has increasingly shifted to Eighth Avenue, where many undocumented women are pressured into sex work. Zhuang said she has allocated nearly $3 million to combat domestic violence and human trafficking.

“A lot of people haven’t realized how serious this is. We want to invest resources early, provide services, pull people out of these situations, and help them find real jobs,” Zhuang said.

Building unity amid division

Beyond public safety and quality-of-life concerns, Zhuang said she wants her next term to focus on strengthening unity across communities in Sunset Park.

“I feel that hostility in the community is getting worse. Whether it’s race, religion, or even neighborhood to neighborhood, there’s this sense of exclusion. It’s hard to come together. What I hope to do is bring everyone together,” she said. “The issues people care about are basically the same, but because of a lack of understanding and mutual suspicion, they don’t see it.”

Since taking office, she has hosted Asian and Jewish heritage month celebrations to give other groups a chance to learn about and experience these cultures.

“I hope uniting in this way can give the community a new image, to show people that Chinese residents are willing to help, and always have been, even if we haven’t had the spotlight.”

Zhuang was expected to face a challenge from independent candidate Jerry Chan in November’s general election, but he failed to qualify for the ballot. With no opponent, she will run unopposed and is assured another term.