Furhan Ahmad pitches small business protections for District 66

Furhan Ahmad, a candidate for New York State Assembly in District 66, unveiled a plan on June 11, 2026, aimed at shielding small businesses and cultural spaces in Manhattan neighborhoods including the West Village, SoHo and TriBeCa. The proposal backs commercial rent stabilization, tax relief, eviction protections and utility aid for small food businesses.

Why it matters: - District 66’s independent shops, restaurants, galleries and music venues are part of the area’s neighborhood identity, and Ahmad is framing their survival as both an economic and cultural issue. - The plan targets rising rents, taxes, utility costs and eviction risk, which can force long-time operators to close. - Ahmad is also tying small-business policy to flood and storm resilience, reflecting the vulnerability of storefronts in lower Manhattan.

What happened: - Furhan Ahmad, a candidate for New York State Assembly in District 66, released a small business and cultural spaces plan on June 11, 2026. - The proposal focuses on the West Village, Greenwich Village, SoHo, NoHo, TriBeCa, Hudson Square and the Meatpacking District. - Ahmad said his father drove a cab to support the family and said he understands the pressure small business owners feel when leases come up. - Ahmad said owners should not have to worry that a rent increase or sudden eviction will end a business they built over years.

The details: - The plan backs the New York City Small Business Rent Stabilization Act. - That bill would create a commercial rent guidelines board and a rent stabilization system for small businesses in New York City. - The plan supports Commercial Rent Tax relief for small retail and food service businesses with base rent under $1 million. - That relief would apply to the Commercial Rent Tax charged south of 96th Street. - The plan supports the STORE Act, or Stop The Outrageous Retail Evictions Act. - The STORE Act would bar landlords from evicting small commercial tenants without good cause. - Ahmad also wants formula retail restrictions to limit chain saturation and preserve independent businesses in District 66’s commercial corridors. - The plan calls for utility relief for small businesses, especially small food businesses that face high energy bills. - Ahmad supports climate resilience funding and infrastructure investment to help small businesses withstand flooding and storm damage. - Ahmad said protecting these businesses is about preserving the character of neighborhoods.

Between the lines: - Ahmad is making small-business policy a centerpiece of a broader neighborhood-preservation message. - The proposal links rent regulation, tax policy and resilience spending into one argument: that keeping local storefronts alive requires pressure relief on multiple fronts, not just one. - The focus on independent businesses suggests an effort to distinguish local merchants from chains and to appeal to voters who see commercial change as a threat to neighborhood identity.

What’s next: - Ahmad said he would push the plan in Albany if elected. - The proposal’s path depends on support for state legislation and any related city policy changes. - The campaign is inviting voters to view small business survival as a defining issue in District 66. - More information is available on Furhan for Assembly.