Issues
I'm motivated by the urgent need to address affordable housing, improve the working conditions for public school employees, and change local laws to make Harrisonburg more climate resilient.
Affordable Housing
Harrisonburg needs to build more housing for all economic levels, and especially low-
cost housing that will meet the needs of low and middle income families. This means funding the Housing Trust Fund, supporting changes to our zoning laws to increase permitted density, and reducing parking requirements for developers so they can build cheaper housing in Harrisonburg.
Investing in Education
It’s important to support our teachers by increasing salaries and to support the School Board and school leaders in their work to improve schools and supports for our schools. Nasser understands education and teachers. He holds a Master in Education from EMU and is teaching at JMU and Rockingham County Schools.
Climate Change
Climate change is real and is negatively affecting our country and cities. Climate refugees are already a reality. Severe weather is damaging our infrastructure. Climate policies can be impactful even at the local city level. We need to work harder to reduce carbon emissions in Harrisonburg.
That means addressing the two largest sources of emissions in the city: transportation and commercial buildings. We also need to bolster the already-existing C-ACE program, adequately fund transit, reduce the amount of land devoted only to cars, and create safe alternative routes for people to get around town without needing to be in a car.
We can pass stricter laws related to building codes and inspections that will reduce energy use (and costs for families), improve energy efficiency, reduce city costs for fuel, and move us more quickly towards using alternative energies. This is not only good for the environment, it is good for businesses, schools and families.