A Livable Schenectady: Building a City That Works for Everyone
Orlondo Otis Hundley at Saratoga Black Elks Lodge 2026
Schenectady has always mattered. From its roots as The Electric City to its role in shaping modern industry through companies like General Electric, this city has powered ideas, innovation, and opportunity. But somewhere along the way, the systems that once supported everyday people began to drift. What we have today is a city where the burdens are often shared, but the benefits are not.
The Livable Schenectady campaign is about correcting that imbalance.
For too long, we have socialized the losses while privatizing the gains. When things go wrong, residents and small businesses are asked to carry the weight. When things go right, too often the rewards are concentrated among a few. A livable city flips that equation. It ensures that success is shared, opportunity is accessible, and the basic conditions of life are not a privilege but a guarantee.
A livable Schenectady starts with housing. Right now, too many people are one step away from instability. Families struggle to find units that accept pets, pushing animals into shelters and people into impossible decisions. Youth aging out of foster care are entering the world without the support systems they need. Meanwhile, the unhoused are cycled through temporary solutions instead of being offered real stability. A city that works must guarantee affordable and, where necessary, free housing for those most at risk, especially young people trying to build a future.
It also means rethinking how we treat infrastructure. Sidewalks, public restrooms, safe streets, and reliable transportation are not luxuries. They are the foundation of a functioning city. Schenectady once had stronger transit connections and systems that made movement easier and more accessible. Rebuilding that spirit means investing in public transportation, exploring modern transit solutions, and ensuring that every resident can move through the city safely and affordably.
A livable city also protects its environment and its people at the same time. From reducing plastic waste to protecting pollinators like bees, local policy has a direct impact on quality of life. Supporting spaces like Central Park’s rose garden, which has been sustained by volunteers and donations, shows what community stewardship can look like when it is valued and supported.
Economic fairness is another pillar. Institutions like the Schenectady County Metroplex Development Authority were created to fill gaps left behind by industrial decline. But today, many residents feel disconnected from how resources are allocated and who truly benefits. A livable Schenectady demands transparency, accountability, and a system where public investments produce public good.
This campaign is also about people. It is about youth who need more than after-school programs. They need protection, mentorship, communication skills, and real opportunities. It is about veterans who rely on local services and deserve to have decisions made with them, not for them. It is about workers, artists, small business owners, and families who keep this city alive every day.
And it is about changing the culture of leadership. Too often, decisions are made behind closed doors, with limited input from the very people affected by them. A livable city is one where democracy is active, visible, and participatory. Where residents are not just voters, but contributors to the direction of their community.
Schenectady has gone through many eras: its early settlement, its rise as an industrial powerhouse, and its ongoing transformation. The question now is what comes next.
The Livable Schenectady campaign is not just about policy. It is about restoring purpose. It is about making sure that this city once again works for the people who live here, not just the systems that operate within it.
Because a city should not just be a place you survive.
It should be a place you can live.