I’m Alina Bonsell,  a Yorkville resident, a mom, and someone who has lived through more than my fair share of broken systems

I’m not a politician, I didn’t grow up with connections or privilege.  My family immigrated as Jewish refugees when I was a small child in 1989.   I lived in almost every borough and Manhattan's District 5,  over 12 years. It's home, it shaped me, and it educated me. 

I’ve worked and built businesses and fought to stay afloat in a city that often seems designed to push people out.  I’ve battled a family court system and the bad actors within it.  A system that’s designed to alienate and take loving parents away from their children.  I’ve dealt with housing battles, and I’ve watched small businesses get crushed while the city protects everyone except the people who live here.