[4] In 1994 he founded Neighborhood Trust Federal Credit Union, a cooperatively-owned financial institution serving low-income families in the Washington Heights section of Northern Manhattan.

[13] Levine was lead sponsor of legislation passed in 2017[14] which established a right to counsel for low-income tenants facing eviction in housing court, making New York City the first place in the nation to grant such a right.

[15][16][17] Other issues Levine has focused on include: construction of affordable housing,[18] greater equity for parks in low-income neighborhoods,[19][20] improved police-community relations,[21][22] safer streets and expanded mass transit,[23][24] dual-language education,[25] historic preservation,[26] expanded access to medical marijuana,[27] and acceptance of bitcoin for payment of NYC fines and fees.

[30][31][32] In his role as chair of the City Council's health committee, Levine gained wide attention during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.

[34] Levine was endorsed by Representatives Adriano Espaillat and Nydia Velázquez, among other elected officials, labor unions, and advocacy groups.

Levine is a member of the Vote Blue Coalition, a progressive group and federal PAC created to support Democrats in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania through voter outreach and mobilization efforts.