FOR THE RECORD MY NAME IS BRIAN WE'RE OUT DISTRICT FOR CITY COUNCILOR AND I'M THE CHAIR OF THE BOSTON CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS. TODAY IS MAY 19, 2025 IT IS
6:08 P.M.. THIS HEARING IS BEING RECORDED . IT IS ALSO BEING LIVESTREAM AT BOSTON.COM BACKSLASH CITY COUNCIL DASH TV AND BROADCAST
ON EXPANDED CHANNEL EIGHT RCN CHANNEL 82 AND FILES 906 CHANNEL 964. THE COUNCIL'S BUDGET REVIEW PROCESS HAS ENCOMPASSED A SERIES OF PUBLIC HEARINGS BEGIN IN APRIL IN WHICH WILL RUN THROUGH JUNE.
WE STRONGLY ENCOURAGE RESIDENTS TO TAKE A MOMENT TO ENGAGE IN THIS PROCESS BY GIVING TESTIMONY FOR THE RECORD. YOU CAN DO THIS IN SEVERAL WAYS. YOU CAN GIVE TESTIMONY IN PERSON HERE IN THE CHAMBER OR VIRTUALLY VIA ZOOM.
FOR IN-PERSON TESTIMONY PLEASE COME TO THIS CHAMBER AND SIGN UP ON THE SHEET NEAR THE ENTRANCE. IT WILL BE TAKEN AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS HEARING FOLLOWING THE PANELIST PRESENTATION. INDIVIDUALS WILL BE CALLED ON IN THE ORDER WHICH THEY HAVE
SIGNED UP AND WILL HAVE 2 MINUTES TO TESTIFY. FOR VIRTUAL TESTIMONY YOU CAN SIGN UP USING OUR ONLINE FORM ON OUR COUNCIL BUDGET REVIEW WEBSITE OR BY EMAILING THE COMMITTEE AT IWM.
BOSTON.COM OR BY EMAILING CHARISMA DOT SHAHEEN AT BOSTON DOT GOV THAT IS KTAR. ICE AGE M.A.S.H.
OH YOU AND AT BOSTON.COM YOU WILL RECEIVE THE ZOOM LINK IN YOUR NAME WILL BE ADDED TO THE LIST WHEN YOU ARE CALLED TO TESTIFY. PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND OR AFFILIATION AND RESIDENCE AND LIMIT YOUR COMMENTS TO A FEW
MINUTES TO ENSURE THAT OUR COMMENTS AND CONCERNS CAN BE HEARD. YOU CAN ALSO EMAIL YOUR WRITTEN TESTIMONY TO THE COMMITTEE IWM BOSTON DOT GOV AND ALSO SUBMIT A TWO MINUTE VIDEO OF YOUR TESTIMONY THROUGH THE FORUM ON
OUR WEBSITE. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE CITY COUNCIL BUDGET PROCESS AND HOW TO TESTIFY AND TO VIEW THE FULL HEARING SCHEDULE PLEASE VISIT THE CITY COUNCIL BUDGET WEBSITE.
BOSTON.COM BACKS COUNCIL DAS BUDGET TODAY'S HEARING IS ON DOCKET NUMBER 0822308305 26 BUDGET FOR THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING. THESE MATTERS ARE SPONSORED BY
MAYOR MICHELLE REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE ON APRIL NINE, 2025. I WANT TO NOTE THAT WE HAVE ALSO BEEN JOINED BY BOSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY FOR THIS EVENING'S PANT PANEL IN LIGHT OF THE CAPITAL PLAN FOR VHA AS
WELL AS THE IMPENDING THREATS TO FEDERAL FUNDING. THE CITY COUNCIL THOUGHT IT WOULD BE THE BEST AND MOST EFFICIENT TO INVITE THEM TO THIS CONVERSATION WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING. TODAY I'M JOINED BY MY
COUNCILOR COLLEAGUES AND ORDER ARRIVAL COUNCIL DECKING COUNCILOR BREADON CASSEL PRESIDENT COUNCIL WEBER AND THE COUNCIL PRESIDENT LOUIJEUNE. WE'VE ALSO RECEIVED A LETTER OF ABSENCE FROM THE VICE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE.
COUNCILOR PEPEN. I WOULD NOW LIKE TO TURN IT OVER TO MY PANELISTS TO INTRODUCE THEMSELVES AND TO DIVE INTO THEIR PRESENTATION FOR YOURS. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR WE'RE OUT.
I AM JOINED TONIGHT AS YOU MENTIONED WITH RICK WILSON, OUR NF DIRECTOR AND KENZIE BOK, THE ADMINISTRATOR ADMINISTRATOR OF THE VHA. SO I AM VERY, VERY PLEASED TO
BE HERE AND TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE FISCAL 26 BUDGET. FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS SHEILA DILLON AND I AM CHIEF OF HOUSING FOR THE CITY AND THE DIRECTOR OF THE MAYOR'S OFFICE
OF HOUSING. NEXT SLIDE JUST TO REFRESH YOUR MEMORY ON ALL THAT THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING DOES THE NEIGHBOR WE HAVE WENT THROUGH
EIGHT COMPONENTS THE NEIGHBOR HOW HOUSING DEVELOPMENT DIVISION IS RESPONSIBLE FOR CREATING AND PRESERVING AFFORDABLE HOUSING. THE SUPPORTIVE HOUSING DIVISION WORKS TO END HOMELESSNESS AS
THE BOSTON HOME CENTER STRENGTHENS HOMEOWNERSHIP. THE OFFICE OF HOUSING STABILITY SUPPORTS RENTERS IN CRISIS GROW BOSTON PROMOTES URBAN AGRICULTURE AND FOOD PRODUCTION AND REAL ESTATE MANAGEMENT AND
SALES DIVISION MAINTAINS AND DISPOSES OF CITY OWNED PROPERTY. MANY OF THE DIRECTORS OF THOSE DIVISIONS ARE HERE WITH US TONIGHT IN CASE YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS PRESENTATION OR THEIR WORK MORE
GENERALLY. SO I WANT TO THANK THEM FOR BEING HERE. NEXT SLIDE. SO BEFORE I TURN IT OVER TO
RICK WILSON TO GO OVER THE FISCAL YEAR 26 BUDGET, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO HIGHLIGHT WHAT WE ACCOMPLISHED IN FISCAL YEAR 25 AND SOME OF OUR GOALS JUST SOME OF OUR
GOALS IN FISCAL YEAR 26 AND AT THE END OF THE SLIDE DECK WE HAVE PROVIDED SOME APPENDICES WITH DETAILED BREAKDOWNS OF OUR SPENDING BY NEIGHBORHOOD AND DEMOGRAPHIC GROUPS THAT
DEMONSTRATE HOW OUR PROGRAMS ARE REACHING BOSTON'S DIVERSE COMMUNITIES. WE DID THIS TO SAVE SOME TIME BUT WE ARE CERTAINLY MORE THAN HAPPY TO TALK ABOUT THIS TONIGHT AS IT IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT TO OUR WORK.
NEXT SLIDE. SO FIRST I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF OUR WORK IN CREATING AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND HOUSING THAT OUR RESIDENTS CAN LIVE IN. LAST YEAR WE PERMITTED 816 NEW
INCOME RESTRICTED UNITS AND OUR ACQUISITION OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM HAD ONE OF ITS MOST IMPACTFUL YEARS AS SOME OF YOU KNOW, FUNDING THE ACQUISITION OF THE FAIRLAWN ESTATES AND OTHER
BUILDINGS FOR A TOTAL OF 347 UNITS. LOOKING AHEAD TO FISCAL YEAR 26, WE'RE TARGETING TO PERMIT OVER A THOUSAND NEW AFFORDABLE
UNITS BASED ON OUR PIPELINE AND THE BUDGET THAT WE WILL RECEIVE AS WELL AS CONTINUED STRATEGIC ACQUISITIONS OF LP AND HOPEFULLY THE PRESERVATION OF THE FORBES BUILDING IN
JAMAICA PLAIN THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON NOW FOR SEVERAL YEARS WITH YOU. THERE IS ON THE SCREEN YOU'LL SEE SOME RECENT EXAMPLES THE BETTY GREEN APARTMENTS IN ROXBURY THAT WE JUST CUT THE
RIBBON ON AND A PICTURE OF OUR CELEBRATION AT FAIR LAWN ESTATES IN MATTAPAN NEXT TURNING TO HOMELESSNESS AND SUPPORTIVE HOUSING IN FISCAL YEAR 25.
WE ARE ON TRACK TO PLACE OVER 990 INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS INTO PERMANENT HOUSING INCLUDING 168 VETERANS AND WE'VE EXPANDED OUR
PORTFOLIO OF SUPPORTIVE HOUSING WITH THIS HISTORIC LEVEL OF DEVELOPMENT. WE'VE ALSO SECURED A RECORD $48 MILLION IN HUD CONTINUUM OF CARE GRANTS AND RICK WILSON
IS HERE TO GIVE AN UPDATE. IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ON OUR BACK AND FORTH WITH HUD ON THAT MONEY AND THAT BECAUSE THAT MONEY DOES FUND THE LION'S SHARE OF OUR HOUSING, OUR
HOUSING PROGRAMS FOR HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS, YOUTH, FAMILY AND SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN FISCAL YEAR 26, WE'RE COMMITTED TO SUSTAINING THIS MOMENTUM BY HOUSING ANOTHER THOUSAND HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS
SERVING OVER 680 PEOPLE WITH HIV AND AIDS AND HELPING AT LEAST 115 YOUNG ADULTS TRANSITION INTO PERMANENT HOUSING. THESE GOALS ARE GROUNDED IN DATA AND CERTAINLY DRIVEN BY
OUR DEEP COLLABORATION WITH OUR NONPROFIT PARTNERS THROUGHOUT THE CITY. YOU'LL SEE ON THE PICTURE ON THE SLIDE TWO OF OUR RECENTLY COMPLETED PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE
HOUSING PROJECTS THE LINDA AND JAMAICA PLAIN AND 140 CLARENDON STREET IN THE BACK BAY ALREADY A PHENOMENAL RESOURCE FOR OUR HOMELESS POPULATION.
NEXT JUST TO GIVE IT SOME HIGHLIGHTS ON WHAT WE ACCOMPLISHED IN THE AREA OF HOMEOWNERSHIP IN FISCAL YEAR 25 WE SUPPORTED NEARLY 2000 RESIDENTS THROUGH FIRST TIME
HOME BUYING CLASSES AND HELPED TO HUNDRED AND 70 BUYERS 65% OF WHOM IDENTIFIED AS BIPOC X ACCESS DOWN PAYMENT AND MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE ALLOWING THEM TO PURCHASE A HOME.
WE'VE ALSO SERVED HUNDREDS OF HOMEOWNERS TO REPAIR PROGRAMS AND FORECLOSURE PREVENTION WHILE LAUNCHING A NEW BANK LOAN PROGRAM TO SUPPORT ADAS ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS IN FISCAL YEAR 26 WILL
DEEPEN THIS WORK BY SUPPORTING ANOTHER 250 NEW HOMEBUYERS CONTINUING TO PROVIDE HOME REPAIRS, ASSISTANCE AND PROMOTING RESIDENTIAL DECARBONIZATION THROUGH OUR HOMEWORK'S GREEN LOAN PROGRAM
AND PARTNERSHIPS WITH MASS SAVED. THESE ACTIVITIES REFLECT OUR BELIEF THAT SUSTAINABLE HOMEOWNERSHIP MUST BE EQUITABLE, RESILIENT AND FUTURE FACING. THE PHOTOS HERE CAPTURE THE
REAL WORLD IMPACT OF OUR PROGRAMS FROM A NEW FIRST TIME HOME BUYER ON MAGNOLIA STREET TO 15 NEW HOMEOWNERSHIP UNITS ON HANCOCK STREET IN DORCHESTER .
NEXT SLIDE AS YOU KNOW, SUPPORTING RENTERS IN CRISIS AND PREVENTING DISPLACEMENT HAS BEEN A VERY, VERY SUBSTANTIAL FOCUS OF OUR MORTGAGE IN RECENT YEARS. OUR OFFICE OF HOUSING STABILITY
SERVED OVER 2800 RENTERS THIS YEAR TO EVERYTHING FROM HELPING WITH RENT ARREARAGES LANDLORD TENANT MEDIATION AND LEGAL SUPPORT TO EMERGENCY HOTEL STAYS AND DIRECT PLACEMENT INTO
PERMANENT HOUSING. WE ALSO LAUNCHED THE ACCESS TO COUNCILOR PILOT TO SUPPORT FAMILIES FACING EVICTION HELPING 70 FAMILIES WITH SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN STAY IN THEIR
HOMES TO DATE FOR FISCAL YEAR 26 WE AIM TO MAINTAIN AND EXPAND THIS REACH WITH CONTINUED FOCUS ON EVICTION PREVENTION AND HOUSING PLACEMENT FOR INSECURE, INSECURE HOUSEHOLDS.
THESE SERVICES ARE OFTEN THE LAST LINE OF DEFENSE FOR OUR FAMILIES. I'D LIKE TO TAKE A MINUTE AND LEAVE HOUSING FOR ONE SECOND
AND TALK ABOUT THE WORK OF GROW BOSTON THE GROW BOSTON OFFICE OF URBAN AGRICULTURE CONTINUES TO MAKE IMPACT ACROSS OUR CITY LEVERAGING SURPLUS LAND AND FUNDING TO PROMOTE HEALTHY FOOD
ACCESS, ENVIRONMENTAL RESILIENCE AND COMMUNITY CONNECTION PARTICULARLY AND PARTICULARLY IN NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED DISINVESTMENT IN FISCAL YEAR 25. GROW BOSTON COMPLETED
CONSTRUCTION OF 350 RAISED BEDS ONE NEW COMMUNITY GARDEN, ONE FOOD FOREST AND COMMITTED OVER $1,000,000 TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF EIGHT ADDITIONAL PROJECTS THAT ARE UNDERWAY IN FISCAL YEAR 26.
WE PLAN TO ADD 250 MORE RAISE BEDS, SUPPORT NEW COMMUNITY GARDENS AND FARMS AND ROLL OUT A FRUIT TREE MAINTENANCE PROGRAM FURTHERING ROOTING THIS
WORK AND SUSTAINABILITY AND STEWARDSHIP. WE'RE ALSO PREPARING TO TRANSFER SIX PARCELS FOR PRESERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT AND BEGIN WORK ON ONE NEW LARGE FARM SITE. THE GROW BOSTON OFFICE IS A
SMALL BUT BUT VERY MIGHTY OFFICE. FINALLY, I'D LIKE TO BRIEFLY HIGHLIGHT SOME KEY INITIATIVES WE'RE WORKING ON TO ADVANCE OUR GOAL OF PROMOTING ESTATE SUSTAINABLE AFFORDABLE HOUSING ACROSS BOSTON.
FIRST IN HER STATE OF THE CITY, THE MAYOR ANNOUNCED THE LAUNCH OF BOSTON ENERGY SAVER PROGRAM WHICH WILL LEVERAGE $150 MILLION OF MASSIVE RESOURCES TO HELP RESIDENTS AND SMALL
BUSINESSES LOWER THEIR ENERGY COSTS AND DECREASE THEIR CARBON FOOTPRINT THROUGH ENERGY EFFICIENCY UPGRADES AND NEW HVAC SYSTEMS. THE BOSTON HOME CENTER WILL BE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH THE
ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT OFFICE OF NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES AND ALL THE NONPROFITS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS TO ENSURE THAT THE MASS SAVE RESOURCE IS USED IN EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE CITY. WE ALSO WORK THIS YEAR WITH THE
PLANNING ADVISORY COUNCIL TO DEVELOP THE CITY'S FIRST ANTI DISPLACEMENT ACTION PLAN WHICH OUTLINES OVER 40 INITIATIVES TO PROTECT RESIDENTS, SMALL BUSINESSES AND CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS FROM DISPLACEMENT.
MANY OF THESE INITIATIVES ARE ALREADY UNDERWAY AND OTHERS WILL BE IMPLEMENTED OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS. WE ARE ALSO IN THE PROCESS OF UPDATING OUR EVICTION
PREVENTION ACTION PLAN WHICH WAS FIRST ISSUED IN 2019. WE ARE VERY CONCERNED THAT EVICTIONS HAVE INCREASED IN SINCE 2019, SINCE THE PANDEMIC
AND THE EXPIRATION OF FEDERAL RELIEF FUNDING. SO WE ARE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH A LARGE GROUP OF NONPROFITS INTERESTED PARTIES TO REALLY FIGURE OUT
HOW WE WE WE WE WE ONCE AGAIN REDUCE THE NUMBER OF EVICTIONS HAPPENING IN THE CITY. AND LATER THIS YEAR WE'LL BE LAUNCHING PHASE THREE OF OUR WELCOME HOME BOSTON INITIATIVE CREATING AFFORDABLE
HOMEOWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES ON CITY OWNED LAND. THIS NEXT PHASE WILL FOCUS ON THE MISSING MIDDLE INCOME AND BUT I ALSO WANT TO REPORT THAT WELCOME HOME ONE AS MANY OF YOU
KNOW IS IN CONSTRUCTION WITH WITH I DROVE BY THE OTHER DAY DIRT BEING EXCAVATED AND FOOTINGS BEING POURED AND PHASE
TWO WELCOME HOME BOSTON PHASE TWO IS REALLY GEARING UP TO OF MANY OF THOSE CLOSE OVER THIS SUMMER AND START CONSTRUCTION SOON. AND THEN FINALLY I WANT TO SAY ONE OTHER SORT OF LARGE ITEM
THAT WE'RE WORKING ON IS THE CREATION OF A COMMON APPLICATION PORTAL. MANY OF YOU HAVE MENTIONED TO US OVER THE YEARS THAT IT IS HARD TO APPLY TO FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO FIGURE OUT ALL THE
PROGRAMS USE METRO LIST. IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY OWNER WANTS A DIFFERENT TYPE OF APPLICATION . SO WE'RE REALLY WORKING IF WE COULD DO WORK TO SIMPLIFY THAT AND HAVING ONE APPLICATION BE
ACCEPTED BY ALL OWNERS AND REALLY HAVE IT STREAMLINE THE PROCESS AND SIMPLIFY THE PROCESS FOR OUR BUSY RESIDENTS. SO IN ADDITION TO RUNNING OUR PROGRAMS WE REALLY ARE CONTINUE TO TRY TO INNOVATE AND MEET THE
NEED. SO THAT IS KIND OF A VERY, VERY HIGH LEVEL SNAPSHOT OF WHAT WE ACCOMPLISHED LAST YEAR WITH THE SUPPORT OF EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU IN THIS ROOM AND WHAT WE
REALLY HAVE OUR SIGHTS SET ON FOR FISCAL YEAR 26. I'M NOW GOING TO HAND IT OVER TO RICK WILSON, OUR NRF DIRECTOR WHO WILL GO OVER THE NUMBERS IN MORE DETAIL. THANKS.
THANKS, JAYLA. GOOD EVENING, COUNSELORS. FOR THE RECORD AGAIN, MY NAME IS RICK WILSON AND I'M DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE AT THE MAYOR'S OFFICE
OF HOUSING AMMO WHICH IS A 426 RECOMMENDED OPERATING BUDGET TOTALS $52.1 MILLION WHICH IS A DECREASE OF 3.5 MILLION OR 6.3% FROM OUR 425 BUDGET.
BUT I SHOULD POINT OUT THAT THIS DISCRETE DECREASE DOES NOT DOES NOT REFLECT A REDUCTION IN OR ANY CUTS TO STAFFING OR SERVICE LEVELS. IT'S ACTUALLY A LEVEL FUNDED BUDGET FROM OUR CURRENT BUDGET IN TERMS OF ONGOING PROGRAMS
AND SERVICES. THE DECREASE IS REALLY A REFLECTION OF THREE THREE MAJOR ITEMS. ONE IS THE REMOVAL OF A ONE TIME INVESTMENT THAT WE RECEIVED THIS YEAR IN THE HOUSING ACQUISITION FUND.
THE SECOND ARE SOME SALARY ADJUSTMENTS THAT ARE RELATED TO THE TRANSITION OF THE BOSTON PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY TO OUR AGENCY HOUSING COMPLIANCE FUNCTIONS TO MDH IN THE CURRENT YEAR AND THE THIRD
WAS A REDUCTION TO THE CITY OF BOSTON VOUCHER PROGRAM WHICH I'M PRETTY SURE DOES NOT ACTUALLY REDUCE THE NUMBER OF VOUCHERS AVAILABLE BUT I'M SURE ADMINISTRATIVE I CAN SPEAK TO THAT.
THIS NEXT SLIDE SHOWS A BREAKDOWN OF OUR OPERATING BUDGET BY PROGRAM AREA. WE ARE VERY APPRECIATIVE THAT CITY FUNDING FOR OUR PROGRAMS HAS INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THE PAST DECADE AND THE
CITY VOUCHER PROGRAM IS OUR LARGEST LINE ITEM IN OUR BUDGET FUNDED AT $12.25 MILLION FOR FY 26. WE'VE HAD MAJOR INVESTMENTS OVER THE PAST DECADE IN HOMEOWNERSHIP AND HOMELESSNESS
AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT BRINGING THOSE ITEMS TO THEIR HIGHEST LEVELS AND THE OFFICE OF HOUSING STABILITY. THE BUDGET FOR THE OFFICE OF HOUSING STABILITY HAS MORE THAN DOUBLED SINCE IT WAS
CREATED IN 2017 TO $5.3 MILLION IN THE FY 26. AS YOU KNOW, COUNSELORS MOST OF WHICH IS FUNDING DOES NOT COME FROM CITY GENERAL FUND DOLLARS BUT FROM EXTERNAL SOURCES AND PARTICULARLY GRANTS
FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF US DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT OR HUD. THIS SLIDE SHOWS YOU A BREAKDOWN OF THOSE THOSE GRANTS THAT WE WERE EXPECTING TO
RECEIVE AN F 26 TOTALING JUST OVER $97 MILLION. THIS INCLUDES CONTINUUM OF CARE FUNDING WHICH FUNDS HOMELESSNESS PROGRAMS CDBG WHICH IS FUNDS HOUSING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, HOME
HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ETC. AS YOU SEE HERE. NOW NEEDLESS TO SAY, AS SHEILA ALLUDED TO, THERE'S LOTS OF BEEN A LOT OF FOCUS ON FEDERAL FUNDING IN RECENT
MONTHS THANKS TO THE ACTIONS OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. EARLIER THIS YEAR CONGRESS PASSED A CONTINUING RESOLUTION THAT PROVIDED LEVEL FUNDING FOR HUD FOR FOR OUR HUD GRANTS AND WAGES HUD GRANTS FOR THE
CURRENT FEDERAL FISCAL YEAR WHICH FUNDS OUR FY 26 BUDGET. JUST AT THE END OF LAST WEEK WE RECEIVED OUR ALLOCATIONS FOR CDBG HOME AND HOPPA AND THEY ARE VERY CLOSE TO THE AMOUNTS
HERE. SLIGHTLY LESS BUT VERY CLOSE TO THE AMOUNTS SHOWN HERE. SO WE WERE WE WERE PLEASED TO SEE THAT. HOWEVER, I'M SURE YOU ALSO HAVE HEARD THAT IN JUST A FEW WEEKS
AGO MLH JOINED A LAWSUIT WITH KING COUNTY WASHINGTON'S SAN FRANCISCO, NEW YORK AND OTHER JURISDICTIONS AGAINST HUD CHALLENGING NEW TERMS THAT WERE ADDED TO OUR S.O.S. GRANTS
WHICH IS STILL A MENTION FUND HOUSING AND SERVICES FOR OVER 2000 FORMERLY HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES IN BOSTON INCLUDING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, VETERANS, YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS AND SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
WE WERE SUCCESSFUL A FEW WEEKS AGO A FEW WEEKS AGO IN GETTING A TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER PROHIBITING THE ADMINISTRATION FROM ENFORCING THOSE TERMS AND WE ARE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT OUR CHANCES OF GETTING A SUCCESSFUL
OUTCOME IN THIS CASE SO THAT WE CAN FULLY ACCESS OUR FUNDING AND CONTINUE SERVING SOME OF OUR MOST VULNERABLE RESIDENTS. I'M ALSO SURE FINALLY THAT YOU SAW IT'S BEEN A EVENTFUL PAST
FEW WEEKS. THE PRESIDENT RELEASED HIS SKINNY BUDGET FRAMEWORK FOR FEDERAL FISCAL YEAR 26 SO THAT WOULD IMPACT NOT THIS UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR FOR US BUT THE
FOLLOWING FISCAL YEAR FY 27. AND JUST AS HE DID IN HIS FIRST TERM, THE PRESIDENT IS PROPOSING TO COMPLETELY ELIMINATE CDBG AND HOME WHICH WOULD OBVIOUSLY SEVERELY IMPACT
OUR ABILITY TO CREATE AND PRESERVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY GARDENS. THAT'S WHAT HOMEBUYERS AND HOMEOWNERS AND SMALL BUSINESSES AND FUND JOB TRAINING PROGRAMS AND WOULD LIKELY RESULT IN STAFFING REDUCTIONS THAT I AND
OTHER AGENCIES. THE PRESIDENT IS ALSO PROPOSING IN HIS SKINNY BUDGET TO REDUCE FUNDING FOR HOMELESS ASSISTANCE GRANTS INCLUDING S.O.S., ESG AND HOPPA AND TO REORIENT THEM AWAY FROM THE HOUSING FIRST
MODEL TO FOCUS INSTEAD ON STREET HOMELESSNESS AND ENCAMPMENTS AND PRIORITIZE FUNDING TO THOSE JURISDICTIONS WITH THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF LEVELS OF UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS THAT WOULD SEVERELY IMPACT OUR FUNDING,
REDUCE OUR FUNDING AND WOULD JEOPARDIZE HOUSING AND SERVICES FOR THOUSANDS OF RESIDENTS ACROSS BOSTON. TWO WE'RE VERY WORRIED ABOUT THAT. NEITHER THE CITY NOR THE STATE OBVIOUSLY HAS THE RESOURCES TO REPLACE THAT FEDERAL FUNDING
AND WHAT WE'LL BE WORKING WITH WITH YOU AND WITH OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION AND WITH OUR NATIONAL COALITIONS TO ADVOCATE FOR THOSE CRITICAL OR CRITICAL HUD GRANTS IN THE COMING MONTHS AS THEY WORK
THEIR WAY THROUGH CONGRESS. NOW IN ADDITION TO HUD GRANTS, WE ARE EXPECTING TO RECEIVE AN ADDITIONAL $50 MILLION AND FROM
OTHER EXTERNAL SOURCES. THIS INCLUDES $25 MILLION FROM THE MASS HOUSING COMMONWEALTH BUILDING PROGRAM WHICH FUNDS HOMEOWNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND $24 MILLION AND THE INCLUSIONARY DEVELOPMENT FUND
WHICH FUNDS AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AND ACQUISITIONS. SO THAT BRINGS OUR TOTAL EXTERNAL BUDGET FOR FY 26 TO $150 MILLION. YOU'LL NOTE THIS DOESN'T INCLUDE THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT OR ARPA FUNDING WHICH
IS NOT TECHNICALLY REFLECTED IN OUR BUDGET. BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT WE COMMITTED 100% OF THE $237 MILLION THAT WAS ALLOCATED TO HOUSING FROM ARPA. WE MET THE MET THE COMMITMENT DEADLINE OF LAST YEAR AND WE'VE
ALREADY SPENT TWO THIRDS OF THAT FUNDING AND WE'RE WELL ON OUR WAY TO MEETING THE DECEMBER 2026 EXPENDITURE EXPENDITURE DEADLINE AS WELL. IT'S VERY, VERY QUICKLY TURNED TO THE CAPITAL PLAN.
I'M GOING TO KIND OF SKIP OVER THIS SLIDE. THERE'S A NUMBER OF ONGOING VHA PROJECTS INCLUDED IN THE CAPITAL PLAN THAT I KNOW THE MR TABAK IS PLANNING TO ADDRESS AND DID RECEIVE TWO NEW
PROJECTS IN THE CAPITAL PLAN. THE FIRST IS A PROJECT IN MISSION HILL TO REPLACE A RETAINING WALL ON A CITY OWNED PARCEL AS PART OF THE PARKER TERRACE PROJECT THAT WILL DEVELOP THE SITE INTO HOUSING
OPEN SPACE COMMUNITY GARDEN AND COMMERCIAL SPACE. WE'RE EXCITED TO HAVE THAT FUNDING AND ALSO A NUBIAN SQUARE A PROJECT TO BUILD A PUBLIC PLAZA ADJACENT TO THE
135 THE STREET DEVELOPMENT WHICH WILL CONNECT THE SITE TO THE ROXBURY BRANCH OF THE BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY. AND WITH THAT I WILL. WELL, THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION. I'M GOING TO TURN OVER ADMINISTRATOR BOK BUT OBVIOUSLY
SHEILA IN HERE AND OUR COLLEAGUES ARE HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE. THANK YOU SO MUCH, RICK. FOR THE RECORD, KENZIE BOK, THE ADMINISTRATOR, THE BOSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY.
LOVELY TO BE WITH YOU ALL. THANK YOU, MR CHAIR. AND COUNCILORS. I'M ALSO JOINED TONIGHT BY MY DEPUTY MODERATOR JOEL WOLF. HE'LL BE HERE IN CASE WE HAVE
ANY QUESTIONS IN HIS AREAS. SO THANK YOU FOR INCLUDING US. THE CHAIR MENTIONED AT THE START WE WERE ADDED TO THE HEARING AND WE'RE GLAD TO BE HERE. OBVIOUSLY WE WORK WITH MH EVERY DAY AND AND WE ARE BOTH
CONFRONTING THE FEDERAL ENVIRONMENT THAT WAS ALLUDED TO AND ALSO THERE ARE SEVERAL REALLY IMPORTANT PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN US THAT ARE IN THIS BUDGET INCLUDING PROBABLY MOST SIGNIFICANTLY THE CITY VOUCHER
PROGRAM AND THE CAPITAL BUDGET ALLOCATIONS TO VARIOUS VHA PROJECTS. SO I'M GOING TO SPEAK TO THOSE FIRST AND THEN I'LL SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE FEDERAL SIDE IN PARTICULAR THE FEDERAL VOUCHER PROGRAM SO WE CAN GO TO
THE NEXT SLIDE. SO THIS IS JUST A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE VHA CITY VOUCHER PROGRAM IN TERMS OF WHO WE'RE CURRENTLY SERVING AND WHAT SCOPE OF THE PROGRAM IT IS. SO AS AS I THINK THE COUNCILORS
ALL KNOW, THIS IS A PROGRAM THAT CAME TO BE AS THE RESULT OF COMMUNITY ADVOCACY OVER MANY YEARS. I WAS ON THE COUNCIL AT THE TIME THAT IT WAS AUTHORIZED AND IT'S JUST BEEN A WONDERFUL
ADDITION TO THE VHA PORTFOLIO AND I WILL SAY THAT PARTICULARLY IN THIS MOMENT I'M JUST VERY GRATEFUL TO BE ONE OF THE FEW CITIES IN AMERICA THAT HAS THE CITY VOUCHER PROGRAM. WE'RE SERVING 420 FAMILIES
CURRENTLY. THAT'S 1004 TOTAL RESIDENTS, 450 MINORS. AS YOU CAN SEE THERE'S A NUMBER OF ELDERLY AND DISABLED HOUSEHOLDS. THE BALANCE ARE NOT AVERAGE
FAMILY SIZE 2.3 FOLKS AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD INCOME 20,000. SO THAT'S PRETTY COMPARABLE WITH THE VHA PORTFOLIO AVERAGE INCOME WHICH TENDS TO FLOAT SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 17 AND 18,000.
SO WE HAS VERY, VERY LOW INCOME PEOPLE A LOT OF FOLKS WHO ARE JUST ON YOU KNOW, SSDI ASSISTANCE OF VARIOUS TYPES. AND HOUSING IS REALLY THE ONLY
VHA HOUSING IS THE ONLY WAY THAT WE KEEP THEM IN THE CITY. THE YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE HOPES THAT'S BEEN PUSHED FOR FOR A LONG TIME BY THE ADVOCACY PUSH FOR THIS WAS TO HAVE THESE VOUCHERS HELP ANCHOR PROJECT
BASED VOUCHERS SO THAT WE COULD KEEP THESE OPPORTUNITIES IN BOSTON AND WELL THE CITY VOUCHER PROGRAM IS INHERENTLY IN BOSTON. BUT WE KNOW THAT WHEN OUR FOLKS ARE JUST HOLDING A MOBILE VOUCHER, SOMETIMES THEY STRUGGLE TO FIND SOMETHING IN
THE OPEN MARKET. SO WE SHARE THE COMMITMENT TO PROJECT BASED VOUCHERS. I THINK ONE OF THE CHALLENGES AND LEARNINGS WE'VE HAD WITH THE PROGRAM AS WE'VE LAUNCHED IT IS THAT WITH PROJECT BASED VOUCHERS THERE'S A TIME BETWEEN
WHEN YOU MAKE THE COMMITMENT TO AN OWNER THAT MIGHT BE CONVERTING A BUILDING OR BUILDING A BUILDING AND WHEN IT ACTUALLY COMES ONLINE AND IN OUR EXISTING ROBUST FEDERAL PROGRAM WE MAKE THOSE COMMITMENTS AND THEN WHEN THEY
ACTUALLY COME TIME TO TAKE THEM UP IN TWO OR THREE YEARS WE SORT OF FIND A LITTLE BIT OF GAP IN OUR IN OUR ALLOCATION TO FIT THEM IN WITH THE CITY VOUCHER PROGRAM BECAUSE WE WERE STARTING FROM ZERO INITIALLY WE
MADE A LOT OF PROJECT BASED VOUCHER COMMITMENTS AND THEN WE'RE STILL WAITING FOR THOSE TO COME ONLINE AND SO THAT DID MEAN THAT WE WERE UNDERSPENDING THE BUDGET. SO WE'RE GETTING CLOSER AND CLOSER TO THE LIKE FULL KIND
OF WHERE EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE THAT WE'VE COMMITTED TO IS ONLINE AND THE BUDGET WILL REFLECT THE ACTUAL ANNUAL SPEND BUT WE ARE A LITTLE BIT UNDER THAT THAT'S BEEN USEFUL IN BEING ABLE TO BUILD UP A
RESERVE WHICH IS VERY HELPFUL BECAUSE RENTAL INFLATION INCREASES RIGHT NOW BY MORE THAN THAN THE BUDGET BUDGET DOES. SO IT HAS BEEN USEFUL BUT THAT IS THE REASON WHY YOU SEE AT
THE BOTTOM OF THIS THAT THE SORT OF PROJECTED ANNUAL EXPENSE WITH THE CURRENT ENROLLMENT IS THAT 11.4 WHICH IS KIND OF LEAVING ROOM FOR THESE ADDITIONAL 70 PROJECT BASED VOUCHER VOUCHERS IN THE PIPELINE TO COME ONLINE AND
THAT'S THE CONTEXT IN WHICH WE SAW THAT HALF MILLION DOLLAR REDUCTION THAT RICK SPOKE ABOUT EARLIER. AS YOU CAN SEE OUR AVERAGE MONTHLY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PER FAMILY IS 2020 62.
LIKE WITH OTHER VOUCHER PROGRAMS IN THE CITY AND STATE, OUR VOUCHER PROGRAM IS SET UP SO THAT FOLKS PAY 30% OF THEIR INCOME IN RENT AND THAT OBVIOUSLY FLOATS WITH INCOME SO
PEOPLE EXPERIENCE AN INCOME LOSS THEN THEY CAN RECERTIFY AND PAY LESS IN RENT. YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE WE'RE VERY GLAD TO HAVE THIS PROGRAM THAT AVERAGE MONTHLY HOUSING
ASSISTANCE NUMBER PER FAMILY YOU SHOULD JUST KNOW IT'S QUITE STANDARD AGAIN HERE IN BOSTON BUT IT'S VERY HIGH FOR THE NATIONAL AVERAGE. AND THAT'S BECAUSE WE ARE HOUSING SUCH LOW INCOME FOLKS IN SUCH A EXPENSIVE HOUSING
MARKET. SO THAT'S JUST A QUICK SNAPSHOT ON THE VHA CITY VOUCHER PROGRAM. IF WE GO THE NEXT SLIDE, THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE VHA CAPITAL PROJECTS. SO I'LL GO THROUGH THEM QUICKLY.
I'M OBVIOUSLY HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY COUNSELOR'S MORE DETAILED QUESTIONS ABOUT ONES IN YOUR DISTRICT. SO CHARLESTOWN BUILDING M IN CHARLESTOWN WHICH IS THE FIRST BUILDING THERE IT'S 100 AND TO
ALL AFFORDABLE UNITS. A LOT OF COUNCILORS KNOW THAT WE HAD TO BUILD A ALL AFFORDABLE BUILDING FIRST SO THAT WE COULD DO AS MANY ONE WAY MOVES AS POSSIBLE ON THE SITE AND WE'RE REALLY THRILLED THAT BUILDING IS OPEN AND IT IS
COMPLETELY 100% OCCUPIED AND SO WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO SCHEDULING A RIBBON CUTTING. SO WE WILL HAVE YOU ALL BACK TO COME FOR A TOUR. BUT OUR RESIDENTS LOVE IT. IT'S IT'S A BEAUTIFUL
CONSTRUCTION. IT HAS THESE REALLY UNIQUE KIND OF WOODEN CEILINGS THAT I LOVE AND YEAH, JUST HAS BEEN VERY WELL RECEIVED BY RESIDENTS AT THE SITE AND WE'RE SUPER EXCITED THAT WITH THE ACCELERATOR FUND THAT YOU AUTHORIZED EARLIER THIS YEAR
SEPARATELY FROM THIS CAPITAL BUDGET THAT WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF FINALIZING GETTING TO A FINANCIAL CLOSING ON THE NEXT BUILDING AT CHARLESTOWN. SO THAT'S THRILLING.
MARY ELLEN MCCORMICK WE JUST DID THE FINANCIAL CLOSING IN IN MARCH OF THE FIRST BUILDING FOR THAT GIGANTIC TRANSFORMATIVE REDEVELOPMENT THAT'S GOING TO
BE 94 UNITS ALL AFFORDABLE AGAIN, WE'RE DOING IT ON A ON A MORE BLANK PART OF THE SITE SO THAT WE CAN MAKE ALL THOSE ONE WAY MOVES FOR RESIDENTS AND WE'RE ALSO GOING TO BE DELIVERING A COMPLETELY REDONE
VETERANS PARK THERE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THAT BUILDING. SO REALLY EXCITED AGAIN WE JUST HAD A FINANCIAL CLOSING IN MARCH AND WE'RE WORKING ON A GROUNDBREAKING INVITATION WHICH
YOU WILL RECEIVE MILDRED C HALEY BUILDINGS ONE A AND ONE B WHICH WERE DEVELOPED WITH IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COMMUNITY BUILDERS ARE GOING TO COME ONLINE IN THE SUMMER SO WE'RE
REALLY EXCITED. THAT'S A CASE WHERE THE TWO BUILDINGS ARE SORT OF ALONG THE EDGE OF THE SITE AND AGAIN WE TRIED TO DO THEM IN A PLACE WHERE WE COULD BUILD A LOT MORE UNITS THAN WE WERE TAKING DOWN .
SO WE ACTUALLY WE DID TAKE DOWN THE ANIMATE CALL CENTER AND THE COMMUNITY CENTER THERE BUT IT'S BEING REPLACED WITH A NEW COMMUNITY CENTER AS PART OF ONE OF THOSE BUILDINGS AND WE'RE PLANNING FOR A WHOLE BUNCH OF ONE WAY MOVES BY MILDRED
HALEY FAMILIES THIS SUMMER AND AND THEN SEPARATELY WE HAVE THE MILDRED HALEY MODERNIZATION PROJECT WHICH IS THE PART OF THE SITE AT THE IS CONTINUING TO OWN BUT WE'RE DOING THIS REALLY AWESOME GUT
REHAB THAT'S GIVING YOU KNOW, TOTALLY LIKE NEW UNITS BUT KEEPING THE BONES OF THE BUILDING. THIS IS MORE ON THE HEAT STREET SIDE AND THE FIRST PHASE IS 87 UNITS AND BEGUN THAT AND WE'RE
ACTUALLY LOOKING TO THERE THE IDEA THAT WE'RE ABLE TO HAVE FAMILIES OUT FOR A MUCH SHORTER PERIOD OF TIME LIKE FOUR MONTHS AND SO WE'RE ACTUALLY AIMING TO DELIVER THE FIRST ONE OF THOSE BUILDINGS I THINK BY JULY.
SO AGAIN WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE YOU OFFER A TOUR IN JUNE. WE SHOULD BE CLOSING ON THE CLOSINGS JUST WHAT WE SAY FOR THE FINANCING GETTING GETTING SHOVELS IN THE GROUND AT SAINT
BIDDULPH WHICH IS IN COUNCILOR FUNDS DISTRICT. THIS IS A SENIOR BUILDING AND IT'S GOING TO ARE GOING TO UNDERGO A HUGE RENOVATION AND UPGRADE. WE AND THE RESIDENTS ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT AND THAT'S BEING FUNDED THROUGH THE HOUSING
IMPROVEMENTS CAPITAL ONE BEING A GREEN AND HEALTHY HOMES THIS IS ACTUALLY FUNDING A PLETHORA OF GREEN PROJECTS ACROSS OUR PORTFOLIO IN THE CITY BUT PROBABLY THE THE SORT
OF MARQUEE ONE IS THE NETWORK GEOTHERMAL AT FRANKLIN FIELD WHICH WE IN NATIONAL GRID ARE MOVING TOGETHER FORWARD IN PARALLEL WE JUST BIT OUT THE ELECTRICAL PACKAGE THERE FOR A FIRST SET OF WORK AND AND WE'LL
BE HAVING MORE BIDDING IN THE IN THE SUMMER AND FALL TO TO GET ALL OF THAT UNDERWAY IT'S REALLY VERY EXCITING AND MUCH NEEDED OUT THERE FOLKS WILL REMEMBER THAT THE NETWORK GEOTHERMAL PROJECT IN ADDITION
TO DELIVERING A MUCH GREENER SOURCE FOR FRANKLIN FIELD ELECTRICITY IS ALSO GOING TO GIVE US COOLING IN THE UNITS FOR FIRST TIME IN ADDITION TO GIVING US AN OPPORTUNITY TO UPGRADE APPLIANCES AND LOTS
OF OTHER THINGS FOR OUR RESIDENTS AND THEN ELEVATOR INVESTMENTS REALLY WANT TO THANK THE COUNCIL FOR PUSHING FOR ELEVATOR FUNDING IN THE CAPITAL BUDGET LAST YEAR FOR THE FIRST TIME.
IT'S A HUGE NEED OF OURS WITH 100 ELEVATORS ACROSS OUR SITE IN PARTICULAR WE'VE BEEN REALLY FOCUSED ON THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'VE HAD AT THE RUTH BARCLAY SO WE HAVE THIS LARGE RUTH BARCLAY ELEVATOR PROJECT AS A
BIG PROJECT FOR EIGHT ELEVATORS THAT'S IN DESIGN RIGHT NOW. WE PUT OUT THE DESIGN AND THEY'RE AT THE SCHEMATIC CAGE STAGE RIGHT NOW BUT WE ALSO AT THE SAME TIME HAVE BEEN SPENDING ANOTHER THAT'S A THAT'S A SEVEN OR $8 MILLION
PROJECT BUT WE'RE SPENDING ANOTHER MILLION DOLLARS RIGHT NOW ON SORT OF IMMEDIATE UPGRADES TO A BUNCH OF ELEVATORS AND WE JUST DELIVERED THE MODERNIZATION OF THE FIRST ONE AT 42 HARRISON OF JUST LAST MONTH AND
SIMILARLY AT TORY ONLY SPENDING ANOTHER FIVE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS ON ELEVATORS THERE AND AND WE'VE JUST FINISHED THE MODERNIZATION ONE AND MOVED ON TO THE MODERNIZATION OF THE
SECOND AND WE'RE AT A SIMILAR PLACE OUT IN COMMONWEALTH AS WELL WHERE WE'VE OUR ELDERLY BUILDINGS WE WE ARE UPGRADING TO DO A MONETIZATION OF TWO ELEVATORS. SO THESE ARE VERY EXPENSIVE PROJECTS.
THE TOTAL AMOUNT OBVIOUSLY THAT WE'RE SPENDING ON ELEVATORS ACROSS THE PORTFOLIO IS A LOT MORE THAN THE 4 MILLION IN THE LINE BUT THAT 4 MILLION COMBINED WITH OUR HUD MONEY IS VERY IMPORTANT TO GETTING IT DONE.
SO JUST REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THE COUNCIL'S SUPPORT THERE. I'LL JUST TURN FINALLY TO THE NEXT SLIDE AND JUST TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT VHA AND SORT
OF FEDERAL IMPACTS AND KIND OF THE THING THAT WE'RE MOST WORRIED ABOUT RIGHT NOW AND THAT WE'VE THAT WE'VE SENT OUT SOME COMMUNICATION TO OUR LANDLORDS ABOUT THIS WEEK.
SO RIGHT NOW THE VHA HASN'T LOST ANY FEDERAL FUNDING OF ALL PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITIES ARE BASICALLY FUNDED IN BOTH OUR PUBLIC HOUSING AND VOUCHER PROGRAMS ON A KIND OF MONTHLY, YOU KNOW, PRO-RATA SHARE THAT'S
BASED ON THE FEDERAL BUDGET AND BECAUSE OF THE CONTINUING RESOLUTION THAT PASSED IN MARCH, WE'RE BASICALLY AT THE STATUS QUO. HOWEVER, THE SKINNY BUDGET WHICH SHEILA ALLUDED TO WOULD
CUT RENTAL ASSISTANCE ACROSS THE BOARD BY 40% AND THAT'S ALL RENTAL ASSISTANCE AS PUBLIC HOUSING. IT'S VOUCHERS, IT'S EVERYTHING AND AND THE CHALLENGE FOR US IS
THAT WE SEE THAT NUMBER WE'VE WE'VE SEEN VERY CONSISTENT SUPPORT IN CONGRESS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE ON BOTH HOUSES OF CONGRESS FOR THE VOUCHER PROGRAM OVER TIME. SO WE FEEL VERY CONFIDENT THAT
THAT 40% CUT IS NOT GOING TO BE WHAT GOES INTO EFFECT. BUT WE WORRY BECAUSE THE TRUTH IS THAT AT THE MOMENT BECAUSE OF THE RENTAL INFLATION THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER WHERE RENTS IN OUR NECK OF THE WOODS AND
MUCH OF THE COUNTRY ARE OUTPACING INFLATION IN GENERAL AND CERTAINLY OUTPACING BUDGET GROWTH JUST A STATUS QUO BUDGET AT THE MOMENT ON THE SECTION EIGHT SIDE LEAVES US WITH NOT
QUITE ENOUGH MONEY TO FINISH YEAR AND THAT'S TRUE FOR THE MAJORITY OF HOUSING AUTHORITIES ACROSS AMERICA RIGHT NOW WE'RE ALL IN SOMETHING THAT'S CALLED SHORTFALL WHERE WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO ISSUE NEW VOUCHERS
AND THEY KIND OF RUN MONTHLY CALCULATIONS AND IT HAS US NOT HAVING ENOUGH MONEY IN DECEMBER. NOW NORMALLY THIS WOULD BE SOLVED BY CONGRESS INCREASING THE BUDGET FOR THE FY 26 YEAR THAT STARTS ON OCTOBER 1ST.
BUT OUR CONCERN IS THAT IF THE STARTING POSITION IS A 40% CUT AND WHAT WE NEED IS A MEANINGFUL INCREASE IN ORDER TO NOT CUT ASSISTANCE FOR FAMILIES THAT THIS IS REALLY NOW IS THE
TIME FOR THE YOU KNOW MANY PARTNERS WHO HAVE MADE THE VOUCHER PROGRAM SUCH A SUCCESS TO RAISE THEIR VOICES AND MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S NOT WHAT COMES TO PASS. SO JUST FOR CONTEXT THAT THAT
40% CUT THE WAY THAT THAT WOULD CASH OUT IN THE VOUCHER BUDGET HERE AT THE VHA IS THAT WE HOUSE ABOUT 18,000 FAMILIES ON FEDERAL VOUCHERS AND THAT WOULD
BE PROPORTIONATELY CUTTING OFF 7900 HOUSEHOLDS FROM ASSISTANCE INCLUDING ALMOST 11,000 CHILDREN AND AND WE ALSO LIKE IT'S ALSO WOULD BE A KIND OF A
HUGE ATTACK ON JUST THE REAL ESTATE ECONOMY OF THE CITY AND THE COUNTRY. YOU KNOW, WE WE MAKE MONTHLY RENTAL PAYMENTS TO ABOUT 6000 LANDLORDS ACROSS THE CITY IF YOU THINK ABOUT 18,000
VOUCHERS, 6000 LANDLORDS, THE MAJORITY OF THOSE LANDLORDS ARE YOU KNOW, THEY MIGHT HAVE ONE OR TWO VOUCHER HOLDERS, THEY MIGHT BE, YOU KNOW, AN OWNER OCCUPANT IN A TRIPLE DECKER AND ONE OF THEIR TENANTS IS A VOUCHER HOLDER.
SO THEY'RE TENANTS ALSO THEIR NEIGHBOR AND A SITUATION WHERE PEOPLE ARE COUNTING ON A RENTAL PAYMENT TO HELP MAKE THEIR MORTGAGE OR WHERE YOU'VE GOT AN AFFORDABLE BUILDING THAT'S TAKING OUT A MORTGAGE IN ORDER
TO BUILD ITSELF OR TO DO A RENOVATION ON THE BASIS OF THESE VOUCHER EXPECTATIONS AND THEN THAT GETS UNDERCUT REALLY HAS THE RISK OF OF OF TOUCHING OFF BOTH THE SORT
OF FINANCIAL REAL ESTATE CRISIS AND ALSO AN EVICTION AND HUMAN CRISIS. AND SO AGAIN, WE'RE REALLY HOPEFUL THAT ALL OF THE STAKEHOLDERS I MEAN SECTION EIGHT IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE
MOST SUCCESSFUL PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS IN HOUSING PROBABLY SECTION EIGHT AND LATER ARE SORT OF THE TWO CORNERSTONES OF HOW PRIVATE MONEY HAS HELPED SUPPORT THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING ECOSYSTEM
AND IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT WE THAT WE REALLY REALLY ARE HOPING THAT WE CAN ALL SPEAK IN UNISON ABOUT. SO I'M SORRY THAT THAT'S NOT A VERY CHEERFUL UPDATE BUT I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT IN THIS
MOMENT TO SPEAK ABOUT IT WITH YOU ALL AND YOU KNOW, PUBLIC HOUSING FUNDING WOULD ALSO BE IMPACTED BY BY CUTS IN THAT SITUATION. THE FAMILY SELF-SUFFICIENCY PROGRAM WHICH WE HAVEN'T PARTICULARLY SUCCESSFUL VERSION
OF THAT THERE'S A NUMBER OF THINGS BUT I THINK THE THE BIG TAKEAWAY FOR US IS THAT WE'RE NOT IN A STAGE OF WANTING TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE WOULD DEAL WITH THOSE KINDS OF CUTS.
WE'RE IN A PHASE OF SAYING, YOU KNOW, THIS CANNOT HAPPEN. OUR COMMUNITY CAN'T SUSTAIN THEM IN A PLETHORA OF WAYS. SO HAPPY TO SPEAK MORE TO THAT, MR CHAIR, BUT I'LL BE ON MY TIME BACK TO YOU.
THANK YOU AND THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT EVERYONE IS DOING ON THIS PANEL AND I AM STANDING WITH YOU ON THAT FIGHT TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE FEDERAL CUTS DO NOT HAPPEN.
I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY A COUNCILOR MEJIA AND ALSO COUNCILOR FLYNN. WE WILL NOW GO TO THE FIRST
ROUND OF PUBLIC TESTIMONY AND WE'LL GO TO ONLINE FIRST SO YOU CAN SIGN UP, YOU CAN TESTIFY
THERE IN PERSON OR VIA ZOOM IF YOU LIKE TO TESTIFY VIRTUALLY PLEASE SIGN UP IN ADVANCE USING THE LINK BELOW AFTER YOU HAVE SIGNED UP YOU'LL BE PROVIDED WITH THE HEARING ZOOM LINK PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU ARE SIGN INTO ZOOM WITH THE FULL NAME
YOU SIGNED UP WITH TO HELP US CALL ON YOU APPROPRIATELY IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO TESTIFY IN PERSON PLEASE SIGN UP ON THE SHEET NEAR THE CHAMBER ENTRANCE AND WHEN YOUR NAME IS CALLED TO TESTIFY PLEASE STEP FORWARD AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF INTO THE
MICROPHONE. PARTICIPANTS WILL BE CALLED ON IN THE ORDER WHICH THEY SIGNED UP AND YOU HAVE 2 MINUTES TO TESTIFY. WE'LL START WITH CATHY BROWN
AND THEN MEREDITH LEVY BOTH ON LINE.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, I HEAR YOU NOW THE FLOOR
IS YOURS. HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR ME? SHE WAS THERE OKAY. CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?
YES. OKAY. I'M SO HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO BE HERE AND TESTIFY. THE 2 MINUTES IS TOUGH SO I'M NOT GOING TO DO ALL THE THANK YOU SO I WANTED TO DO TWO
MAYORS OFFICE OF HOUSING IN THE FUTURE YOU GUYS DO AMAZING, AMAZING WORK I HAD LISTED ON ALL THESE GREAT THINGS AND THERE'S IN 2 MINUTES I DON'T THINK I CAN IF THEY'RE STILL A
LITTLE BIT TIME AT THE END I'LL GO BACK TO IT. BUT YOU GUYS DO AMAZING WORK AND I STILL FEEL FOR YOU IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH. MY NAME IS CATHY BROWN. I AM THE DIRECTOR OF THE BICENTENNIAL COALITION AND I
LIVE IN JAMAICA PLAIN AND WE ANCHOR A LOT OF THE FAIR HOUSING WORK AND INCLUSIONARY DEVELOPMENT CAMPAIGN INITIATIVE REDEVELOPMENT. THOSE ARE THREE THINGS.
SO IN TERMS OF THE BUDGET ASKS, I'M HOPING THAT YOU CAN INCREASE THE CITY SUBSIDY PROGRAM. IT'S SUCH A GREAT PROGRAM ASKING TO GO TO 16.3 MILLION A
$4 MILLION INCREASE YOU IT'S SUCH A GREAT PROGRAM AND YOU KNOW IT IT IS A KEY THINGS TO THINK ABOUT ARE THE ACCESS TO IMMIGRANTS AND THINKING ABOUT
LIKE THIS IS HAITIAN-AMERICAN MONTH AWARENESS MONTH AND THINK ABOUT ALL THE HAITIANS THAT ARE GETTING THEIR IMMIGRATION STATUS ILLEGALLY CUT FROM NOWHERE AND THE GREAT THING
ABOUT THE CITY SUBSIDY PROGRAM IS UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS CAN ACCESS OR WHATEVER YOUR IMMIGRATION STATUS SO THAT IT JUST FEELS LIKE IT'D BE REALLY GOOD TO PLAN AND THINK ABOUT THAT. I KNOW YOU WORK WITH PASTOR
KIKI AND YOU KNOW YOU DO SO MUCH WORK ON IT SO THAT AND THEN ALSO RETURNING CITIZENS THAT THE CITY SUBSIDY PROGRAM IS GREAT THAT LESS BARRIERS FOR
RETURNING CITIZENS AND THERE ARE JUST SO MANY IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO CAMI LAND TRUST SO IMPORTANT A TAX CREDIT UNITS IEP UNITS YEAH YOU CAN MAKE IEP
UNITS MORE AFFORDABLE AND WE KNOW THAT THE THE HEAD KAIROS IS IS OPEN TO THAT SO AND I JUST WE LOVE YOUR OPENNESS AROUND IT BUT 4 MILLION MORE PLEASE AND AND CITY COUNCIL YOU
GOT TO GREAT THANK YOU TOO SORRY THE OTHER THING IS IS SEAL T FUNDING WOULD BE GREAT IT'S THE THE ACQUISITION OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM IT'S BEEN SO KEY AND THE CITY COUNCIL'S
FOUGHT HARD FOR IT TOO AND THE CITY HAS DONE SUCH GREAT WORK BUT BE GREAT TO HAVE THAT AS A CONSTANT LINE ITEM VERSUS TAKING FROM HERE AND THERE AND JUST HAVE IT IN THE BUDGET AND AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS LIKE
ASKING FOR 7 MILLION AS A AS A LINE AS A LINE BUDGET ITEM AND THEN ALSO JUST A FIELD FUND A SMALL AMOUNT JUST BECAUSE COMMITTEE LAND TRUSTS ARE SUCH A KEY RESOURCE AND AGAIN YOU
GUYS ARE FUNDING THE UNTIL T AND THE DEBT AND I WAS KATHY THANK YOU. OKAY I'LL SENSITIVE ABOUT PROBABLY FURTHERING FAIR HOUSING REALLY IMPORTANT WE MISSED THE HEARING WE LOOK AT
ALL THIS INFORMATION THANK YOU BYE. MEREDITH LEAVY AND THEN FOLLOWED BY ALEXA AND THEN ABBY
IN PERSON. MEREDITH THE FLOOR IS YOURS. OKAY. HI. MEREDITH LEVY AND I'M FROM BOSTON NEIGHBORHOOD COMMUNITY
LAND TRUST. I WANT TO PICK UP ON. IT LOOKS LIKE I'M IN TWO SCREENS. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S TRUE FOR YOU. NOW YOU'RE IN ONE. OKAY, I'M GOING TO PICK UP ON THE POINTS KATHY BROWN JUST
MADE. WE ARE AS A LAND TRUST. WHAT WE DO IS WE TAKE PROPERTIES OFF THE MARKET. WE BUY THEM. THE AOP FUND HAS BEEN AN AMAZING SUPPORT FOR US IN ITS
PRIME WE HAD $20 MILLION IN THE AOP FUND. WE'D LOVE TO SEE A LINE ITEM BUDGET THE 7 MILLION THAT KATHY JUST SUGGESTED IS WOULD BE GREAT. THAT'S 25% OF THAT GOAL OF KEEPING AT THAT LEVEL.
WE KNOW WE CAN SPEND EVERY PENNY ACROSS THE CITY. WE KNOW IT'S USED REALLY WELL. WE'LL DO OUR SHARE AS WELL. IT'S A GAME CHANGER FOR US TO BE ABLE TO PURCHASE PROPERTIES AND KEEP THEM AFFORDABLE
FOREVER. IT ALSO SHOULD BE NOTED THAT WE WERE JUST RECENTLY ABLE TO PASS THE SMALL PROPERTIES ACQUISITION FUND PILOT AND THERE'S MORE $20 MILLION MORE WAITING AT THE STATE LEVEL AND
THAT IS MATCHING CITY FUNDS. SO THAT'S WAITING THERE FOR US . SO IF WE HAD 7 MILLION IN THE BUDGET THAT WOULD BE AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY TO MATCH THAT WITH STATE FUNDS. SO THE LEVERAGING IMPACT IS
HUGE AND IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THAT IS FOR SUBSIDY. I KNOW THERE'S THE INVESTMENT AS WELL BUT THE SUBSIDY PORTION IS IT'S VITAL FOR US ALSO WANT
TO PICK UP ON INCREASING THE OFFER THE CITY VOUCHER PROGRAM IT IS A GREAT PROGRAM THAT ALSO ENABLES US TO BUY AND SUPPORT FOR A LONG TERM KEEP OUR
BUILDINGS SUSTAINABLE AND FINANCIALLY STABLE. WE'RE ABLE TO KEEP PEOPLE AT VERY LOW INCOME LEVELS INTO OUR IN OUR SALE T BECAUSE OF THAT. SO THESE ARE LIKE FABULOUS
PROGRAMS. IT WOULD BE ALSO NICE TO HAVE A BUDGET LINE FOR REPAIRS AS WELL BECAUSE THESE PROPERTIES THE MONEY IS FOR ACQUISITION BUT IT WOULD BE TO INCREASE THE
DEFINITION TO INCLUDE REPAIRS OVER TIME BUT I'M GOING TO LIMIT MY COMMENTS TO THAT. THERE'S SO MANY OTHER GREAT THINGS YOU GUYS ARE DOING REALLY GREAT JOB. WE COULDN'T DO THIS WITHOUT YOU VERY WE LOVE BEING YOUR
PARTNERS AND LET'S REALLY DIG IN ON THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE EFFECTIVE AND IT IS IMPORTANT TO KEEP THIS SOLID ESPECIALLY BECAUSE TIMES ARE CHANGING OUTSIDE OF THE CITY AND STATE.
SO WHATEVER WE CAN DO NOW TO YOU KNOW, WITH MORE VOUCHERS AND MORE BUILDINGS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR CONTROL THAT'S THOSE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE LESS VULNERABLE TO THE CHANGES THAT HAPPEN DOWN THE ROAD.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, ALEXA FOLLOWED BY ABBY AND THEN DAN LYNCH.
HI. UM, MY NAME IS ALEXIS SANTANA. I'M 16 YEARS OLD AND I'M A LIFELONG RESIDENT OF DISTRICT SEVEN. I'M HERE TO DEMAND THAT INSTEAD
OF CUTTING HOUSING WE PUT FUNDING INTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT SERVES PEOPLE UNDER $5,000 A YEAR. PEOPLE ARE LIVING ON THE STREETS AND WE SEE HOMELESSNESS
AS SUCH A BIG ISSUE RIGHT NOW. AND WHILE POLICE GETTING PAID TO SWEEP THEM UP AND THROW THEM IN JAIL, OUR HOUSING STILL GETS MORE AND MORE EXPENSIVE EVERY YEAR. HOW HOMES ARE UNLIVABLE WITH
ISSUES CONCERNING RODENTS AND DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING AND IT JUST LIKE THAT COMBINED WITH
NOT HAVING AFFORDABLE RENT IT JUST DOESN'T ADD UP AND I'VE HAD ISSUES IN MY HOME LIKE WITH ISSUES THAT MY LANDLORD DOESN'T ADDRESS AND JUST LIKE AN
EMBARRASSING FEELING THAT NOBODY SHOULD GO THROUGH. THE CITY ONLY HAS $42 MILLION FROM IT'S OWN BUDGET FOR HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AND SERVICES. IT ONLY FUNDS SEVERAL HUNDRED
LOW INCOME HOUSING UNITS. NEXT YEAR AND MOST OF THESE AREN'T EVEN TRULY AFFORDABLE. ARE WE SEEING HOW THIS IS AFFECTING OUR COMMUNITIES AND OUR FAMILIES? IT'S LITERALLY SUPPOSED TO BE
AFFORDABLE AND IT'S NOT. MY RENT GOES UP EVERY YEAR AND I FEEL LIKE I'M ALWAYS A STEP CLOSER TO HOMELESSNESS AND NOBODY SHOULD FEEL THAT WAY. BUT UNFORTUNATELY THAT IS A STORY FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE THESE
DAYS. SO AGAIN I DEMAND THAT INSTEAD OF OVER FUNDING VPD WE PUT FUNDING INTO BUILDING NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING BUSTERS PEOPLE MAKING UNDER 5000 A YEAR.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, ABBY FOLLOWED BY DAN LYNCH.
YES. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS EARL DIXON FROM JAMAICA PLAIN. I REPRESENT Y JP U AND I'VE COME HERE TO DEMAND THAT THE
BUDGET FOR HOUSING BE INCREASED BY 7 MILLION TO ACCUSATION AND OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM. I'VE CHOSEN THIS DEMAND SO THAT LOW INCOME HOUSEHOLDS ARE ABLE TO PAY RENT WITHOUT FEAR OF EVICTION OR GOING TO
UNNECESSARY DUMPS. IN MY EXPERIENCE I'VE SEEN PEOPLE STRUGGLE WITH PAIN THERE AND HOW THEY GO THROUGH TROUBLESOME METHODS TO GET THEIR MONEY WHICH IS HONESTLY SAD BECAUSE NOBODY DESERVES TO LIVE THEIR DAYS WONDERING IF ONE DAY THEY'LL HAVE TO LOSE
EVERYTHING BECAUSE OF HOUSING COSTS DRAGGING THEM DOWN. ONCE AGAIN I REQUEST AN INCREASE OF 7 MILLION TO THE ACQUISITION AND OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM. THIS FUNDING IS ESSENTIAL TO
ENSURE THAT INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES CAN ACCESS STABLE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND BUILD THEIR LIVES WITHOUT THE CONSTANT FEAR OF DISPLACEMENT. BY INVESTING IN THIS PROGRAM WE ARE NOT ONLY PRESERVING HOMES BUT ALSO CREATING THE
CONDITIONS FOR PEOPLE TO TRULY DRIVE WITHIN THEIR COMMUNITIES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. DAN LYNCH FOLLOWED BY ROXANNA AND THEN KATE COULD.
GOOD EVENING. FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU, MR PRESIDENT. LIKE TO THANK THE ENTIRE CITY COUNCIL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO REQUEST THIS
ASSISTANCE ON AN ISSUE THAT IS AFFECTING SOME OF THE POOREST FAMILIES IN OUR COMMUNITY. TO BEGIN, I WOULD LIKE TO FIRST INTRODUCE MYSELF MY NAME IS DAN LYNCH AND I'M ONE OF THE
ORIGINAL FAMILIES RAISING A FAMILY OF SIX AT THE FATHER MARTIN COOPERATIVE HOMES IN SOUTH BOSTON FIND IT FOUNDED IN 1994 FATHER MARTIN HOMES. WE'RE ONE OF THE FIVE OF SIX
FOUR OR SIX COOPERATIVES ALL FOUNDED DURING UM DURING THE 1990S TO ADDRESS THE NEED FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING CITYWIDE IN SOME OF THE POOREST COMMUNITIES IN THE CITIES AT THAT TIME.
FATHER MARTIN CONSIST OF 34 FAMILIES FROM ALL AREAS OF BOSTON IS ONE OF THE ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE COMMUNITIES WITHIN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WITH
ONLY ABOUT SEVEN UNITS CHANGING HANDS OVER THE 30 YEARS OF OUR EXISTENCE. FATHER MARTIN HAS HAS MAINTAINED ITS AFFORDABLE STATUS AND IT HAS WILLINGLY EXTENDED THE AFFORDABLE COMPONENT WELL INTO THE FUTURE.
I AM HERE TODAY WITH SEVERAL OF MY NEIGHBORS BOARD MEMBERS TO RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT THE BOSTON CITY COUNCIL PLEASE CONSIDER AN INCREASE TO THE BUDGET FOR THE BOSTON RENT
VOUCHER PROGRAM BY 4 MILLION OVER LAST YEAR'S APPROVED AMOUNT. AS WE HAVE MANY FAMILIES WHO ARE RENT BURDENED AS I SAID FATHER MARTIN HOMES IS A LOW
INCOME HOUSING CO-OP DEVELOPED IN 1994 UNDER THE CITY OF BOSTON. IN BOSTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP BOSTON COOPERATIVE INITIATIVE. OVER THE LAST DECADE THE FATHER
MARTIN HOME COOPERATIVE BOARD HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN DISCUSSION WITH THE CITY ABOUT HOW TO PAY BACK PAY BACK ORIGINAL LOANS TO THE DEVELOPMENT. ALTHOUGH A PLAN WAS SUBMITTED
AND ADOPTED SIX YEARS AGO WHICH HAD EVERYONE EVERYONE'S RENT INCREASING BY 7.25% A YEAR UNTIL THE RENT GOT TO THE HUD MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE AMOUNT.
AS A RESULT IT BECAME OBVIOUS TO ALL INCLUDING THE CITY THAT THE FORMULA FOR PERPETUAL UNAFFORDABLE RENT INCREASE WAS UNSUSTAINABLE. AS A RESULT WE APPROACHED CITY
AND WE HAVE BEEN GREATLY IN THE HOPE THAT WE COULD COME UP WITH A RESTRUCTURED REPAYMENT SCHEDULE THAT WOULD SATISFY THE CITY WHILE MAINTAINING A RENT INCREASE THAT WORKED FOR THE
LOWER INCOME FAMILIES WITHIN THE CO-OP. IN THE COURSE OF OUR RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS OF OPTIONS IT CAME TO LIGHT THAT 20% OF OUR RESIDENTS THANK YOU DAN.
OKAY, I'LL CUT IT SHORT. JUST HOPEFULLY THAT YOU COULD THAT YOU COULD PLEASE RENEW THE OFFER AT LEAST WE KNEW THE RENT VOUCHER PROGRAM.
THANK YOU. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU. ROXANNA FOLLOWED BY KATIE HARVEY WHO IS GOING TO USE HER
TIME? OKAY, I'LL FINISH THAT. THANK YOU VERY.
OKAY. WE WAS LIKE OKAY, OKAY. WELL OKAY. I KIND OF LOST MY TRAIN
OF THOUGHT. YOU WANT TO START OVER SO I JUST HOPE THAT YOU WILL WILL PLEASE RENEW THE THE RENT VOUCHER PROGRAM BY 4 MILLION. OKAY. THANK YOU.
OKAY. KATIE FOLLOWED BY ORIAN AND
THEN ALEX WHICH IS IN MY MIND
IS OKAY SO ORIENT FORECLOSURES . FIRST I WANT TO OFFER HEARTFELT THANKS TO THE STAFF AT GROW BOSTON AND MOE CHIEF SHEILA
DILLON AND SHANI FLETCHER FOR THEIR LEADERSHIP FOR WELL OVER A DECADE STARTING WITH MAYOR MENINO AND NOW LED BY MAYOR WU PIONEERING URBAN AGRICULTURE HERE IN BOSTON. BOSTON IS ON THE MAP AND I'M
PROUD THAT BOSTON IS LEADING THE NATION IN URBAN AGRICULTURE. MY NAME IS O'RYAN KRIEGMAN. I AM A LONG TIME J.P. RESIDENT BORN IN BOSTON AND I'M ALSO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE
BOSTON FOOD FOREST COALITION, ONE OF THE ORGANIZATIONS ORGANIZATIONS THAT IS PART OF THE ECOSYSTEM OF AGRICULTURE IN BOSTON AND INCREASINGLY RECOGNIZED FOR OUR APPROACH TO URBAN FOOD GROWING ROOTED IN
COMMUNITY THAT ALSO REVITALIZES NATURE AND DEFENDS OUR CITY FROM CLIMATE CHANGE. AT THE COALITION WE PLANT FOOD FOREST PARKS AND I'M DEEPLY INVOLVED IN ENGAGING LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF NEIGHBORS ACROSS
BOSTON'S VARIOUS NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE DORCHESTER, JAMAICA PLAIN, ROXBURY AND MATTAPAN. I HEAR FROM NEIGHBORS ALL THE TIME THEY'RE CLAMORING FOR OPEN SPACE ACCESS TO NATURE AND PLACES FOR THEIR CHILDREN TO
THRIVE FOR THE FULL QUALITY OF LIFE IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS . BOSTON IS ALREADY EXPERIENCING THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND WE ARE DEALING WITH INCREASING HEAT AT A TIME WHEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS CUTTING FUNDING AND RESEARCH.
WE KNOW THESE IMPACTS ARE ONLY INTENSIFYING. IT'S CRUCIAL TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ARE NOT FELT EQUALLY. MY BLACK AND BROWN NEIGHBORS HAVE ACCESS TO 20% LESS PARKLAND, 40% LESS TREE CANOPY
AND EXPERIENCE SEVEN AND A HALF DEGREES HOTTER SUMMER DAYTIME TEMPERATURES. STUDIES SHOW THAT TREES PLANTED THOUGHTFULLY CAN REDUCE DAYTIME TEMPERATURES IN URBAN NEIGHBORHOODS BY UP TO TEN DEGREES.
I FEEL AN IMMENSE SENSE OF URGENCY ABOUT THE SITUATION, ESPECIALLY WHEN I THINK ABOUT HOW LONG IT TAKES FOR TREES TO GROW. I'M STRONGLY ADVOCATING FOR FULLY FUNDING GROW BOSTON AND THE GRASS ROOTS PROGRAM EVEN IN
THE FACE OF FEDERAL FUNDING CUTS LIKE THOSE AT HUD AND THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT. I'M REQUESTING INCREASED FUNDING FOR ADDITIONAL STAFF AT GROW BOSTON TO SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE LAND DISPOSITION DELAYS FOR THE CREATION OF MUCH NEEDED
COMMUNITY GREEN SPACE. WE ARE ALL AWARE OF THE INCREASING PACE OF DEVELOPMENT IN BOSTON AND THE URGENT NEED FOR MORE GREEN SPACE THAT NEIGHBORS ASK FOR CONSISTENTLY . THANK YOU.
THANK YOU ALEX FOLLOWED BY LIZ AND THEN LYDIA. THANKS RYAN. I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE CITY COUNCIL FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT. I'M ALEX, THE ASSOCIATE
DIRECTOR AT BOSTON FOOD FOR US COALITION AND A RESIDENT IN EAGLESON SQUARE. MY GRANDMOTHER AND FATHER WERE FORCED OFF OF THEIR ISLAND IN GREECE DURING THE GREEK CIVIL WAR AND FLED TO BOSTON WHICH GAVE THEM NEW LIFE INCLUDING THE PARK NEXT TO THE SMALL
APARTMENT THAT THEY WOULD RENT. SPECIFICALLY I'D LIKE TO THANK COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE FOR HER SUPPORT OF THE EDGEWATER FOOD FOREST IN MATTAPAN. I'M ALSO GRATEFUL THE
COUNCILOR OVERALL FOR HIS SUPPORT MOVING THE THREE OR ONE NORFOLK AND 82 MASCOT STREET PROJECTS FORWARD. AND COUNCILOR PEPEN, COUNCILOR FITZGERALD AND KAZU BEHALF FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT
OVER THE YEARS I RECOGNIZE THAT RESOURCES ARE TIGHT AND ARE CRITICAL. NEIGHBORHOOD LED PROJECTS ARE SIGNIFICANTLY DELAYED. THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO I'M REPRESENTING TODAY ARE FRUSTRATED RIGHTFULLY.
I WANT TO CLARIFY THAT THESE PROJECT DELAYS ARE NOT DUE TO THE LACK OF THE HARD WORK AND LEADERSHIP IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING LED BY CHIEF DYLAN AND GREAT BOSTON BY SHANI FLETCHER BUT RATHER DUE TO LIMITED RESOURCES. I'M HERE TODAY ON BEHALF
OF HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE ACROSS BOSTON AND OUR COALITION AND THOUSANDS WHO ATTEND OUR PARKS TO ADVOCATE FOR TWO THINGS ONE TO INCREASE THE STAFF CAPACITY AND GROW BOSTON PROGRAM FOR TIMELY LAND DISPOSITION PROCESSES AND TWO FOR DOUBLING
GRASSROOTS PROGRAM FUNDING FOR OPEN SPACE PROJECTS. IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE ABOUT 1% AND THE GRASSROOTS FUNDING PART OF THE WHOLE BUDGET WHICH WOULD BE A HUGE LEVERAGE OF IMPACT AND INCREASING THOSE BUDGETS.
SPECIFICALLY THE PROJECTS AT 31 NORFOLK STREET AND 82 MASCOT STREET IN DORCHESTER ARE SIGNIFICANTLY DELAYED BY MORE THAN A YEAR AND ALSO WENTWORTH STREET AND CORBIN SQUARE. AGAIN DUE TO LIMITED CAPACITY.
THEREFORE FIRST WE WANT TO SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE THE STAFF CAPACITY FOR LAND DISPOSITION, GROW BOSTON BUDGET AND FOR GETTING CREATIVE TO FIND WAYS TO MOVE DELAYED PROJECTS FORWARD FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO HAVE HISTORICALLY BEEN PUSHED TO THE SIDE. I HEAR FROM COMMUNITY ALMOST
EVERY MONTH AND I KNOW THERE ARE FRUSTRATED LETTERS ABOUT THE DELAYS AND THE PRESSING NEED FOR GREEN SPACE TO BREAK GROUND IN THEIR COMMUNITIES AND TIMELY WAYS. THEY EXPERIENCE THE EXTREME AND EQUITABLE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE EVERY DAY.
SECOND, WE'RE ADVOCATING A DOUBLING IN GRASSROOTS FUNDING PER PROJECT EVEN WITH FEDERAL CUTS TO ENSURE THAT THESE VITAL PROGRAMS ARE REPLACED AND EXPANDED IN THIS MOMENT OF CLIMATE EMERGENCY FOR OUR NEIGHBORS.
WE HAVE THE BOSTON FOOD FOREST COALITION WORK EXCEPTIONALLY HARD DAY AND NIGHT TO RAISE PHILANTHROPIC DOLLARS TO INVEST IN THE CITY'S PERMANENT GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE. THESE PHILANTHROPIC DOLLARS WE RAISE MUST BE MATCHED BY THE
CITY INVESTMENT TO BUILD EQUITABLE CLIMATE RESILIENT CITY WE DREAM OF. WE ARE ASKING TO DOUBLE THE GRASSROOTS FUNDING PER PROJECTS TO THE CITY. INVESTMENT IS CLOSER TO HALF OF THE FUNDING FOR EACH NEW COMMUNITY LIKE FOODS FOREST PARK AND OTHER SIMILAR
INITIATIVES. AS WE KNOW, TARIFFS AND MARKET TURMOIL WILL ONLY MAKE IT MORE CHALLENGING TO BUILD CRITICAL PARKS TO MAKE OUR NEIGHBORHOODS MORE LIVABLE, SAFER, HEALTHIER AND MORE RESILIENT. THANK YOU TO THE VISIONARY
LEADERSHIP OF THE MAYOR MAYOR WU CHIEF DILLON SHAWNEE FLETCHER, TORY SISTER JILL AND THE CITY COUNCIL. MOST IMPORTANTLY THE NEIGHBORHOOD CLIMATE LEADERS THAT WE'RE HERE TO REPRESENT. WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO BUILD THESE COMMUNITY PARKS AND TAKE OWNERSHIP OVER DEVELOPMENT IN
THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS. BUT TIME TO INVEST TO BUILD RESILIENT JOYFUL NEIGHBORHOODS ARE NOW. THANKS. THANKS, LIZ THEN FOLLOWED BY LYDIA.
HI, MY NAME IS LIZ LOU CLEWS. I'M WITH THE BOSTON FOOD FOREST COALITION. I'M THE DIRECTOR OF ENGAGEMENT AND FOOD FOR CONSTRUCTION, A DESIGNER LANDSCAPE DESIGNER. I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING
WITH MANY NEIGHBORS ACROSS THE CITY TO CO-DESIGN THESE SPACES. SEVERAL HUNDRED NEIGHBORS ACROSS THE CITY HAVE ASKED FOR MORE FOOD FOR US. THESE PLACES ARE RESILIENT
GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PLACES WHERE URBAN AGRICULTURE TAKE PLACE. I CAN TELL YOU THAT THESE PLACES ARE PLACES TO GO AND FEEL THE COOLNESS TO HARVEST
VARIOUS SORTS OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. AND THERE ARE PLACES WHERE YOU CAN GO AND MEET YOUR NEIGHBORS. I HEAR ALL THE TIME I DIDN'T KNOW MY NEIGHBOR IN THE
NEIGHBORHOOD BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT HAD OPPORTUNITIES TO BE TOGETHER IN THESE SPACES. SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO ASK IS TO INCREASE THE FUNDING FOR
MORE SPACES. THERE ARE SEVERAL DOZEN PARCELS THAT THE BPA AND MORTGAGE THAT MIGHT BE AVAILABLE FOR OPEN
SPACE AND TO BUILD MORE FOOD FOR PARKS. THESE ARE EDIBLE EDIBLE PARKS WHERE NEIGHBORS GATHER. SO LANDMARK POSITION FUNDING IS
WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR. I'M ALSO ASKING FOR A SHORTENED TIMELINE. I BELIEVE WHEN THE MAYOR FIRST CAME TO OFFICE THE REDUCTION IN DEVELOPMENT TIME LINES WAS A
PRIORITY. I CAN REITERATE WHAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE SAID THAT SOME OF THESE PROJECTS HAVE TAKEN MANY, MANY, MANY MONTHS AND NEIGHBORS ARE LOOKING FOR
OPPORTUNITIES TO BE OUTDOORS IN THESE SPACES WHERE THERE'S COOLING AND WHERE THEY CAN MEET MORE NEIGHBORS. CERTAINLY HOUSING IS IMPORTANT. I'LL TOUCH ON HOUSING IS A
PRIORITY. OPEN SPACE IS IS THE PERFECT COMPLEMENT AS WE BUILD A RESILIENT CITY. AND SO AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO REITERATE. IF WE COULD HAVE A ONE YEAR
TIMELINE AND MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO PARCELS FOR OPEN SPACE, THAT WOULD BE A WONDERFUL THING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. LYDIA FOLLOWED BY DEE DEE AND
THEN DOMINGO. I ALSO WANT TO THANK MH AND BOSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY AND ALL THE CITY COUNCILORS FOR THEIR SUPPORT. I'D LIKE TO ASK THAT WE PRIORITIZE MONEY TO STABILIZE
OUR COMMUNITIES FOR LONG TERM AFFORDABILITY AND RESILIENCE. THAT MEANS KEEPING PEOPLE IN THE HOMES THAT THEY CURRENTLY HAVE WHILE WE BUILD NEW HOMES. SO WE'RE NOT TRYING TO
CONSTANTLY FILL A BATHTUB WITH A DRAIN OPEN. COMMUNITY LAND TRUSTS REMOVE LAND FROM THE SPECULATIVE MARKET FOR THE COMMON GOOD WITH MEMBERSHIP AND DECISION MAKING FOR COMMUNITY GOVERNANCE AND WE
PROVIDE FOR PERMANENT AFFORDABILITY TO SUPPORT FAMILIES TO BUILD INTERGENERATIONAL WEALTH AND STABILITY AND KEEP THE HOMES ACCESSIBLE FOR THE LONG TERM SO
THAT OUR COMMUNITIES REMAIN IN THE CITY. SEAL TEAMS CAN DO HOME OWNERSHIP RENTAL PARKS, SMALL BUSINESSES AND URBAN FARMS. OUR ASSETS ARE FOR $7 MILLION
FOR EOP IN THE CITY BUDGET AS A REGULAR LINE ITEM. A $2 MILLION ONGOING SALE TO FUND LINE ITEM. AND WE ALSO SUPPORT THE INCREASE IN THE CITY VOUCHER
PROGRAM. WE THINK THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO CONTINUE WORK SUCH AS HELPING SUMANTH AND AND MA WHO ARE TWO SINGLE MOTHERS WITH THEIR CHILDREN THAT WE'RE
SHARING A TWO BEDROOM APARTMENT IN CHINATOWN. WE WERE ABLE TO BUY THEIR HOME AND KEEP THEM IN PLACE AND NOW EACH FAMILY HAS THEIR OWN UNIT OR ISLAND. LIN AND WEI HONG LIANG.
OUR MOST RECENT PURCHASE WAS A FAMILY HOME THAT HAD A FAMILY WITH A CHILD IN THE QUINCY SCHOOL AND WHEN THE ELDERLY HOMEOWNER WENT INTO A NURSING
HOME ALL OF THE ADULT CHILDREN TOLD THE TOLD THE TENANTS TO LEAVE SO THAT THEY COULD TRY TO SELL THE BUILDING. BUT INSTEAD WE APPROACHED THEM AND TOGETHER WITH OUR ORGANIZING PARTNERS AT THE
CHINESE PROGRESSIVE ASSOCIATION WE CONVINCED THEM THAT INSTEAD THEY COULD SELL THE BUILDING TO US AND WE WOULD KEEP THE FAMILY IN PLACE AND WE ARE NOW
IMPLEMENTING ENERGY RETROFITS AS WELL FOR THAT FAMILY TO MAKE IT MORE SAFE AND HEALTHY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
WE HAVE DIDI THEN DOMINGO AND THEN JORGE LEAD. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. MY NAME IS DIDI FREE, A LIFELONG RESIDENT OF BOSTON.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF POWER. HER STORY A NONPROFIT FOCUSED ON MENTORING YOUNG GIRLS IMPACTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES. THEY'RE EITHER AGING OUT OF THE DEPARTMENT OR OR ARE TEENS AND CARE.
I FIRST WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR ACKNOWLEDGING OUR HOUSING OUR HOUSING CRISIS AND WORKING ON MAKING PROGRESS FOR THE LIFELONG RESIDENTS WHO DESERVE TO STAY IN OUR COMMUNITIES. ON A PERSONAL NOTE I COULD SAY
A LOT ABOUT OUR HOUSING CRISIS AND WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN. BUT DUE TO TIME CONSTRAINTS I'M FOCUSING ON THE TIME I HAVE ON VHA AND FOSTER YOUTH WHO HAVE AGED OUT OF THE DEPARTMENT
OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES. I WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT I BELIEVE THAT VHA COULD MAKE A BIGGER IMPACT ON DCFS YOUTH AGING OUT IF THEY WERE PROPERLY FUNDED. CONSIDERING WE CAN'T FULLY RELY
ON FEDERAL FUNDING ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES PROPERLY FUNDING THE VHA WOULD ALSO ENSURE OUR HOUSING STOCK STAYS AND VHA AS PORTFOLIO COMPARED TO BEING FORCED INTO MONOPOLIES UNDER THE RAD
DEVELOPMENT. ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES FACING FACING TEENS AGING OUT OF THE DEPARTMENT AND OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IS HOMELESSNESS. HOMELESSNESS THAT COULD BE
AVOIDABLE IF YOUTH ARE ABLE UTILIZE HCV THROUGH THE FDA INITIATIVE AN INITIATIVE THAT HAS BEEN UNDERUTILIZED FOR YEARS. ONE FACTOR I BELIEVE THAT IS
HINDERING THIS IS THE OVERALL CRISIS AND THE STRAIN ON THE DEPARTMENT ON VHA EXCUSE ME. IT'S IMPERATIVE WE CHANGE THIS. OUR YOUNG PEOPLE DESERVE SAFE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE COMMUNITY THEY ARE FROM.
I'D LIKE TO CLOSE OUT WITH THE FACT THAT UP TO 15 EXCUSE ME. SORRY I'M NERVOUS. UP TO 50% OF FOSTER YOUTH BECOME HOMELESS WITHIN FOUR YEARS OF AGING OUT AND IT'S A
DIRECT CORRELATION TO ADDICTION ,TEEN PREGNANCY, INCARCERATION ALL THAT CAN BE AVOIDED IF THEY'RE PROVIDING IF THEY'RE PROVIDED A CHANCE OF SAFE HOUSING IN THE COMMUNITY THEY'RE FROM. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. DOMINGO FOLLOWED BY GEORGE LEE . GOOD EVENING. I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
LOST CITY COUNCIL, THE BOSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY. MY NAME IS DOMINGO CINTRON. I AM A MILITARY VETERAN OF THE VIETNAM ERA AND A LAST JOB I
HAD WAS AT THE VETERANS HOSPITAL IN BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS. I RETIRED FROM THERE.
I'D LIKE TO SAY PLEASE ADD THIS $4 MILLION TO THE BUDGET. SOME OF YOU MAY NOT KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO BE HOMELESS.
I REMEMBER SLEEPING ON THE STREETS AND I DIDN'T WANT TO GO TO SLEEP BECAUSE I WAS AFRAID I MAY NOT WAKE UP AND I WAS AFRAID TO FACE THE DAYLIGHT
BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO, WHERE TO GO AFTER FACING SO MUCH RACISM AND HATRED AND DISRESPECT FROM PEOPLE WHO WERE TO THE POLLS TO BE HELPING ME.
BUT YOU KNOW I DIDN'T TAKE MY LIFE. I'M STILL HERE WITH THE GRACE OF GOD AND I REALLY NEED YOU ALL TO WORK TOGETHER HERE AND MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
I REMEMBER I THINK IT WAS LAST YEAR I STAYED HERE TILL MIDNIGHT. I HOPE YOU DON'T DO THAT TONIGHT BUT IF I HAVE TO, I WILL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
ELIZABETH FOLLOWED BY GEORGE LEE. HI. MY NAME'S ELIZABETH HEDER. I'M A LOW INCOME TENANT WITH
MASS ALLIANCE OF TENANTS. I LIVE IN HYDE PARK. I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO AFFORD MY RENT WITHOUT MY PROJECT BASED HOUSING.
I MOVED INTO MY APARTMENT BACK WHEN COVID STARTED AND I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR THAT. SO I DECIDED TO GIVE BACK BY
VOLUNTEERING AT MY SON'S SCHOOL AND I LEARNED THAT JUST WITHIN HIS SCHOOL THERE ARE 70 HOMELESS FAMILIES.
SO I DECIDED TO SPEND MY TIME HELPING THOSE FAMILIES AND OTHERS IN THE COMMUNITY FIND FOOD AND OTHER DAYS I HELP
THOSE FAMILIES FIND RESOURCES LIKE CLOTHES AND OTHER ITEMS THEY NEED TO GET BY. AND EVEN WITH HELPING THEM WITH
THOSE ITEMS I DON'T FEEL LIKE IT'S ENOUGH. WHAT KEEPS ME GOING? THE STRENGTH I NEED TO KEEP
HELPING THOSE FAMILIES IS WHEN I SEE THE KIDS THE KIDS THAT SHOW UP EVERY DAY WHETHER IT'S BY BUS OR ONLY TO EVEN THOUGH
THEY'RE COMING IN FROM A SHELTER OR WHATEVER THEY'RE GOING THROUGH AT HOME THAT'S HARD IN THEIR LIFE AND THERE'S
ONE GIRL IN PARTICULAR THAT GIVES ME THE MOST STRENGTH. AND THIS GIRL SHOWS UP EVERY DAY LATE FOR SCHOOL 30 MINUTES, SOMETIMES AN HOUR AND SHE ALWAYS HAS A SMILE ON HER FACE
NO MATTER WHAT. I DON'T KNOW HER NAME. I'VE BEEN VOLUNTEERING AT THIS SCHOOL FOR TWO YEARS. I DON'T WANT TO ASK HER NAME. I JUST LIKE SEEING HER SMILE
AND I KNOW SHE'S COMING FROM A SHELTER AND I WISH I COULD HELP HER FIND A PLACE TO LIVE. AND I'M WORRIED THAT IF WE DON'T GET AN INCREASE IN THIS
BUDGET THAT SMILE MIGHT FADE, THAT SHE MIGHT LOSE THAT HOPE TO KEEP HER GOING TO SCHOOL EVEN THOUGH SHE'S COMING FROM A
HOMELESS SHELTER. AND I MIGHT NEVER KNOW HER NAME BECAUSE I'M TOO AFRAID TO ASK. PLEASE INCREASE THE BUDGET TO
HELP GET HER AND MANY OTHER FAMILIES IN A PLACE TO LIVE AND HELP CREATE A BETTER FUTURE BECAUSE THEY ARE OUR FUTURE. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. GEORGE LEE FOLLOWED BY MICHAEL CAINE.
GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS GEORGE LEE. I'M AN ORGANIZER WITH YOUTH JUSTICE AND POWER UNION. THANK YOU CHAIR ALL FOR SCHEDULING THIS HEARING AND THAT EVENING SOME MORE FOLKS COULD COME AND LIKE OTHER FOLKS
JUST URGING THAT THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR PUSH TO INCREASE THE HOUSING BUDGET. IT'S ALREADY A DROP IN THE BUCKET COMPARED TO WHAT'S NEEDED AND THE FACT THAT IT'S
GETTING CUT BY 3.5 MILLION. ON TOP OF THAT, THAT'S JUST UNACCEPTABLE. THERE'S ABOUT 100,000 RESIDENTS HOUSEHOLDS WHO ARE RENT
BURDENED WHO ARE LOW INCOME IN THE CITY. AND FOR THOSE 100,000 HOUSEHOLDS WE ONLY HAVE BY LAST YEAR 1394 FROM THE SLIDE.
BUT THIS NEXT YEAR 100 UNITS IN ACQUISITION OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM BEING FUNDED. WHEN IT WAS AT ABOUT 20 MILLION DURING THE PANDEMIC AND NOW
IT'S DOWN TO VERY LITTLE. AND WE NEED THAT SORELY TO BE ABLE TO KEEP THE RENTS AFFORDABLE FOR THOSE FAMILIES. THERE'S A GOAL OF 1000 NEW UNITS, AFFORDABLE UNITS THIS
NEXT YEAR BUT UNFORTUNATELY THAT'S NOWHERE NEAR ENOUGH AND MOST OF THOSE UNITS ARE NOT TRULY AFFORDABLE. SO MOST TWO BEDROOM AFFORDABLE
UNITS WILL COST $2,203 A MONTH WHICH IS WAY MORE THAN A TYPICAL FAMILY ESPECIALLY RENTERS OF COLOR MAKE WHEN YOU'RE MAKING 30 OR 40,000 A YEAR.
IT'S UNREASONABLE TO EXPECT YOU TO PAY $25,000 OF THAT ON RENT . THAT'S PART OF WHY WE NEED MORE PROJECT BASED VOUCHERS OR CITY RENT SUBSIDIES TO ONLY HAVE 189
VOUCHERS AVAILABLE FOR THE PROJECT BASED VOUCHERS IS WAY TOO LOW AGAIN LIKE NOT EVEN A DROP IN THE BUCKET. THAT'S LIKE A TINY MOLECULE OF WATER I GUESS.
SO WE NEED TO INCREASE THE FUNDING FOR VOUCHERS BY $4 MILLION. WE NEED INCREASE THEY UP TO $7 MILLION AND WE NEED MORE MONEY FOR TRULY AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND AS YOU HEARD AT THE POLICE HEARING A LOT OF US ARE ALSO CONCERNED THAT THE POLICE BUDGET IS GOING UP BY $3 MILLION WHILE THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT IS GETTING DEFUNDED BY 3.5 AND CALLING ON ALL
OF YOU HERE WHO ARE GOING TO BE SUBMITTING AMENDMENTS AND VOTING ON THIS BUDGET TO FIX THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MICHAEL CAINE FOLLOWED BY NO
CIGAR. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR, MY NAME IS MICHAEL CAINE. I'M THE DIRECTOR OF THE MAYOR'S ALLIANCE OF TENANTS AND WE
INITIATED WITH MAYOR WALSH THE CITY RENT SUBSIDY PROGRAM WHICH IS GREAT TO HEAR TONIGHT THIS WIDE RANGE OF CONSTITUENCIES. WE SEE IT AS A SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM INCLUDING THE MAYORS.
THE MAYOR SEES IT AS SUCCESSFUL. IT IS CURRENTLY PROVIDED OF THE NUMBER FROM KEN C BLOCK IS 420 PERMANENT APARTMENTS FOR
PREVIOUSLY HOMELESS PEOPLE A PRIORITY WAS FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN IN THE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS. AS YOU HEARD FROM LUCILLE, THAT IS A VERY REAL ISSUE AND THE
CITY AGREED TO TRY TO FIX THAT BY PRIORITIZING CITY RENT SUBSIDIES IN THAT WAY AND I'M GLAD TO SAY THAT HAS WORKED. BUT EVEN THAT IS ONLY A DROP IN THE BUCKET FOR THE NUMBER
OF HOMELESS FAMILIES. I THINK IT'S IN THE THOUSANDS STILL THAT ARE IN THE THAT ARE IN THE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM AND A LOT OF THEM HAVE TO DRIVE OR BE BUSED FROM OUT
OF THE CITY AT GREAT EXPENSE TO THE CITY. SO THE MORE MONEY THAT CAN BE PUT INTO THIS PROGRAM THE BETTER. THERE'S OBVIOUSLY A NEED THERE'S THE MAYOR'S HOUSING
REPORT SAID I THINK IT WAS 20,000 EXTREMELY LOW INCOME FAMILIES WHO ARE GOING TO NEED HOUSING THAT ARE NOT HOUSED NOW THAT ARE BEING DISPLACED OR DOUBLED AND TRIPLED UP.
SO THERE IS CERTAINLY A NEED. I HAVE A REPORT FROM THE CITY RENT SUBSIDY COALITION WHICH INCLUDES A REPORT FROM THE VHA ABOUT EXACTLY HOW THE MONEY HAS
BEEN USED TO DATE AND AN EXPLANATION ABOUT HOW TO READ THAT CHART AND OUR RECOMMENDATION BECAUSE IN ADDITION TO THE NEED THERE IS A
FINANCIAL JUSTIFICATION FOR EXPANDING IT 2 TO 4 MILLION MORE A YEAR NAMELY THERE IS A GAP OF 1.75 MILLION IN THE CITY'S PROGRAM RIGHT NOW IF ALL
OF THE PROJECT BASED UNITS IN THE PIPELINE WERE FUNDED THERE WOULD BE A FINANCIAL GAP OF 1.75 MILLION. WE MET RECENTLY WITH THE BIG
THREE OF WHICH THE DILLON, DILLON BOK AND CHEYENNE OR CHANTICLEER SOUNDS LIKE A LAW FIRM AND WE MET WITH THEM AND THEY AGREED TO SOME REFORMS TO
MAKE IT WORK BETTER LIKE MAKING THE APPLICATIONS FOR PROJECT BASED ASSISTANCE ON A ROLLING BASIS INSTEAD OF A RARE NO FO AND THEN TURNING PEOPLE AWAY
WHICH WE FOUND IS BEING DONE HAS BEEN HAPPENING A LOT OF CITIES AND LAND TRUSTS HAVE BEEN TURNED AWAY BECAUSE THERE WASN'T ANY MONEY. WELL THERE WAS MONEY IT WAS JUST THAT IT WAS BEING
ALLOCATED TOWARD VOUCHERS OR MOBILE VOUCHERS RATHER THAN PROJECT BASED. SO WE GOT SOME AGREEMENTS TO MAKE THE PROGRAM WORK BETTER AND ONE OF THOSE COALITION
AGREED TO RECOMMEND TO THE IDP PIPELINE DEVELOPERS THAT HALF OF THE IDP UNITS BE ENCOURAGED TO ACCEPT CITY RENT SUBSIDIES
WHICH WOULD NOT COST THE DEVELOPERS ANY MORE MONEY BUT WOULD IMPROVE THE INCOME MIX IN THOSE BUILDINGS. SO THOSE ARE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE IN THIS MEMO.
WE HOPE YOU ALL CAN INCREASE THE BUDGET AS YOU HEARD FROM SO MANY PEOPLE BY 4 MILLION A YEAR. WE THE LAST YEAR'S LEVEL OF 12.75. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. AND WORD AWAY IN THIS COLUMN. MY PLEASURE. OKAY, GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. OKAY. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. NO ZIKA. AND THEN WE'LL GO BACK ONLINE FOR ALLISON JAMES. HI. SO I WAS ASKED BY ONE OF MY
YOUTH TO READ FOR THEM. THEIR NAME IS VICTORIA. I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE ON THOSE BECAUSE THEY'RE ONLINE SO THEY THOUGHT THAT THEY GOT SKIPPED. I WAS GOING TO READ FOR THEM IF THEY WANT TO YOU CAN READ FOR
THEM OR WE CAN GO BACK. I WILL BE GOING BACK ONLINE. OKAY THEN I'LL LET THEM DO IT FOR YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YEAH. WE'LL GO BACK ONLINE AND I
BELIEVE WE HAVE ALISON JAMES AND VICTORIA WHITE ONLINE. HI. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES.
OKAY. HI. MY NAME IS ELISSA LEMON AND I LIVE IN DORCHESTER DISTRICT FOR . I'M ASKING MAYOR WU IN CITY COUNCIL TO CHOOSE CARE OVER CUTS. DON'T TAKE 3.5 MILLION FROM
HOUSING WHILE GIVING 3 MILLION MORE TO POLICE INSTEAD INVEST 7 MILLION INTO ACQUISITION AND OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM SO PEOPLE CAN STAY IN THE HOMES THEY ALREADY LIVE IN HOMES THAT CAN
BE MADE PERMANENTLY AFFORDABLE AT 4 MILLION IN RENT SUBSIDIZED SO FAMILIES DON'T HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN RENT AND GROCERIES FOR DEEPLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR THOSE MAKING UNDER 50,000 A YEAR. WHO ARE THE FOLKS THAT ARE
KEEPING OUR CITY RUNNING? PEOPLE IN MY COMMUNITY ARE BEING PUSHED OUT BY RISING RENTS AND GENTRIFICATION. I'VE WATCHED PLENTY OF MY FRIENDS BE DISPLACED FROM ONE PROPERTY TO ANOTHER JUST BECAUSE NEW APARTMENTS WERE
BEING BUILT AND THEIR RENT WAS CONSTANTLY GOING ON HOUSING TO SAFETY, HOUSING INSTABILITY, INVEST IN US AND NOT MORE POLICING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
IS VICTORIA ONLINE BUT NO VICTORIA IS NOT ONLINE.
IF YOU WANT TO. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING ACCOMMODATING AS I WOULD JUST BE READING FOR VICTORIA WHITE.
HELLO MY NAME IS VICTORIA. I'M FROM DISTRICT FOUR AND I AM WITH MY GPO. I DEMAND THAT MAYOR AND CITY COUNCILORS STOP THE CUT
OF HOUSING TO FUND THE POLICE WHO SERVE NO PURPOSE INSTEAD OF PROTECTING THE COMMUNITY OF BOSTON. BOSTON IS ONLY INCREASING IN RENT AND FORCING BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE TO MOVE OUT AND
LIVE IN BAD CONDITIONS. TYPICALLY BLACK LATINXS AND ASIAN RENTERS IN BOSTON MAKE LESS THAN 31 TO $37000 A YEAR. AND BY FUNDING NEW AND TRULY AFFORDABLE HOUSING WE CAN HELP
RESIDENTS WHO MAKE LESS THAN $50,000 A YEAR CONTINUE TO CALL BOSTON THEIR HOMES. I AM ALSO DEMANDING THAT WE ADD $44 MILLION TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND RENT SUBSIDIES SO
THAT BOSTON CAN CONTINUE TO HELP PROTECT BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES HELPING THEM STAY AFLOAT IN THE ECONOMIC HARDSHIPS WE LIVE IN TODAY AND AS A MAJOR CITY I BELIEVE THAT
WE SHOULD BE AN EXAMPLE. WE ARE SORRY. I BELIEVE THERE SHOULD BE EXAMPLE AS WE HAVE WHEN WE PROTECTED IMMIGRANTS IN IMMIGRATION IN IMMIGRANTS IN
EDUCATION THROUGH HARVARD FIGHTING TRUMP'S POLICIES. WE COULD CONTINUE IN BEING LEADERS BY ALSO TAKING THE FIRST STEP IN PROTECTING BLACK AND BROWN HOUSING. AND BEING A LEADER TO OTHER
CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY BY CONTINUING TO GIVE THE POLICE MORE MONEY. WE ARE NOT HELPING THE HOUSING CRISIS IN BOSTON. WE'RE ONLY BEING LESS THOUGHTFUL IN WHERE OUR MONEY GOES. I WOULD LOVE TO LIVE IN A CITY
I CALL HOME BUT WITH SUCH HIGH INCREASE OF RENT IT WILL BE ONLY A DREAM FORCING MY FRIENDS AND FAMILIES TO BE PUSHED OUT IN THE FUTURE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
WOULD LOVE TO JUST SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO CAME OUT TO TESTIFY. I GREATLY APPRECIATE WHEN THE PUBLIC COMES OUT TO THESE HEARINGS AND LEND THEIR VOICES
TO THIS CONVERSATION. I WOULD NOW LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT COUNCILOR FITZGERALD HAS JOINED US AND START WITH MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES IN ORDER ARRIVAL FOR FIRST ROUNDS OF QUESTIONS STARTING WITH COUNCILOR DUNCAN.
THANK YOU JAMES. THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHAIR AND I'M SORRY I WAS SO EXCITED TO GO BECAUSE I KNOW IT TOOK US A LONG TIME TO GET THROUGH PUBLIC TESTIMONY BUT I REALLY DO APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT
EVERYONE SAID. AS SOMEONE WHO SUPPORTS HOUSING AND ALSO SUPPORTS THE POLICE, I DO THINK THAT WE DON'T NEED TO MAKE NECESSARILY THIS DIRECT CORRELATION BETWEEN WHAT'S
BEING ADDED AND WHAT'S BEING WHAT'S BEING POTENTIALLY CUT. I DO NEED TO TALK TO SORT OF SPEAK TO A LITTLE BIT TO I KNOW INSIDE FOR A LOT OF THE
DEVELOPMENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE LISTED WHICH IS INCLUDING PERMITTING OVER 1800 NEW UNITS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND THIS YEAR THE GOAL IS TO PERMIT AT LEAST A THOUSAND NEW YEARS
OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING. I'M JUST WONDERING SORT OF WHERE THAT DIFFERENCE IS COMING FROM IS THAT ARPA MONEY HOW HOW SORT OF OBVIOUSLY BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD BE MORE
AMBITIOUS AND I THINK WE WOULD ALL AGREE THAT WE WANT MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND NOT LESS . COUNCILOR, I HAVE TO FESS UP THAT THAT THAT'S AN ERROR IN THE SLIDE DECK.
THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A REVISED SLIDE THAT WAS SHARED THIS AFTERNOON. THE 1800 ACTUALLY REFERS TO THAT PERMITTED PLUS COMPLETED SO THAT WHEN WE INITIALLY PREPARED THE SLIDE DECK WE HAD ADDED THOSE TWO TOGETHER AND
THEN SOMEHOW A CORRECTION WAS MADE BUT DIDN'T I GUESS IT DIDN'T IT DIDN'T GET YOU SO I'M SORRY FOR THAT. SO THE RIGHT NUMBER FOR THIS YEAR IS 783 INCOME RESTRICTED UNITS HAVE BEEN PERMITTED TO DATE AND THEN THE GOAL FOR NEXT
YEAR IS 1000. SO WE ARE BEING MORE AMBITIOUS. WE DO WANT TO CREATE MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE CITY AND THAT'S THE RIGHT NUMBER AND I GOT HERE SUPER EARLY TO BE FAIR BECAUSE SO I THINK I
PRINTED OUT THE PRIOR VERSION. SO THANK YOU FOR ACKNOWLEDGING THAT I WAS I GOT A LITTLE BIT WORRIED. I DO JUST WANT TO THANK MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUE BEN WEBER.
I KNOW THAT IN THE SLIDE DECK IT INCLUDES THE ACCESS TO COUNCIL PILOT. I HAVE BEEN I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT HE COMPLETELY PUSHED FOR THAT DURING LAST
YEAR'S BUDGET CYCLE AND HAVING SEEN SOME OF THE PRESS RELEASES AND OTHER THINGS THAT HAVE GONE OUT, I DON'T THINK THAT HE HAS FULLY GOTTEN ALL OF THE CREDIT HE DESERVES FOR COMPLETELY CONVINCING ALL OF OUR
COUNCIL COLLEAGUES TO VOTE FOR IT AND THEN OBVIOUSLY TO SEE IT IN THE SLIDE DECK WITHOUT HIM BEING BEFORE THIS BODY, WITHOUT HIM BEING THANKED. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I PUBLICLY THANKED MY COLLEAGUE
COUNCILOR WEBER FOR THAT. I DO THINK THAT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT I WE'VE HAD A LOT OF DISCUSSIONS. CHIEF DOLAN. I DO BELIEVE THAT THE MAYOR'S
OFFICE OF HOUSING IS THE BEST STEWARD OF PUBLIC MITIGATION FUNDS AND I DO THINK YOU'RE FOLLOWING THAT. MY REQUEST OF THE NORTH EASTERN AMP IS FOR THERE TO BE $2
MILLION PER YEAR FOR TEN YEARS FOR THE HOPE PROGRAM WHICH I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE AT TODAY'S HEARING HAVE MENTIONED. I DO SORT OF WANT TO GET YOUR TAKE ON AND MAYBE THIS IS A
QUESTION FOR THE BIG THREE SHEILA KENZIE AND KAIROS BUT I'M JUST WANT TO GET YOUR TAKE ON SORT OF HOW AM I WHICH IS A
STEWARD OF MITIGATION AND FUNDS AND HOW THAT MIGHT BE AN AVENUE GIVEN WHAT'S AHEAD WITH FEDERAL FUNDING, HOW POTENTIALLY THE CITY CAN LEVERAGE ITS CONVERSATIONS WITH INSTITUTIONS
TO DELIVER ON THESE PROGRAMS? SURE. SO THEY'RE JUST A COUPLE OF THOUGHTS. THERE CERTAINLY ARE INSTITUTIONS ARE A BLESSING. THEY DO PUT SOME THEY PUT A
SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF PRESSURE ON OUR HOUSING STOCK SO LINKING MITIGATION FUNDS AND IF I CAN TALK ABOUT THE SPECIFICS BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THAT YOU'RE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH PLANNING ON THIS BUT LINKING
HOUSING MITIGATION FUNDS FROM THE LARGE INSTITUTIONS TO HOUSING MAKES MAKES A WHOLE MAKES A WHOLE LOT OF SENSE TO ME BECAUSE WHILE WE'RE HAPPY THE INSTITUTIONS ARE HERE BOTH
OUR HOSPITALS AND OUR UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES LIKE I SAID, THERE'S THERE'S A LOT OF STUDENTS AND WORKERS IN OUR IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND WE NEED TO OFFSET SOME OF THAT IMPACT.
I DO THINK THAT MOST IS VERY, VERY WELL POSITIONED TO RECEIVE MITIGATION FUNDS BECAUSE WE HAVE PROGRAMS THAT ARE UP AND RUNNING AND THEY'RE TRIED AND TRUE AND I THINK WE'RE HEARING THAT TONIGHT. IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE ALWAYS
TRYING TO RESPOND. IN FACT, THE LAST SLIDE I I WENT THROUGH WAS LIKE THESE ARE NEW THINGS ARE WORKING ON AND THAT IS GREAT AND WE ALWAYS NEED TO BE WORKING ON NEW THINGS TO TO COMBAT NEW ISSUES AS A AS THEY COME AT US.
BUT WE DO HAVE PROGRAMS BOTH THE VHA AND WE HAVE PROGRAMS THAT WORK THAT ARE WELL-RUN. THEY WORK THEY JUST NEED ADDITIONAL FUNDING. SO TAKING MITIGATION FUNDS AND
CONTINUING TO PROP UP AND EXPAND EXISTING PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS THAT WORK MAKES PERFECT SENSE TO ME. THANK YOU. AND I KNOW THAT COUNCILOR BREADON AND I HAVE
BEEN WORKING ON A CONVERSATION ABOUT SINGLE STAIR REFORM. I DON'T KNOW IF THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING HAS BEEN FOLLOWING THIS BUT THE HARVARD JOINT CENTER FOR HOUSING
STUDIES SAYS THAT ALMOST 130,000 UNITS OF HOUSING COULD BE UNLOCKED IN THE GREATER BOSTON AREA IF POINT ASSET ACCESS BLOCKS WERE ALLOWED FOR MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING IN 4 TO 6
STOREYS. WE KNOW THAT THIS IS GOING TO REQUIRE A LOT OF ADVOCACY FROM THE CITY AND ALSO A LOT OF ALIGNMENT THAT MIGHT NEED TO EXIST FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT
AND I D I WAS CURIOUS IF THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING WAS FOLLOWING THIS AT ALL. SO WE ARE LETTING I KNOW THAT THERE'S A HEARING UPCOMING TO ON THIS ISSUE.
WE ARE LETTING ISDA AND FIRE TAKE THE LEAD ON THIS JUST BECAUSE I THINK THAT THEY'VE GOT THE THERE THEY SHOULD TAKE THE LEAD ON ON THIS ISSUE AND I WILL SAY AND I'M MAYBE
ADMINISTRATOR BOURQUE WANTS TO SAY SOMETHING AS WELL TO ANY TIME I MEAN BOSTON IS A VERY LANDLOCKED CITY RIGHT? WE ONLY HAVE SO MUCH SPACE AND YOU HEARD TONIGHT PEOPLE WANT OPEN SPACE AND WE'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY CENTERS AND
SCHOOLS AND WE NEED MORE HOUSING. SO ANY TIME WE CAN USE OUR LAND THAT HAS BEEN DESIGNATED FOR HOUSING MORE EFFICIENTLY, WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO DO THAT.
BUT ONCE AGAIN I REALLY DO WANT TO HAVE ISDA AND FIRE TAKE THE LEAD ON ON THIS AND THE STATE'S BUILDING CODE TO TAKE THE LEAD ON THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE. YEAH. ONLY TO SAY THAT I THINK I
THINK IT'S A VERY INTERESTING AND EXCITING AVENUE BUT DEFINITELY YOU KNOW WE WOULD WANT TO MAKE SURE JUST IN TERMS OF SOME THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN OTHER COUNTRIES WITH PUBLIC HOUSING AND SUCH THAT LIKE ANY CHANGE IN
BUILDING CODE APPLIED ACROSS ALL BUILDINGS LIKE WE WOULDN'T WANT TO HAVE WE WOULDN'T WANT TO DO IT IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING FIRST IF THAT MAKES SENSE. IT NEEDS TO BE THAT EVERYBODY ON THE FIRE AND I AS D WORLDS ARE ALL ON BOARD AND I KNOW I'M
RUNNING OUT OF TIME. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I THANK ADAM GOLDSTEIN HIS WORK ON 27 TO 29 HANCOCK STREET AND WORKING WITH NEIGHBORS AND ALSO YOUR PARTNERSHIP ON $1,000,000
OF ARPA FUNDS USED FOR THAT PROJECT WAS HUGE AND I THINK ADAM WAS JUST FULL OF GRACE AND CLASS AND DID SUCH GREAT WORK. I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL
OF OUR CITY WORKERS ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT WORK ON HOUSING SPECIFICALLY SUPPORTIVE HOUSING ARE GIVEN EVERYTHING THAT THEY NEED TO DEAL WITH SORT OF SOMETIMES FRAUGHT
CONVERSATIONS AND SITUATIONS THAT ARISE FROM PROPOSING DIFFICULT AND SOMETIMES FRAUGHT THINGS IN NEIGHBORHOODS. AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT ADAM WAS A MASTER CLASS AND I'M REALLY GRATEFUL FOR HIS LEADERSHIP.
THANK YOU AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THAT ISSUE. IT WAS IT WAS A LONG ONE AND A HARD ONE. BUT I THINK WE WE ENDED UP IN A GOOD PLACE DEFINITELY. THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHIEF. THANK YOU.
THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR BRADING COUNCIL THE OTHER FLOOR. THANK YOU, MR CHAIR. AND THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. ONE QUESTION I HAD WAS JUST ABOUT THE PLANNED EXPENDITURES
FOR EXISTING MILLAGE CAPITAL PROJECTS AND THOSE GOING TO BE PAID FOR OUT OF LOAN AUTHORIZATIONS FOR THOSE PROJECTS ON EXISTING LOAN ORDERS FROM FROM PRIOR YEARS
AND HAVEN'T BEEN USED ARE. AND IS IT THE 500 MILLION BOND SALE THIS WEEK OR IS IT AN FUTURE BOND SALE IN THE FUTURE LIKE OH WE'RE IN I KNOW WE HAVE
A LOT OF AUTHORIZATIONS FOR BORROWING BUT THIS A BIG PILE OF NEVER BEEN USED SO I'M JUST CURIOUS. YEAH AND I GATHER YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE ONGOING THE VHA PROJECTS OR THE THE THE NEW ONES THAT WERE ADDED IN THE
CAPITAL PLAN. YEAH. THE ONGOING VHA AND ANY NEW ONES AS WELL LIKE YOU'VE GOT ELEVATORS AND ALL SORTS OF STUFF WHEN WE GET THE MONEY .
SO IT'S A COMBINATION OF OF BOTH BOND OFFERINGS THAT HAVE ALREADY HAPPENED AND BOND OFFERINGS THAT WILL HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE DEPENDING ON THE EXACT TIMING. SO THE CITY HAS BOND COUNCIL AND AS YOU PROBABLY
KNOW COUNCILOR BOND COUNCIL IS VERY EXACTING. SO THERE'S LIKE WE ACTUALLY PROVIDE ON THE VHA AND A LOT OF KIND OF LIKE REGULAR QUARTERLY UPDATES ON EXACTLY
WHERE VARIOUS PROJECTS ARE BECAUSE THEY WANT THE MONIES TO BE EXPENDED WITHIN A CERTAIN WINDOW OF WHEN THE BOND OFFERING HAS GONE OUT. SO WE DO A LOT OF WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS AT OPM ABOUT THAT.
OKAY. AND AND WE DID HAVE SOME OF OUR STUFF THAT WAS FUNDED IN THE OFFERING THAT JUST WENT OUT. OH GOOD. THAT'S GOOD. AND I THINK SOME OF US IT'S VERY HARD TO UNDERSTAND FROM THE FOLKS ON THE OUTSIDE ABOUT
HOW WE DO THIS. YOU KNOW, AND ALSO THE QUESTION ABOUT JUST THE SEQUENCING AND HOW WE LINE EVERYTHING UP. YOU GUYS ARE REALLY GOOD AT IT.
SO THE OTHER ISSUE I HAD WAS JUST THE 3% OF THE AND VERY OFTEN IN PROJECTS THAT COME ONLINE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD OUR OFFERINGS OR PROPOSALS THAT
COME ON WE WE ASKED THE DEVELOPER TO 17% PLUS 3% FOR CITY VOUCHERS AND THAT BRINGS
IT UP TO 20% LEVEL. AND YOU KNOW, WE DO GET THAT COMMITMENT BUT I THINK THEN ONE THING THAT WE'RE HAVING RIGHT NOW IS THAT THE A LOT OF THE
PROJECTS EVEN PROJECTS THAT WERE APPROVED TEN YEARS AGO ARE STILL SITTING THERE ON BUILT AND JUST NO HOW WE CAN MOVE
THAT FORWARD. THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD WITH THE CITY VOUCHERS IS I'M GETTING FEEDBACK FROM AND I THINK WE'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION KENZI WE'RE
GETTING FEEDBACK ABOUT SORT OF HOW CUMBERSOME THAT'S THE PROCESS IS IT FOR FOR A CLIENT TO TAKE A AND GO WITH A VOUCHER TO GET A GET A RENTAL IN THE IN
THE IN THE PRIVATE MARKET IN THE PUBLIC MARKET LIKE PUBLIC PRIVATE ALWAYS GET THOSE MIXED UP IN THE MARKETPLACE WITH A LANDLORD WHO'S NOT A WHO DOES
ISN'T DOESN'T KNOW HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE OR A LOT OF EXPOSURE TAKING THOSE WHO SEND VOUCHERS. IT'S JUST A TIME CONSUMING, LABORIOUS WAY THERE ANY WAY WE
CAN STREAMLINE THAT WHOLE PROCESS BECAUSE I THINK WE HAD A RECENT CASE WHERE IT WAS VERY CHALLENGING AND I THINK THE THE REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY IS YOU
KNOW, THERE ARE REAL ESTATE BROKERS WHO WANT TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND HELP PUSH THEM THROUGH THE PROCESS. BUT IT'S LABORIOUS, MIXED TAKES TIME AND I THINK THAT'S A DISINCENTIVE FOR MORE PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE.
YEAH. THANK YOU, COUNSELOR, FOR THE QUESTION. A COUPLE OF THINGS. I MEAN IT'S DEFINITELY TRUE THAT ONE OF THE CHALLENGES AND I THINK THIS WILL CONTINUE TO GET BETTER AS WE HAVE MORE CITY VOUCHERS AND THEY'VE JUST BEEN AROUND FOR LONGER.
THERE IS A PIECE OF LIKE LANDLORD EDUCATION BECAUSE EVERYONE SORT OF KNOWS WHAT THE FEDERAL VOUCHERS ARE AND THEY DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW WHAT THE CITY VOUCHER IS. SO THAT CAN BE A COMPONENT. BUT I DO THINK ALSO THAT WE ARE
CONTINUING TO WORK ON STREAMLINING THAT PROCESS. I THINK THAT WHEN WE FIRST GOT SET UP WITH THE CITY VOUCHER PROGRAM WE OBVIOUSLY MODELED IT ON A LOT OF THE PROCESSES THAT
WERE REQUIRED TO GO THROUGH ON THE FEDERAL AND STATE SIDE AND WITH THE EXCEPTION THAT AS WAS ALLUDED TO EARLIER, WE'RE ABLE TO BE MORE FLEXIBLE ABOUT COMMUNITIES THAT WE HOUSED WITH THE CITY VOUCHER PROGRAM. BUT I DO THINK THAT AS WE
CONTINUED TO LIKE IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAM FOR A LONGER ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE SORT OF THINKING ABOUT IS WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT MAYBE WE'RE REQUIRED TO DO ON THE FEDERAL AND STATE SIDE BUT THEY'RE ADDING A BUNCH OF PAPERWORK AND THEY ACTUALLY COULD BE
STREAMLINED. BUT THE BALANCING ACT WITH THAT IS THAT WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE IT LIKE EASY FOR OUR FOR OUR CLIENTS TO KIND OF LIKE WHO
MIGHT BE ON THE WAITLIST FOR A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF VOUCHERS. WE DON'T WANT IT TO BE TOO DIFFERENT IN TERMS OF THE PROCESS. BUT I DO THINK THAT OBVIOUSLY YOU'RE RIGHT THAT THE CITY IS PROBABLY IT'S THE PLACE WHERE
WE CAN MOVE IN A MOST STREAMLINED WAY BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THAT OTHER REGULATORY LEVEL. SO WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR WAYS TO DO THAT. SO THE QUESTION I HAD ABOUT THE CITY VOUCHER BECAUSE I'M STILL I'M STILL LEARNING ABOUT THE
PROGRAM AS WELL IS IT MEMORIALIZED WITH A MEMO FROM SHEILA SHARPE LIKE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING TO YOU FOLKS? IS THAT YEAH, THERE'S A MEMO
YOU THAT THAT'S HOW WE GET THE MONEY OVER FROM. YEAH BECAUSE I THINK SOMETIMES PEOPLE THINK THAT THE MONEY IS IS THEY FORGET WHERE THEY COME FROM THEY DON'T REALIZE THAT
VHA IS A SEPARATE ENTITY FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING IN THE CITY. SO IT'S GOOD TO CLARIFY THAT. THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD WAS
REALLY ABOUT UH YEAH, THAT'S THE QUESTION ASKED OH THAT'S TOO MUCH TO ASK GOING INTO THE WEEDS.
THE THE WHEN YOU GET THE CITY BUDGET YOU GET THE BUDGET SHEET. IT'S JUST A LINE LIKE IT'S JUST WHAT WE ACTUALLY VOTE ON AS COUNCILORS IS IS THE ACTUAL 52
MILLION AND IT'S IT'S DIFFICULT TO ACTUALLY DECIPHER THIS IS DOESN'T GIVE US A LOT OF INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT THE INDIVIDUAL PROGRAMS DO IS IT A WAY THAT THE YOU KNOW WE COULD
GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT BUT WHAT THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS DO IN MORE DETAIL? YEAH, I THINK YES DEFINITELY I
MEAN THAT WAS YOU KNOW THE THE SLIDE 12 ON THE SLIDE DECK HAS SOMEWHAT OF A BREAKDOWN BUT IT'S STILL PRETTY HIGH LEVEL AND WE CAN WE CAN CERTAINLY BREAK THAT DOWN EVEN FURTHER FOR YOU CAN YOU JUST US TO HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND ABOUT JUST
THE THE I THINK YOU GET YOU GET A LOT OF BANG FOR YOUR BUCK GIVEN YOU KNOW YOUR ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS ARE QUITE REASONABLE COMPARED TO THE AMOUNT OF WORK YOU DO SO I THINK JUST UNDERSTANDING THAT
UM YOU HAVE DIFFERENT BUCKETS AND THAT THE BOSTON HOMELESS CENTER AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING DIVISION AND THE OFFICE OF HOUSING STABILITY AND ALL THE SUPPORT OF HOUSING DIVISION
ALL OF THAT IS ALL MANAGED UNDER YEARS OF RELLER AND IS A CONSIDERABLE PALETTE OF SERVICES THAT YOU DELIVER AND IT'S BEEN NICE TO UNDERSTAND HAVE THE FOLKS
UNDERSTAND WHAT ALL YOU DO. YEAH AND YEAH AND ANOTHER GOOD PLACE TO LOOK AT FOR MORE DETAILED BREAKDOWNS WOULD BE IN THE ANNUAL REPORTS THAT WE SUBMIT TO HUD AND THAT WE POST ON OUR WEBSITE AS WELL AND WE CAN BUT I AGREE WITH YOU I THINK WE NEED TO DO A BETTER
JOB OF SPELLING THAT OUT FOR THE CONSTITUENTS. YEAH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER. COUNCIL YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU CHAIR I JUST I'D LIKE
TO THANK COUNCILOR DURKAN FOR HER COMMENTS ABOUT ACCESS TO COUNCIL PROGRAM AND YOU KNOW WHAT? WELL, YOU KNOW I DID PUSH FOR WE HAD HEARINGS INCLUDING WITH
YOU, YOU KNOW CHIEF DILLON. YOU KNOW, COULDN'T HAVE GOT THAT PROGRAM UP AND RUNNING WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF MY COLLEAGUES HERE ON THE COUNCIL AND I JUST WANT TO THANK ALL OF THEM FOR
SUPPORTING THAT PROGRAM AND I HOPE TO HAVE THEIR SUPPORT FOR IT AS WE GO THROUGH THIS BUDGET PROCESS AGAIN. UM, YOU KNOW AND SO YOU KNOW WE
HAD A HEARING HERE WITH BEEPS WE HEARD FROM SUPERINTENDENT SKIPPER AND BEEPS THAT YOU HAVE 5000 KIDS AND BEEPS THAT WERE HOMELESS IN
THE LAST YEAR THAT WE SPENT APPROXIMATELY $17 MILLION BUSING THOSE KIDS BACK TO THEIR HOME SCHOOLS FROM SHELTERS. AND WE ALSO HEARD ABOUT HOW MUCH IMPACT THIS HAS ON OUR STUDENTS FACING EVICTION, BEING
HOMELESS AND THAT THE ACCESS TO COUNCIL PROGRAM IS CRUCIAL TO THEIR PLANS TO REDUCE THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP IN SCHOOL. YOU KNOW, I WAS HAPPY TO SEE THE ACCESS TO COUNCIL PROGRAM
AS WE DISCUSSED HERE IN THE MAYOR'S ANTI DISPLACEMENT ACTION PLAN. I WAS HAPPY TO SEE THAT YOU DISCUSSED IT TODAY. YOU KNOW AND I THINK YOU KNOW,
WE WE VOTED ON IN THE BUDGET ACCESS TO THE COUNCIL PROGRAM WOULD NOT BE UP AND RUNNING IF IT WASN'T FOR FOR YOUR WORK. CHIEF DILLON AND ALSO DANIELLE JOHNSON AND THAT PROGRAM YOU
KNOW WE WE HEARD THAT IT'S IT'S UP AND RUNNING IT'S ONLY BEEN UP AND RUNNING I THINK FOR THREE MONTHS IT WAS 770 FAMILIES AND THREE MONTHS OF PROJECTED OVER THE COURSE
OF YOU KNOW, A YEAR OR TWO YEARS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A THOUSAND FAMILIES YOU KNOW, AVERAGE TWO KIDS PER FAMILY, YOU KNOW, 2000 KIDS IN TWO YEARS SOMETHING YOU KNOW MORE THAN THAT THAT WE'RE PREVENTING
,YOU KNOW, FROM HAVING TO GO THROUGH AN EVICTION AND SUFFER THAT YOU KNOW AND SO I THINK IT'S THERE YOU KNOW, THIS IS A PROGRAM THAT CAN WORK.
YOU KNOW, I'M NOT HAPPY TO SEE THAT IT'S NOT IN THE BUDGET. AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE THIS FIGHT AGAIN TO GET IT FUNDED IN THE BUDGET. AND YOU KNOW, I'M I'M UP FOR IT
AND I I CERTAINLY YOU KNOW, I THINK MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES ARE UP FOR IT TOO. WE'RE TALKING $300,000. I GUESS, CHIEF DILLON, FOR THE ACCESS TO COUNCIL YOU KNOW, IN
YOUR MIND IS IT IS IT WORKING SO YES, IT'S UP AND RUNNING. THEY'VE DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB OF MAKING SURE THAT THE SCHOOLS ARE AWARE WBLS IS GOT ATTORNEYS
DEDICATED TO TO WORKING WITH THESE FAMILIES AND YOU KNOW IT'S ONLY SEVERAL MONTHS IN BUT THESE FAMILIES ARE GETTING FULL LEGAL REPRESENTATION THAT
SOMETIMES YOU KNOW AS MANY OF YOU KNOW YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES FAMILIES ARE JUST GETTING QUICK ADVICE OR ATTORNEY FOR A DAY BUT THESE FAMILIES ARE GETTING REAL LEGAL REPRESENTATION. SO I WOULD SAY AFTER THREE
MONTHS IT IS IS WORKING NOW WE'LL SEE LIKE YOU KNOW WELL WE'RE TRACKING THE RESULTS AND DANIELLE IS GOING A VERY GOOD JOB OF OF SETTING IT UP. SO WBLS WILL BE PROVIDING US
REALLY CRITICAL INFORMATION TO EXAMINE AND SEE THE RESULTS OF IT. BUT I WOULD SAY IT'S IT'S BEEN SET UP IN THE RIGHT WAY AND I'M EXPECTING REALLY GOOD RESULTS FROM IT. OKAY.
AND THEN I GUESS SO YOU'D LIKE TO SEE THE PROGRAM CONTINUE. I'M JUST GOING TO ASK YOU A LEADING QUESTION. I THINK IT'S A CRITICAL NEED. YEAH. AND FOR YOU KNOW, $300,000 A
YEAR, IS THAT ADEQUATE TO KEEP THIS PROGRAM GOING AS IT STANDS NOW, THE THE NEED EXCEEDS
$300,000. I JUST YOU KNOW, I'LL BE I WOULD BE DISHONEST IF I IF I DIDN'T SAY THAT THERE IS MORE AND YOU KNOW, AS YOU MANY OF YOU KNOW AS YOU KNOW THAT
FEW FAMILIES GO INTO HOUSING COURT WITH LEGAL REPRESENTATION AND I DOING A NUMBER WHAT IS 90 90% PLUS DON'T HAVE ANY LEGAL REPRESENTATION SO THE NEED IS
CERTAINLY ENDLESS. YEAH I GOT THE SAME FEEDBACK FROM GREATER BOSTON LEGAL SERVICES. YOU KNOW THEY'RE THEY'RE LIKE THIS IS GREAT YOU KNOW TO MAKE AND IN OTHER CITIES WHERE
THEY'VE STARTED THEY'VE STARTED PROGRAMS LIKE THIS THEY START WITH A SMALL POPULATION. THEY EXPAND IF WE COULD GET MORE FUNDING FOR THE PROGRAM
WOULD YOU WANT IT TO CONTINUE FOCUSING ON STUDENTS AND ASSUMING THE ANSWER IS YES IF WE COULD GET YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN INCREASE THE FUNDING TO TO
APPROPRIATE LEVELS LIKE WHAT OTHER POPULATIONS DO YOU THINK WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THESE SERVICES? I DO REMEMBER IN THE WORKING SESSION THAT WE HAD GOSH, I
KNOW SIX MAYBE A YEAR AGO MAYBE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE CRITICAL NEED FOR A PROGRAM IT JUST REALLY FOCUSED ON FAMILIES WITH SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN. I MEAN THAT WAS LIKE A VERY,
VERY SERIOUS FOCUS GIVEN GIVEN THE DISRUPTION TO TO YOU KNOW, TO STUDENTS. AND THEN WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT IF IF YOU KNOW, WE COULD HAVE, YOU KNOW, EVERY WISH GRANTED
THAT WE WOULD ALSO FOCUS ON SENIORS THAT ARE ALSO FACING EVICTIONS IN VERY LARGE NUMBERS AND DON'T HAVE A DEDICATED PROGRAM FOR THEM. BUT I THINK THAT THE IDEA IS
REALLY LOOKING AT AND TRYING TO FOCUS LIMITED RESOURCES ON A POPULATION. YEAH, I THINK THAT'S HOW YOU KNOW THESE PROGRAMS HAVE YOU ESTABLISH A TRACK RECORD AND
YOU BUILD IT OUT BUT IT'S REALLY I MEAN I YEAH I, I, I STARTED PUSHING FOR THIS BECAUSE WHEN I WAS RUNNING A SENIOR IN WEST ROXBURY CALLED ME AND SAID I'M LOSING MY HOUSING. I'VE LIVED HERE MY WHOLE LIFE.
I CAN'T LEAVE. I RAISE MY KIDS HERE. I CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE HERE. AND THAT LED ME TO STARTED YOU KNOW, KIND OF RESEARCHING ISSUE AND ONE THING LED TO ANOTHER AND SPENT A LOT OF TIME AND
ENERGY FIGHTING FOR ACCESS TO COUNCILOR. I WILL JUST FOR MY COLLEAGUES TO POINT OUT IN THE IN THE RESPONSES TO YOU KNOW THE IS AT NUMBER NINE WE ASKED YOU KNOW
WHAT SHORTFALL LS HAS YOUR DEPARTMENT EXPERIENCED IN THE PAST YOU KNOW AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO I THINK THE RESPONSE IS BASICALLY LIKE WE WE COULD USE
ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO CONTINUE THE GOOD WORK THAT WE DO AND YOU DO LIST TENANT STABILIZATION FUND FIRST TIME HOMEBUYER DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE, EMERGENCY HOUSING AND ACCESS TO COUNCILOR.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS YOU HAVE ASKED FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR I REALLY HOPE WE CAN DELIVER THAT IN THE BUDGET AND I'LL CONTINUE FIGHTING FOR
THAT. I FOR IN TERMS OF THE
ADMINISTRATIVE BLOCK OKAY. I IF YOU JUST WANT TO SAY THERE'S STATE REPS IN MY TOWN YOU'VE GOT 150,000 FOR YOUTH PROGRAMING AND MILDRED HAYLEY I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT
TOO. YOU KNOW WHAT YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE WE COULD USE FOR YOUTH PROGRAMING AT MILDRED HAYLEY IN ADDITION TO THAT 150 YEAH, WELL IT'S NOT MY ROLE TO PUT NUMBERS
OUT THERE BUT I WOULD CERTAINLY SAY THAT WE COULD USE MORE SUPPORT AND WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE FACT AS YOU KNOW THAT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB AND BOSTON CHILDREN'S AND WE'LL BE OPENING THE YOUTH SPACE AND THE SORT
OF YOUTH CAVE IN THE BASEMENT THAT HAS BEEN A LONG TERM GREAT SPACE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE BUT HASN'T HAD REAL ROBUST PROGRAMING FOR A WHILE. BUT AS YOU ALSO KNOWN AS I ALLUDED TO EARLIER, THE ANIMATE
CALL CENTER IS REOPENING IN IN THE SUMMER AND WE DON'T YET HAVE FUNDING FOR LIKE FULL ROBUST PROGRAMING THERE LIKE WE SHOULD AND REALLY AT MILDRED HAYLEY WE HAVE SO MANY KIDS AT
SO MANY DIFFERENT AGES AND IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO HAVE PROGRAMS THAT KIND OF ALL THOSE DIFFERENT AGES AND ALSO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES. SO WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT YOU KNOW COULD WE EXPAND OUR CHARLESTOWN ADULT ED CENTER
WHICH WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL OVER TWO MILDRED HAYLEY BUT THAT WOULD TAKE SOME SOME MEANINGFUL FUNDS AND SO WOULD DOING THE ANIMATE CALL CENTER OR FULL PROGRAMING EXPANSION. SO THERE'S THERE'S A LOT OF NEED AT HAYLEY AS YOU KNOW
COUNSELOR AND I APPRECIATE ALL YOUR ADVOCACY ON THAT. OKAY THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU CHAIR THANK ACCOUNTS OF THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL PRESIDENT LOUIJEUNE
COUNCIL YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU SO MUCH MR CHAIR AND THANK YOU TO THE ADMINISTRATION FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE WONDERFUL TESTIMONY THAT WE HEARD UPLIFTING THE NEED FOR US
TO DO MORE INVESTMENTS IN HOUSING. DOMINGO, YOU WAS WHERE YOU WERE. WE WERE WITH THIS HERE. I REMEMBER FROM SITTING RIGHT THERE YOU WERE WITH US UNTIL WELL AFTER MIDNIGHT AND WE
APPRECIATE YOUR ADVOCACY. SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AS WELL. I THINK MY COLLEAGUE COUNCILOR WEBER WHO I DON'T KNOW IF IT HASN'T BEEN MENTIONED BEFORE THAT THE
PROGRAM FOR THE PILOT PROGRAM FOR FAMILIES FACING EVICTION BE PEOPLE WITH KIDS AND BEPS IT WAS ALSO PART OF THE ANTI DISPLACEMENT PLAN THAT WE THAT THAT THE MAYOR HAS PUT OUT AND
SOMETHING THAT THE COUNCIL STATED WHEN HE FIRST STARTED IS TO NOT MAKE YOU KNOW THAT YOU WANT TO DO THIS WORK BUT YOU KNOW MAKE HIM ANGRY IS NOT A BETTER PLACE TO BE IN AND
I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A PROGRAM THAT HE FOUGHT FOR THAT I WAS HAPPY TO JOIN HIM IN THIS FIGHT ESPECIALLY AS A FORMER LEGAL AID ATTORNEY MYSELF IN HOUSING COURT. AND SO THIS IS A DEEP, DEEP
NEED AND I THINK THAT THERE'S GENERAL SUPPORT FOR IT AND I'D LIKE TO SEE IT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT CONTINUE WITHOUT US HAVING TO ASK FOR IT. RIGHT IS SOMETHING THAT HAS LIKE A VALUE.
SO I'M ASKING WHAT I THINK A LOT OF THE TESTIMONY BECAUSE A LOT OF IT IS JUST REFLECTIVE OF THE THINGS THAT WE COLLECTIVELY HAVE FOUGHT FOR WHEN ESPECIALLY WHEN WE HAD ARPA DOLLARS REGARDING AOP, I
BELIEVE THIS COUNCIL VERY PROUDLY PUT $27 MILLION INTO AOP. WE SUPPORTED COMMUNITY LAND TRUSTS AND WAS HAPPY TO HEAR THE TESTIMONY FROM MEREDITH
FROM EVERYONE ELSE. SO I'M WONDERING WHAT IS AND I DON'T HAVE MY BUDGET BOOK IN FRONT OF ME AND I SHOULD WHAT ARE THE CONTINUING COMMITMENTS WE'RE MAKING TO AOP AND WHAT
ARE THE CONTINUING COMMITMENTS THAT WE'RE MAKING FOR COMMUNITY LAND TRUST AND THE CAMI LAND TRUST? WE WERE TRYING THEY WERE TRYING TO THE WHOLE COALITION WAS TRYING TO TAKE THE MOVEMENT STATEWIDE TO GET SOME MORE STATEWIDE FUNDING FOR COMMUNITY
LAND TRUST AND WE HAD TALKED ABOUT HAVING AN ONLINE ITEM TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY LAND TRUST SPECIFICALLY. SO WE WANT TO GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE SIT AND WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN A HEARING ON AOP BUT
WE'D LOVE TO SORT OF GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE OUR ARE RIGHT NOW. YEAH, OKAY. COUNCILOR SO FOR AOP I'M LOOKING AT A SUMMARY AND A STATUS UPDATE RIGHT HERE. SO WE RECENTLY WERE ABLE TO
SECURE $10 MILLION FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING TRUST TO FUND AOP FOR THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR. WE WERE VERY EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO GET THAT SO THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE FOR AOP.
WE HAVE MADE TO DATE SINCE THE PROGRAM STARTED IN 2016 OVER $110 MILLION WAS ALMOST $111 MILLION THAT WE'VE MADE AVAILABLE TO AOP AND 100 OF THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN BEEN
COMMITTED FOR SIF COMMUNITY LAND TRUSTS. WE GAVE $2 MILLION IN CITY FUNDING A FEW YEARS AGO AND THEN WE GAVE ANOTHER MILLION DOLLARS OF ARPA FUNDING TO TWO FIELDS JUST IN THE PAST FEW
MONTHS RIGHT JUST PRIOR TO THE COMMITMENT DEADLINE OF 2024 WE ACTUALLY WERE WAITING FOR A STATUS UPDATE ON THE FUNDING AND AS SOON AS WE GET THAT COUNCIL'S WILL WE'LL BE HAPPY TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU. OKAY, THANK YOU.
WHAT IS THE WHAT YOU WERE ABLE TO GIVE OUT THE AOP HOW DOES THAT MATCH UP VERSUS THE DEMAND
? I WE WE ARE WE'RE THERE'S A LOT OF THERE'S A LOT OF AS THE PROGRAM HAS GROWN AND PEOPLE
HAVE GOTTEN USED TO IT BOTH THE NONPROFITS AND AND REALLY SOME VERY GOOD WORK FOR SOME FOR PROFITS THERE PEOPLE ARE OUT FINDING OPPORTUNITIES RIGHT AND
THERE'S THERE ARE PORTFOLIOS OLDER PORTFOLIOS COMING ON THE MARKET AND WE CAN'T FUND ALL OF THE PROJECTS THAT ARE COMING OUR WAY. SO NOW WE'RE BEING PRETTY WE'RE BEING MORE SELECTIVE ON WHAT WE CAN FUND.
ARE THE TENANTS AT RISK? IS IT AN AREA THAT WE'RE SEEING GENTRIFICATION IF A PROJECT NOW IS A WORK WITH THE OWNER YOU
KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF FOLKS THAT HAVE VOUCHERS AND THAT CAN PAY THE MARKET RATE RENTS. MAYBE THAT'S NOT AS COMPELLING AS A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE PAYING AND YOU KNOW, SLIGHTLY LESS RENT BECAUSE.
THERE'S BEEN THE SAME OWNER FOR 30 YEARS. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT EACH PROJECT NOW MORE CAREFULLY THAN WE HAVE IN THE PAST BECAUSE WE HAVE MORE LIMITED RESOURCES. SO IT'S LIKE REALLY ASKING WHO'S AT RISK?
IS THE AREA IS THE AREA MORE AT RISK TOO TO BE FOR US TO SEE DISPLACEMENT? THANK YOU. THAT FELL ON APARTMENTS VICTORY THAT WAS A GREAT VICTORY USED
THE NEWER SOURCE OF FUNDING THAT THE CITY HAD BUT IN COLLABORATION WITH A LOT OF GREAT HOSPITALS DONATED AND
DIFFERENT ENTITIES LIKE FOUNDATIONS FOR THAT VERY WORK OF ANTI DISPLACEMENT IS WHAT HOW ARE WE DEVELOPING THAT? DO WE HAVE MORE IN THE PIPELINE FOR PROJECTS AND FOR SUCCESS
STORIES LIKE THAT? NO YOU'RE RAISING A ONE A WONDERFUL INITIATIVE. WE'RE GOING TO GIVE SOME KUDOS TO MY COLLEAGUE DAN LESSER AND ADAM GOLDSTEIN WHO WORKED ON
THIS REALLY HARD TO PUT TOGETHER THE ACQUISITION. I ALWAYS GET THE NAME WRONG BUT THE BOSTON ACQUISITION FUND YEP, RUN BY MEC AND THEY HAVE WORKED WITH HOSPITALS, THEY'VE
WORKED WITH, YOU KNOW, FUNDERS AND WE'RE TALKING TO CDPHE GUYS TO REALLY GROW THE FUND TO PROVIDE LOWER COST LOWER COST FUNDING TO TO THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO TO HAVE OUR PARTNERS BUY
MORE PROPERTIES SO IT'S GOING WELL AND YOU'RE RIGHT THEY WERE ABLE TO MAKE AN INVESTMENT ON FAIR LAWN AND THEN THEY'RE ABLE TO MAKE IT YOU KNOW IN ANOTHER INVESTMENT MORE RECENTLY. SO WE'RE REALLY STARTING TO SEE
SOME MORE RECENT INVESTMENT THEY IT WAS A WOMAN OWNED ESTATE COMPANY WHO BOUGHT TWO BUILDINGS RECENTLY IN ROXBURY I THINK I FORGET HOW MUCH I'M LOOKING AT NINE NINE UNITS BUT
REALLY BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL. YOU KNOW SMALLER MULTIFAMILY SO THAT IS WORKING WELL AND WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM NOW AND GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER AND REALLY PUSHING THEM ON THEIR
UNDERWRITING. SO THAT'S GOING WELL. OF COURSE WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR NEW INVESTORS AND SHARE AND COUNTER DURKIN MENTIONED YOU KNOW THE INSTITUTION SO CAN THE INSTITUTIONS AS PART
OF MITIGATION CONTRIBUTE TO THAT FUND TOO SO WE CAN, YOU KNOW, SEE SEE THAT FUND GROW AND SUPPORT MORE PROJECTS YEAH ESPECIALLY HOSPITALS THAT ARE DOING THE WORK OF LIKE UNDERSTANDING AND MORE THAT
LIKE HOW HOUSING IS A DETERMINANT OF HEALTH. I WAS AT BOSTON MEDICAL CENTER RECENTLY. THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT INVESTING MORE IN HOUSING AND I THINK THERE'S MORE OF A ROLE FOR MASS GENERAL TO PLAY SO
OKAY I HAVE A LOT MORE QUESTIONS AND I HAVE 17 SECONDS AND I'LL WAIT FOR MY SECOND ROUND BUT COUNT COUNSELOR CHIEF DILLARD NO, NO CHIEF, IT'S YOU.
WE HAD A HOUSING HEARING RECENTLY IN THE LAST YEAR AND I TALKED ABOUT LIKE WHAT WOULD IT TAKE FOR THE RESIDENTS OF BOSTON TO SEE THAT ALL OF YOUR EFFORTS AND ALL OF OUR COLLECTIVE EFFORTS ON THE COUNCIL TO SEE THE NEEDLE
MOVING IN THE HOUSING MARKET BECAUSE THERE ARE GREAT THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING. BUT OVERALL I THINK WE DID DROP FROM THE SECOND MOST EXPENSIVE CITY TO RENT TO THE FOURTH MOST EXPENSIVE CITY TO RENT. I DON'T KNOW IF RESIDENTS ARE
REALLY FEELING THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE FOR PEOPLE TO ACTUALLY FEEL THAT WE'RE DOING THE WORK RATHER THAN LIKE ONE OFF STORIES WHICH I THINK ARE GREAT ? I LOVE FAIRLAWN IS LIKE THE
BEST THING. IT'S LIKE I WALK OUT MY HOUSE AND I LOOK AT EVERYONE AND LOVE THAT STORY BUT YOU MENTIONED THE REAL ESTATE TRANSFER FEE LIKE NEEDING THAT AND NEEDING
THAT AS A SOURCE OF REVENUE TO REALLY BE ABLE TO FOR RESIDENTS TO FEEL THE IMPACT OF THE WORK THE CITY'S DOING IN HOUSING THAT'S AT THE STATE HOUSE DON'T THINK THAT THAT WE DON'T BELIEVE THAT THAT'S GOING TO BE MOVING IN LIGHT OF THAT WHAT IS
IT GOING TO TAKE OR WILL WE NOT SEE SORT OF THAT IMPACT OF THE WORK THAT WE WANT TO SEE? I THINK THE BEST WAY FOR ME TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION IS THAT
THERE'S THERE'S THE WILL IN BOSTON. I MEAN THERE'S NOT THE WILL IN A LOT OF OTHER CITIES AND TOWNS. THERE'S THE KNOW HOW IN REALLY EFFECTIVE PROGRAMS AND WHAT WE
NEED IS RESOURCES TRULY IS WHAT WE NEED IS WE CAN BUILD MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF UNITS WE CAN HELP PEOPLE BUY HOMES.
IT IS ABOUT RESOURCES AND I BOSTON YOU KNOW BOSTON IS A HEALTHY HOUSING BUDGET WE'VE GOT LINKAGE, WE'VE GOT IDP, WE'VE GOT CPA. WE'VE DONE PRETTY MUCH I WOULD SAY EVERYTHING BUT WE'VE DONE A
LOT HERE RIGHT WITH THE HELP OF THE CITY COUNCIL IT IS THE STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAT WE NEED AND I'M NOT PASSING THE BUCK OR BUT IT REALLY IS THAT THAT SIZE
OF RESOURCE THAT WE NEED TO REALLY REALLY MAKE A DENT. I MEAN WE MAKE A DENT EVERY DAY. WE'RE HELPING PEOPLE EVERY DAY BUT WE REALLY ARE GOING TO BRING ON TENS OF THOUSANDS OF NEW UNITS LIKE THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT DID IN THE FORTIES AND FIFTIES. WE'RE GOING TO NEED THAT KIND OF INVESTMENT. CAN WE HAVE ENOUGH EVERYTHING AND YEAH I AGREE I THINK I
THINK THAT ARPA WAS AN INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CITY TO SEE WHAT WE COULD DO WITH HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND AND LIKE A LOT OF CREDIT TO CHIEF DILLON FOR
HOW MANY OF THOSE PROGRAMS NIH SET UP AND SCALED AND I THINK IT WOULD JUST IT WOULD REALLY BE A SHAME IF WHEN WE HAVE THAT INFRASTRUCTURE WE THEN LET IT ATROPHY BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE
THE RESOURCES TO KEEP GOING AT THAT SCALE BECAUSE AGAIN, I MEAN BOSTON WE TO THE CHIEF'S POINT ABOUT SORT OF THE WILLINGNESS LIKE WE CARRY THE WEIGHT FOR PRODUCING AFFORDABLE
HOUSING FOR THE WHOLE REGION I MEAN AND THE REALITY IS IS THAT LIKE YOU KNOW, WE'RE ONE OF THE ONLY CITIES IN THIS METRO REGION THAT IS ACTUALLY LIKE DOING ANYTHING AND AND WE WE
HAVE OVERPRODUCED THOSE LIKE TEN YEAR AND 20 YEAR TARGETS IF THE WHOLE REGION WAS PULLING ITS WEIGHT BUT BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT WE STILL YOU KNOW CONTINUE TO RUN TO CATCH UP.
THANK YOU COUNCILOR THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES CONCILOR MEJIA HERE COUNCILOR THE FLOOR IS YOURS THANK YOU CHAIR AND I WANT TO THANK MY COLLEAGUES FOR ALL THE GREAT QUESTIONS THAT YOU'VE ASKED SO FAR AND TO THE
ADMINISTRATION FOR BEING HERE WITH US THIS EVENING. I JUST WANT TO START WITH CHIEF DILLON. YOU KNOW YOUR DEPARTMENT IS THE LIFELINE TO SO MANY RESIDENTS
THAT WE SERVE AND THERE HAS NOT BEEN A TIME WHEN WE'VE REACHED OUT THAT YOU ALL HAVE NOT PICKED UP THE PHONE AND DELIVERED FOR US AND SOMETIMES THESE CASES ARE REALLY DIFFICULT. SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU.
WE REALLY DO APPRECIATE HOW HARD YOUR TEAM GOES IN A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO DANIEL JOHNSON WHO WAS YET THERE. HEY GUYS WHO RECENTLY
PARTICIPATED. WE HAVE A QUALITY OF LIFE TASK FORCE CITY WIDE AND SHE WAS JUST INVITED TO JUST DO A PRESENTATION HIGH LEVEL ABOUT
THE OFFICE AND WHAT WOULD YOU ALL DO AND ENDED UP STAYING THERE THE ENTIRE TIME AND IT WAS ALMOST A TWO HOUR MEETING AND I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW LIKE THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT RESIDENTS REALLY DO PAY ATTENTION AND SO I WAS REALLY
EXCITED TO HAVE HER THAT LEADERSHIP THERE AND I AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING HER CONTINUE TO JUST SHOW UP THE WAY THAT SHE DOES FOR PEOPLE UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP. SO THANK YOU.
ALL RIGHT. SO I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR EVERYBODY AND MOST LIKELY I'LL HAVE THREE ROUNDS TO JUST BECAUSE THIS IS A HOT TOPIC ISSUE HERE. SO I'M GOING TO JUST START OFF
KIND OF WITH ADMINISTRATIVE BLOCK IF YOU COULD JUST KIND OF I'M JUST CURIOUS I'VE HEARD THIS FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS JUST BRING THE VOICES TO THE CHAMBER AND THIS IS A CRAZY IDEA YOU CAN
JUST TELL US. BUT SO FOLKS WERE ASKING WHETHER OR NOT VHA COULD BE CONVERTED INTO COMMUNITY LAND TRUST.
SO THE IN A LOT OF WAYS WE LIKE YOU KNOW, WE THINK OF OUR GROUND LEASES LIKE EVEN WHEN VHA HOLDS PUBLIC LAND IN A
SIMILAR WAY SO YOU KNOW LIKE WE HAVE THERE ARE SITES THAT THE VHA TURNED INTO HOME OWNERSHIP OR HAD LIKE OTHER AFFORDABLE DEVELOPERS DEVELOP HOUSING ON
IN THE PAST BUT WE HAVE REALLY LIKE KEPT THE LAND AND IT'S REALLY MOTIVATED BY THE SAME INSTINCT AS A COMMUNITY LAND TRUST WHICH IS THE IDEA THAT LIKE IF YOU KNOW IF YOU CONTINUE TO CONTROL THE LAND
THEN YOU CAN REALLY LIKE LIMIT THE THE SORT OF REPOSITIONING OF WHATEVER IS ON THE LAND IN A DIRECTION THAT MAYBE IS MORE MARKET ORIENTED AND DOESN'T DOESN'T SERVE THE ORIGINAL FOLKS.
SO I THINK LIKE WE THINK OF OF PUBLIC LAND AND COMMUNITY LAND TRUST LAND AS YOU KNOW TWO DIFFERENT SPECIES DEFINITELY TWO DIFFERENT SYSTEMS OF CONTROL BUT ALSO BUT BOTH KIND OF AIMING AT THE SAME
THING WHICH IS THE IDEA THAT WE SHOULD GET LAND OUT OF THE SORT OF SPECULATIVE PURELY PRIVATE MARKET. YEAH YEAH. SO I GUESS LOOK THEN THE NO
CAUSE I JUST WANT I WANT TO GET IT LIKE WELL SO SO TO BE CLEAR WHERE WE HAVE EXISTING PUBLIC HOUSING HUD WOULD NOT ALLOW US WE HAVE LIKE HUD COVENANTS ON ALL THE LAND AND SO THAT DEFINITELY HAS TO CONTINUE TO
BE HELD BY THE HOUSING AUTHORITY. I THINK THAT I WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED IF IN OUR HISTORY WE'VE OCCASIONALLY DISPOSED OF PARCELS TO LAND TRUSTS ESPECIALLY IN THE DUDLEY SQUARE AREA. SO I THINK LIKE IT'S NOT AN OFF
THE TABLE THING. YEAH NO BECAUSE I THINK THAT PEOPLE ARE REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT ALL OF THE DEVELOPMENT THAT'S HAPPENING HERE AND ALL THE REDEVELOPMENT OF A LOT OF YOU KNOW, HOUSING THAT IS
HAPPENING AND WHAT PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO HAVE IS AN UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE IN WHICH SOME OF THESE UNITS THEN BECOME MIXED INCOME AND YOU KNOW, THEY TAKE THEM OFF THE MARKET AND
THEY ARE NO LONGER AFFORDABLE. AND SO IF YOU HAVE A WAY OF MAINTAINING THE LAND IN A REAL WAY WHERE RESIDENTS ARE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, BE THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY AT ALL
TIMES, THEN THAT GIVES PEOPLE A SENSE OF SECURITY AND COUNCILOR I JUST WANT TO REASSURE FOLKS THAT ON ALL OF THE REDEVELOPMENTS WE HAVE EXTREMELY STRONG PERMANENT AFFORDABILITY LANGUAGE IN THE GROUND LEASES AND THAT IS ACTUALLY WHY THE VHA INSISTS ON
HOLDING THE GROUND LEASES EVEN WHEN WE DO PRIVATE REDEVELOPMENT BECAUSE WE ASSERT THAT THE PERMANENT AFFORDABILITY HAS A SAY THERE EVEN IF YOU LOSE THE SUBSIDY FRANKLY AND WE'VE HAD FRANKLY AND WE'VE HAD WE'VE HAD PRIVATE
OWNERS PUSH BACK AND BE LIKE WELL IF IN THE FUTURE THEY TAKE AWAY A SUBSIDY WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO? AND WE'RE LIKE SORRY, THIS LAND IS FOR PERMANENT AFFORDABLE HOUSING. SO I JUST REALLY WANT TO STRESS FOR ANYBODY WATCHING AT HOME AND I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT UP THE QUESTION THAT THAT'S LIKE
COMPLETELY CENTRAL TO US AND SOMETHING THAT WE DEFEND IN ALL OUR GROUND LEASES. YEAH. AND THEN YOU KNOW WHAT'S REALLY INTERESTING IS THAT YOU UTILIZE WORDS LIKE PORTFOLIO AND I DON'T KNOW MAYBE WHY THAT WAS A
LITTLE BIT TRIGGERING TO ME BECAUSE WHEN WE START TALKING LIKE THAT IT FEELS LIKE IT'S AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE A PORTFOLIO WHERE WHERE IS THE LINE THAT
WERE JARRING IN TERMS OF HOW WE ARE DEVELOPING THE CITY OF BOSTON? WELL, I THINK I MEAN WE SEE THE DEVELOPMENT AS REALLY BEING
MAKING SURE THAT THERE IS LONG TERM PERMANENT AFFORDABILITY IN THE MIDST OF DEVELOPMENT IN THE CITY OF BOSTON BECAUSE THAT'S I MEAN THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE SPENDING BILLIONS OF DOLLARS ON IS MAKING SURE THAT THOSE DEEPLY AFFORDABLE APARTMENTS
THAT ARE OF THE QUALITY THAT OUR FOLKS DESERVE AS PORTFOLIO JUST A NEW NORM, A NEW LANGUAGE THAT PEOPLE ARE USING IN REGARDS TO HOUSING STOCK.
YEAH I THINK YEAH IT'S JUST I MEAN I, I IT'S JUST A TERM THAT I THINK LIKE THE REAL ESTATE WORLD I YOU KNOW I THINK SOMETIMES WE USE IT IN THE REAL ESTATE LIKE WORLD TO TALK ABOUT
BECAUSE IT'S NOT WE DON'T HAVE ONE CONTINUOUS PIECE OF LAND RIGHT SO IT'S LIKE JUST HOW ELSE TO TALK ABOUT ALL OF THE DIFFERENT PARCELS THAT WE HOLD ACROSS THE CITY. GREAT. THANK YOU FOR THAT EXPLANATION. I APPRECIATE IT.
CAN YOU PLEASE SHARE WITH US THE LATEST UPDATES ON THE 110 MILLION HOUSING ACCELERATOR FUND? WHAT STAGE ARE WE IN NOW? WHERE WHERE SHOULD WE EXPECT TO BE BY THE END OF FISCAL YEAR
2025? SURE, BY THE END OF FISCAL YEAR 2525 IS JUNE SO SO BY THEN WE SHOULD HAVE COMPLETED THE MOA
TO TO TRANSFER THE FUNDS OVER AND AS THE COUNCILORS KNOW THERE ARE THREE PROGRAMS INSIDE OF THE ACCELERATOR FUND. SO ONE IS A PARTNERSHIP WITH MASS HOUSING RELATED TO GETTING
THOSE STUCK PROJECTS WHICH I THINK COUNCILOR BREADON ASKED ABOUT BEFORE THE ONES THAT ARE THAT ARE APPROVED BUT ARE NOT HAPPENING TO HAPPEN. ONE IS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPMENT ON BSA LAND.
SO THAT'S THE CHARLES TOWN EXAMPLE THAT I MENTIONED BEFORE. AND THE THIRD IS OUR OUR PILOT AROUND MAKING STUFF PROJECTS THAT ARE HOMEOWNERSHIP UP HAPPEN AS WELL SO YEAH ANYWAY SO BECAUSE YOU KNOW HOW IT IS
WITH THIS CLOCK TICKING SO OUR QUESTION BEFORE I GET TAKEN OUT SO CAN YOU PLEASE JUST TALK TO US ABOUT THE SPECIAL APPROPRIATION I KNOW THAT THE MAYOR WAS ABLE TO TRANSFER FUNDS TO YOUR DEPARTMENT FOR A
SPECIFIC PURPOSES. CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHERE THE 44 MILLION ALLOCATED IN SPECIAL OPERATIONS WERE SPENT IN FY 2025 OH OH YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT
THE COUNCILORS, RIGHT? YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT WHERE WAS UNDER THE CURRENT YEAR WE HAVE WE CAN WE CAN GET THAT TO YOU I MEAN THE BREAKDOWN ON SLIDE 12 IN THE SLIDE DECK IS KIND OF HOW THAT THE 44 MILLION IS A SUBSET OF THE 52 MILLION ON THAT SLIDE.
SO THAT'S HOW THE FUNDING IS IS ALLOCATED BUT WE CAN PROVIDE MORE DETAILS. CAN YOU JUST PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAILS JUST FOR THOSE WHO ARE TUNING IN JUST BECAUSE I THINK IT'S JUST SO SURE SO OF THE 40 OTHER 44 MILLION
AGAIN 12 MILLION WENT TO THE VOUCHER PROGRAM ABOUT 10 MILLION FOR HOMEBUYER AND HOMEOWNER ASSISTANCE, 9 MILLION FOR HOMELESSNESS SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, 8 MILLION FOR HOUSING DEVELOPMENT, 5 MILLION FOR
HOUSING STABILITY. AGAIN, I'M JUST READING OFF OF THE SLIDE 12 WHICH HAS WHICH HAS THE BREAKDOWN. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THAT BECAUSE NOT EVERY HOME HAS THE BREAKDOWN. SURE. I JUST WANT TO GIVE ACCESSIBLE AND I'LL JUST I'M GOING TO JUST
SAY ONE MORE THING AND IT'S REALLY INTERESTING IN TERMS OF THE NARRATIVE THAT WE'RE HEARING FROM FOLKS WHO HAVE TESTIFIED. SO THANK YOU FOR FOR BEING HERE IS THAT IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE ALWAYS FINDING OURSELVES IN A
WAY THAT'S PITTING THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND HOUSING BOTH TWO VERY IMPORTANT NEEDS AND IT'S A $3 MILLION ASK FOR FOLKS IN THE
HOUSING SPACE AND IT'S A $3 MILLION, YOU KNOW, INCREASE IN ANOTHER BUDGET. SO IT JUST FEELS LIKE IT'S ALWAYS INTERESTING HOW WE FIND OURSELVES PLAYING THESE HUNGER GAMES WHEN IT COMES TO THE
BUDGET WHEN IF WE NEED $3 MILLION IN HOUSING WHICH WE KNOW THAT IS THE BIGGEST CRISIS THEN WE SHOULD COME TO THIS CHAMBER ALREADY WITH A BUDGET THAT REFLECTS THAT $3 MILLION BECAUSE TO HEAR COUNCIL WEBER
YOU KNOW HIS PROGRAM WE KNOW THAT IT WORKS AND TO KNOW THAT IT WASN'T IN THE BUDGET FOR THIS YEAR REALLY SPEAKS VOLUMES. SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PUT ALL OF THIS THEATER AND PERFORMANCE TO FIGHT FOR
SOMETHING THAT SHOULD HAVE ALREADY BEEN IN THE BUDGET. BUT HERE WE ARE AWAY FROM MY STICK AROUND. THANK YOU COUNCILOR THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR FLYNN. COUNCILOR THE FLOOR IS YOURS. THANK YOU, MR CHAIR.
THANK YOU TO THE ADMINISTRATION TEAM THAT IS HERE AND THANK YOU, SHEILA. OVER THE LAST SEVEN YEARS I'VE ALWAYS BEEN VERY HELPFUL. YOU'VE ALWAYS RETURNED PHONE
CALLS. YOU ALWAYS WENT OUT OF YOUR WAY TO BE HELPFUL TO ME ON ISSUES I HAD WITH MY CONSTITUENTS. SO I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT UP FRONT.
SHEILA, I KNOW I SPOKE WITH YOU BRIEFLY AND I DO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY POTENTIALLY TO GET SOME RENTALS FOR MAYBE WOMEN
VETERANS OR VETERANS IN A LOCATION AND AS YOU KNOW AND DOWNTOWN BOSTON MAYBE WE MIGHT HAVE TO PARTNER WITH THE NEW
ENGLAND CENTER FOR VETERANS. BUT IS THIS SOMETHING YOU YOU COULD CONTINUE TO WORK WITH ME ON? I KNOW WE JUST STARTED TALKING ABOUT IT BUT IT'S REALLY
IMPORTANT FOR ME THAT WE TRY TO GET SOME WOMEN VETERANS INTO SOME RENTAL HOUSING THAT THAT THERE IS A POSSIBILITY TO DO IT . I DON'T WANT THAT POSSIBILITY TO BE LOST.
OH, ABSOLUTELY. WE'D BE GLAD TO WORK WITH YOU. AND YOU KNOW, IN THE PAST WE'VE WORKED WITH THE NEW ENGLAND CENTER FOR HOMELESS VETERANS ON PROJECTS AND THEY'VE GONE WELL. WE'VE HAD NO ISSUES SO WE WOULD
WELCOME TALKING ABOUT ANOTHER PROJECT OR A SET ASIDE WITHIN A PROJECT. OKAY. I THINK SOME OF ONE OF THE ISSUES MIGHT BE IF YOU DO PROVIDE SOME ASSISTANCE PROVIDE
HOUSING VOUCHERS FOR VETERANS THERE HAS TO BE SOME TYPE OF SUPPORT SERVICE ON SITE. BUT I'M JUST THINKING IF IT'S IF IT'S IN THE FINANCIAL
DISTRICT, YOU KNOW, COURT STREET IS CLOSE TO THE POTENTIAL SITE MAYBE THERE MIGHT BE SOME TYPE OF WAIVER WE COULD GET. IS THIS SOMETHING MAYBE WE COULD TRY TO EXPLORE? SURE.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME IT'S IT'S EASIER FOR FOR LOTS OF REASONS IF WE ARE GOING TO GIVE PREFERENCE OR REQUIRE THAT
CERTAIN POPULATIONS OCCUPY CERTAIN UNITS THAT THEIR SERVICES ATTACHED THAT ARE GOING TO BENEFIT THAT POPULATION. SO YOU KNOW WE'VE HAD THEY DON'T NEED IT EVEN IF IT WAS A
SEPARATE BUILDING THE SERVICES COULD JUST BE CLOSED OR BE ONES WHERE ANDY MCCAULEY AND HIS STAFF ARE GOING OVER RIGHT. SO THERE IS A NICE SYNERGY OF HAVING SOMETHING CLOSE TO
THE NEW ENGLAND CENTER. THANK YOU, SHEILA. AND I KNOW CONGRESSMAN LYNCH DID SAY TO ME THAT HE WOULD BE HELPFUL. I LISTENED TO THIS GENTLEMAN OVER HERE LISTEN TO YOUR STORY. I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR
YOUR SERVICE AS A VETERAN AS WELL AND KNEW YOU DESERVE HOUSING. YOU'VE EARNED IT AS A VETERAN AS FAR AS AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED. THANK YOU.
LET ME GO TO THE MINISTRY TO BLOCK FOCUSED WELL LET ME PREFERENCE BEFORE MY QUESTION. I REPRESENT THE LARGEST NUMBER OF RESIDENTS THAT LIVE IN
PUBLIC HOUSING OF ANY DISTRICT COUNCILOR. I ACTUALLY DURING REDISTRICTING WANTED TO ENSURE THAT I GET MARY ELLEN MCCORMICK INTO DISTRICT TWO WHICH WHERE IT BE
WHERE IT BELONGS. BUT I DO SPEND A LOT OF TIME IN THE SOUTH AND RUTH BARCLAY I KNOW, I KNOW YOU MENTIONED IT AS WELL BUT I STILL KNOW KANSAS
THAT THE ELEVATOR SYSTEM IS BREAKING DOWN. I'M HEARING HEART WRENCHING STORIES FROM SENIORS, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES ONE ONE WOMAN
GOING THROUGH CHEMOTHERAPY LITERALLY FIREFIGHTERS HAVE TO CARRY DOWN THE STAIRS, CARRY HER UP THE STAIRS SO SHE CAN GET TO HER HER HER APPOINTMENTS
. SO YOU KNOW, THAT'S THAT'S LIKE THE WORST WORST TYPE OF STORY I COULD POSSIBLY HERE AND I JUST CAN'T I JUST CAN'T PASS THAT ON
AS IF IT'S AS IF IT'S INSIGNIFICANT. WE ARE FEELING OUR RESIDENTS IN VHA AS IT RELATES TO THE
CONTINUED BREAKDOWN IN ELEVATORS WE WHY IS THAT? KENZIE COUNCILOR THANKS FOR THE QUESTION AND I JUST I WANT TO THANK YOU SPECIFICALLY FOR YOUR
ADVOCACY ON THIS BECAUSE REALLY I KIND OF FEEL LIKE WE WE FINALLY HAVE THE RESOURCES TO BE TACKLING THIS PROBLEM AT THE SCALE THAT WE NEED TO BUT I WANT TO I WANT TO LAY OUT A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WE'RE
DOING. SO WE MENTIONED RIGHT, THAT WE'VE GOT THIS MAJOR CAPITAL PROJECT THIS IS FOCUSED ON EIGHT ELEVATORS IN THE CENTRAL BLOCK AND THAT'S ACTIVELY UNDER DESIGN RIGHT NOW.
BUT TO YOUR POINT, ONE OF THE REALLY FRUSTRATING THINGS IS THAT EVEN THOUGH THAT'S A SEVEN MAYBE EIGHT MAYBE MORE MILLION DOLLAR PROJECT AND WHICH IS A HUGE PROPORTION OF OUR CAPITAL
BUDGET THAT WE'RE DEVOTING TO IT LIKE YOU KNOW, THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION ON NEW ELEVATORS IS ALL AT ONCE. THE WHOLE SET OF ELEVATORS TAKES A LONG TIME AND TO YOUR POINT THOSE ARE ALSO STORIES
THAT KEEP ME UP AT NIGHT. SO RECENTLY WE'VE DONE A COUPLE OF THINGS. WE GOT A NEW ELEVATOR CONTRACTOR ON IN JANUARY AND WE HAD THEM DO A FULL ASSESSMENT OF ALL THE ELEVATORS INCLUDING THE ONES THAT WE HAVE THAT BIG
CAPITAL PROJECT PLAN FOR AND I'VE ACTUALLY AUTHORIZED EMERGENCY PODS TO SPEND $600,000 RIGHT NOW ON A WHOLE BUNCH OF PROJECTS AND THOSE ELEVATORS EVEN THOUGH WE'RE
GOING TO COME BACK BEHIND AND DO MODERNIZATION IN THERE BECAUSE OUR RESIDENTS CAN'T WAIT AND WE ALSO SORT OF SEPARATELY BROKE OFF 42 HARRISON ARCHWAY WHICH I KNOW YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH AND DID
ANOTHER SORT OF EMERGENCY $400,000 POST TO MODERNIZE THAT ELEVATORS KIND OF IN AN EXPEDITED WAY SEPARATE FROM THIS LONGER DESIGN CONSTRUCTION PROCESS SO THERE WE'VE GOT ONE
OF THE TWO ELEVATORS HAS NOW BEEN MODERNIZED WE'VE MOVED ON TO THE SECOND ONE AND SO YOU KNOW, THAT'S I JUST I WANT TO I WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE ARE SPENDING THAT MILLION DOLLARS ON THE SITE RIGHT NOW
EVEN AS WE'RE ALSO ENGAGED IN THIS IN THIS SORT OF LIKE LONGER TERM CONSTRUCTION PROJECT TO GET ALL OF THE ELEVATORS TO THE PLACE THAT THEY NEED TO BE AND AND THEN
JUST HAVE SPENT A LOT OF TIME WORKING THROUGH THAT WITH THE STAFF THE PROTOCOLS FOR SITUATIONS LIKE YOU DESCRIBE MAKING SURE THAT WE'VE GOT EMERGENCY FOLKS ON CALL TO TAKE CARE OF ANY YOU KNOW, ANYTHING
WHETHER IT'S AN EMERGENCY LIKE WHAT YOU DESCRIBED BUT ALSO IF IT'S JUST THAT SOMEBODY NEEDS HELP WITH GROCERIES. RIGHT. AND I DO THINK THAT AS WE YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF THESE
ELEVATOR PAIRS THAT ARE BEING ADDRESSED AS WE GET TO THE PLACE AS WE'RE GETTING WITH HARRISON ARCHWAY WHERE AT LEAST ONE OF THE TWO HAS BEEN MODERNIZED, THAT GETS US TO A MUCH MORE RELIABLE PLACE. SO I'M HOPING THAT YOU'RE GOING
TO SEE A REAL IMPROVEMENT IN THE COMING MONTHS. THE THE ELEVATOR CONTRACT THAT WE WORK WORK WITH KENZIE WE'RE NOT PAYING THEM REGULARLY WHEN
THE BILLS COME IN WE VHA SITS ON THE BILLS FOR A LONG EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. I KNOW I KNOW THEY'RE CAUGHT UP NOW IN PAYING THEIR BILLS TO
THESE THESE ELEVATOR COMPANIES BUT THESE BILLS NEED TO BE TO BE PAID CONSISTENTLY SO THAT THE ELEVATOR CONTRACTORS WILL COME OUT WHEN WE CALL THEM TO
FIX THE ELEVATORS. BUT WE CAN'T SIT ON A BILL FOR TWO YEARS OF 18 MONTHS AND THEN THE ELEVATOR COMPANY IS CHASING
VHA FOR THE MONEY AND THEN THE ELEVATOR BREAKS DOWN AND THEN WE CALL THE ELEVATOR COMPANY TO FIX IT. YOU KNOW WE NEED TO CONSISTENTLY PAY THOSE. IS THAT SOMETHING YOU ARE COMMITTED TO DOING?
ABSOLUTELY. AND IN FACT WE'VE SET UP A WHOLE NEW SYSTEM INTERNALLY TO TRACK INVOICES AND MAKE SURE THAT THAT HAPPENS RELIABLY COUNCILOR, WE'RE ALSO TRYING TO BUT THAT WAS ONLY RECENTLY
THOUGH CAN SEE THE WELL BECAUSE BECAUSE UP UNTIL ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE MONTHS AGO WE WEREN'T PAYING THE BILLS. SO WHAT I WOULD SAY IS WITHOUT IT'S A COMPLICATED PROBLEM.
ONE OF THE OTHER ISSUES WE'VE DEALT WITH IS AS YOU KNOW A NUMBER OF THE ELEVATOR COMPANIES ARE SMALLER FAMILY OPERATIONS AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE REALIZED IS THAT ARE LOT CONTRACTING AND INVOICING SYSTEM ESPECIALLY IF
SOMETHING COUNTS AS A CAPITAL PROJECT CONTRACT IS VERY COMPLICATED. SO IN SOME CASES THE INVOICES YOU'RE REFERRING TO WE'RE ACTUALLY NOT BEING COMPLETED AND RECEIVED BY THE VHA BUT THE
END RESULT IS THE SAME RIGHT TO YOUR POINT WE HAVE TO HAVE A STRONG RELATIONSHIP WITH THE ELEVATOR COMPANIES WHERE THEY FEEL LIKE THERE'S AN EASY WAY FOR THEM TO INVOICE US AND THEM GET PAID REGULARLY. SO WE'VE MADE A WHOLE BUNCH OF PROCESS CHANGES IN THE LAST
I WOULD SAY 6 TO 12 MONTHS TO ADDRESS THAT. OKAY. I WANT US WHEN THERE'S AN ELEVATOR WELL CAN SEE CAN CAN I ASK WHEN AN ELEVATOR DOES BREAK
DOWN DO YOU GET DO YOU PERSONALLY GET CALLED I PERSONALLY GET A NOTIFICATION YEAH COULD COULD I GET PERSONALLY TEXTED BY YOU IF IF AN ELEVATOR BREAKS DOWN IN DISTRICT TWO I THINK WE'LL
PROBABLY SET UP COUNSELOR SO THAT IT'S NOT ME BUT SO THAT YOU GET YEAH BECAUSE I NEED TO KNOW IMMEDIATELY WHEN MY WHEN ELEVATORS ARE BROKEN INDESTRUCTIBLE BECAUSE IF I IF
I FIND OUT THREE DAYS LATER YOU KNOW THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF RESIDENTS AS ALWAYS IS ALREADY GREATLY IMPACTED I'D I'D LIKE TO KNOW AT THE SAME
TIME AS VHA SO I CAN BEGIN MY ADVOCACY FOR THEM. MR. MR CHAIR, YOU GAVE ME AN EXTRA MINUTE AND I THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME GO OVER. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR FITZGERALD.
COUNCILOR THE FLOOR IS YOURS. THANK YOU. CHAIR THANK YOU FOLKS FOR BEING HERE TODAY AND THANK TO EVERYONE THAT CAME AND TESTIFIED. REALLY DO APPRECIATE IT. SORRY FOR MY TARDINESS AS WE WERE TRYING TO DO MULTIPLE THINGS RIGHT.
BUT YOU GUYS UNDERSTAND AND I APPRECIATE THAT SO GREAT QUESTIONS BY ALL MY COLLEAGUES HERE AND GOING LAST IS ALWAYS THE BEST PART. SO WE'RE GOING TO DIG DEEP DOWN INTO THE QUESTION VAULT HERE. ALL RIGHT.
SO I WILL SEE WHAT WHEN I GET FOR YOU DO YOU GUYS KNOW IS THERE A TARGET POPULATION GROWTH WE'RE TRYING TO GET TO LIKE IS THERE A LIKE IS THERE A POINT WHERE THERE IS A NUMBER
THAT MIGHT BE TOO MUCH WHERE BECAUSE I'M TRYING TO THINK OF HOW MUCH HOUSING WE NEED, RIGHT. WE WANT TO GET TO A CERTAIN POINT THAT MIGHT BE RIGHT SIZED FOR OUR CITY AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE KNOW THAT NUMBER. I KNOW WE HAVE YOU KNOW,
LOOKING AT IT WAS 700,007 50,000 BY 2030 I THINK WHEN WE DID IMAGINE BY 2030 AND POTENTIALLY IT COULD BE UP TO CLOSE TO OVER 800. AND IS THERE IS THERE A NUMBER THAT MIGHT BE TOO DENSE FOR THE
CITY? I'M JUST TRYING TO THINK IT BACKWARDS IN TERMS OF HOW MUCH HOUSING WE ACTUALLY NEED TO CREATE TO BE IN THE RIGHT SIZE UP. I'LL TRY AND THEN WE DON'T HAVE
A NUMBER LIKE WE NEED 100 AND WE DON'T HAVE AN EXACT NUMBER. WHAT WE WHAT WE DO HAVE THOUGH IS WE TRACK VERY CLOSELY VACANCY RATES AND OUR VACANCY RATE IS WAY TOO LOW SO WE KNOW
WE NEED TO CREATE ADDITIONAL HOUSING ACROSS THE BOARD. WE KNOW HOW MANY FAMILIES ARE WHAT WHAT THEIR INCOMES ARE AND WE KNOW WHICH FAMILIES ARE RENT BURDENED.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW SO WE WE WE HAVE A LOT OF INFORMATION BUT BECAUSE THE CONDITIONS CHANGE SO SO RAPIDLY AND WE DON'T HAVE A ONE NUMBER THAT WE'RE ALL
SORT OF, YOU KNOW, GALLOPING TOWARDS OUR INFORMATION AND OUR APPROACH IS MORE NUANCED OR MORE DETAILED I WOULD SAY AND IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANT I MEAN I WAS A COUNCILOR BUT THE
REASON THIS IS A TRICKY MOVING TARGET IS BECAUSE BOSTON OF COURSE USED TO HAVE 800,000 PEOPLE BACK IN THE FIFTIES BUT PEOPLE FIT A LOT MORE PEOPLE INTO A TRIPLE DECKER BACK THEN. SO THE ISSUE IS THAT WE WE'RE
NOT EVEN BACK TO 800,000 BUT WE ACTUALLY NEED MORE HOUSING UNITS BECAUSE WE HAVE SMALLER HOUSEHOLDS THESE DAYS. AND SO IT'S KIND OF A IT'S A COMPLICATED MATH. I GUESS THE THING I WOULD SAY
IS I'LL JUST SAY THAT MY INSTINCT IS IS THAT THERE ISN'T A SORT OF NUMBER THAT'S TOO DENSE. AND THE REASON I SAY THAT IS BECAUSE I THINK THAT WHEN YOU JUST PUT A CAP ON A CITY AND SAY HEY, WE'RE ALL FULL, WE
CAN'T FIT MORE PEOPLE, WHAT HAPPENS IS IS THAT IT GOES TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER LIKE IF YOU ONLY GOT A LIMITED NUMBER AND ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE A CITY AS GREAT AS OURS WITH SO MANY PUBLIC AMENITIES AND RESOURCES
IT JUST BECOMES LIKE OKAY WELL THERE'S A LIMITED NUMBER OF MUSICAL CHAIRS AND THEY'RE GOING TO GO TO THE PEOPLE WHO CAN PAY TOP DOLLAR SO YOU KNOW, I THINK A LOT ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE HAVE SO MANY VHA
SENIORS WHO ARE THRILLED TO BE ABLE TO STAY IN THE CITY AND THEY OFTEN LIVE IN SENIOR BUILDINGS THAT ARE THE DENSEST THINGS AROUND THEM BY LIKE A GOOD BIT. AND IT'S FUNNY BECAUSE I THINK
A LOT OF TIMES WE WOULD HAVE A CHALLENGE BUILDING ONE OF THOSE TODAY AND YET EVERYBODY RECOGNIZES THAT IT'S A TREASURE TO HAVE THAT SENIOR COMMUNITY IN THE HEART OF THAT NEIGHBORHOOD. SO YOU KNOW THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD POSE AS A
AS A QUESTION WHEN WE THINK ABOUT KIND OF LIKE WHAT STUDENTS GOT TO BECAUSE THE ONLY REASON I ASK IS I SEE A LOT OF DEVELOPMENT OCCURRING AT LEAST IN DISTRICT THREE BUT I KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING ELSEWHERE
WHERE THE DEVELOPER WILL COME IN AND YOU START TO REALLY GET INTO THE RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS DOWN THE SIDE STREETS RIGHT OFF OF THE MAIN ROADS AND THEY WILL TAKE A SINGLE FAMILY TO FAMILY THREE FAMILY AND SAY WE'RE GOING TO
PUT 1520 UNITS ON IT. RIGHT. AND THE THE THE FEEL I JUST DON'T KNOW IF IT ALIGNS WITH KEEPING FAMILY. I DON'T KNOW IF SENIORS AND LIVING IN YOU KNOW LIKE THE KEYSTONE MODEL ALL THAT STUFF
THAT THAT THAT WORKS AND THAT THAT'S GREAT BUT I FEEL LIKE FOR KEEPING FAMILIES IN THE CITY IT'S NOT MANY OF THEM ARE YOU KNOW RAISING IT WITH 16 OTHER FAMILIES ON A LONG
HALLWAY WITH 16 DOORS. RIGHT. AND THAT'S JUST NOT THE ATTRACTIVE WAY TO THEM. BUT I SEE A LOT MORE PROJECTS COMING IN SAYING WE'RE GOING TO PUT 20 UNITS WHERE THERE WAS ONE THREE AND THAT'S WHY I
GUESS I ASKED ABOUT TRYING TO TRY TO BACK INTO THE NUMBER OF DENSITY BECAUSE IT'S LIKE THAT'S CHANGING THE CHARACTER OF A NEIGHBORHOOD, RIGHT? AND AND THE MORE DENSE WE GET AND DEPENDING ON WHERE AND WHAT
WE'RE AFFECTING THAT CONCERNS ME. BUT I'M ALL FOR DEVELOPMENT. I'M ALL FOR MORE HOUSING RIGHT AND SO BUT BUT SOMETIMES THE TYPE OF HOUSING THAT'S BEING PROPOSED I THINK DRASTICALLY
AFFECTS THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND I JUST DON'T KNOW YOU KNOW, IN TRYING TO FIND OUT WHERE TO LIKE PIGEONHOLE SOME OF THIS HOUSING AND WHERE IT'S BEING PROPOSED I
KNOW THINGS ARE BEING APPROVED PRETTY RAPIDLY BECAUSE WE NEED IT. I WORRY ABOUT THAT EFFECT. YEAH, I THINK I THINK THAT'S FAIR. I THINK WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO
BALANCE THE I CHARACTER OF A NEIGHBORHOOD OR THE LIKE THE NEIGHBORHOOD FABRIC COMMUNITIES OR WITH THE NEED FOR NEW
PRODUCTION AND YOU KNOW I, I LIKE COMPROMISE AS SOME OF YOU KNOW BUT I REALLY DO LIKE DENSITY WHERE THERE'S UNDERUTILIZED PARKING LOTS OR MAIN BOULEVARDS OR YOU KNOW
COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES THAT ARE NOW VERY, VERY OBSOLETE. AND I THINK THOSE TO ME SCREAM OUT LIKE LET'S DO DENSE DENSITY ESPECIALLY IF IT'S GOOD BY GOOD TRANSIT AND IT'S GOING TO BE
HELP WITH OUR CLIMATE GOALS ETC. VERSUS SOMETIMES SQUEEZING IN A COUPLE OF EXTRA UNITS ON A SITE DOESN'T SEEM TO ME TO BE YOU KNOW THE ANSWER BUT I KNOW IT'S A BALANCE.
BUT I DO APPRECIATE YOUR QUESTION ABOUT LIKE WHAT IS IT THAT WE NEED? AND I AND I THINK WE KNOW BASED ON CERTAINLY SUBCATEGORY WORRIES BUT WE DON'T HAVE A PARTICULAR NUMBER SO YEAH NO I
JUST YEAH IT GETS TO THE WHOLE YOU KNOW EVERYBODY WANTS THEIR OWN LITTLE PIECE OF THE ROCK AND I UNDERSTAND THAT RIGHT. BUT IF I WERE GOING TO START BUILDING HIS 20 UNIT APARTMENTS ON EVERY LOT THEN I JUST THINK
PEOPLE SAY WELL I'M GOING TO LOOK ELSEWHERE AND I DON'T WANT TO DRIVE FAMILIES AND YOUTH OUT OF THE CITY. THE IDEA IS TO KEEP THEM THERE RIGHT HERE IN A HOW DO YOU FEEL WE'RE DOING WITH OUR
INSTITUTIONS IN TRYING TO GET STUDENTS ON CAMPUS SO WE OPEN UP THE EXISTING STOCK? YOU KNOW, I THINK OF PLACES LIKE MISSION HILL AND OF COURSE AS THIS OTHER YOU KNOW, SABADELL ANYTHING NEXT
INSTITUTION YOU GUYS ARE ALL FAMILIAR WITH THIS STUFF. HOW HAS THAT BEEN GOING AS OF LATE IN TERMS OF TRYING TO REINTRODUCE ON ON CAMPUS HOUSING? YEAH. SO WE DID JUST COMPLETE THIS
YEAR'S STUDENT HOUSING REPORT SO I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S ONLINE YET. I'M LOOKING AT DAN BUT I'M LOOKING AT YOU BUT IT'S COMPLETED SO IF IT'S NOT THE STUDENT HOUSING REPORT, IF IT'S
NOT ALREADY POSTED IT WILL BE AND WE'LL MAKE SURE WE GET IT OVER TO ALL OF YOU THAT HAVE THAT THAT OUR IMPACTED BY STUDENT POPULATIONS. SO I THINK IT'S A IT'S A LITTLE
BIT OF A PLANNING HAS GOT A LOT OF IMPACT THERE THEY'RE RAISING THE ISSUE SOME COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES ARE DOING A WONDERFUL JOB KEEPING STUDENTS ON CAMPUS FOR AS LONG AS THEY CAN. THEY'VE GOT VERY, VERY HIGH
RATES OF HIGH PERCENTAGES OF THEIR STUDENTS LIVING ON CAMPUS AND SOME UNIVERSITIES THEIR ENROLLMENTS HAVE GROWN AND THEY HAVE NOT KEPT PACE.
I THINK I KNOW PLANNING IS WORKING LIKE I SAID, THEY'RE WORKING ON A LOT OF I AM PS RIGHT NOW IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A IT'S A LITTLE BIT IT'S A IT'S A DIFFICULT TIME FOR COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES RIGHT NOW PROBABLY UNLIKE ANY OTHER
TIME WE'VE SEEN WITH THE UNCERTAINTY IN THE D.C. SO I THINK WE WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THEM, CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE DORM CONSTRUCTION AT
THE SAME TIME I THINK BE REALISTIC OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS. BUT WE DO HAVE A NEW STUDENT HOUSING REPORT OUT AND WE'LL SHARE WE'LL SHARE IT WITH YOU. GREAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, RACHEL KINSEY, THANK YOU. GREAT TO SEE YOU ALL TO THANK
YOU FOR THE TIME. THANK YOU, COUNSELOR. AGAIN, THANK YOU TO MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES FOR A GREAT QUESTIONS. THANK YOU TO THE PANELISTS FOR BEING HERE AND ALL YOUR WORK ON
MAKING HOUSING MORE AFFORDABLE AND CREATING MORE HOUSING HERE IN THE CITY. ONE OF MY QUESTIONS IS I KNOW WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT FEDERAL FUNDING DRYING UP BUT ALSO
COMMONWEALTH BUILDER I KNOW CURRENTLY THE CITY PAIRS KNOW $150,000 WITH UNDER $50,000 FROM COMMONWEALTH BUILDERS IF THAT COMMONWEALTH IF THE
COMMONWEALTH BUILDING FUND DOESN'T GET FUNDED IN THE WAY THAT WE THINK IT SHOULD OR LEVEL FUNDING FROM LAST YEAR WHAT WOULD BE THE CITY'S APPROACH KNOWING THAT THE COST OF CONSTRUCTION HAS RISEN IN
ORDER TO GET BECAUSE COMMONWEALTH BUILDER IS A LARGE PART OF HOW WE GET MORE AFFORDABLE HOMEOWNERSHIP HERE IN THE CITY WE INCREASE IT OR WE CONTINUE TO STAY AT THAT 150
SO IT'S A FABULOUS QUESTION AND FOR FOR FOLKS THAT ARE WATCHING THAT DON'T AREN'T FOLLOWING THIS MAYBE AS CLOSELY AS COUNCILOR WORRELL IS THE COMMONWEALTH BUILDER IS A
FUNDING SOURCE FROM THE STATE AND THEY REALLY HAVE PICKED UP HALF THE COST WHEN WE BUILD INCOME RESTRICTED IN AFFORDABLE HOMEOWNERSHIP PROJECTS AND IT'S BEEN A LIFELINE IT'S BEEN GREAT ,IT'S BEEN A GREAT PARTNERSHIP
AND THEY HAVE JUST RUN OUT OF MONEY. SO WE'RE TRYING TO PUSH OUR PIPELINE THROUGH. BUT THE THE WE'RE WATCHING VERY CLOSELY IF THEY WILL GET
REFUNDED AND TO WHAT LEVELS AND WE'RE WAITING AND ALL OF YOU HAVE DONE GREAT ADVOCACY TO TO HELP US GET AS MUCH COMMONWEALTH BUILDER MONEY AS WE CAN. IT'S YOU KNOW, HOME BUILDING
AFFORDABLE HOMEOWNERSHIP IS MORE DIFFICULT IN SOME WAYS EVEN THOUGH THE PROJECTS ARE SMALLER AND SOMETIMES THEY'RE EASIER TO CITE THAN IT IS THE LARGE RENTAL PROJECTS BECAUSE THERE'S SO FEW RESOURCES FOR
HOMEOWNERSHIP AND HOMEOWNERSHIP ADVOCATES LIKE MAHA AND OTHERS AND YOURSELF HAVE REALLY ADVOCATED AND HIGHLIGHTED THIS PROBLEM. SO IT WILL BE DIFFICULT IF THE
GAP GOES TO 300 300 PLUS A UNIT FOR THE CITY TO PICK UP THAT TAB. WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE ALL THE PROJECTS IN OUR PIPELINE IN THERE AND IT'S A SIGNIFICANT
NUMBER WHOLE BUT MOVING FORWARD WE HAVE TO WE DO HAVE TO THINK OF DIFFERENT DIFFERENT APPROACHES FOR HOMEOWNERSHIP AND WHETHER IT'S HELPING MORE PEOPLE BUY IN THE MARKET OR LIKE LOOKING AT NEW
CONSTRUCTION MODALITIES OR WE REALLY DO NEED TO START INNOVATING AROUND HOMEOWNERSHIP. YEAH, NO I COMPLETELY AGREE AND I THINK WE DO A GREAT JOB WITH DOWNPAYMENT ASSISTANCE ONE PLUS
MORTGAGE ON THE BUYER SIDE I THINK MORE IS NEEDED ON THE INVENTORY SIDE TO HOW TO HOMEOWNERSHIP PRODUCTION SIZE WHETHER IT'S TRYING TO STAND UP SIMILAR PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE FOR THE RENTAL.
I KNOW YOU SPOKE ABOUT A BRIEF THE RENT ACQUISITION FUND OR EVEN MAYBE TAKING A LOOK AT HOW WE CAN EXPAND THE ACQUISITION OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM TO MAYBE
PURCHASE AND THEN SELL OFF SOME OF THOSE PROPERTIES. BUT I DO DO BELIEVE THAT WE NEED MORE AGILE HAS MENTIONED MORE SUBSIDIES ON THAT SIDE
AGREE WE CONSTANTLY HEAR ABOUT YOU KNOW THE SENIOR REPAIR PROGRAM AND THE ISSUES THAT SENIORS HAVE WHEN THEY PUT THEIR HOMES INTO A TRUST THEN
THAT NO LONGER ELIGIBLE FOR THE GRANT THAT ALLOWED THEM TO FIX THE ROOF THE KITCHEN AND A LOT OF BIG TICKET ITEMS. HAVE WE FOUND ANY WORK AROUND
AROUND THAT AND WHY CAN'T WE SOLVE FOR THAT? YEAH YOU'RE RIGHT. IT IS AN ISSUE WE'RE ENCOURAGING SENIORS SOMETIMES TO PUT THEIR HOMES IN TRUST SO THEY'RE SAFE SO THEIR
INTENTIONS ARE CLEAR AND THEN IT'S IT'S HARD FOR US TO DO THE DUE DILIGENCE THAT WE NEED TO TO GIVE OVER RESOURCES SO THAT THEY CAN THAT THEY CAN REPAIR
THEIR THEIR PROPERTIES. SO THERE IS A OUR ATTORNEY IN BARRA IS WORKING ON THIS WITH WITH OUTSIDE COUNCILOR RIGHT NOW LOOKING AT IS THERE A
WORKAROUND AND IT'S IT'S JUST BEEN VERY HARD FOR FOR MY UNDERSTANDING IT'S VERY HARD TO MONITOR TRUST IT'S JUST HARD TO MONITOR THEM. RIGHT.
IT'S BECAUSE YOU HAVE BENEFICIARY IS OF THE TRUST BUT THERE'S LIKE THAT BENEFICIARY COULD CHANGE VERY EASILY OR HOW DO YOU MAKE SURE BENEFICIARIES LIVING IN THE TRUST SO IT'S
IT'S JUST A IT'S WE HAVEN'T GOT A SOLUTION YET BUT WE ARE WORKING ON IT WE'RE WE'RE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AWESOME AND I KNOW THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I HAVE BEEN HAPPY TO WORK WITH YOU
KNOW YOUR DEPARTMENT ON TRYING TO FIND A SOLUTION WHEN IT COMES TO THE EXTERNAL FUNDS, CAN YOU PROVIDE A BREAKDOWN OF WHAT TYPE OF DEVELOPMENTS WE
ARE FINDING THROUGH THOSE DIFFERENT EXTERNAL FUNDS HOMEOWNERSHIP VERSUS RENTAL BEDROOM COUNT, AFFORDABILITY LEVELS AND THEN ALSO BY NEIGHBORHOOD? I'D BE GLAD TO.
YES. THANK YOU. THE QUESTION I'VE BEEN ASKING EVERY CABINET EVERY DEPARTMENT HAS COME BEFORE US ESPECIALLY ONES THAT HAVE RFP IS HAPPY TO
DO. WE WORK TO GIVE DEPARTMENT WORK WITH THE OFFICE, THE EQUITY CABINET OR ANY DEPARTMENT ON WHEN THEY AWARD AN RFP LIKE ARE THEY PART OF THE SELECTION
REVIEW COMMITTEE? ARE THE STAFF YEAH THE STAFF DO. I DON'T BELIEVE SO NOW OKAY IT'S NOT A BAD IDEA BUT IT'S
NOT HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. AWESOME. YEAH, DEFINITELY SOME ADVOCACY DEFINITELY WANT TO ENCOURAGE OUR DEPARTMENT ESPECIALLY THOSE WITH A LOT OF OUR VIEWS YOU
MENTIONED AND THIS IS KIND OF DOVETAILING OFF COUNSEL'S FITZGERALD'S QUESTION IS LIKE WHAT IS OUR TARGET GOAL IN TERMS OF HOUSING PRODUCTION?
YOU KNOW WE MENTIONED VACANCY RATES IN AFFORDABILITY. DO WE HAVE ACTUALLY HAVE LIKE WHAT WE'RE TARGETING TO GAIN IN TERMS OF LIKE VACANCY LEVEL OR AFFORDABILITY LIKE IS THERE A
PLACE THAT WE WANT TO BE FIVE YEARS FROM NOW, TEN YEARS FROM NOW ON ON THOSE METRICS, KEY METRICS WE HAVE A HOUSING STRATEGY THAT WE PUT IN PLACE
WHEN THE MAYOR MAYOR ROOF FIRST CAME INTO OFFICE THAT GIVES US PRODUCTION GOALS FOR THE FOUR YEARS AND SO WE HAVE PRODUCTION GOALS ON MARK GREAT HOUSING, AFFORDABLE HOUSING,
HOMEOWNERSHIP IT'S MORE WE'RE TRACKING OUR ACTIVITIES. WE DON'T HAVE A NUMBER THAT LIKE HOW MUCH HOUSING WE NEED IN TEN YEARS OR 20 YEARS IT HAS
HISTORICALLY IT'S BEEN OUR EXPERIENCE THAT THAT THOSE NUMBERS CHANGE WITH SOME FREQUENCY GIVEN MIGRATION, OUTMIGRATION AND MIGRATION. SO WE DON'T HAVE A NUMBER BUT
WE ARE WORKING OFF A HOUSING STRATEGY WITH WITH VERY CLEAR NUMERICAL GOALS AWESOME AND ARE YOU ABLE TO SHARE THAT STRATEGY WITH US OR IS IT OF COURSE OF COURSE THINKING I WOULD NOW
GO BACK TO MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES FOR SECOND ROUND OF QUESTIONS STARTING WITH I THINK AS COUNSELOR DIRK AND COUNSELOR FOLLOWS YOURS. THANK YOU SO MUCH CHAIR WELL FIRST TO JILL AND I WANTED TO
TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE OFFICE ROSIE CONVERSION PROGRAM AND JUST HOW OHSU WORKING WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT ON THAT. I HAVE BEEN WHOLLY IN SUPPORT
OF ALL THE OFFICE ROSIE CONVERSIONS IN MY DISTRICT EVEN THE CONTROVERSIAL ONES THERE'S NO CONTROVERSIAL ONES BUT BUT I THINK IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE AS MUCH RESOURCES
SPENT TOWARDS THIS PROGRAM AND WE'RE REALLY JUST YOU KNOW, ENABLING PEOPLE TO TO DO AND CREATE MORE HOUSING IN OUR I SPECIFICALLY CHANGED THE
BOSTON'S TRIANGLE ZONING CODE TO MAKE HOUSING AND ALLOWED USE THERE TO AID PROVOST ROSIE CONVERSIONS. ONE THING THAT PEOPLE RUN INTO THERE IS THAT SECOND YOU BECAUSE IT DOES COST A LOT BUT
I KNOW WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THE SECOND NEGRESS JUST FLAGGING THAT WHAT HOW HOW CAN WE HELP EXPAND THIS PROGRAM AND I'M JUST CURIOUS IF THERE'S ANY
WORK WITH THE OMBUDSMAN TO IDENTIFY PROPERTIES THAT WOULD THAT OFFICE STROZZI CONVERSIONS WOULD BE SUITED FOR SO I'M I'M WITH YOU I, I LOVE OFFICE TWO AS A CONVERSION I THINK IT'S
ONE OF THE BEST PROGRAMS AND I REALLY, YOU KNOW, CONGRATULATE THE MAYOR AND THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT FOR SETTING IT UP. I THINK IT'S IT'S OFF AND RUNNING AND I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE CERTAINLY ONE OF THE KEYS
TO REVITALIZING DOWNTOWN AFTER THE PANDEMIC. IT'S CREATING AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND IT'S AND IT'S IT'S ALL ABOUT PRESERVING OUR OUR OUR TREASURE BUILDING. SO I JUST LOVE IT PLANNING
REALLY IS TAKING THE LEAD ARE OUR ROLE IN WITH THE PROGRAM IS ONE TO SUPPORT THEM IN ANY WAY THAT WE CAN BUT TO TO MAKE SURE THAT THE INCLUSIONARY DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENT IS THAT
WE THAT WE WORK WITH PLANNING WE DETERMINE WHAT IT IS BASED ON THE PROGRAMS AND THEN WE MONITOR BUT CERTAINLY WE HAVE WORKED WITH A COUPLE OF DEVELOPERS THAT DO AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
THEY'VE LOOKED AT SOME OF THE BUILDINGS THEY HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO MAKE THE NUMBERS WORK YET BUT CERTAINLY WE'RE STANDING BY IF AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPER WANTS TO TO BUY AND WE KNOW THAT SOME DEVELOPERS, SOME AFFORDABLE
HOUSING DEVELOPERS ARE LOOKING AT BUILDINGS DOWNTOWN I KNOW OF I KNOW OF ONE RIGHT NOW WHERE THEY'RE LOOKING AT A POTENTIAL ACQUISITION TO DO LIKE CLOSE TO 100% AFFORDABLE HOUSING. SO WE WOULD CERTAINLY HAVE A ROLE THERE.
OKAY. AND MY NEXT QUESTION IS ABOUT DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE BUT IT'S MORE OF A STATEMENT THAN A QUESTION. I THINK WE NEED MORE OF IT AND WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN DO THAT.
I THINK OBVIOUSLY ARPA FUNDS FOR THAT ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY. SPEAKING AS THE CURRENT COVID 19 CHAIR TO TO THE TO THE FORMER COVID 19 RECOVERY CHAIR
I'M JUST CURIOUS COUNSELOR SLASH ADMINISTRATOR BOK WHAT I MEAN IN TERMS OF THE SPECIFIC COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE REALLY BENEFITED YOU KNOW, FOLKS THAT
ARE IN VHA HOUSING, HOW CAN WE EXPAND AND THAT PROGRAM WITH LIMITED RESOURCES? YEAH, THANK YOU SO MUCH. SO JUST THANK YOU SO MUCH
COUNSELOR FOR THE QUESTION. YEAH, WE'RE THRILLED ABOUT THE VHA FIRST HOME PROGRAM THAT'S BEEN SUPPORTED NOW BY TWO ROUNDS OF ARPA FROM THE COUNCIL AND WE REALLY SEE IT LIKE JUST YOU KNOW A LOT
OF PEOPLE THOUGHT THAT EVEN WITH DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE WE COULDN'T GET OUR FAMILIES AND VHA INTO MARKET LIKE IF YOU KNOW HOMES AND THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN SEEING AND I THINK IT'S LIKE FORGETTING THE EXACT
NUMBERS BUT IT'S LIKE OUT OF THE SORT OF 74 OR WHATEVER SO FAR ONLY ONLY FOUR OF BY DEED RESTRICTED AFFORDABLE HOMES. OTHERWISE THEY'VE ALL BEEN ON THE MARKET AND WE KNOW THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE BUILD GENERATIONAL WEALTH AND AND
ALSO THAT THE SECTION 82 HOMEOWNERSHIP PROGRAM WHICH IS THROUGH HUD REALLY GIVES FOLKS A SUSTAINABLE SUPPORT FOR BUYING AT THAT LEVEL IN A WAY THAT THAT THAT REALLY HELPS FAMILIES FOR THE LONG TERM.
SO I THINK WHAT WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT IS WE FEEL LIKE BECAUSE OUR PROGRAM IS REALLY LEVERAGING THAT FEDERAL RESOURCE THAT IT'S JUST A VERY EFFICIENT USE OF DOLLARS. SO WE ARE HOPING TO ATTRACT
MORE PHILANTHROPIC DONATION TO THAT AND WE'VE HAD WE'VE HAD SOME OF THE INSTITUTIONS BE INTERESTED ALREADY YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT EVERYTHING DOES COME BACK TO MONEY AT SOME LEVEL,
RIGHT? AND SO AGAIN IT'S BACK TO THE SORT OF TRANSFER FEE AND OBVIOUSLY THE NEED FOR MORE HOMEOWNERSHIP MONEY TO SHEILA'S POINT WAS A HUGE PART OF WHAT PUSHED THE CPA CAMPAIGN
ORIGINALLY THAT WAS A LOT OF THE SOURCE OF THE ADVOCACY. SO YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S A BIT OF EVERYTHING IN TERMS OF FINDING FINDING THE MONEY. BUT I THINK IT'S ANOTHER THING WHERE WE'VE BUILT A PROGRAM
THAT WORKS AND IT WOULD BE A SHAME, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE TO REALLY LIKE REDUCE THE NUMBER OF FAMILIES THAT IT CAN IMPACT. THANK YOU ADMINISTRATOR CHIEF
DELON I KNOW ONE OF MY PRIORITIES HAS BEEN HOUSING AND HAS BEEN YOU KNOW MAKING SURE THAT PROJECTS CAN GET ON STOCK . ONE THING THAT WE'VE NOTICED IS THAT PROJECTS THAT HAVE YOU
KNOW ENSHRINED SORT OF LIKE IN THEIR BOARD MEMOS HIGH LEVELS OF ADP OFTENTIMES ARE NOT BEING BUILT RIGHT NOW. OFTENTIMES, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE
DEVELOPERS WHO WANT TO COME BACK TO SORT OF REACH AN AGREEMENT OF WE'RE WILLING TO PAY THIS MUCH OFF SITE IN ORDER TO MAKE THIS PROJECT. OBVIOUSLY I'VE BEEN A HUGE
PROPONENT AS IS MY PREDECESSOR ON KEEPING THINGS ON SITE AND MAKING SURE THAT THERE THERE IS DIVERSITY IN EVERY BUILDING IN EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD BUT GIVEN
THAT WE'RE IN TOUGH FINANCIAL TIMES, WHAT SORT OF AGREEMENT RATES ARE HAPPENING YOU KNOW, MAYBE ON A TOP LIKE ON A SORT OF BROADER BRUSH LEVEL TO MAKE SURE THAT CERTAIN PRODUCTS ARE
GETTING ON STOCK AND THAT WE'RE BUILDING SOME OF OUR GHOST BUILDINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET SOME OF THIS STUFF DONE? YEAH, IT'S A IT'S A VERY, VERY GOOD QUESTION IS TIMELY BECAUSE IT'S A LOT OF DEVELOPERS COMING
FORWARD SAYING IF IF YOU ALLOW US TO MAKE SOME CHANGES HERE WE CAN INDEED START CONSTRUCTION WHICH IS IMPORTANT FOR OUR HOUSING SUPPLY, IMPORTANT FOR OUR TAX BASE, IMPORTANT FOR
CONSTRUCTION JOBS. SO WE HAVE BEEN PRETTY CONSISTENT WITH DEVELOPERS THAT ARE COMING IN ONE UNDERSTANDING
WHAT THE COMMUNITY FELT ABOUT THE ORIGINAL NEGOTIATION. HAVE THEY MET WITH THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS? RIGHT. WHICH IS REALLY IMPORTANT AND THEN SEEING WHAT THEY CAN DO ON
SITE. YOU KNOW, IT'S IT IT'S RARE THAT WE'RE ENCOURAGING DEVELOPERS TO JUST, YOU KNOW, BUY OUT COMPLETELY OR GO OFF SITE COMPLETELY BUT CERTAINLY
EXPLORING MAYBE SOME OF THE UNITS STAYING ON SITE AND THEN SOME OF THEM BEING CASHED OUT OR BEING OFFS MADE OFF SITE. WE ARE THOUGH IF THERE IS AN
INTEREST AND WE'RE MOVING VERY SLOWLY BECAUSE I MEAN REALLY THIS NEEDS COMMUNITY CONVERSATION. THIS NEEDS A CONVERSATION WITH YOU ALL IF WE DO FEEL LIKE IT WOULD HELP A DEVELOPMENT GET
GOING AND THEY REALLY HAVE HAD RICH CONVERSATIONS. WE'RE TRYING TO TAKE THE RESOURCES THAT THEY ARE GENERATING CASH RESOURCES NOW AND KEEPING THEM IN THE SUBJECT NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO WHERE THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WAS GOING TO FOLLOW UP WITH BECAUSE WE HAVE A COUPLE PROJECTS IN DISTRICT EIGHT AND I DO THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT IN NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE CLOSE TO DOWNTOWN THAT ARE
CLOSE TO JOBS, THAT ARE CLOSE TO HOSPITALS, THAT ARE CLOSE TO, YOU KNOW, SOURCES OF EDUCATION THAT WE ARE MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S HOUSING AVAILABLE THERE BECAUSE PUTTING FOLKS IN, YOU KNOW,
TRANSPORTATION DESERTS CAN ONLY RESULT IN THEM HAVING LESS ACCESS TO OPPORTUNITY. SO MAKING SURE AND I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE BEEN SUCH AN INCREDIBLE ADVOCATE FOR MAKING SURE THAT STUFF GETS DONE IN
DISTRICT. BUT I KNOW I DON'T WANT TO PAINT WITH A VERY SPECIFIC BRUSH BUT IT IS SUPER IMPORTANT THAT IN DISTRICT EIGHT THAT I ADVOCATE FOR MONEY TO BE SPENT IN IN OUR SPECIFIC
NEIGHBORHOODS WHETHER MY CONSTITUENTS ALWAYS AGREE YOU KNOW BECAUSE I DO THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE ECONOMICALLY DIVERSE NEIGHBORHOODS AND THAT THERE'S AFFORDABLE HOUSING EVERYWHERE. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH TO THE CHAIR FOR LETTING ME COMPLETE
MY THOUGHT. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR BRADING COUNCILOR, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU. SO THE THE STATES IS GOING TO
BE CLOSING THE AS THE HOTEL SHELTERS THIS YEAR AND I KNOW WE HAVE ONE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD THAT HAS BEEN A YOU KNOW, THE MOTEL ON SILVER SPRING ROAD. IS IT SERVED IN THAT THE
PURPOSE FOR WHAT MAY BE GOING ON 15 YEARS AT THIS POINT? AND WHAT WILL THE IMPACT ON THE CITY'S SUPPORTIVE HOUSING WORKERS WHEN THAT HAPPENS? YEAH, SO YOU KNOW, I WAS JUST
READING THAT TODAY THE GLOBE ARTICLE IS SAYING THAT THEY THE GOVERNORS MET OR IS MEETING THEIR GOALS EARLIER THAN THEY HAD THOUGHT.
SO YOU KNOW, ANY TIME A SHELTER CLOSES THE STATE HAS BEEN THE STATE HAS BEEN PRETTY GOOD AT MAKING SURE THAT FAMILIES THAT ARE IN THE SHELTER ARE HOUSED BEFORE IT CLOSES OR ARE PUT
ELSEWHERE. BUT IT'S YOU KNOW, IT'S A IT'S A VERY, VERY TOUGH SITUATION CERTAINLY THOSE FAMILIES BUT THOSE FAMILIES EVEN WHEN THEY'RE IN A HOTEL OR WHETHER
IN THEIR FAMILY SHELTER THEY ARE LOOKING FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN BOSTON IF THEY'RE ESPECIALLY IF THEY'RE FROM BOSTON OR THE SHELTERS LOCATED IN BOSTON.
SO IT IT ALMOST DOESN'T IMPACT US GREATLY. I MEAN THE FAMILIES ARE HERE AND THEY'RE LOOKING FOR AFFORDABLE UNIT AND AS THEY SHOULD BE AS THEY SHOULD BE. SO I'M JUST YOU KNOW, WORRIED
THAT WE DON'T WANT THE STATE TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF SHELTER BEDS SO MUCH THAT OUR ARE SO QUICKLY THAT WE END UP WITH ANOTHER SPIKE. AND THE STATE IS SCRAMBLING AND
THEN FAMILIES ARE GETTING TRANSPORT AND YOU KNOW, VERY, VERY FAR AWAY. SO I'M NOT UNHAPPY TO SEE THE HOTELS AND MOTELS CLOSED BUT I'M WE'RE WATCHING VERY CLOSELY
THE NUMBERS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE FEEL LIKE WE'RE NOT GOING TO END UP WITH A WITH ANOTHER CRISIS. YEAH, I THINK IN A NEIGHBORHOOD LIKE OURS AND ALSO IN BRIGHTON BECAUSE THEY'RE COMPETING FAMILIES ARE COMPETING WITH
STUDENTS AND YOUNG PROFESSIONALS AND LANDLORDS YOU KNOW IT'S IT'S MUCH MORE LUCRATIVE TO RENT OUT TO A GROUP OF STUDENTS THAT A THOUSAND OR 1200 DOLLARS A POP
THAN THAN RENTED TO A FAMILY FOR THE MUCH MUCH MORE AFFORDABLE. I MEAN THIS IS YOU CERTAINLY A CREDIT TO THE. IT'S ONE OF THE ONLY HOUSING AUTHORITIES THAT MAKES HOMELESSNESS A VERY VERY
SIGNIFICANT PRIORITY. SO A LOT OF THE FAMILIES THAT ARE IN HOTELS OR IN THE STATE SHELTERS ARE REALLY PRIORITIZED FOR HOUSING RESOURCES BOTH PUBLIC HOUSING AND VOUCHERS.
SO THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD BACK BACK TO EARLIER BUT JUST THE WAY YOU'RE YOUR DEPARTMENT IS STRUCTURED THE YOU HAVE THE
THREE PROGRAMS YOU HAVE THE ADMINISTRATION ESTATE MANAGEMENT AND SALES AND THEN HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AND SERVICES AND THE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT SERVICES IS 80% 88% OF YOUR BUDGET GOES INTO
HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AND SERVICES AND IT'S A CONSOLIDATION OF FOUR DIFFERENT DIVISIONS. SO WE'VE THE BOSTON HOW HOME CENTER NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING
DEVELOPMENT OFFICE OF HOUSING STABILITY AND SUPPORTIVE HOUSING UM IS THAT STRUCTURE DECIDED BY YOU OR IS IT
DESTRUCTION IS IT FROM FINANCE MANAGEMENT OBM THAT THEY DO IT THAT WAY? YEAH, I THINK THAT'S REALLY JUST THAT'S HOW IT'S PROJECTED IN THE BUDGET. I DON'T THINK THEY REALLY REFLECT SORT OF THE WAY THE DEPARTMENT IS STRUCTURED ORGANIZATIONALLY.
I THINK WE HAVE A WE'RE PRETTY I DON'T KNOW FLAT I WOULD SAY STRUCTURE OF OUR ORGANIZATION AND WE ALL YOU KNOW, I'M ONE OF THE DIVISION DIRECTORS ALONG WITH A BUNCH OF FOLKS HERE AND WE ALL REPORT UP TO DAN AND
SHEILA. YEAH IT JUST SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF YEAH JUST ON THE PIECE OF PAPER IT LOOKS VERY DENSE. YEAH I AGREE. AND THEN SHEILA, I THINK YOU AND I HAVE TALKED A LOT ABOUT
YOU KNOW, JUST THE THE I THINK IT'S A TSUNAMI I WOULD CALL IT OF ELDER HOUSING, HOUSING ISSUES AND HOMELESSNESS AND THANK YOU, KENSI YOUR STAFF WORK WITH THE THE REALTOR THAT
I TALKED ABOUT THE VOUCHER ISSUE THERE WAS AN ELDER WHO WAS IN THE SEVENTIES WHO WAS HOMELESS AND DESPERATELY NEEDED TO USE THE VOUCHER. HOW DO YOU WHAT DO WE DOING
LIKE I KNOW WE HAVE GREAT ORGANIZATIONS LIKE RENE BREATH AND TO LIFE AND FOLKS LIKE THAT IN THE IN THE CITY HOW HOW HOW HOW ARE WE GOING TO HANDLE THAT
BECAUSE IT'S IT'S IT'S A VERY UNCERTAIN TIME FEDERALLY AND AND THIS AND THERE'S A LOT OF I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF DISTRESS AND WORRY ALREADY IN TERMS
OF JUST HOW PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO GO LIVE IN OLD AGE BUT HOW DO WE HANDLE THAT SO IT'S YOU'RE YOU'RE WE'RE ALL EXPERIENCING WHAT'S HAPPENING WHAT'S THAT?
IT'S FACT, RIGHT? THERE'S AN AGING POPULATION. THEY'RE IN FIXED INCOME AND THEY'RE IN A TOUGH HOUSING MARKET AND OFF AND TIMES I MEAN OFTENTIMES AND I'M LOOKING AT DANIEL WHO JUST REAPPEARED THEY
THEY HAVE BEEN LIVING IN A IN A UNIT IN A IN A IN A IN AN APARTMENT AND THEY'VE LIVED THERE FOR DECADES AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THAT THAT PROPERTY CHANGES HANDS.
SO I MEAN WE'RE WE'RE CONTINUING TO BUILD A LOT OF NEW AFFORDABLE SENIOR HOUSING. IT'S NOT ENOUGH BUT IT'S YOU KNOW, EVERY YEAR HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF UNITS
WITH THE HELP OF THE VHA AND ON TOP OF THAT AGE STRONG HAS BROUGHT ON ADDITIONAL COUNSELORS. AND DANIELLE AT THE OFFICE OF HOUSING STABILITY THEY'RE
THERE WORKING TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY'S GOT COVERAGE AND THAT WE'RE NOT DUPLICATING EFFORTS AS WE OFTEN DO, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S A A SENIOR THAT'S VERY GOOD AT ADVOCATING WE'RE ALL WORKING ON THAT SENIOR LIKE WAIT A MINUTE.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE THAT OUT. WE'VE GOT A NETWORK OF NONPROFITS THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH THAT IS PROVIDING SERVICES AND AND INTERVENTIONS WHEN THERE'S WHEN THERE'S ISSUES.
SO IT'S IT'S LIKE ALL HANDS ON DECK RIGHT NOW I WILL SAY EMILY SHEA AND I HAVE BEEN STARTED STARTED TALKING ABOUT HOW WE
GET SENIORS TO PLAN MORE NOT NOT FINANCIAL MAYBE FINANCIAL PLANNING BUT MORE ABOUT WHERE YOU LIVING, RIGHT. DO YOU NEED TO GET YOUR NAME ON SOME WAITLIST NOW?
RIGHT. WHO YOU LOVE YOUR LANDLORD. IT'S SOMEONE THAT YOU'VE BEEN RENTING FROM FOR DECADES. WHAT IF THAT PERSON SOLD? WHAT'S YOUR PLAN? RIGHT. AND SO WE'RE REALLY STARTING TO
THINK ABOUT HOW WE GET SENIORS TO PLAN BECAUSE OFTENTIMES IT'S LIKE THE CALLS I GET THERE CRISIS WE GOT WEEKS OR MONTHS AND A LOT OF SENIORS TO GET ALL THESE NOTICES AND OR COURT
DATES AND THINGS AND IT'S JUST VERY, VERY, VERY OVERWHELMING. SO IT'S ALL HANDS ON DECK. I WILL I WILL CONFESS I THINK IT'S IT'S NOT TAKING US BY SURPRISE, BUT I THINK IT IT
NEEDS EVEN MORE ORGANIZATION THAN WHAT WE'VE BEEN GIVING IT. BUT I DO THINK THERE'S THERE'S GOT TO BE BETTER PLANNING FROM SENIORS AND WE'VE GOT TO WE'VE GOT TO RAISE THE ISSUE AND MAKE THOSE RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD. IT'S JUST THAT I THINK THAT ADDITIONAL SENIOR HOUSING IS ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE ANNOUNCED OUR FAIR HEALTH INITIATIVE TO BUILD THESE 3000
ADDITIONAL UNITS BECAUSE ONE OF THE GROUPS THAT WE HEAR FROM THE MOST ABOUT WANTING THERE TO JUST BE MORE PUBLIC HOUSING RESOURCE ARE SENIORS IN ALL OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND YEAH, THE THING YOU KNOW THE SENIOR ISSUE I I'D LOVE TO PARTNER WITH YOU IN THINKING ABOUT THAT BECAUSE YOU SEE MAYBE FINDING WAYS TO YOU YOU
KNOW SENIORS ARE OVER HOUSE BUT THEY'RE NOT ABLE OR READY TO GO TO LIKE A SMALLER DOWNSIZING BUT THEY'VE ALSO GOT A SECOND
APARTMENT THAT'S VACANT AND USABLE. I KNOW A FRIEND OF MINE MENTIONED YEARS AGO SHE WORKED AT POLAROID AND THEY DID A
PROJECT IN CHELSEA TRYING TO HELP SENIORS SUPPORT THEM IN RENTING OUT THEIR SECOND APARTMENT AND DON'T KNOW I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT WENT AT THE TIME. BUT YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE'S PROBABLY A LOT OF EXTRA
INVENTORY THERE THAT'S VACANT BECAUSE OUR SENIORS ARE AFRAID TO RENT OR IT'S OVERWHELMING TO RENT AND MAYBE FIND SOME SORT OF A PROGRAM THAT WE COULD SUPPORT THEM IN DOING THAT. YEAH, THERE WAS A PROGRAM MANY
YEARS AGO AND I, I NEVER WANT TO SAY THAT SOME WE TRIED SOMETHING AND IT WASN'T SUCCESSFUL. I THINK THAT'S BECAUSE THERE'S THERE'S A TIME AND A PLACE FOR THINGS NEW WAYS TO DID TRY THAT
AND IT AND THERE WASN'T A LOT OF YEAH A LOT OF THERE WASN'T A LOT OF TAKE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE SERVICE. I MAYBE LOOK AT IT AGAIN. MM HMM. OKAY. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, MR CHAIR, FOR GIVING ME EXTRA TIME. ABSOLUTELY. THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER. COUNCIL, THE FLOOR IS YOURS. THANK YOU. THANK CHAIR. I'LL TRY NOT TO USE ALL MY TIME
. THANK YOU FOR COMING AND SPEAKING TO US. JUST TO THIS IS ACCESS THE COUNCIL ADJACENT CHIEF TOOL AND
I KNOW UNDER MARTY WALSH YOU STARTED AN EVICTION PREVENTION PROGRAM AND IN TERMS OF THE BUDGET YOU KNOW THAT IS THAT
LEVEL FUNDED THERE'S OTHER MEASURES I THINK THERE IS CONTRACTUAL SERVICES WITH GIBLER AND I JUST I WASN'T SURE WHAT THE NUMBERS WERE ON THAT. WHAT WAS IT LAST YEAR AND WHAT
IS THE PROPOSAL? YEAH, IT WAS FUNDED. I DON'T KNOW THAT I HAVE THE NUMBERS EXACTLY IN FRONT OF ME BUT I CAN CERTAINLY GET THEM TO YOU UNLESS I'M LOOKING OVER TO THE STANDS AND THE FOLKS IN THE STANDS KNOW THE NUMBERS OFF THE
TOP OF THEIR HEADS. BUT IF NOT WE CAN WE CAN GET THAT TO YOU. DO WE JOHNSON WANT TO NOT YOU DON'T HAVE TO TESTIFY 500,000
IS OKAY AND I CAN FIND THAT AND IT WOULD BE IN CONTRACTUAL SERVICES YEAH OKAY I JUST YEAH AND I DID MENTION IN MY IN MY REMARKS BUT IT BEARS REPEATING THAT WE DID WE DID HAVE A
EVICTION PREVENTION PLAN IN 2019 DANIELLE AND THEN DAN LESSER NOW WORKING WITH A VERY VERY SKILLED GROUP OF OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS TO REVAMP THAT
AND REALLY HAVE A BASED ON THE DATA A NEW A NEW PLAN FOR GETTING EVICTIONS DOWN. OKAY. OKAY.
LEVEL FUNDED I GUESS WE'LL TAKE IT IN TERMS OF THE CITY HOUSING VOUCHER PROGRAM AS AN ADMINISTRATOR.
BUT I YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'VE HEARD THAT THAT THE NEED IS INCREASING. WE WEREN'T AT THE NEED LAST YEAR BUT THE SO BUT THE NUMBER IS GOING DOWN 500,000 FROM LAST
YEAR. CAN YOU JUST EXPLAIN WHY THAT IS? YEAH. SO AS I SAID EARLIER THE I THINK THAT THE YOU KNOW IN THE CONTEXT OF A OF A BUDGET WHERE
THE CITY OBVIOUSLY IS TRYING TO YOU KNOW, PLAN RESPONSIBLY GIVEN THE UNCERTAINTY ABOUT WHAT'S COMING DOWN THE PIKE ON THE FEDERAL SIDE, THE FACT THAT BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN MORE GRADUAL
IN GETTING THESE PROJECT BASED VOUCHERS ONLINE AS WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THOSE BUILDINGS TO FINISH BECAUSE WE'RE SLIGHTLY UNDER THAT BUDGET AUTHORITY THAT WE HAD FROM THE COUNCIL. THAT'S WHY THE REDUCTION BECAUSE THE OFFICE OF BUDGET
MANAGEMENT KNEW THAT THEY WOULDN'T BE CUTTING ANY ACTUAL VOUCHERS BY DOING THAT NOW I THINK OBVIOUSLY THERE'S THE SEPARATE QUESTION OF WHAT LIKE WOULD GROWING THE PROGRAM LOOK
LIKE AND YOU KNOW AND THAT'S A THAT'S A POLICY QUESTION. I THINK THAT CERTAINLY FROM FROM MY PERSPECTIVE WE ARE NOT
SURE WHAT ASPECTS OF OUR LIKE LEASED HOUSING PORTFOLIO ARE GOING TO SEE WHICH CONSEQUENCES. I TALKED TONIGHT A LITTLE BIT AT THE BEGINNING ABOUT WHAT THE SCALE OF THE PRESIDENT'S BUDGET
WOULD LOOK LIKE AND OBVIOUSLY THAT WOULD BE YOU KNOW, I MEAN IN SAYING THAT WOULD BE YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO PUT A WAY FOR 50 VOUCHERS AND THAT WOULD BE LOSING 8000.
ANOTHER COMMUNITY IS WE'VE GOT ABOUT 450 FAMILIES ON EMERGENCY HOUSING VOUCHERS WHICH CURRENTLY THE ADMINISTRATION'S NOT PLANNING TO EXTEND THE FUNDING FOR PAST 26. SO IT'S NOT THAT I DON'T THINK THAT THERE I THINK THAT THERE
MAY BE FEDERAL CUTS THAT WE NEED TO RESPOND TO ON THE CITY SIDE IT WOULD NOT AT THE SCALE OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BECAUSE I'M FORTUNATE TO HAVE THOSE RESOURCES BUT BUT WE DON'T KNOW YET EXACTLY WHAT SHAPE THAT SHOULD TAKE AND IN
SEEING IS LIKE THE TECHNICAL TERM FOR FOR WHAT THE BUILDING AND I'LL JUST GIVE OUR LAST LAST QUESTION JUST IN TERMS OF THE THE SKINNY BUDGET OR YOU
KNOW, WHATEVER IS COMING DOWN THE PIKE IS THAT IS THAT JUST THE PROPOSAL GOING TO IMPACT OR WILL IT IF IT GOES THROUGH IMPACT THE OTHER PHASES OF THE
MILDRED HAILEY CONSTRUCTION AND RENOVATION OH I THINK IT IT IT ALL DEPENDS THE THE PROPOSAL THAT THEY PUT ON THE TABLE
WOULD HIT MOBILE VOUCHER HOLDERS FIRST AS OPPOSED TO PROJECT BASED VOUCHERS BECAUSE THAT'S HOW THE PROGRAM IS SORT OF STRUCTURED. BUT BUT I WOULD SAY THAT THERE
IS NO QUESTION THAT IF THE VOUCHER BUDGET IS CUT FEDERALLY THEN A TON OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT INCLUDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT THAT WE HAVE PLANNED HERE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON BOTH ON OUR
LAND AT VHA AND IN PROJECTS ACROSS THE CITY WILL GRIND TO A HALT BECAUSE VOUCHERS ARE PART OF UNDERWRITING THOSE PROJECTS. SO JUST AS AN EXAMPLE, THE 4000, YOU KNOW, PROJECT BASED
VOUCHERS THAT WE HAVE THE CITY RIGHT NOW WE SORT OF GUESSTIMATE ARE PROBABLY UNDERWRITING ABOUT $600 MILLION OF DEBT. SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT IN ORDER TO BUILD THOSE BUILDINGS
OR RENOVATE THOSE BUILDINGS, FOLKS TOOK OUT YOU KNOW, LOANS AND THEY DID IT WITH THE VOUCHER AS THE UNDERWRITING MECHANISM. SO IF THAT IF THAT GOES AWAY THERE'S GOING TO BE A TON OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN
HERE AND EVERYWHERE ELSE. OKAY. AND THEN JUST THE LAST FOLLOW UP TO THAT IS I MEAN SHOULD WE BE DOING SOMETHING NOW TO PREPARE FOR THAT? I KNOW THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT ADVOCACY BUT SHOULD WE BE
PUTTING MONEY ASIDE? YOU KNOW, WHAT'S YOUR YOUR THOUGHT? I'M JUST ASKING I'M NOT ADVOCATING ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT? I THINK THAT EVERYONE WHO IS INVOLVED IN THE VOUCHER
PROGRAM, WHETHER THEY ARE RESIDENTS, NEIGHBORS, LANDLORDS, BANKS OR ANYBODY WHO LIKE KNOWS WHAT THIS PROGRAM DOES FOR FAMILIES ALL OVER THE
CITY SHOULD BE FIGURING OUT WAYS TO REACH OUT TO WASHINGTON, BOTH CONGRESS AND THE WHITE HOUSE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE I THINK AGAIN LIKE THE SCALE OF CUTS THAT ARE BEING TALKED ABOUT IS NOT SOMETHING
THAT THE CITY OR THE CITY COULD BEGIN TO MAKE UP FOR. SO WE JUST CANNOT ALLOW IT TO COME TO PASS. BUT THAT'S WHAT I THINK. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. CHAIR SEATING THE REST OF MY TIME.
THANK YOU, COUNCILOR. THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL PRESIDENT LOUIJEUNE COUNCIL. THE FLOOR JOINS. THANK YOU. AND I DON'T REALLY HAVE A QUESTION SO MUCH AS JUST WANTED
TO I HAVE QUESTIONS BUT I WANTED TO START OFF BY SAYING LIKE ADDING TO THE THE PLACES THAT ARE FEARFUL BECAUSE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH FEDERAL FUNDING IS THE PRIDE IN
HYDE PARK THAT THEY ARE LOOKING FOR AND SEEKING ADDITIONAL FUNDING. THEY WERE AT THE BRINK OF LOSING A LOT OF FUNDING IF CONGRESSWOMAN PRESSLEY DIDN'T
DO WHAT SHE DID THERE. SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE IF THERE ARE MECHANISMS I KNOW THAT WE DON'T EARMARK BUT IF THERE ARE MECHANISMS TO SUPPORT THEIR PRIDE AND THAT WOULD BE
HELPFUL. I DON'T KNOW IF THERE ARE ANY BUT WE CAN JUST PUT THAT OUT INTO THE UNIVERSE RIGHT NOW. JUST A FEW QUESTIONS. WHAT'S THE CURRENT STATUS
OF CITY OWNED SITES INCLUDING THE PHASE THREE OF THE WELCOME HOME BOSTON INITIATIVE PHASE I'M SORRY INCLUDING WHICH WHICH PHASE INCLUDED IN PHASE THREE OF THE WELCOME HOME BOSTON INITIATIVE. HOW MANY OF THOSE SITES ARE
EXPECTED TO BREAK GROUND OR REACH DISPOSITION IN THIS YEAR AND WHAT'S A PROJECTED TOTAL NUMBER OF AFFORDABLE HOMEOWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES THEY WILL CREATE? YEAH. SO SO WELCOME HOME.
WELCOME HOME. ONE IT IS IN CONSTRUCTION WELCOME HOME TO IS WE'RE ANTICIPATING THAT THEY'RE GOING TO START CONSTRUCTION SPRING SUMMER MAYBE ONE IN THE FALL
AND THEN WELCOME HOME THREE IS AN EXPERIMENT WHERE IT'S ONLY IT'S ONLY 12 SITES PROBABLY BUT 12 CITY OWNED SITE CITY OWNED SITES IS PROBABLY I WANT TO SAY 30 HOMES.
I CAN GET THAT CONTACT NUMBER FOR YOU AND WE'RE REALLY TESTING TESTING WHETHER THE MARKET CAN DEVELOP SOMETHING THAT IS LESS EXPENSIVE THAN THAN WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN THE
MARKET BUT THAT WE CAN'T THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO SUBSIDIZE BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE COMMONWEALTH BUILDER STATE MONEY. AND CAN YOU JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT THIS WILL LOOK LIKE, HOW YOU WILL ACHIEVE THAT? YES.
SO WE'RE PUTTING OUT WE'RE PUTTING OUT LAND WE WE WOULD WHAT'S THAT SORRY I THINK I DESCRIBED OH OKAY. SO WE WERE PUTTING OUT LAND AND
WE'RE ASKING CONTRACTORS AND DEVELOPERS TO EXPLORE DIFFERENT CONSTRUCTION METHODOLOGIES TO SEE IF THEY CAN GET THEIR COSTS DOWN AND WHETHER THEY CAN BUILD SOMETHING THAT IS LESS
EXPENSIVE THAN THE MARKET. AND YOU KNOW, IT'S IT'S AN EXPERIMENT HOW DO WE KEEP DEVELOPMENT HOW DO WE KEEP DEVELOPING A PRODUCT WHERE OUR FAMILIES CAN AFFORD TO BUY
WITHOUT THE RESOURCES THAT WE'VE HAD AND YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'RE ALL IN OUR HANDS A WEE BIT BECAUSE YOU KNOW, HAVE A HOMEOWNERSHIP PROGRAM THAT BUILDS BEAUTIFUL HOMES AND WE
SUBSIDIZE THEM AND THEY SELL AND FAMILIES ARE HAPPY WE'RE TRYING AND THAT'S WHY THE WE'VE SORT OF LIMITED THE NUMBER OF SITES WE ARE TRYING TO SAY TO THE MARKET HELP US MARKET DEVELOP SOMETHING THAT ISN'T
YOU KNOW, DOES IT START WITH AN EIGHT DOES IT START WITH A SEVEN AND THAT OUR FAMILIES CAN STILL BUY WITH GOOD DOWNPAYMENT ASSISTANCE AND A MORTGAGE PRODUCT? I THINK WE'RE GOING TO LEARN FROM THIS BUT BUT IT'S NOT
GOING TO BE LIKE AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING AFFORDABLE IT'S NOT GOING TO BE AS FOUR AS AFFORDABLE AS WE'VE BEEN BUILDING. BUT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE WILL THERE BE AFFORDABILITY LIKE NOT
A RESTRICTION IS BUT I GUESS RIGHT NOW MARKET BASED HOUSING THE IDEA IS THAT WE WOULD PUT ON SOME TYPE OF DEED RESTRICTION TO DISCOURAGE ANY
KIND OF FLIPPING BUT THAT IT WOULD HAVE A VERY SHORT TERM A SHORTER TERM YEAH NOT JUST FLIPPING BUT JUST PEOPLE WHO CAN PAY MARKET WHAT THE MARKET'S ABLE TO YEAH AND SOME
OF THESE DETAILS ARE STILL IN THE MAKING BUT THE IDEA IS THAT WE'RE BUILDING UNITS FOR LESS THAN SIX AND WE'RE PRIORITIZING BUYERS THAT NEED THAT PRODUCT
BUT YOU KNOW WE'VE BEEN VERY USED TO BUILDING THINGS THAT HAVE A THREE OR A FOUR IN FRONT OF THEM AND NOW WE'RE WE ARE WE ARE DOING SOMETHING ELSE. WE'RE MOST WE'RE I THINK WE'RE
MOST EXCITED TO SEE IF DIFFERENT REALLY HIGH QUALITY MODULAR PRODUCTS CAN BRING THE NUMBER DOWN AND THEN SAY TO THE MARKET SEE THE MARKET YOU KNOW CAN BUILD A HOME FOR A LOT LESS
THAN WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW. ARE THOSE UP FOR RFP RIGHT NOW THEY OUT THERE AS A WELCOME HOME THREE OUT FOUR RFP NOW THERE'S COMMUNITY MEETINGS
ORDERING YOU RIGHT? YEAH AND I THINK OBVIOUSLY MY NEXT QUESTION IS ABOUT MAHA BUT I REMEMBER BACK BEFORE I WAS A CITY COUNCILOR AND I THINK THAT TIMES HAVE CHANGED QUITE A BIT BUT THEIR BELIEF AND THEIR
ADVOCACY THAT YOU COULD BUILD A MARKET FOR AT LOWER RATES THAN WHAT WE'RE SEEING. SO I'D BE CURIOUS YEAH, I THINK WE'RE TRYING WE'RE GOING TO LEARN FROM THIS. IT'S A VERY SMALL NUMBER OF SITES. MAHA I THINK YOU KNOW WOULD LIKE TO SEE US BE ABLE TO SELL
THEM FOR LESS MONEY THAN THAN WE ANTICIPATE THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO. BUT I DO THINK IT'S A LEARNING EXERCISE. WE'VE GOT TO TRY WE'VE GOT TO TRY SOMETHING WITH THE MARKET. YEAH. ALSO ACCORDING TO MY HEIGHT
THERE ARE 471 AFFORDABLE HOMEOWNERSHIP HOME OWNERSHIP UNITS IN C'S PIPELINE THAT CURRENTLY LACK FUNDING TO PROCEED. SOME OF THOSE BE PHASE THREE IS ACCOUNTING FOR SOME OF THAT FUNDING GAP.
NO THIS THE PIPELINE IS PROJECTS THAT HAVE ALREADY GONE THROUGH A COMMUNITY PROCESS TOLD THE COMMUNITY WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO SELL FOR. ARE WE DEVELOPERS SELECTED LAND
HAS BEEN IF IT'S IF IT'S ON CITY LAND SO WE JUST GO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO MOVE THAT VERY LARGE PIPELINE I SAY THERE'S THREE OR 400 HOMES IN IT MAYBE
SIX FOUR 400 HOMES IN IT. WE'VE GOT TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO MOVE THAT PIPELINE FORWARD EVEN IF IT SO WE'RE LOBBYING VERY HARD NOW FOR COMMONWEALTH BUILDER MONEY RIGHT.
OR WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO JUST LIKE GET AS MANY FUNDING AS WE CAN AND THEN WORK ON THE NEXT BATCH IN THE NEXT BATCH. BUT WE'RE NOT THINKING OF CONVERTING THOSE UNITS TO LIKE A HIGHER PRICED PRODUCT
RIGHT NOW. YEAH. WHERE DO THESE PROJECTS WHERE DO THEY LIVE? THE ONES ARE LIKE WHERE THEY UNDER WHAT PROGRAM WHERE THEY UNDER WE PUT OUT LARGER SITES LARGER LAND SITES OR DEVELOPERS
HAVE JUST COME IN AND SAID WE REALLY I MEAN MOST OF YOU NONPROFITS WE REALLY WANT TO DO A HOMEOWNERSHIP AND WE CAN DO 22 UNITS HERE AND WE HAVE
FUNDED THEM AND NOW BUT THEY WERE ALSO BANKING ON STATE MONEY IN THE VAST MAJORITY OF CASES AND THAT WE REALLY ARE WORKING VERY, VERY HARD TO SECURE. OKAY, THANK YOU. I WANT ASK SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT
THE CITY BASED VOUCHER PROGRAM. SO A LOT OF IT HAS GONE TOWARDS TENANT BASED VOUCHERS, MOBILE VOUCHERS, BUT THE MONEY GOES A LOT FURTHER IF YOU'RE ABLE TO
DO PROJECT BASED VOUCHERS. PART OF THE REASON I THINK YOU KNOW COUNCIL BY NOW I MEAN ADMINISTRATOR BROCK WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT SORT OF THE
THE PROCESS OF THE GAP IN TIMING AND WHAT WE'RE DOING TO SORT OF CLOSE THAT GAP OR MAKE THE ROLE THAT THE APPLICATION PROCESS ROLLING WHAT ELSE CAN WE BE DOING TO MAKE SURE THAT
WE'RE INVESTING MORE IN PROJECT BASED INVESTMENTS FOR THE CITY BASED VOUCHERS THAT I AGREE THAT WE SHOULD BE INVESTING MORE IN BECAUSE OF THE FLEXIBILITY BECAUSE IT ALLOWS HOUSING FOR MIXED MIXED STATUS
FAMILIES. BUT HOW ARE WE GOING TO INVEST MORE IN PROJECT BASED? YEAH AND I SHOULD SAY COUNCILOR SO THAT COUNCILOR SO THAT JUST TO BE CLEAR THE PROJECT BASED VOUCHERS ARE A SHALLOWER SUBSIDY FOR US IF
THEY ARE PAIRED WITH AN IDP UNIT AND NOT OBVIOUSLY IF THEY ARE JUST PROJECT BASED VOUCHERS FOR A UNIT LIKE A NEW UNIT THAT HAS NO IDP OBLIGATIONS WHICH SO
SOMETIMES WE SEE LIKE IF IF FOR INSTANCE SOME OF OUR NONPROFIT PARTNERS ARE CONVERTING BUILDINGS AND THEY'RE LOOKING FOR PROJECT BASED SUBSIDIES WHICH. SO THOSE ARE EXCITING OPPORTUNITIES BUT THOSE DON'T
END UP BEING LESS EXPENSIVE THAN THAN THE MOBILE VOUCHERS. YEAH, I THINK THAT YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN A IN A LOT OF WAYS
ONCE WE KIND OF GET UP TO THE FULL BUDGET AUTHORITY LIKE IT'LL JUST BE EASIER TO HAVE A PROJECT BASED LIKE SPINNING WITHOUT THIS KIND OF LAG BECAUSE LIKE I EXPLAINED ON THE
FEDERAL PROGRAM WE WE JUST SORT OF LIKE TRACK THOSE AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE GOT JUST ENOUGH ROOM TO SORT THEM IN AS THEY COME ONLINE. SO I DO THINK THAT THAT PIECE OF THE PUZZLE WILL JUST KIND
OF BE RESOLVED ONCE WE'RE UP TO FULL STRENGTH. BUT YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT ONE OF THE PIECES IS WORKING MORE EXTENSIVELY WITH OUR DEVELOPERS WHO ARE DEVELOPING NEW
BUILDINGS AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE TALKED TO THE COALITION ABOUT AND THAT WE'RE INTERESTED IN DOING. AND AND FRANKLY ONE OF THE BIG HOPES IS THAT BECAUSE WE'VE COME IN WITH THIS IDP POLICY
THAT HAS 3% LIKE VOUCHER UNITS RIGHT THAT THAT IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO GET IN FRONT OF AND TALK WITH A LOT MORE DEVELOPER LANDLORDS WHO MAYBE AREN'T NECESSARILY AS FAMILIAR WITH VOUCHER PROGRAMS
BECAUSE WE THINK THAT EVEN THOUGH THOSE ARE MOSTLY GOING TO BE FEDERAL VOUCHERS JUST LIKE WORKING WITH PEOPLE AROUND THAT AND HAVING THEM SEE LIKE OH THIS IS HOW THIS WORKS WILL HELP US GET THEM INTERESTED IN HAVING MORE OF THEM IN UNITS.
I AND UNITS. OKAY. THANK YOU. I HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS BUT I, I HAVE TO WAIT FOR MY THAT YES. YEAH. THANK YOU COUNSELOR.
THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR MEJIA COUNCIL YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU, CHAIR I I'M CURIOUS WOULD YOU ALL HAPPEN TO KNOW IN
TERMS OF NORTHEASTERN HARVARD AND B YOU. WHO OWNS THAT? WHO OWNS THE LAND THAT THEY BUILD ON?
TYPICALLY THEY OWN THEIR THEY OWN IT. YOU KNOW THEY OWN ALL OF IT. YEAH. WHO GAVE IT TO THEM? I'M JUST IT IS FEELS LIKE THEY ARE OCCUPYING EVERY SINGLE
SPACE OF REAL ESTATE HERE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON, ESPECIALLY NORTHEASTERN AND THEY ARE DISPLACING SO MANY PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA. SO I'M JUST LIKE WHAT ARE WE
DOING TO WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM AND JUST SAY HELLO THE RIGHT I THINK ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE CORRECT. THEY'VE YOU KNOW, OVER THE YEARS THEY'VE ACQUIRED HOW
THEY'VE ACQUIRED THE PROPERTIES UP THERE. THEY'RE THEY SEE THE OPPORTUNITIES THEY HAVE ENDOWMENTS AS THEY AND IT WAS ALWAYS NEVER WE'VE NEVER OWNED
EVER NO I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY NOW THIS MAYBE THERE WAS YOU KNOW DECADES OR MORE AGO I'M NOT AWARE IN MY TENURE OF THE
CITY GIVING ANY COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY LAND. NO. OKAY. SO DO WE KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH NORTHEASTERN IN PARTICULAR? THEY'RE JUST SPRAWLING ALL OVER THE PLACE.
I KNOW THAT AND THE PLANNING IS WORKING RIGHT NOW ON AN INSTITUTIONAL MASTER PLAN. SO I THINK THEY WOULD BE THERE. RIGHT. AND THEY'RE IN THE THICK OF IT RIGHT NOW.
THEY WOULD BE THE RIGHT ORGANIZATION TO ASK I I KNOW BECAUSE WE'RE JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE KEEP OUR PEOPLE HERE AND JUST EVERY TIME WE TURN AROUND JUST KEEP BEING
DISPLACED. I'M CURIOUS IN THE FBI 24 BUDGET THE OFFICE OF HOUSING OVERSPENT AND CONTRACTUAL SERVICES I BELIEVE BY 4 MILLION AND YOU CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M
WRONG BUT IN FY 25 THERE'S A SLIGHT UNDERSPENDING IN THAT CATEGORY WITH ABOUT 1 MILLION OF THE 2.6 MILLION HAVEN'T BEEN SPENT AS OF MARCH 31ST, 2025.
SO THEN THE QUESTION IS FOR THE NY 26 PROJECTED AMOUNT HAS SEEMS TO HAVE A SLIGHTLY INCREASE AND I'M JUST CURIOUS CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHY THERE'S BEEN SOME FLUCTUATION IN
CONTRACTUAL SERVICES FROM FY 24 AND FY 2526? YEAH, I MEAN THE AIRPORT'S 25 SO I THINK WHAT YOU'RE WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO IS THE BUDGET OFFICE PROVIDED A SNAPSHOT OF WHERE WE WERE AT
THE END OF AT THE END OF MARCH 2025. SO SOME OF THOSE BALANCES YOU KNOW THAT SPENDING IS IN PROCESS RIGHT NOW ON THOSE BALANCES THEY'LL ALL BE ZERO. PEOPLE WILL SPEND ALL OF OUR FUNDING BY THE END BY THE END
OF THIS FISCAL YEAR THERE WON'T BE ANY ANY ANY SURPLUSES LEFT AND THEREFORE OUR 26 BUDGET IS ESSENTIALLY LEVEL FUNDED FROM FROM FROM ABOUT 25 EXCEPT FOR THE FEW CHANGES THAT I
HIGHLIGHTED EARLIER IN WHITE. DO YOU KNOW WHY WE OVERSPENT BY 4 MILLION? I'M NOT SURE WHAT YOU'RE I'M NOT SURE WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT. WE DEFINITELY DID NOT OVERSPEND. WE CAN WE CAN OVERSPEND OUR
CITY BUDGET BUT IF YOU IF IF YOU CAN SHOW ME WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT I'M HAPPY TO TO I'M LOOKING AT SOME QUESTIONS THAT COUNCIL YEAH AND SEE HOW WE PUT
TOGETHER SOMETHING THROW HIM UNDER THE BUS AND YEAH THAT IS INAPPROPRIATE THAT'S WRONG INFORMATION COUNSELOR BUT YEAH I GUESS WE WERE DOING SOME ANALYSIS AND THAT'S WHERE WE
LANDED AND WE JUST MIGHT BE MISTAKEN BUT WHAT IT MIGHT BE IS I KNOW THE BUDGET OFFICE ALERTED US THAT THE BUDGET OFFICE THEMSELVES DO SOME ADJUSTMENTS AFTER THE FACT, SO I'M WONDERING IF THAT'S WHAT IT IS. THAT'S RIGHT. HERE I AM THROWING IN
COUNCIL YANCEY AND MY TEAM UNDER THE BUS AND ALSO OUT OF THE BUDGET. I'LL THROW THE BUDGET OFFICE UNDER THE BUS. YEAH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. FOR THE RECORD AS OF MARCH 31ST AND THIS IS YOU KNOW WE I BELIEVE WE'VE ONLY SPENT ABOUT
60% OF THE AMOUNT ALLOCATED FOR PERMANENT EMPLOYEES BUT THERE IS SEEMS TO BE A DEFICIT OF $31,000 IN THE EMERGENCY EMPLOYEE LINE ITEM FOR FISCAL
YEAR 2025 AND 2024. WE ALSO UNDERSPENT AND PERMANENT EMPLOYEES LINE ITEM BY 121,000 AND OVERSPENT IN THE EMERGENCY EMPLOYEE LINE BY
$32,000. IT JUST CURIOUS IF YOU CAN EXPLAIN WHY IT MAY BE MORE DIFFICULT TO HIRE PERMANENT EMPLOYEES AND EMERGENCY EMPLOYEES AND WHAT ARE THE KEY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO?
YEAH THE THE PERMANENT EMPLOYEES FOR FY 25 I THERE IS IT IS SHOWING A LARGE BALANCE AGAIN AS OF MARCH 31ST. MOST OF THAT IS BECAUSE WE WERE IN THE PROCESS OF ALLOCATING MOST MOST OF OUR POSITIONS ARE
SPLIT FUNDED BETWEEN CITY FUNDS AND GRANT FUNDS MOSTLY HUD HUD GRANTS AND SO WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS WILL BE DOING SOME ALLOCATIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE STAYING UNDER OUR GRANT OUR GRANT BUDGETS AND OUR ADMIN CAPS AND SALARY CAPS AND ALL
THAT STUFF. AND SO WE'LL BE WE'LL BE DOING SOME TRANSFERS AND THOSE DOES BALANCE AS A GO AWAY AND AGAIN WE WON'T HAVE WE'LL HAVE I MEAN MAYBE THERE'LL BE A LITTLE BIT LEFT OF OF SALARY DOLLARS IN THE OPERATING BUDGET BUT THERE
WON'T BE ANYWHERE NEAR WHAT'S SHOWING RIGHT NOW THE THE THE EMERGENCY EMPLOYEES THAT YOU'RE SEEING FOR US IS MOST OF THAT MOSTLY MEANS THAT THE INTERNS AND FELLOWS IS MOSTLY HOW WE HOW WE USE THAT.
SO IT'S NOT AND IT IS TRUE THAT YOU KNOW I THINK LIKE MOST ORGANIZATIONS WE HAVE HAD HIGHER TURNOVER OVER THE PAST FOUR OR FIVE YEARS. IT'S BEEN A LITTLE BIT HARDER TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN PEOPLE. I THINK WE'VE FILLED A LOT OF THOSE VACANT POSITIONS WITH
PERMANENT POSITIONS OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS SO THAT HAS COME DOWN BUT THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SEEING THERE. IT'S NOT THIS GENERALLY NOT YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE'S BEEN SOME CONTRACT EMPLOYEES LIKE RETIREES THAT HAVE STAYED ON OR
COME BACK WITH AN EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT BUT MOSTLY IT'S INTERNS AND FELLOWS. THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND I KNOW COUNCIL PRESIDENT LOUIJEUNE WAS ASKING SOME QUESTIONS THAT TRIGGERED ME TO
THINK ABOUT SOME OF THE RESTRICTIONS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE AND WE HAD A HEARING I BELIEVE LAST YEAR OR SO KIND OF LOOKING INTO THAT ISSUE.
AND I'M JUST CURIOUS HOW MANY INCOME RESTRICTED UNITS DO WE CURRENTLY HAVE? WHAT IS THE TARGET BY THAT BY 2025? WE'RE ALSO CURIOUS WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THOSE UNITS ARE DEEPLY AFFORDABLE MEANING THAT
THEY'RE FOR PEOPLE OR FAMILIES MAKING UNDER $50,000. I'M ALSO CURIOUS ABOUT HOW MANY UNITS ARE CURRENTLY HOME OWNERSHIP UNITS, HOW MANY MORE HOME OWNERSHIP UNITS WILL BE
PRODUCED IN THIS UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR? I UNDERSTAND THAT NEW RESTRICTIONS SUCH AS HIGHER CAP ON APPRECIATION AND ABILITY TO PASS OUT TO FAMILY WITHOUT INCOME RESTRICTIONS ONLY APPLIES TO UNITS CONSTRUCTED
AFTER 2023. CAN YOU CONFIRM IF THAT'S TRUE OR NOT? JUST I'M SURE YOU GOT ALL OF THIS YOU KNOW I DO. I DO. WELL, I'M GOING TO PUNT A LITTLE BIT. OKAY.
SO GO AHEAD. I'M GOING TO GO TO YEAH. SO WE'VE GOT JUST I JUST I WAS JUST LOOKING AT THE NUMBER THE OTHER DAY ABOUT 58,000 INCOME RESTRICTED HOUSING UNITS.
WE DO HAVE THE BREAKDOWN OF FAMILY UNITS, SENIOR UNITS, THE INCOME LEVELS I THINK IT'S IN PRODUCTION RIGHT NOW A PRODUCTION REPORT ARE WE EVERY YEAR WE DO AN INCOME RESTRICTED
REPORT THAT WE WILL GET OVER TO YOU EVEN IF IT'S NOT IN PRODUCTION IT'S NOT PRETTY. YOU CAN SEE ALL THE NUMBERS ARE IN THERE IN SOME DETAIL WHERE ARE THEY LOCATED? SO I WILL GET THAT OVER TO YOU IN SHORT ORDER.
YOU WERE CORRECT SEVERAL YEARS AGO NOW IT WAS 2023 MAYBE IT WAS 2022. WE DID AFTER HEARING FROM A LOT OF A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS
CONSTITUENTS, HOMEOWNERS, YOU NAME IT PROBABLY MOST OF YOU WE WE HEARD THAT THE DEED RESTRICTIONS A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE VERY STRONG FEELINGS ON WHAT THE DEED RESTRICTION SHOULD BE AND SO WE TRIED OUR
BEST. SOME PEOPLE FEEL LIKE THEY SHOULD BE IN PERPETUITY AND HAVE VERY, VERY SLOW APPRECIATION AND THEN OTHER FEELS LIKE THERE SHOULD NOT BE A DEED RESTRICTION ANYWHERE NEAR ANYTHING.
SO AFTER LOTS OF CONVERSATION SINCE WE DID SHORTEN THE DEED RESTRICTION TERM TO 30 YEARS AND INCREASE THE APPRECIATION TO 5% FROM 3% AND MADE SOME
OTHER CHANGES ABOUT SELLING TO FAMILY MEMBERS ETC. JUST TRYING TO FIND A COMPROMISE AND NO OPINION WAS THE WRONG OPINION. EVERYBODY HAD THE RIGHT REASONS
FOR COMING FORWARD AND WANTING TO SEE CHANGES BUT OUR JOB WAS TO SORT OF ENSURE THAT WE HAD LONG TERM AFFORDABILITY THAT PEOPLE COULD BUT ALSO THAT PEOPLE COULD GET A VERY VERY
DECENT RETURN OFF OF THEIR PROPERTY. SO WE DID CHANGE THINGS ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO. YEAH. THANK YOU. ONE QUICK FOLLOW UP HERE. I'M JUST CURIOUS BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WHEN SOME FOLKS WHEN THE
CITY BUILDS THEY BUILD IN BUNDLES THEY MAY HAVE LIKE FIVE, YOU KNOW, PROPERTIES AND OUT OF THOSE FIVE MAYBE FOUR
MAYBE INCOME RESTRICTED WITH SOME ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS. BUT ALSO THEY'RE PROBABLY 50% LESS THAN WHAT YOU KNOW OTHERS
ARE. BUT THEN THE ONES THAT ARE MARKET LIKE LET'S SAY OUT OF THE FIVE ONE IS MARKET VALUE THAT EVEN THOUGH IT'S A MARKET VALUE AND PEOPLE ARE PAYING
FULL PRICE EVEN THOUGH THE CITY GOT A BUNDLE AND A DISCOUNT, THOSE FOLKS ARE STILL PAYING OR AT LEAST ARE HAVE A COVENANT OR A DEED RESTRICTION EVEN THOUGH
THAT THEY'RE PAYING MARKET. I'M NOT AWARE OF ANYONE WHO'S PAYING MARKET THAT ALSO HAS A DEED RESTRICTION I'M NOT AWARE THERE THERE THERE'S SOME SOME UNITS IN ALLSTON BRIGHTON THAT
HAVE AN OWNER OCCUPANCY RESTRICTION BUT NOT NOT A A RESALE RESTRICTION I'D BE GLAD IF YOU HAVE AN ADDRESS EVENTUALLY BUT I'D BE GLAD TO LOOK INTO IT BECAUSE PEOPLE I
THINK ARE CONFUSED BY THE CITY OWN PROPERTIES OR AT LEAST THE ONES THAT YOU ALL BUILD AND THEN YOU SELL THEM TO FOLKS AND THEN FOLKS DON'T KNOW IF YOU WILL BE THE OWNERS OF THEIR
HOUSE 30 YEARS FROM NOW THEY'RE LIKE WHY AM I SPENDING SO MUCH MONEY ON SOMETHING THAT I TECHNICALLY DON'T EVEN OWN BECAUSE YEAH YOU ARE REALLY THE IT'S JUST A YEAH, THAT'S
COMPETITION. OH SO SO TO YOUR POINT THERE IS A LOT OF CONFUSION AROUND DEED RESTRICTIONS AND THERE'S TOO MUCH CONFUSION SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING VERY HARD KAREN RIBAS AND HER TEAM TO DO A MUCH
BETTER JOB OF LIKE REALLY EDUCATING PEOPLE ABOUT THE DEED RESTRICTION. RIGHT? AND WE'RE REWRITING THE DEED RESTRICTION. THE TERMS WOULD BE ABOUT THE SAME AS THE COMPROMISE DEED RESTRICTION BUT IN LANGUAGE
THAT ANYONE PICKING IT UP COULD UNDERSTAND RIGHT. SO WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE IT MUCH CLEARER FOR FOLKS THAT ARE WALKING IN AND SAY THIS IS WHAT YOU'RE BUYING AND THIS IS WHY
IT'S STRUCTURED THIS WAY. SO A LOT OF WORK IS IS GOING ON HAS GONE ON AND WILL CONTINUE TO GO ON IN THAT AREA. THANK THANK YOU COUNSELOR.
I AM A ADVOCATE AND FOR DEED RESTRICTIONS YOU KNOW WE DID SOME ANALYSIS ON HOW MUCH YOU KNOW, AN INDIVIDUAL CAN MAKE YOU KNOW, LIVING IN A HOURS
FROM 10 TO 15 YEARS AND YOU ARE ABLE TO PULL OUT EQUITY AND THAT'S NOT EVEN TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION WHAT YOU WOULD BE BUYING OR RENTING IN THE RENTAL MARKET HERE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON.
AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT WHEN YOU TAKING A LOOK AT INCOME LEVELS AND WHO HAS THE ABILITY TO BUY RIGHT HERE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON, YOU SEE WHO IMPACTS
THE MOST AND WHO'S BENEFITING OFF OF THOSE RESTRICTIONS IN A REAL WAY AND AS A HOUSING OR HOMEOWNERSHIP ADVOCATE, I
BELIEVE IT'S THE BEST TOOL THAT WE HAVE IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN AFFORDABILITY AND STABILIZE FAMILIES IN A CITY THAT THEY
LOVE SO I BELIEVE IT'S THE GIFT THAT WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO GIVE TO OTHER GENERATIONS AND NOT ONE PERSON OR ONE FAMILY SHOULD BENEFIT OFF OF THAT GOVERNMENT
INVESTMENT THAT WE MADE. RIGHT. THEY SHOULD CONTINUE TO GIVE ADMIN BACK. WE'VE HEARD FROM ADVOCATE I THINK COUNCIL PRESIDENT
LOUIJEUNE TOUCHED ON THIS AROUND PROJECT BASED VOUCHERS THAT PROJECT BAY SAVED THE CITY BETWEEN $700 TO $900 PER UNIT A
MONTH. IS THAT SAVINGS CORRECT SO IT'S IF IF WE ARE PROJECT BASING A VOUCHER IN AN IDP UNIT IN ORDER TO MAKE IT MORE DEEPLY
AFFORDABLE IT SAVES US MONEY PER UNIT BECAUSE ALREADY THE RENT IS LOWER. SO IT JUST DEPENDS IF WE'RE PROJECT BASING A UNIT THAT DOESN'T HAVE ANY PRIOR RESTRICTION THEN IT'S NOT LESS EXPENSIVE. ALL RIGHT.
AND THEN ARE WE ABLE TO COMMIT TO GETTING MORE PROJECT BASED VOUCHERS IN THE PIPELINE AND THEN HAVE WE THOUGHT ABOUT PUSHING THE PROJECT BASED VOUCHERS AT A DIFFERENT TIME IN THE DEVELOPMENT PIPELINE?
YEAH. SO I THINK WE'RE DEFINITELY LIKE I SAID, I'M LOOKING TO TALK MORE WITH DEVELOPERS ALONG THE WAY SO THAT WE CAN YOU KNOW I THINK THAT LIKE A LOT
OF FOLKS MAYBE HAVE NOT UNDERSTOOD FULLY THAT THE MATH COULD BE THAT LIKE FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ARE PUSHING FOR DEEPER AFFORDABILITY IT COULD BE A WIN WIN WHERE THEY COMMIT TO DOING THIS DEEPER AFFORDABILITY. BUT IF THEY'RE DOING IT WITH A
VOUCHER THEN IT IT COST THEM THE SAME. AND AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS AS WAS ALLUDED TO BY MICHAEL CAINE EARLIER TONIGHT THAT WE'VE COMMITTED TO HAVING LIKE A SORT OF ONGOING ROUND
FOR FOLKS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN PROJECT BASING CITY VOUCHERS SO THAT WE DON'T JUST DO LIKE DISTINCT FEES AT CERTAIN MOMENTS AND THAT'S REALLY TO HELP US HAVE THOSE LIKE ONGOING DYNAMIC CONVERSATIONS WITH
PEOPLE. SO I THINK THAT'S A THAT'S A BIG PART OF WHERE WE'RE LOOKING TO GO HERE. YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT IN THE THE ONE THE ONE CAVEAT I WANT TO ENTER JUST FOR EVERYBODY IS
THAT WE ARE IN A MOMENT WHERE IF IF WE SEE SIGNIFICANT FAMILIES GET THROWN OFF OF THE FEDERAL PROGRAM, WE MAY BE LOOKING AT THE CITY VOUCHER PROGRAM AS A MOBILE RESOURCE IN THE SHORT TERM TOO.
SO I JUST WANT TO LIKE KEEP BOTH THOSE THINGS IN OUR MINDS THAT MAKE SENSE. I BELIEVE THIS QUESTION IS FOR YOU, CHIEF DOLAN. WE'VE HEARD FROM ADVOCATES THAT SOME OF THE AM-I RESTRICTED
UNITS ARE HARDER TO FILL THAN OTHERS. DOES MDH HAVE ANY INSIGHT ON THAT OR BELIEVE THAT ANY PERCENTAGES IN YOUR MIND PERCENTAGES THAT WORK BETTER
THAN OTHERS? YES, I THINK IT'S THE HIGHER THE AM I IN INCOME RESTRICTED UNIT THAT THERE'S THERE'S I
THINK THERE'S A DYNAMIC WHERE YOU'RE ASKING SOMEONE TO INCOME CERTIFY SUBMIT A LOT OF PAPERWORK GO THROUGH LIKE KIND OF A LABOR AS PROCESS HOPEFULLY LESS LABOR THAN IT WAS AND WILL BE AND THEN THE
YOU'RE NOT GETTING THAT MUCH OF A DISCOUNT FROM RENT FROM THE MARKET RIGHT SO THAT THAT I THINK WHEN WHEN AMICI UNRESTRICTED UNITS GET PRETTY HIGH I THINK THEY BECOME LESS DESIRABLE THEY FEEL THEY FEEL
EVERYTHING IN BOSTON FEELS RIGHT BUT BUT IT IS IT'S A LITTLE HARDER. ONE THING WE HAVE SEEN RECENTLY IS AND I DON'T IT'S JUST IT'S I
DON'T KNOW IF IF IT'S CITYWIDE BUT SENIOR UNITS THAT ARE AT TAX CREDIT RENTS WITHOUT A PROJECT BASED SECTION EIGHT BECAUSE OUR VAST MAJORITY OF OUR SENIORS LOOKING FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING ARE ON FIXED
INCOME AND THEY CAN'T PAY THEY'RE NO LONGER WORKING, THEY CAN'T PAY THE THE TAX CREDIT RENTS THAT SEEMS TO BE A LITTLE BIT OF A STICKING POINT TO
THANK YOU AND GOING BACK TO ADMINISTRATIVE BUT WE'VE HEARD THAT THERE'S NOW NO FAIR HOUSING TESTING GOING ON IN THE CITY BECAUSE FEDERAL TESTING HAS STOPPED. ARE YOU SEEING OR HEARING ANY
UPTICK IN VOUCHER DISCRIMINATION? I THINK I WOULDN'T SAY THAT WE'VE HEARD LIKE ANYTHING CONCRETE IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS
. I THINK IT CONTINUES TO BE A MAJOR CONCERN OF OURS AND VHA WAS INVOLVED IN ENCOURAGING PRIVATE FOLKS TO DO SOME OF THAT TESTING THAT RESULTED IN SOME LAWSUITS LAST YEAR
BECAUSE WE REALLY THINK THAT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT THIS IS A SPACE IN WHICH PEOPLE KNOW THAT THEY'LL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR DISCRIMINATING AGAINST VOUCHER HOLDERS FOR THEIR SUBSIDY. SO I WOULD SAY IT'S AN AREA
THAT WE REMAIN CONCERNED ABOUT AND THE SORT OF FEDERAL DISINTEREST IS NOT HELPING. BUT I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING CONCRETE TO REPORT IN TERMS OF ADDITIONAL DISCRIMINATION.
THANK YOU. GOING BACK TO THE I BELIEVE CHIEF DALEY MENTIONED A HOUSING STRATEGY AND JUST CURIOUS
AROUND THE DETAILS ARE WE. IS THE HOUSING STRATEGY LIKE BROKEN DOWN INTO BECAUSE WE COULD GET TO A PRODUCTION NUMBER FOR BUILDING A LOT OF STUDIOS AND ONE BEDROOMS BUT WE WANT TO STABILIZE FAMILIES
OR ENCOURAGE FAMILIES TO STAY OR PEOPLE TO GROW HERE IN THE CITY. THEN YOU KNOW THE THREE BEDROOMS ARE OUR FAMILY STYLE UNITS ARE THE THINGS THAT WE SHOULD BE PRIORITIZING IN HOUSING PRODUCTION IS HOUSING
STRATEGY LIKE BROKEN DOWN INTO THAT LEVEL OF DETAIL ON TYPE OF YOU? NO, NO, NO IT'S NOT. I THINK WE'RE ALWAYS EXTREMELY
AWARE WHEN WE'RE FUNDING NEW PROJECTS NOBODY'S COMING IN TO US FOR FUNDING WITH ZEROS AND ONES ONLY RIGHT? WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FOR TWOS THREES AND NOW WE'RE LOOKING FOR FOURS AND FIVES.
I MEAN THAT'S REALLY IF THAT'S THE HARDEST UNIT TO FIND IS A FOUR OR FIVE I MEAN GOT ONE OR A NEW ONE WE'RE ALL WORKING ON IT. I MEAN IT'S JUST SO NO PROJECT IS COMING IN AND WE'RE GOING TO
FIND SOMETHING THAT'S JUST ZEROS AND ONES SO BUT BUT WE DON'T HAVE IT WE DON'T HAVE THOSE GOALS BROKEN OUT RIGHT NOW. CAN I SAY ONE THING, COUNCILOR? I JUST THINK THAT THIS IS AN
IMPORTANT POINT LIKE SO WE IN OUR REDEVELOPMENTS BUILD A LOT MORE FAMILY SIZED HOUSING AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE SOMETIMES SEE IS THAT BECAUSE EVERYONE TALKS IN TERMS
OF UNITS WE'LL HAVE A PROJECT WHERE THE PER UNIT COST IS KIND OF HIGHER THAN SOME OTHER LIKE BUILDINGS AND PEOPLE SAY WELL WHY IS IT HIGHER? AND WE'LL BE LIKE BECAUSE WE'RE BUILDING THREES AND FOURS AND FIVES WHICH LIKE YOU DON'T
COUNT AS ONE UNIT BUT THEY COULD BE TWO OR THREE UNITS EQUIVALENT AND SO I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO ALL BE SORT OF NORMING AGAINST SQUARE FOOTAGE AND AND REALLY LIKE
GIVING CREDIT FOR THE IMPORTANCE OF KIND OF CREATING THOSE FAMILY SIZE UNITS MUCH MUCH APPRECIATED. I'M GOING TO ASSUME THAT IF COLLEAGUES ARE HERE THEY HAVE
QUESTIONS BUT I SEE SOME HEADS BEING NODDED. OKAY. THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL PRESIDENT LOUIJEUNE COUNCIL THE FLOOR IS YOURS. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU MR CHAIR AND I ONE OF MY QUESTIONS WAS ACTUALLY ABOUT FAIR HOUSING CASTERS SO IT'S INCREDIBLY WE DON'T THERE'S NO FIRM HOUSING TESTING PROGRAM RIGHT NOW IN THE CITY
OF BOSTON AND IT IS OFFICE OF FAIR HOUSING EQUITY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN STAND ONE UP AS SOON AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE LAWSUITS THAT ARE BEING BROUGHT NECESSITATE HAVING THE DATA TO PROVE THAT IT'S HAPPENING AND
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THERE JUST IT'S NOT HAPPENING. SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE IT'S HAPPENING HERE TO AVOID CASES. BUDGET MENTIONS EFFORTS TO STREAMLINE AFFORDABLE HOUSING APPROVAL WHATEVER.
CAN YOU JUST DISCUSS SOME CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE COORDINATING OR CROSBY PDA? I D IN LAW TO SORT OF MAKE THAT PROCESS FASTER? SURE. SO I'M ACTUALLY LOOKING AT DAN LESSER IF YOU WANT TO COME DOWN
TOO QUICKLY AND YOU'RE SPEARHEADING THAT EFFORT AND SO IT'S IT'S ON THE COMPLICATE BUT I WANT TO YOU HAVE TO JOG BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO CUT INTO THE COUNCILORS TIME SO GO
NOT FAST ENOUGH DAN NOT TO TARGET YEAH SO I MEAN SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING REALLY HARD WITH OUR COLLEAGUES AT PLANNING AND I ESTY AS WELL AS PUBLIC WORKS
BOSS AND OUR SEWER COMMISSION PC OR ON HIGH LEVELS OF COORDINATION TO TRY TO EXPEDITE AS FAST AS WE CAN AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS. SO TO DATE WE WERE AROUND 25 TO
30% IMPROVEMENT. IT GOES UP AND DOWN A LITTLE BIT AND WE'RE TRYING TO GET TO 40% BY THE END OF THE YEAR AND SO WHAT DO YOU 40% HAVE A DEVELOPMENT THAT GOES THROUGH
THIS YEAR BEFORE 3% FASTER THAN BEFORE THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING EXECUTIVE ORDER THE MAYOR SIGNED IN OCTOBER OF 2022 WHICH HAS BEEN KIND OF OUR BASELINE GOAL AND WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS 50%. AND SO ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS
WE'VE DONE IS WE CREATED THIS AFFORDABLE HOUSING CERTIFICATE THAT FOR ANY PROJECT THAT KIND OF MEETS THE DEFINITION WHICH IS 60% OR MORE OF THE UNITS AT
100% OR LESS OF AMI GETS THAT WHAT WE CALL THIS KIND OF CERTIFICATE A GOLDEN TICKET WHERE EVERY REVIEW PROCESS IN THE CITY THEY GET MOVED TO THE TOP AND SO AND WE'RE TRACKING ON A DAILY BASIS PROJECT AS
THEY GO THROUGH FOR EACH APPROVAL STEP WE HAVE LIKE A TIME BASED GOAL AND SO THEN WE KIND OF LOOK AT IT AND WE MAKE SURE WITH THAT EXECUTIVE CERTIFICATE THAT THEY'RE GETTING EXPEDITED AND THEN
EVERY TWO WEEKS WE MEET WE MEET WITH ALL THE KEY KEY STAFF IN THOSE AGENCIES TO COORDINATE ACTUALLY TALK PROJECT BY PROJECT REVIEW BY REVIEW WHAT'S GETTING STUCK, HOW DO WE MOVE IT AND HOW YOU HOW DO WE KEEP
THINGS MOVING FORWARD? THANK YOU. OR WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE OTHER THINGS THAT WE'RE LEARNING FROM THE PROCESS THAT CAN BE IMPLEMENTED TO SORT OF LIKE THE PROCESS FOR ALL HOUSING IN GENERAL?
DEFINITELY SO I THINK THE ARTICLE 80, ARTICLE 80 MODERNIZATION PROCESS IS TAKING A LOT OF THE LESSONS FROM THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING EXECUTIVE ORDER WORK TO TRY TO STREAMLINE FOR ALL HOUSING AS WELL AS THE CITY RECENTLY LAUNCHED A
PERMANENT TRANSFORMATION PROJECT TO THINK ABOUT PERMANENCE ACROSS ALL OF OUR PERMITTING PROCESSES AND KELLY MACKEY OUT OF THE MAYOR'S OFFICE WHO'S LEADING THAT IS WORKING CLOSELY WITH US AND WE'RE TRYING TO KIND OF SHARE
LEARNINGS AND THINK ABOUT HOW DO WE DO THIS FOR AID USE, HOW DO WE DO THIS FOR YOU KNOW, STREET FAIRS, FOR OUTDOOR DINING, ETC. AWESOME. THANK YOU DAD.
AND THEN I HAVE A LAST QUESTION ABOUT THE CITY BASED VOUCHERS. SO MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THEIR CITY S.B. STATUES THAT WE SUPPORT WE ADVOCATE FOR AND THERE'S TEN THAT ARE FOR OH
EIGHT OFFICE OF HOUSING STABILITY THERE ARE TEN THAT ARE FOUR OR C THAT ARE TEN THAT ARE FOUR. WHAT AM I MISSING? MAYBE A DO WE HAVE A SENSE
OF SORT OF LIKE THE UTILIZATION AVAILABILITY? ONE OF THE CRITIQUES THAT I'VE HEARD IS THAT PARTNERS IS NONPROFITS AND DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE AVAILABILITY OF THESE
VOUCHERS AND YOU KNOW HOW MANY ARE LEFT LIKE IF ALL TEN ARE STILL AVAILABLE IF THERE ARE FIVE AVAILABLE. MY PUSHBACK ON THAT IS THAT THE MORE YOU MARKET THEM OR LET
PEOPLE KNOW THAT THESE VOUCHERS ARE AVAILABLE, THE LONGER A WAITLIST YOU LIKE I JUST I'M JUST IMAGINING THAT THESE ALLOCATIONS GO VERY QUICKLY UM
IS THAT WHAT'S HAPPENING WHAT IS IT PROCESS LIKE WHERE DO WE STAND RIGHT NOW WITH THOSE VOUCHERS AND THEN YOU KNOW AND THEN THE COUNTERPOINT THAT IS MADE TO ME IS THAT WHILE HAVING A WAITLIST IS BETTER BECAUSE
THEN WE CAN AT LEAST BETTER UNDERSTAND THE NEED AND IT WOULD ACTUALLY HELP TO ADVOCATE FOR MORE MONEY ALLOCATED TO THESE CITY BASED VOUCHERS. YEAH. SO THE IDEA OF THOSE IS MORE AS
LIKE A REFERRAL PATHWAY AND IT IS IT IS SORT OF TO YOU KNOW TO BE HONEST IN SOME WAYS IT'S TRYING TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT THAT THE CITY VOUCHER PROGRAM IS A PROGRAM THAT WE THE AJ
MANAGE BUT THAT OF COURSE IS LIKE MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE CITY VOTING FOR THESE ANNUAL APPROPRIATIONS. AND SO WE DID WANT TO HAVE KIND OF LIKE A PRIVILEGED REFERRAL
PATHWAY WITH SOME OF THE CITY DEPARTMENTS AND I SAID I SHOULD HAVE SAID BMC IT WAS BMC US YEAH YEAH. SO SO SO THE IDEA IS BASICALLY THAT LIKE YOU KNOW TO TRY TO
HAVE IT BE THAT WITH THE OFFICE OF RETURNING CITIZENS FOR INSTANCE THAT LIKE THEY HAVE A MORE DIRECT WAY OF WORKING WITH US AROUND OUR OWN CLIENTS AND SOMETIMES THOSE FOLKS ARE COMING TO THEM THROUGH
NONPROFIT PARTNERS AND OTHERS AS WELL THAT ALREADY HAS 5050 BADGE VOUCHERS THAT THEY ALSO ARE USING INDEPENDENTLY. YEAH, YEAH YEAH, YEAH.
SO I THINK I THINK THAT IT'S YOU KNOW I THINK THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT OUR WHOLE SECTOR STRUGGLES WITH THE KIND OF LIKE WAITLIST VERSUS REFERRAL PIECE BECAUSE THERE IS A GREAT SORT
OF LIKE FAIRNESS AND TRANSPARENCY TO WAIT LISTS AND THAT'S WHY THE VAST MAJORITY OF VHA HOUSING RUNS OFF OF THAT KIND OF A SYSTEM. ON THE FLIP SIDE, YOU KNOW, WE
HAVE SO MUCH EVIDENCE NOW THAT RAPID REHOUSING AND ALSO HELPING PEOPLE IN THE MOMENT WHEN THEY'RE ABOUT TO LOSE THEIR HOUSING REALLY LIKE HELPS TO STOP THINGS FROM SPIRALING. SO A WORLD WHERE LIKE YOU'RE
NEVER ABLE TO DO ANYTHING THROUGH A REFERRAL PATHWAY BECAUSE IT'S ALWAYS LIKE WELL YOU HAVE TO GET IN LINE AND HAVE THREE YEARS OF HOMELESSNESS AND LIKE IT'S A CHALLENGE, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE HAVE WE KNOW THAT
LIKE WE KNOW THAT IF WE CAN SOMETIMES JUMP INTO THE BREACH LIKE AN ELDER WHO'S JUST FOUND OUT THAT THEIR LANDLORD IS SELLING THE HOUSE AND THEY'RE ABOUT TO BE HOMELESS, WE CAN'T WE CAN HAVE A BIG IMPACT. SO I THINK WE ALL TRY TO
BALANCE THAT AND ONE OF THE WAYS WE TRY TO DO IT IS TO JUST HAVE A MIXTURE OF WAITLIST AND REFERRALS. ARE YOU GOING THROUGH THESE BATCHES PRETTY QUICKLY? YES. YEAH.
I MEAN RIGHT NOW WE LIKE WE'RE NOT LIKE BESIDES THE BASICALLY WE HAVE TO WE HAVE TO SIZE THE NUMBER OF ADDITIONAL MOBILE VOUCHERS WE CAN DO THROUGH ANY
OF THESE LIKE PATHWAYS AGAINST KIND OF THE LATEST ESTIMATE OF HOW MANY OF THE PROJECT BASES ARE ACTUALLY COMING ONLINE IN A GIVEN MONTH AND SO RIGHT SO IT'S BACK TO THAT LARGER PROBLEM. YEAH.
WHAT DO YOU THINK THOSE ARE MY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR. THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR MEJIA. COUNCILOR THE OTHER FOR I HEARD IT WAS COUNCILOR WEBER.
OKAY, YOU HAVE QUESTIONS COUNCIL HE HAS ISSUES REGARDING APPOINTMENTS. YES. NO, NO, PLEASE, COUNCILOR, I HEAR TRUST ME I HEAR I'M A I'M
I'M TAKING CARE OF A ONE ISSUE COUNCILOR ON THIS BUT JUST CYCLE ALL RIGHT, I THAT'S MY QUESTIONS. YEAH. YEAH. I JUST WANT TO KNOW FOR THE RECORD THAT THERE HAS BEEN A
CONSISTENT, YOU KNOW, SITUATION WHERE YOU FEEL ANNOYED BY YES I DON'T KNOW WHY THE CHAIR KEEPS SKIPPING ME AND FAILING TO REACH ME BUT WE'RE LETTING LIVE
THAT'S BETWEEN ME AND HIM. OKAY. OKAY. BUT I GOT YOU. ALL RIGHT, SO I WANT TO JUST KNOW FOR THE RECORD THAT THE THE INFORMATION THAT WE
RECEIVED FROM I THINK IT WAS KARISHMA WHO HELPS US WITH OUR BUDGET ANALYSIS WE WERE LOOKING
AT THERE WAS A A A A DIFFERENCE OF 4 MILLION AND SO MAYBE YOU MAY NOT KNOW IT BUT WE CAN TALK TO THE BUDGET OFFICE BUT IT STILL MAKES ME THINK THAT THEY
SHOULD COMMUNICATE MORE WITH YOU ALL IF THEY'RE GOING TO SWITCH THINGS UP BECAUSE THEY WILL ASK YOU QUESTIONS AND YOU'LL LIKE. WELL SO JUST SO YOU KNOW YOU GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY
SHARE THOSE SLIDES WITH YOU ONCE THEY GET UPDATED. ALL RIGHT. SO I'M NOT GOING TO HOLD YOU HOSTAGE FOR THE SAKE OF JUST THE EXERCISE BECAUSE THAT WOULD NOT BE FAIR TO YOU ALL.
I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THE NOW THIS IS JUST ME KIND OF BRAINSTORMING. THERE ARE A LOT OF FAMILIES AND NOW CHILDREN WHO ARE TAKING
CARE OF THEIR PARENTS. THERE'S ONE EXAMPLE SPECIFICALLY THAT I RECENTLY CAME ACROSS IS THIS SHE'S A LOW WAGE WORKER.
HER MOM IS ELDER LI WITH ALSO SOME SIGNIFICANT MEDICAL CONCERNS AND ISSUES THEY ARE SHARING I THINK A ONE BEDROOM
AND I'M CURIOUS ABOUT LIKE WHAT TYPE OF PROGRAMS IF ANY EXISTS MAYBE NOT HERE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON OR THAT YOU CAN THINK OF WHERE NOW THERE ARE SOME
PROGRAMING THAT HELPS SUPPORT FAMILIES LIVING TOGETHER AND MAYBE CHILDREN TAKING CARE OF THEIR PARENTS.
I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY SPECIFIC PROGRAM WHERE WE'RE FOCUSED ON ADULT CHILDREN TAKING CARE OF THEIR PARENTS. I THINK WE ALL RECOGNIZE THE
FACT THOUGH THAT WE NEED TO BE BUILDING MORE HANDICAPPED ACCESSIBLE UNITS JUST BECAUSE THAT SITUATION THAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING IS REALLY COMMON AND A LOT OF THE PARENTS REALLY
NEED ACCESSIBILITY. SO I THINK THAT YOU KNOW, SO YOU'RE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT MORE LARGER UNITS, RIGHT, TO ACCOMMODATE EXTENDED FAMILIES AND UNITS THAT ARE ACCESSIBLE.
I MEAN AND THEN YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE MORE OF THAT THEN IT ALMOST SOLVES SOLVES THAT ISSUE BECAUSE THIS IS THIS COULD BE A SITUATION WHERE BOTH THE ELDER AND THE ADULT PARENT YOU KNOW,
THE ADULT CHILD AND ALSO AN ADULT CAN COHABITATE TOGETHER AND THERE'S TWO HOUSEHOLDS THAT WE ARE PREVENTING FROM BEING DISPLACED. AND SO THIS IS KIND OF THE
THAT'S WHAT I'M THINKING ABOUT IS LIKE HOW CAN WE INCENTIVIZE PEOPLE TO SHARE SPACE? YEAH, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT PUBLIC HOUSING AND HOW YOU'RE TREATING EXTENDED FAMILIES.
I MEAN I THINK I MEAN I THINK THAT WE ALSO SEE THIS CHALLENGE IN PARTICULARLY ACCESSIBLE UNITS OF LARGER BEDROOM SIZES LIKE THAT'S A HUGE ISSUE FOR US BECAUSE WE'LL HAVE FAMILIES WHO
ARE LIKE YEAH, IT'S IT'S ONE INDIVIDUAL IN THE FAMILY WHO REALLY NEEDS THE ACCESSIBLE FEATURES BUT THE FAMILY SIZE MEANS THAT YOU KNOW, THEY'RE LOOKING FOR THREE OR FOUR OR
FIVE AND REALLY THE ACCESSIBLE I MEAN BECAUSE OF WHEN OUR UNITS WERE BUILT WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF ACCESSIBILITY IN THE LEGACY UNITS. THAT'S ONE OF THE BIG ADVANTAGES FOR US OF REDEVELOPMENT IS GETTING MORE ACCESSIBILITY.
BUT IN GENERAL THE ACCESSIBLE UNITS THAT WE DO HAVE ARE MOSTLY IN OUR ELDERLY DISABLED PORTFOLIO AND THEY ARE MOSTLY ONES RIGHT? AND SO IT'S A IT'S A HUGE ISSUE. COUNCILOR AND I IT'S IT'S
SOMETHING THAT I WOULD SAY COMES UP FOR ME MULTIPLE TIMES A WEEK. YEAH FOR ME TOO I HEAR IT ALL THE TIME AND SO THANK YOU FOR THAT AND I LEADS ME TO
SOMETHING ELSE THAT YOU KNOW WE KEEP BUILDING MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND I'M CURIOUS WHAT WORK WE'RE DOING TO REFURBISH A GOOD CURRENT STOCK THAT WE HAVE
BECAUSE I THINK THAT THAT COULD ALSO BE A WAY FOR US TO HELP US MEET THE CRISIS THAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING. WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE IF ANYTHING? SO PROBABLY THE THE HOUSING
AUTHORITY IS DOING THE MOST REFURBISHMENT THESE DAYS. IN FACT THEY'VE GOT SO MANY PROJECTS IN THE WORKS I'M SURE THAT'S A GOOD SENSE AND I'M
SUPPORTIVE BUT OH MY SO THOUSANDS UNITS WHICH IS WHICH IS A GOOD THING BECAUSE THEY'RE SERVING OUR LOWEST INCOME FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS WE ARE WE ALWAYS HAVE SOME PROJECTS
OUR PORTFOLIO THAT ARE GETTING RENOVATED AFFORDABLE INCOME RESTRICTED PROJECTS THAT ARE GETTING RENOVATED. I WILL SAY IT'S NOT WE'RE NOT DOING AS MANY RENOVATIONS RIGHT NOW AND I THINK IT'S JUST
BECAUSE I THINK WE DID A LOT AND IT'S A FAIRLY STABLE BUT THERE'S ALWAYS SOME PROJECTS SO DO HAVE TO REALLY NEED RENOVATIONS THESE DAYS FOR US
TO TAKE RESOURCES AWAY FROM NEW PRODUCTION WE NEVER LET IN AFFORDABLE I CAN'T THINK OF AN INSTANCE WHERE WE'VE EVER LED AN INCOME RESTRICTED DEED RESTRICTED RENTAL DEVELOPMENT
FAILED BECAUSE OF CONDITIONS. IT'S JUST IT'S I CAN'T I CAN'T THINK OF ONE AND I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR A LONG TIME BUT WE ARE FOCUSED RIGHT NOW ON ON NEW PRODUCTION BECAUSE OF THE
NEED AND I'M THANK YOU FOR THAT AND THIS IS A QUESTION THAT CAME FROM AN ADVOCATE SO I SAY I'M NOT YOUR VOICE ON YOUR MICROPHONE SO I'M MICROPHONE IN
THIS FOR THEM IT SAYS THE VHA HELPED FUND AN INITIATIVE TO PRODUCE AN EXECUTIVE ORDER AND POLICIES ON FAMILY FOR FAIR
HOUSING FURTHERING FAIR HOUSING. THE PROJECT WENT ON FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND INCLUDED SURVEYS, FOCUS GROUPS AND THE FORMATION OF A COMMUNITY ADVISORY
COMMITTEE AS MUCH I BELIEVE 100,000 WAS SPENT ON EXPERT CONSULTATION ALONE ALONG WITH GUIDELINES FOR PLAN DEVELOPMENT AREAS. HOW HAS THE ORDER IN THE POLICY
INFORM THE MAYORS HOW OFFICE OF HOUSING PRACTICES AND I'M CURIOUS WHAT OUTCOMES HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH SPECIFIC ADVICE HAVE YOU BEEN GIVEN ABOUT EIGHT
FH AND SQUARES AND STREETS OF ANY SO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING RIGHT SORRY I WAS I THOUGHT YOUR DIRECT TO THE CONVERSATION KENSI SO I DIDN'T
I STARTED TO DRIFT A LITTLE BIT BUT LET ME SEE IF I COULD IF A PAGE DOES DOES SIT WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING NOW AND WE HAVE BEEN WE IN FACT
WE'VE LOOKED AT WHAT IT HAS ACCOMPLISHED RECENTLY AND I CAN I CAN GET SOME INFORMATION OVER TO YOU. IT'S ALIVE AND WELL. WE'VE GOT VERY DEDICATED, KNOWLEDGEABLE STAFF OVERSEEING OVERSEEING THE OUTCOMES.
I DIDN'T BRING THEM WITH ME COUNSELOR BUT BE GLAD TO SHARE THEM WITH YOU AND THEN YOU CAN SHARE THEM WITH YOUR CONSTITUENTS. WE ARE LOOKING BECAUSE WE HAVE
A HIGHER REQUIREMENT AROUND AFFORDABLE HOUSING THESE DAYS IT'S AT 20% OR 17 PLUS THREE. WE ARE LOOKING AT A FOUR PAGE THE A4 PAGE MENU RIGHT NOW
ABOUT WHAT DEVELOPERS CAN CHOOSE TO DO AND MAKING SOME PROPOSED REVISIONS BUT THAT IS IN THE WORKS AND NOTHING'S BEEN FINALIZED BUT I'D BE GLAD TO GET YOU OVER LIKE SOME SOME
INFORMATION ON WHAT THE PROGRAM HAS ACCOMPLISHED. THANK YOU. AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION IS FOR VHA ADMINISTRATOR BOK I AND AS YOU KNOW WE WORK TOGETHER
AROUND THE DYING TO LIVE SO I WISH WE WERE TRAVELING ALL ACROSS THE DIFFERENT SITES AND YOU KNOW, WE HAD PEOPLE WHO WERE LIVING IN MICE AND RAT INFESTED SITUATION AND MOLD AND
SO WE WERE ABLE TO UNDER WITH YOUR SUPPORT AND ALSO COUNCILOR WEBER AND I MANAGE SOME CASES TOGETHER YOU KNOW GET PEOPLE SOME IMMEDIATE
RELIEF WHETHER IT WAS TEMPORARY HOTEL LODGING WHILE THE INFESTATION SUBSIDED. BUT I'M CURIOUS AS WE CONTINUE TO HAVE A FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
WHO REALLY DOES NOT VALUE POOR PEOPLE PERIOD FULL STOP AND AND I'VE ALSO HAD POLICE OFFICERS WHO HAVE SHARED WITH ME WHEN
THEY GO TO CERTAIN HOMES TO CONDUCT YOU KNOW, WELL THERE'S CHECKS ON SOME STUDENTS WHO HAVE NOT COME TO SCHOOL FOR A FEW WEEKS. THEY WALK INTO HOMES THAT ARE NOT FIT TO EVEN LIVE IN AND
OFTENTIMES, YOU KNOW, THIS WHOLE SITUATION AROUND JUST PEOPLE JUST LIVING IN REALLY AWFUL CONDITIONS THAT IT DOESN'T EVEN LOOK LIKE WE'RE 2025 LIKE SOME OF THESE PLACES
THEY'RE WALKING INTO AND THE CONDITIONS THAT PEOPLE ARE LIVING IN LOOKS LIKE THE EIGHTIES REALLY JUST JUST
REALLY SET AND I THINK I THINK WE ALL DEEPLY CARE ABOUT PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING IN POVERTY AND I THINK WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO
HELP SUPPORT FOLKS IN TERMS OF THEIR MAINTENANCE AND AND IMPROVING THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE BECAUSE IT'S ALREADY BAD ENOUGH THAT YOU ARE POOR BUT THEN TO
HAVE TO COME HOME A SPACE THAT REALLY REMINDS YOU OF HOW POOR YOU ARE AND HOW LUCKY YOU SHOULD EVEN FEEL TO HAVE A ROOF OVER YOUR HEAD. IT IS REALLY DIFFICULT FOR
ME TO TO SEE THAT AND I'M JUST CURIOUS IN TERMS OF THIS BUDGET, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE INVESTMENTS THAT WE'RE MAKING FOR IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF EXPERIENCE OF LIVING
CONDITIONS FOR PEOPLE? SURE. THANK YOU COUNSELOR AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR ADVOCACY ON THIS AND FOR CARING SO MUCH ABOUT OUR RESIDENTS. SO TWO BIG THINGS I WANT TO TALK ABOUT. ONE IS I'M REALLY PROUD OF THE
WORK THAT OUR MAINTENANCE TEAM HAS DONE AND ESPECIALLY OVER A REAL SEA CHANGE OVER THE LAST SEVEN MONTHS. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE VHA REALLY STRUGGLED WITH
COMING OUT OF COVID IS THAT WE HAD BUILT UP LIKE A HUGE MAINTENANCE BACKLOG FROM THE TWO YEARS OF NOT REALLY GOING INTO APARTMENTS EXCEPT IN EMERGENCIES AND AND THAT HAD SORT OF GOTTEN TO A PLACE WHERE
YOU KNOW, IT'S SO OVERWHELMING LIKE HOW DO YOU EVEN TACKLE IT AND WE JUST DECIDED TO CHANGE THE WHOLE SYSTEM AND WE FINALLY DIGITIZED WORK ORDER SYSTEM. I THINK I'VE TALKED TO THE COUNCIL BEFORE BUT THE RESULTS
HAVE BEEN REMARKABLE. SO BEFORE WE THIS IS JOSH I'VE TRAINED WHO'S MY CHIEF OF MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTIONS. HE CAME INTO THAT ROLE IN OCTOBER BEFORE WE STARTED THIS
CHANGE OVER THE VHA WAS AT 17,059 OPEN WORK ORDERS AND UNITS 5100 OF WHICH WERE MORE THAN 200 DAYS OLD.
SO THAT WAS LAST OCTOBER. IN THE LAST SEVEN MONTHS THAT NUMBER HAS GONE DOWN TO THE NUMBER OF WORK ORDERS TODAY AND LITERALLY TODAY IS 1785.
SO THAT'S ONLY 10% OF WHERE WE WERE IN OCTOBER AND AND THERE ARE NO WORK ORDERS THAT ARE OLDER THAN 200 DAYS AND IN FACT ALMOST NO WORK ORDERS THAT ARE
OLDER THAN 30 DAYS. SO WE'RE LIKE WE'VE JUST MADE A HUGE CHANGE IN THIS AND THE WAY THAT WE DID THAT IS THAT WE LIKE BY GOING DIGITAL WE WERE
ABLE TO LIKE ACTUALLY LIKE BUNDLE THINGS AND SEND PEOPLE OUT MUCH MORE EFFICIENTLY TO DEAL WITH LIKE A WHOLE BUNCH OF ISSUES AT ONCE AT THE SAME TYPE. SO THAT'S BEEN HUGE FOR US AND AND IT'S JUST IT'S BEEN AN
ENORMOUS EFFORT BY ALL OF THE MAINTENANCE STAFF AT VHA SO I JUST REALLY WANT TO GIVE THEM HUGE CREDIT AND I THINK FOR US IN THIS MOMENT WHERE WE DO WORRY ABOUT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CUTTING THE BUDGET, IT'S ALL THE MORE IMPORTANT FOR
US TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN LIKE THE MOST EFFICIENTLY BECAUSE WE WANT OUR FOLKS TO BE IN SAFE, DECENT, AFFORDABLE HOUSING. AND I THINK THAT THE OTHER WAY THOUGH THAT THE CITY HAS REALLY HELPED IS BY STEPPING UP AND
PUTTING THIS KIND OF STUFF IN THE BUDGET AND YEAH, THE CITY'S NOT FUNDING OUR MAINTENANCE OPERATIONS BUT WHEN YOU ALL FUND THE HOUSING IMPROVEMENTS LINE IN THE CAPITAL BUDGET LIKE YOU'RE LETTING US DO THINGS
LIKE WINDOWS AND VENTILATION AND YOU KNOW LIKE LIKE ROOVES AND JUST LIKE ALL THE STUFF RIGHT THAT AFFECTS THAT CAUSES THE DOWNSTREAM MAINTENANCE ISSUES AND EVEN THE QUESTION YOU ASKED BEFORE ABOUT
RENOVATION LIKE BEFORE THE CITY STEPPED UP TO HAVE A CAPITAL ROLE IN THE VHA IS LIKE PORTFOLIO IN THE WAY THAT IT HAS THE LAST YEARS WE WERE STARTING TO DO RENOVATIONS BUT ONLY IN THE ELDERLY DISABLED
PROPERTIES AND IT WAS WHEN YOU ALL CAME WITH THE MONEY FOR MILDRED HAILEY THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME WE WERE LIKE WELL WAIT LET'S DO LIKE THESE DEEP RETROFITS THAT ARE ALSO LIKE HUGE RENOVATIONS FOR OUR FOLKS IN A FAMILY SITE AS WELL
WHETHER THE ISSUE CAN CHANGE ON THE UNIT. SO I, I MEAN OF COURSE WE ALWAYS NEED MORE OF THIS AND WE'RE ALSO GOING TO ALWAYS HAVE TO DO MORE ON THE MAINTENANCE SIDE. BUT I, I THINK THAT THOSE ARE
BOTH VERY ENCOURAGING THINGS AND I'M VERY GRATEFUL TO THE COUNCIL AND I ALSO JUST WANT TO SAY THAT IF YOU HEAR OF A MAINTENANCE ISSUE IN ANY OF OUR SITES LIKE PLEASE DO RAISE IT,
I THINK WE HAVE A MUCH BETTER SYSTEM FOR SPEEDY TRIAGE NOW AND SO WE DON'T WANT FOLKS TO FEEL LIKE OH, IT WON'T MATTER TO CALL LIKE IT ABSOLUTELY DOES AND WE HAVE VERY GOOD VISIBILITY AT THIS POINT. THANK YOU.
AND THEN I'LL JUST END WITH THE OTHER TWO ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN FLAGGED TO OUR OFFICE. ONE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SOME RESIDENTS WHO ARE EXPECTED TO PAY THEIR RENTS REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT
YOU DO THE MAINTENANCE. AND YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE CAN RESOLVE THAT AT ALL BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE LIKE WHY SHOULD I PAY? THERE'S NO I'M NOT GETTING THE FULL BENEFIT OF LIVING IN A IN
A CLEAN STABLE HOME. SO THERE'S THAT. I DON'T KNOW HOW WE GRAPPLE WITH THAT BUT WE'VE HAD TO HELP PEOPLE WITH THEIR HOUSING BACK PAIN SO IT'S IT'S IT'S A CYCLE
. PEOPLE ARE UPSET BECAUSE THINGS ARE NOT GETTING DONE AND THEN THEY'RE UPSET BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO PAY THE RENT REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT THINGS ARE GETTING DONE. AND THEN THE LAST THING THAT THAT I WILL SAY IN REGARDS TO
THE ANOTHER ISSUE IN YOUR OFFICE HAS BEEN REALLY GREAT AT HELPING US WHEN RESIDENTS FLAG THIS IS THAT SOMETIMES DURING THE RECERTIFICATION OR THEIR
PAPERWORK IF THEY MESS UP YOU IF THEY MISS A PIECE OF PAPER OR THEY NO ONE REPLIES TO THEIR EMAIL THEY ARE SOMETIMES TOLD THAT THEY MIGHT LOSE THEIR
HOUSING VOUCHER AND SOMETIMES IT'S THROUGH NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN. AND SO JUST CURIOUS ABOUT KIND OF LIKE HOW ARE WE GRAPPLING WITH THAT TO ENSURE THAT THAT
PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO BECAUSE OF OUR NEGLECT OR WHATEVER DISCREPANCIES NOW THEY'RE LOSING THEIR VOUCHER LIKE WHAT ARE WE DOING TO GRAPPLE WITH THAT? SO I MEAN THAT'S DEFINITELY
WHAT BOTH OUR GRIEVANCE AND APPEAL PROCESS IS FOR AND ALSO IF YOU COME INTO ANYTHING OF THAT PLEASE BRING IT TO US. BUT LIKE BUT THE I MEAN OBVIOUSLY THE RECERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS ARE IMPOSED ON US BY THE FEDS IN THE STATE SO
THEY'RE NOT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN JUST WAIVE. BUT I THINK WE DO ROUTINELY LIKE RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE SITUATIONS THAT PEOPLE GET INTO THAT ARE NOT THEIR FAULT. THEY A LETTER IT WENT TO THE WRONG ADDRESS, YOU KNOW,
SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND DEFINITELY IF THERE'S EVER SOMETHING WHERE IT'S THE REALLY THE VHA STAFF WHO ARE AT FAULT THAT'S A GREAT REASON TO OVERTURN THE DECISION. YES. SO I'M GOING TO SEND YOU SOME INFORMATION BECAUSE THIS IS A
CHRONIC SITUATION WITH A PARTICULAR TENANT IN THAT THERE HAS NOT BEEN ONE YEAR THAT I HAVE NOT HAD TO REACH OUT TO YOU ALL TO HELP SUPPORT THIS INDIVIDUAL IN THIS CASE. SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S
HAPPENING. MAYBE IT'S A LANGUAGE BARRIER, A CAPACITY I DON'T KNOW BUT WE NEED TO FIX IT. AMAZON'S AT SO YEAH THAT'D BE GREAT. YOU KNOW IT WOULD BE GREAT TO FIGURE OUT YEAH BECAUSE IF IT'S HAPPENING EVERY YEAR WE SHOULD JUST TRY TO VARY ALL OF IT AND
THEN I'M NOT THE OFFICIAL TRANSLATOR ANYMORE, YOU KNOW? SO ALL RIGHT, NO MORE QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR ME A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS AND WE'LL GET OUT
OF HERE BEFORE 1030. I'VE BEEN AT LEAST SOMEONE LEFT . I'VE BEEN BEING INDUCED FROM EQUITY IN CONTRACT. THIS QUESTION IS MORE FOR VHA
ARE YOU ABLE TO PROVIDE JUST LIKE A LIST OF MWB EES THAT YOU HAVE CONTRACTED WITH? AND THEN ALSO I KNOW WE HAVE HAD A A COUPLE A CONVERSATION
OR TWO AROUND SENIOR ISO AND SENIOR HOUSING JUST SHOUT OUT TO RON TELLING ME HE'S BEEN WORKING WITH OUR OFFICE ON UPLIFT DENNIS AND JUST WANT TO JUST CONTINUE THAT
COLLABORATION ON BRINGING MORE RESOURCES INTO OUR SENIOR HOUSING TO DEAL WITH SENIOR ISOLATION. OKAY YEAH AND WE YES HAPPY TO AS YOU KNOW THE VHA ALSO DID A
DISPARITY STUDY WHEN THE CITY DID AND HAPPY TO PROVIDE YOU INFORMATION COUNSELOR ABOUT CONTRACTORS THAT WE'VE BEEN USING THEIR EMPLOYEE B AND YES SENIOR ISOLATION MY PLUG TO ALL
THE COUNSELORS IS IF THERE'S ANY PROGRAMS THAT YOU KNOW YOU GUYS ARE INTERACTING WITH ELSEWHERE IN THE CITY THAT SEEM REALLY GREAT FOR SENIORS OR ELDERS AND THEY YOU KNOW AND THEY HAVE FUNDING AND THEY WOULD BE INTERESTED IN COMING TO VHA SITES WE WOULD LOVE
THAT. IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T GET ANY MONEY FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR BUT IT'S WHAT OUR SENIORS ARE ALWAYS ASKING FOR. SO I WOULD LOVE TO DO MORE OF IT. AWESOME.
AND THEN THE I GUESS THE LAST ONE WOULD BE AROUND WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT REDEVELOPING PUBLIC HOUSING I AM VERY INTERESTED IN
THE SINGAPORE MODEL. ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH IT? I MEAN YES. AWESOME. AWESOME. AND I GUESS YOU WOULD KNOW WHY I'M VERY INTERESTED IN IT. IT'S JUST A BRIEF BACKGROUND.
THE SINGAPORE PUBLIC HOUSING MOTTO IS A GLOBALLY RECOGNIZED FOR ITS SCALE SUCCESS AND GOVERNMENT LED APPROACH TO AFFORDABLE HOMEOWNERSHIP MANAGED BY THE HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD.
ABOUT 80% OF SINGAPORE'S RESIDENTS LIVE IN HOUSING AND OVER 90% OF THEM ON THEIR HOMES. DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WE'D LOVE TO EXPLORE WHEN WE YOU KNOW, MAYBE THERE'S A WAY THAT
YOU KNOW THERE'S RENTAL AFFORDABLE RENTAL AND THEN ALSO OPPORTUNITY FOR HOMEOWNERSHIP WE'RE LOOKING AT REDEVELOP BIT. YEAH NO I MEAN HAPPY TO HAVE YOU TO CHAT THAT IN SINGAPORE
THE GOVERNMENT OWNS ALL THE LAND SO IF THERE'S JUST LIKE A FUNDAMENTALLY DIFFERENT STRUCTURE WHICH HAS HELPED ENABLE THAT I AGREE WITH YOU THAT IT'S A REALLY GREAT MODEL IN A LOT OF WAYS AND THAT
COMBINATION OF STABILITY AND EQUITY RIGHT LIKE A REALLY SWEET SPOT THAT THEY'VE ACHIEVED SO HAPPY TO THINK MORE ABOUT IF THERE ARE WAYS THAT WE CAN DO STUFF LIKE THAT ON OUR LAND. ALL RIGHT.
AND THAT IS OFTEN ME COUNCIL MEJIA ARE YOU ALL SET? YES. WEBER CASTLE WEBER QUESTION
OKAY. SORRY. JUST YOU KNOW, FOLLOWING UP ON WHAT COUNCILOR MCGWIRE SAID ABOUT, YOU KNOW, AN ADMINISTRATOR BY TALKED TALKED
ABOUT MAINTENANCE AND YOU KNOW, HAVING BEEN IN MILDRED HAYLEY APARTMENTS AND HAVING SEEN SOME SOME THINGS SOME PEOPLE LIVING IN SUBSTANDARD CONDITIONS AND
BASEMENTS DAMP AND PEOPLE LIVING IN BASEMENTS, YOU KNOW AND I I THINK JUST GENERALLY COUNCILOR ADMINISTRATOR BOXER
COUNCILOR BACK HERE WE'RE BRINGING YOU BACK. I JUST YOU KNOW THAT THAT THOSE THINGS AT LEASE AND MILDRED HAYLEY WILL BE ADDRESSED IF WHEN THE WHEN THE RENOVATION
ARE COMPLETE I HAVE QUESTION ABOUT THAT AND THEN I JUST SINCE YOU'RE HERE WE DID HEAR ABOUT SOME LOCAL ACTIVISTS WHO
PUT IN RAISED GARDEN BEDS AT MILDRED HAYLEY WHICH ARE ARE BEING THREATENED TO BE TAKEN OUT IF YOU HAVE ANY COMMENT ABOUT YOU KNOW, HOW WE CAN
FOSTER COMMUNITY GARDENING AT MILDRED HAYLEY IF YOU'VE EVEN HEARD ABOUT THIS SO SO I'LL HAVE TO FOLLOW UP ON THE RAISED BEDS. WE'RE DEFINITELY DOING A LOT OF RAISED BEDS AROUND OUR SITE
SO AND WE'RE DOING A LOT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH GROW BOSTON SO SHOUT OUT TO EMMA FOR GIVING US MONEY TO DO THAT AND SO I DON'T KNOW IT WOULD PROBABLY DEPEND WE ARE DOING A BIG RENOVATION
OF THE COMMUNITY OUTDOOR SPACE AT MILDRED HAYLEY SO DEPENDING ON WHERE THE BEDS ARE THAT COULD BE PART OF THE ISSUE BUT 122 HEATH STREET YEAH SO IT MIGHT BE IT MIGHT BE RELATED TO
THE FACT THAT WE'RE COMING IN TO DO SOME ACTIVE LANDSCAPING BUT I LET ME FIND OUT THE ANSWER BUT ACTUALLY JOEL CAN CAN DO YOU WANT TO JUST COME AND SPEAK BRIEFLY ABOUT THE
HAYLEY? JOEL IS OUR MASTER OF ALL OF THE RETROFITS INCLUDING THE BIG HAYLEY PROJECT AND I JUST THINK IT MIGHT BE GOOD TO JUST EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT FIRST PHASE AND WHAT WE'RE DOING THERE. HELLO? OKAY.
HI. GOOD EVENING COUNSELOR. WE'RE REALLY PLEASED TO BE MOVING FORWARD WITH THE MODERNIZATION WORK SIMILAR TO HAYLEY IN PARALLEL WITH THE REDEVELOPMENT THERE IS OPEN
SPACE AND CREATIVE IMPROVEMENT AS AND THE AS AS IT WAS YOUR BACK NOTED WE ARE WE'RE JUST ABOUT TO FINISH THE FIRST BUILDING OF THE DB ENERGY RETROFIT PROJECT LONG HEATH
STREET AND THERE IS AN OPEN SPACE SORT PLAY AREA THAT IS ACTUALLY THIS REALLY THE SECOND EPA FUNDED PROJECT AT HAYLEY
ONE OF WHICH WAS FROM A PRIOR A PRIOR ROUND THAT WILL BE OPENING UP THIS SUMMER. WE'RE DEFINITELY HAVING TO ENCOURAGE OTHER RESIDENT LED GARDENING AND OPEN SPACE INITIATIVES AS WELL. SO HAPPY TO WORK WITH YOU ON
THAT. I THINK THE WITH THE MODERNIZATION THAT'S HAPPENING IN WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO BE DOING A VERY HIGH LABOR STANDARDS PROJECT THAT IS ALSO A FLAGSHIP ENVIRONMENTAL WORK. ONE OF OUR FIRST FULL
ELECTRIFICATION HEAT PUMPS, DOMESTIC HOT WATER REMODEL KITCHENS IN BATH EXTERIOR CLADDING. YOU SAW A PHOTO ON THE ADMINISTRATOR SLIDES. THIS IS A WE'VE LEVERAGED A
HUGE AMOUNT OF STATE AND UTILITY INCENTIVES SO THE CITY'S INITIAL INVESTMENT HAS BROUGHT IN A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF OUTSIDE FUNDING BECAUSE OF THE ENERGY STANDARDS OF THE PROJECT. SO I THINK I'LL STOP THERE BUT THANK YOU AND WE APPRECIATE THE
COUNCIL'S SUPPORT OF THE PROJECT. OKAY, THANK YOU. THANK YOU ADMINISTRATOR AND THANK YOU. CHAIR THANK YOU COUNCILOR THANK YOU. COUNCILOR THANK YOU FOR YOUR
PRESENTATION TODAY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ENTIRE TEAM IN THE SERVICE AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO FOR THE CITY OF BOSTON AND THANK YOU TO MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES AND THEIR TEAM THANK YOU TO CENTRAL
STAFF. I'D ALSO THANK YOU TO MY TEAM THANK YOU TO THE PUBLIC WHO CAME TO TESTIFY AND I JUST WANT TO ENCOURAGE EVERYONE THE PUBLIC THAT'S LISTENING IN OVER
THE REST OF THIS WEEK WE WILL BE JOINED BY A STRONG AND THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AT A OFFSITE HEARING WHICH WILL BE HELD AT THE GROVE HALL SENIOR CENTER ON MAY 22ND IN THE YOUTH JOBS HEARING THAT NIGHT HAS
BEEN MOVED TO 5 P.M. AND A REMINDER TO ALL OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT THE COUNCIL CANNOT COMPLETE THIS PROCESS WITHOUT YOU NOW IS THE TIME TO REALLY SPOTLIGHT AND UPLIFT YOUR
VOICES IN THIS PROCESS. AND TO THAT END PLEASE JOIN US AND OUR NEXT PUBLIC LISTENING SESSION ON ON THAT 526 BUDGET ON MAY 28TH AT 6 P.M. 6 P.M. HE
AND I IN THE CHAMBER I MEAN THIS HEARINGS ON DOCKET NUMBER 082230830 IS ADJOURN