All right, welcome everyone. My name is uh Kenzie Bach. I'm the Boston Housing Authority Administrator and it's my honor to MC today. Um this is a really special event for all of us. I will say that when I first came um to
work at the BHA in 2017, um which was uh just about six months after uh HUD made the award um the Choice Neighborhoods award uh to make this possible. Whittier was still all brick. We had less than half as many apartments here as we do
now. Um Miss Stephanie Thomas, who's sitting in the front, was our guide. Um and uh and you know there was just a whole village wrapping around uh this idea right which at the time was just an idea and a dream that so many people so
many leaders in Roxbury had come together to enable. Um now mayor uh Jamie was actually a candidate I think in that year in 2017 running to represent this area. So um there's many many people in this room um who have been involved in this for a decade or
longer. Um, and so I just want to lift up the fact that this is really like a a day of coming full circle for the whole village that's gathered in this room and beyond. Um, and it's really it's really to me it's a demonstration of the fact that, you know, it takes a village to do something big like this. uh whether
you're talking about, you know, the city which which put a bunch of early money into this project and political backing, the BHA, the federal government, HUD that came with $30 million to make it possible, the state, which came with, I think, another almost $25 million and a
whole bunch of LITC. Um, and so, you know, so many different hands, but also so many community organizations. Um, I'll I'll shout them all out uh over the course of today, but definitely I see the Reverend Bodrick from uh the American Cities Coalition TAC, which was
like with us really early. Uh Charlotte, who's behind him, was a motive force for us. Um you know, Nor Eastern was our anchor institution partner helping us make this application. Uh I think John Tobin, councelor John Tobin is in the room. Yes, there he is in the back. Um
just uh you know uh you're going to hear in a little bit from Mayor Janie who's now at Empath which was a huge people partner of ours. Um and like I said many many more who I I will be listing um as you hear from everybody else. But I I just uh you know to me it's not just that it takes a village but it's that
when you have that village so much more is possible um than you know people might dream of and we don't have to make choices between all the great outcomes. So, you know, uh I I was just talking with Reverend Co Pepper about the fact that Whittier missed out on the original
Hope Six grants that enabled public housing redevelopment. And at the time, that might have felt like a disappointment. But in a funny way, that was a secret blessing because the Hope 6 grants decreased the number of affordable apartments on their sites. Whereas for Whittier, we replaced 200 deeply affordable public housing units
with 210 deeply affordable replacement units. and then added another 279 units about, you know, 100 of which are low-income housing tax credit units. You know, you've got another another 80 odd that
are um uh like workforce housing and another 81, I think, of market. So, like truly kind of a space where everybody can be part of it. And we're super proud that um you know, a majority of the residents who were living at Whittier before the redevelopment chose to come back. But we're also super proud of, you
know, we had four wittier families that bought homes through the support of this coalition coming out of that. And so, you know, even though we're thrilled to have people back, we're also thrilled to have those new homeowners um in the community. And there's so many stories like that. And it just really emphasizes the fact that um when we all come
together, we can do incredible things. So, um you know, we I I'm like grateful to get to welcome you all. I also want to thank Erin Gornstein and Poa for really welcoming all of us in this event. But the real right person to welcome us
is a resident here. Um and so I want to call up uh to the podium Hakika Greavves um who's a resident here of the amp at flat 9 at Whittier. >> Hello. Good morning. My name is Hakika Greavves and I have been living at the AM for two months and
three weeks. I wanted to live here because of the visal location neighboring major in hospitals such as the Boston Children's Hospital which is beneficial for me because I have a 2-year-old daughter and um I work at the
Dana Farber Cancer Institute right down the street and I used to live in Boston and then I moved to Brockton but now I'm back in Boston because Brockton is a great city but um I really love Boston because Boston provides ides
uh Boston provides assistance for all ages under any circumstance such as financial resources, phenomenal school systems, colleges, universities, hospitals, reliable public transportation, jobs, child care, the
prek program which I applied to last week on January 6th. Um, Boston also provide great library resources and that's what drew me back to Boston because when my daughter didn't have child care, um, I used to go
to the library for the the events that they have there such as the free musical events, we were able to borrow books and read books there and have story time with the with the librarians. And also um the library introduced me and my daughter to the
to the countdown to kindergarten program which um which helps to guide students not students but newborns and infants and toddlers into preparing for kindergarten. And my daughter really loved it because it was a safe space for her. And I know for a fact that Boston
is a thriving city because I attended schools such as the Dearborn, the John D. O'Bryant right behind here, School of Math and Science. And I also attended the Roxboro Community College. And I worked with the Boston Public Health Commission during high school
through the Boston Public School um job summer programs as a peer leader. And I also worked at the Mass General Bring Arms down the street for nine years. and I started there at 18 right out of high school. And I also applied to AMP because it will not only give me the
access to the resources that Boston offers, but um also substantial amenities, clean, safe, and a well-managed environment. And the staff here has been tremendously supportive. And they are always willing to aid tenants through any situation by being
supportive and uh very responsive having constant communication by always giving us updates and reminders on opportunities that the community have here and they're always coming to events here that I have attended with other tenants and they really love it here and
they're also willing to answer any questions or concern that we may have. And there's a quote by Oliver Wendell Holmes, senior that states, "Home is where love resides or where we love is home. Home that our feet may leave, but
not our hearts." I envision that while I live here, AM will assist me with a plan for my daughter's future where she can have access to quality education and a happy place to call home. Moreover, I will continue to have access to good to good job opportunities. So that's why
I'm here and I'm excited to live at the AMP and I hope to be here for a long time. >> Thank you so much Hika for that amazing speech which is going to set a really high bar for all the other speakers. Um but uh next I I want to invite up to
the podium um you know we're we're so lucky at the Boston Housing Authority. Uh the reality is that you know we think of ourselves as an institution with a ton of potential to extend our mission of housing Boston of housing more low-income Bostononians keeping them anchored here in the city and also
making room for thriving mixed income communities at the same time. Um but the truth is that a housing authority has no chance of doing that work without incredibly strong backing from its city. Um and we are so lucky to have that incredibly strong backing. Um it's it's
been a theme uh across a number of mayoral administrations. It was also true when Mayor Janie was in. Um but we've just uh we've been so grateful every step of the way um through the first term and now into the second for the steadfast support of Mayor Michelle Woo.
Thank you, Kenzie. Good morning, everyone. Or is it afternoon? It must be afternoon. >> Oh, morning. Good morning for 30 more. Let's all keep it good morning. Um, first of all, what an honor and exciting day. Whenever I see that the speaking
lineup includes uh Miss Crystal Cornne and Roger Bryant all the way to this incredible delegation, our congresswoman uh city councelor Congresswoman Ayanna Presley, councelor and Reverend Co Pepper, city councelor at large Rootsy
Luen, state senator Liz Miranda. Um you know it's going to be a great day. And then on top of that, I hope someone recorded Hakika's remarks here because I am going to take it and play it as the commercial for Boston. Right? This is what we're trying to do here. and what
you just somehow packed into uh a few minutes of what a lifetime in a in a village looks like. What it means to grow up here, to give back here, to I mean, you connect to just about every city department and the work and the dreams that we're trying to to make
real. Thank you for being such an inspiration and thank you for fighting to come back home because you are home. We're going to keep you here home uh for a very long time for your whole family. So, thank you um to all of our uh hosts here, our
incredible residents and everyone who helped make this home. uh my predecessor in this role, the uh uh trailblazing uh fearless warrior Madame Mayor Kim Janie uh in continuing to do do the good
work and always make us just look like we're we dressing like schlubs compared to her. Um thank you for all that you do and for your fierce belief and faith and vision to get this done in your uh tenure. Thank you to all of the residents here and all the many many
partners that our um wonderful administrator just mentioned. I want to give a special shout out to the city departments who are in the room who alongside the state have been working hard to be able to show up to these uh events with our our our partners and cut ribbons and welcome new families. So,
our chief of housing, Sheila Dylan, is in the house. Thank you, Sheila. We have been doing everything we can on housing and it's tough times out there to build to make these steel prices with tariffs and everything come together. But what the city of Boston has been
able to show is that even with everything we've experienced in the last four years, we produced built more affordable housing than in a generation than the last 25 years because of a dedicated focus on putting together these pieces.
I know our um chief of community engagement Brianna Mallure is in the house. Uh she's always in the back engaging the community. Uh alongside our neighborhood liaison, Asha Jana from Roxberry and our director of neighborhood
services, Muhammad Missouri. I saw also Kate Bennett is in the house who we still CLAIM now a board member but always always and forever. um City of Boston family and um thank you again to all of my colleagues
in service who have uh through thick and thin through each one of these panels and all the various phases been steadfast about the need to get this done and do it bigger and better than um anywhere else could dream possible in the rest of the country. We're also really excited to have um HUD leader
Michael Banks here. Thank you so much for what you do and um thank you so much to all of the staff and the teams who are here. Look, um this is the final ribbon cutting on the redevelopment of the
space. It's a special day. It has meant not just a sustained effort that you can hear from you and the mention of all the finance. really is like rocket science putting together these development uh housing developments with this tax credit and that source and that timeline
and everything. Every needle needed to be threaded exactly perfectly. And then to make sure that most of all residents could be supported in returning in in in being connected even as all of this disruption was happening. It wouldn't have happened without advocacy from our
federal delegation, funding from the HUD Choice Neighborhoods team, leadership from our Congresswoman fighting for every dollar to come back to the MA7th and and to the city of Boston. Thank you so much, Congresswoman Presley. And partnership from the city, the
state, and community organizations like POA and Madison Park Development Corporation, TAC, and and so many others to take 200 units of decades old housing and then create 472 new homes, families who could then
forever be rooted here in our city. is twice as much space for new memories that will last a lifetime and generations. Twice as many opportunities for playdates, for kids to run through the hallways, catch up on the roof deck.
Um twice as many chances for neighbors to know each other and run over because you have that one missing ingredient that that someone else got your back uh in the community. And these units are accessible to everyone. 210, as you
heard, deeply affordable and 262 for moderate income earners. That is part of making Boston a home for everyone. Uh we're trying to do this everywhere across the city with this partnership. Even as it is tough going, the city is finding ways to move forward. And most
of all, we don't stop at just the buildings and the housing itself. As you heard from Hakea, it's the libraries next door. It's the schools, it's the community opportunities, the jobs, all of that coming together. So, um I want
to thank all of these leaders who focus on doing all of that, everything everywhere, all at once. Um because we need each other in this moment and we need every Boston resident and family to be in the fight of of building the city that we know is possible. Um, finally,
if I may take just a second to recognize someone who helped bridge this period and to make sure that the most important work happened of of supporting our residents throughout this um, Katherine Disasari,
could you come up? So through her work with Housing Opportunities Unlimited, she was the Boston Housing Authorities's day-to-day contact to help during a very complex relocation process for all of our residents, supporting, coordinating,
making sure that every family as they were going through the the moment of um seeing what could come but then needing to be um guaranteed that it would come. It was Mr. Miss Cesari who played an important role supporting Whittier
residents helping families transition into the newly completed building and it her persistence attention to de detail and commitment to resident dignity has made a lasting impact on households across the city. So this is just a a small recognition from the city for what
you've done to keep our residents in you. Thank you. >> Thank you so much, mayor. And yes, thank you so much to um all of our partners at Housing Opportunities Unlimited. Like I said, this was a real village. Um you know, I think Kate was also mentioned.
Kate used to be in my role and even before that, she was helping to make this happen when Billy McGonagle um led the Boston Housing Authority and I always feel at events like this like I can feel his presence here with us. Um he was just a huge advocate for transforming our communities so that public housing residents get the best
because they deserve the best. Um but Kate is now actually at Madison Park Development Corporation which is another partner in this. Um so we want to thank them as well. Uh and another partner was New Eststerad Development Corporation. So this was really like I said and the
Whittier Health Center Street Health Center. just like any local community organization that you can think of. If you wonder whether they had a hand in Whittier, they absolutely did. Um somebody who literally all of those organizations rely on day in and day out
and who we know is um with us uh in in spirit and fight and mentality even when she's physically down in Washington. Um is our Congresswoman uh for the Massachusetts 7th I um Congresswoman Ayanna Presley. And so we're just so delighted that she could make time in
the midst of this uh you know really significant weekend. Um we feel like uh it's the perfect way to uh kick off the weekend of events for the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. here in a black neighborhood um celebrating this incredible investment and uh and it just
it means so much for us to have another incredible black leader from Boston here uh to speak um at this moment. So Congresswoman uh administrator Bach um at the top of the program you spoke about uh this all at one point was just a dream. uh so
very appropo that we would come together on this day and that you would start there and I just want to remind people that um you know all radical work does begin with a radical dream and um I'm so
grateful to uh the dedicated uh neighbors um and partners at every level that brought this dream uh to fruition. I was talking with some friends earlier today and said, you know, I want us to get beyond just
uh remembering profound words and quotes from Dr. King, but really reminding ourselves of how he lived his life, um what he fought for, uh what he died for. And so it's wonderful to be here in this
full circle moment uh with community uh to see a dream actualized and um that is a testament and a credit uh to so many uh people who are in this room that I can see and that I can name and people that are not in this room but that it's important that we bring into
the room. And so, um, I do want to take a moment, um, in in honoring the the great, uh, leadership, uh, uh, who was the the president of the board for some 25 years, Stephanie Thomas. Um, we are so grateful. It has been,
you know, more often than not though, you know, I would like to think that government always leads, uh, more often than not, um, government, um, responds and it responds to pressure and pressure from the will of the people. And so, we
thank you. And, um, Miss Thomas asked that we just take a moment, um, to, uh, to bring Bill McGonagle into the room. And I, and I want to honor that. So, we're just gonna take a moment and uh and center and remember Bill, who would be so proud and excited that this day
has finally come. All right. Thank you. But again, it's a joy and an honor to be here with all of you as we celebrate a powerful milestone, the completion and occupancy of the AMP at Flat N. And I love that uh that is the titling because um you know
Mayor Mayor Janie is someone who's a lover of of history and especially uh Roxbury history. I know she appreciates that uh this is named for the distinctive jazz chord that honors the musical heritage of Roxbury. It's a reminder that you know history is not static. It is dynamic and all around us
uh and in fact even in our neighbors and in our neighborhoods. And so to celebrate this 172 unit mixed income development right here in the heart of our community, of course, I want to thank Roger Brown, Aaron Gornstein, the entire team at POA uh for the invitation to join you here today and for your
labor of love on behalf of our residents. Your work really reflects what it looks like to lead with intention uh and equity. Today is about more than bricks and mortar.
Dr. King spoke about each person uh remembering their own somebodyiness and that their life is significant and that it matters. Uh today is about dignity. Uh today is about stability.
Today is about health. Today is about that which every person seeks and deserves, belonging. Uh it also means so much to be back here because uh I had the honor of joining you for the groundbreaking of this project a few years ago. So return to return now not to imagine what could be
which is what we did that day but to celebrate what is feels deeply uh full circle and satisfying. It is a reminder that when we commit to community when we invest in people when we stay the course we can turn vision into reality. today
stands truly as a living proof that sustained advocacy, strong partnerships, and collective care can deliver real tangible change for our families. So, I want to lift up uh that
collaboration uh that made this moment possible. From Poa to HUD uh to Mayor Janie uh to Mayor Woo uh to uh State Senator Miranda to Councelor Luen to councelor Co Pepper to Bank of America
to the BHA and so many partners who believed in this vision and stayed committed to see it through. Your dedication is helping to ensure that future generations remain rooted right here in Roxbury. The
right to safe, healthy, affordable housing is a fundamental human right. And yet, every single day, my district office hears from families who are struggling. Families facing displacement, skyrocketing rents, unsafe living conditions, and the crushing uncertainty of housing insecurity. We
are navigating through a housing crisis. one of affordability, one of access, one of justice. And I will I will ask that you not take for granted that we we do live in a city where we have a mayor where ribbon cutting like this is taking
place today. There are cities navigating the same, you know, challenging times and they're not having these kind of ribbon cutings. So, it is a testament to the collaborative leadership uh and vision here in the city of Boston. Moments like today remind us that
solutions are possible when we choose people over politics. When we invest in community and when we refuse to accept displacement as inevitable. Since my time on the Boston City Council, I've worked alongside community leaders to fight for deep affordability in our
neighborhoods and in Congress, where I serve on the Financial Services Committee. I continue to advocate for robust federal investment in public housing infrastructure and for programs that empower residents not just to survive but to thrive. And that is why
organizations like POA are so essential. Your mission to protect and preserve affordable healthy homes while advancing racial equity and economic stability is exactly the kind of bold people centered leadership that this moment demands. The redevelopment of Woodier is not just about housing units. This is about
building a community where families can plant roots, where children can grow with stability, where elders can age with dignity and where neighbors feel connected and they feel seen. This development represents hope made
visible. And while today we com celebrate completion and occupancy, we also recommit ourselves to the ongoing work to protect public housing to expand affordability and to ensure that every person regardless of zip code or income
has a place to call home. Everyone deserves more than shelter. They deserve a home, a place of refuge, a safe place to dream, to lay your head, to know that you're safe. I look forward
to uh driving by here and seeing families thriving, businesses growing, community flourishing, and knowing that each of you played a role in making this possible. Thank you for being the model. Thank you for your belief in what our communities deserve. And thank you for
the honor of being a part of this celebration today. and we are overdue. We need some celebrating. So, thank you. Thank you so much, Congresswoman, for those inspiring words. Um, I want to
briefly say a particular thank you to our Boston Housing Authority team that's worked on this. Um, there are a number of folks standing way in the back there. I see Joe Bamberg. I see Amy Tran, Leticia Raymond. Um, we have Wenda Tai,
who's not with us anymore, did a ton of work on this. Um, and you know, and then also our communications team, Brian Jordan, Emily Brown. This is just, um, I'm naming only a few people, but uh, it's really been an all agency effort
for us. um not only the work of the team that I just named focused on the redevelopment itself, but also you know working in partnership with HOU, the team on our side that does admissions and leased housing that really worked with all the Whittier families returning. Um because that to the Boston
Housing Authority is a really really important piece of this redevelopment and of any redevelopment we do is making sure that it's for the people like Stephanie Thomas here who advocate to make it happen, right? that like when these when we get these funds and we get to do these big projects that the people
who benefit on the other end are those people who were the motive force. Um and and that's something we're really proud of and it takes a lot of work. So Katie McGonagal and Nancy Oro um and the whole admissions and least housing team I just want to really thank everybody behind the scenes uh who made all that work
happen on our side. But this redevelopment was a true partnership for us um with POA uh preservation of affordable housing who like I said are our hosts here in these fabulous buildings today. Um and you know we're just we're so grateful. They're incredible partners. It's great
for us to have a you know a nonprofit missiondriven partner in this kind of work. Um and that's really what they what they were. And so thank you so much. I've already acknowledged Aaron Gorenstein. Um but speaking on behalf of POA, we're going to hear from um the managing director of real estate development at POA, Roger Brown, who has
been a huge motive force himself behind this project every step of the way. Roger Brown. Um bear with me for a minute. I'm I'm going to read this because uh there's a lot of thoughts going through my head. I've been working on this since 2013. So,
>> good morning everyone and thank you for being here to celebrate the opening of the AMP at Flat Nine. A milestone not just for this building but for the long-term revitalization of this neighborhood and the Roxberry community.
These days um every morning I wake up a little frightened to look at the newspaper but one thought soothes me a little bit and that thought comes from this quote. The ark of the moral universe is long
but it bends toward justice. That quote reminds us that progress rarely happens all at once. that happens through sustained effort, persistence, and the courage of communities who stand up for the future. Today's ribbon
cutting at the AMP at Flat Nine is one of those moments where the long arg bends a little further toward justice right here on Whittier Street in Roxbury. Roxbury has a long history of residents organizing to protect their community.
In the 1960s, neighbors and community leaders came together to stop the construction of a proposed six-lane highway that would have cut directly through this neighborhood. >> That movement supported by institutions
like our partner Madison Park and led by community residents helped preserve Roxbury and established a lasting legacy of community-led planning. Today marks the third phase of a revitalization effort that began in 2013.
But this is not an ending. It is the continuation of work rooted in the same spirit of community leadership and collective action. This effort was launched with the last choice neighborhoods initiative grant
awarded by the Obama administration. And that single federal investment has leveraged more than $300 million in private investment across these three on-site phases and multiple offsite
projects, demonstrating what is possible when public investment follows community vision. The AMP reflects what that future looks like. >> Right? >> It is mixed income housing that anchors
an inclusive community. At its core, it's affordable housing, but it is also a platform to support families, as you've heard about earlier, providing stability, opportunity, and a foundation to thrive.
That vision only happens through partnership. I want to recognize Madison Park Development Corporation for its deep roots and leadership in Roxberry. We are also deeply grateful to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Mass
Housing, and Bank of America for those crucial financial supports that made this redevelopment possible. But housing should also be a driver of economic opportunity. The AMP supports local businesses, creates jobs, and
brings sustained investment back to Whittier Street. When affordable housing and mixed income housing is done right, it becomes a tool for community wealth building. This project would not exist without an extraordinary team. And I want to thank
my friend Michael Lou and the architectural team for this beautiful design. And my friends is Tom, is that you back there? Hey Tom. Tom Schultz from THC. and our friends at Demio for a wonderful execution on the construction side of
things. I also want to recognize poor communities, the city of Boston and the Boston Housing Authority for their partnership. I also want to acknowledge the confidence of the POA board of directors
who authorized what at that time was the largest and riskiest project in POA's history. That trust made this work possible. We honor leaders who guided this effort over the years, including the late Bill
McGonagal, Kate Bennett, and Kenzie Bach, and the team that's carrying it through today. I want to recognize the poet development team. This is not a one-man show. It's led by Mina JACOB and and her team. I want you to notice
the theme here. Mina Christelle Selenus, Mug Univer, Deanna Savage, and Amanda U along with Corey Mian. some fierce some fierce and accomplished women whose dedication brought this building to
life. Most importantly, this work belongs to the residents of Roxbury and to the residents of what was formerly known as the Whittier Street Public Housing. We honor the late Molly Battle and thank Stephanie Thomas and the many
resident leaders who continue to ensure revitalization means opportunity without displacement. The AMP shows what happens when we honor history, invest in people, and use affordable housing as a platform for family stability and economic
opportunity, helping bend that long arc toward justice. So today, we celebrate not an ending, but the next chapter in a story shaped by community courage unfolding since 2013. Thank you for
being part of it. Thank you so much, Roger. And I left out of my staff shout outs our general counsel, Dean Papadrio. If you do anything this complicated, your general counsel is very important. So, yeah, Dean, thank you. >> Yeah, exactly. Yes. Everyone should
consider themselves thanked. Everyone should consider themselves thank. However, we do tend to try to thank people directly when they when they dedicate large sums of money to a thing like this. And so, I I do just want to um particularly list a few of the major
sources for this project. Um and then uh you're going to hear from one of our key key financial partners on uh just about everything that the Boston Housing Authority does. Um which is a lot. Uh, but I do I do just want to um really acknowledge the Department of Housing and Urban Development um which as has
been mentioned gave us this $30 million transformative grant that had that huge leverage impact. Um I'm I'm not sure that if regional administrator Michael Banks has um snuck in or not, you're welcome to come up and speak if if so. Um but he it was we were delighted to actually host him a few months ago here
at the building um as it was being finished off and uh and he has been a great partner to us over the last few months and so just you know really want to appreciate that the federal government of course um should be playing a transformative role all the way down at the ground in local
communities um and that this project is an example of it doing that uh and we're very very grateful um and so just want to thank on the HUD team besides administrator banks Ellen Bradley Cara Norman, um, Nick Karolina Tata Lov Lovich, Kylen Hashim, um, who both ran
the Choice Neighborhoods team because I also want to give HUD credit for the fact that Choice Neighborhoods as a HUD program was conceived as a program where it wasn't enough to just do brickandmortar redevelopment work. You had to really put together a whole wraparound team that was focused on the people. And so in a lot of ways that
design from the department drove this kind of incredible village that um that we have here today like being welcomed into the pro into the project and actually being essential for the project. And so you know um again federal partnership uh is an incredible thing when we have it. Um, I want to
also just acknowledge, I did it a little bit before, but the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, um, headed now by Secretary Augustus, um, and with Under Secretary Kate Racer, who has spanned many, uh, many administrations, um, including all the ones that have given money to this project. Um, they they provided 24.5
million in direct subsidies, and like I said, a ton of, um, state and federal LITC uh, support for the project. So, just a lot of funding. And then the um, the city of Boston provided 8.8 8 million um including significant investment of IDP neighborhood housing
trust funds. Um again someone who spanned many administrations that was also under Chief Sheila Dylan then and now. Um so thank you Sheila for your incredible support here. And um and also real infrastructure investment from the streets team uh in Choice Way and Tener
Lane um and and parks funding. And so you know really again sort of thinking about the whole community here. Um, I also want to shout out our uh our somewhat silent in the background, but very important uh partner in all this often, AFL CIO Housing Investment Trust. I think I saw a bunch of them around.
Um, they're huge supporters of the BHA's projects. Um, and I think I just heard them say they're going to double the amount that they do with us. So, we're we're thrilled about that. Um but uh but um like I said, a partner for us
in literally just about every transaction that we do here at the Boston Housing Authority and not just a partner in fact, but a partner in heart and mission and care about our residents and the projects um that we're doing is Mass Housing. And so I'm really delighted to welcome up uh the
incredible chief executive officer of Mass Housing, Crystal Cornne. I almost tripped on my high heels. Good morning. >> Good morning. >> Oh, come on. We got more life than that. Good morning. >> Morning. >> There it is. There it is. I was remembering this morning when I was
getting ready that um almost I was telling Aaron and Roger this almost 10 years ago to the day cuz I had just started with the then Baker Pledo administration and it was like two weeks in and I got a call from POA and they
were like you've got to get the governor to sign this letter so that we can submit for our video housing choice award. I was like, WTF? I had not been sworn in. And so, for those of you who are part of public
service, you know that meant that I didn't actually work there yet. I wasn't on the payroll. I had nothing going on. And I'm just trying to figure out where the bathroom is. And so, that was like a big deal. And so today, as I was like
getting kind of ready for this, it just made me feel like uh what a great honor to go through this whole journey with um with the residents in particular um in in different kinds of roles, right? Um, one of the things we love about Mass
Housing is um, well, one of the things I love about Mass Housing is our work is really crucial and we happen to come in at a critical point, but we are there with you through the end, right? is um like people some people say um some of
you know people who say well development is like a one night stand but um property management ownership is like a marriage right and so we're married right it's like things that happen to you big and small resident things we're
committed to you with our housing stability programs um when things happen in the economy related to costs or insurance costs and those things. We're committed to you. Poa communities gets to benefit from lots of the things that
we have and so we are very happy to be married together and to make sure that everybody is living here and thriving. Um, of course I get to, you know, do the thing where I sign the letter from the governor or whatever I'm supposed to do,
but all those things that happened between signing the letter and this ribbon cutting happened by the group of people in the back. So, thank you all. Mass Housing folks and um and like congratulations to everybody here and um you know on to the
next one. >> All right. Um next up I I do want to invite to share a few words uh former mayor Kim Janie. um really in several capacities as a mayor who supported this project, as a former city counselor who may who supported this project and also
as a head of Empath, an organization um that was a key part of this project and working with our residents um and actually a number of residents from Whittier joined the AMP up program, a collaboration that the BHA and Empath have um that's really been uh transforming uh you know workforce and
um and educational certificate outcomes for a whole bunch of um BHA residents. So, she's an amazing partner and I wanted her to say a few words. >> Thank you so much, Administrator Bach. Uh, I will not talk long. So much has been said uh and you've heard all of the
important points. I do think it's important though to really lift up residents and a lot has been said to lift up residents. So, I certainly want to acknowledge Miss Stephanie. Uh, I want to acknowledge our amazing speaker and all of the other residents. People may not know my own roots when it comes
to public housing. My father was raised in Orchard Park projects just a few blocks from here. Uh, and he was always very proud of that point and he lived there until he was 14 years old before moving to Cheney Street uh, also in Roxbury. And that pride that he always
spoke about when he talked about his childhood home always stuck with me. And I didn't understand it because at that time, you know, I'm in elementary school, middle school, and in high school. And the kids on the bus, you make fun of kids who were from the
projects. It wasn't a point of pride. And my father always talked about Orchard Park with this pride in his voice. And I got to see firsthand what he was talking about as I did more and more work working in housing
developments across our city as an organizer, as an advocate, and then as a city councelor and having the honor of leading the city as mayor. So, it is definitely a full circle moment. and just want to add some of the gratitude. Just lift up people like Kenzie, like
Kate, like Bill, um certainly like uh Roger and Crystal, all of the amazing partners over on this side, of course, our mayor, Mayor Woo, uh my new city councelor, our councelor Co. Pepper, uh and our congresswoman who had to step
out, uh the city councilors that are here, the state representatives, state senators. It takes a village, but it is really the heart, the people. Um, I would be remiss though if I didn't talk about empath and the word amp. I do love this word amp. Uh, because we have a
partnership, the Boston Housing Authority and Economic Mobility Pathways, the organization that I am blessed to lead today. And that partnership really is again lifting up residents. It is about how we ensure that our residents can live out their
best lives. You heard our congresswoman talk about how folks can be trapped by income and by zip codes. And we know here in this city, wherever you live, you deserve the opportunity to to to thrive, for your children to go to safe,
wonderful schools and have great parks. And this community here, this village truly represents that. And so I am grateful for the partnership between uh Economic Mobility Pathways uh Empath and the Boston Housing Authority and all the
many ways we will continue to work with residents. It isn't just about the ribbon cutings and the groundbreings and coming to celebrate. This is fun, but it is the day-to-day work that BHA and so many other partners you heard all of the CDC's mentioned that are doing with
residents in our city. So, I'm just grateful for all of you for being here, uh, coming back to this full circle moment and celebrating this important milestone. Want to remind you though that the work is not done. The work is not done. We have to continue to do this work and we have to continue to do it in
partnership and what a wonderful way to celebrate MLK weekend. Thank you so much. >> Thank you, Mayor Janie. Um, a and now, uh, as the mayor said, our new district 7 counselor, um, who represents this
area, uh, and who we're just so thrilled to have doing it, not least because he's no stranger to HUD and to housing, um, is, uh, the, um, counselor, Reverend Minard Cole Pepper. >> Thank you, Administrator Bach, and thank you for all that you do.
Uh, thank you, Mayor City Councelor Ruse. Ljon, Madame Mayor, uh, Roger reminded me not to forget him because I remember years ago.
And so, standing here today is really more than a ribbon cutting. Uh, it's a recognition of what's possible when we invest in people and honor the history of
community. Thank Stephanie Thomas, all the work that she does at Madison Park. She'll stand on corners, pass out literature for you. She'll work at polls and she'll fight for affordable housing.
I want to recognize Mike uh Gil Mil Gil Mike Gil Millennon from HUD. Uh he's saying I didn't get it right,
but Mike has been tirelessly working for affordable housing in the city of Boston. And this redevelopment uh represents a true transformation, one that uh protects affordability
while creating opportunity and stability for families. Thank you to everyone who made this possible. Most importantly, the residents, the residents whose voices and leadership helped shape this vision. And
this project stands as a model not just for Boston, not just for the state, but as a model for the country who put this community first and proves what's possible when development lifts up the people who call a place home. And
I remember when I was still at HUD as the regional council and uh for me, we focused on what I call neighborhood stabilization. And uh I talked a lot about that when I ran, but I also talked about uh
gentrification and neutralizing gentrification through neighborhood stabilization. And this is exactly what happens here with this wittier development. I remember and
I had a checklist as we looked at the city of Boston from a federal perspective. I was the regional council and Washington would call and ask me, "What about this development? What about that development?" And they would always check with me before moving forward.
And uh I remember Hope Six. If you remember Hope Six, money was building affordable housing all over the country. And you look at Orchard Gardens, Hope Six, Mission Maine, Franklin Hill, uh,
Hope Six, and uh, when it got to Whittier Street development, the Hope Six money ran out and Whittier Street missed that opportunity. And you heard administrator
Bach said it it really was a blessing in disguise because it would have restricted the number of units. And as we looked at developing housing in the city of Boston and I said I wasn't going to leave HUD until we got certain developments done. I wasn't going to
leave until we got the demonstration disposition program done where we transferred ownership to Academy Homes, transferred ownership to Canfield Gardens, transferred ownership to Franklin Park Apartments, transferred
ownership to Maple Skyler in Geneva when you look at the work that we did. And so I was ready to leave HUD once I saw HUD gave Whittier Street that $30 million choice grant. I had fulfilled my
commitment to HUD. And so when I look back at all that we've done, Aaron Gorston and I go, I don't want to say way back, we go back. but the the the partnerships that came
together to make this happen. And what more fitting time to celebrate this ribbon cutting than on the celebration of Martin Luther King's weekend and holidays. And when I really think about what happened here, Mike, I think about
the beloved community. And the beloved community is when everyone comes together and builds neighborhoods, builds people, and builds housing. And I just congratulate everyone for being example and a role model for the country
of what a beloved community is because when you look at what happens, Crystal, and you look at everyone that's here, this is truly an example, mayor, of what a beloved community is. So, I congratulate you for being the beloved
community and thank you for a job well done. Thank you, Reverend Counselor. Um, and uh, you know, it's just it's amazing to have somebody with such a deep history of HUD and deep history in this community leading now. So, thank you. Um, and last but not least, I want to
invite up our ATL large city council just to say a few words and close us out today. Um, councelor Rucy Lu Jen represents the whole city of Boston and is a relentless housing advocate specifically. And so she's somebody that we know whatever housing thing we are
working on, she is in our corner and so I would really love her to just say a few words. >> Thank you so much, Administrator Bach. The program's already long enough. This is really incredibly beautiful. I want to thank Hakika. I want to thank Stephanie who just celebrated her 75th
birthday, y'all. Who is out here and has just continued to advocate. Um we Dr. King talked so much about the basics that every person needs and everybody needs a safe, healthy place to call home. So to
everyone who has been part of this work, we thank you. The work continues as the reverend counselor counselor because he's also an attorney y'all. Co Pepper I don't know what to call him yet but um as he stated is still you know and and it's a work that we believe in on the
council. I'm here to happy to be here with him as a new colleague. Uh councelor Santana's staff is here but as everyone has stated this is the beloved community and we have to bend the moral arc of the universe towards justice because it doesn't bend on its own. So thank you everyone and congratulations
for this BEAUTIFUL DAY. THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING. UM if I can just ask that speakers um and our resident leaders come up and join us for a photo here and then um you'll I think someone else will come to the mic with the details but again just reminding folks there is an opportunity for a tour
um including of the amazing roof deck although it's very cold today um but beautiful. So uh yeah so just thank you all for being with us. Thank you so much. If you'd like to be in the photo, please make your way to the podium area. And
again, there will be tours leaving from the hall. There are four tour guides. Feel free to take a tour of the amenities. And there will be refreshments on the first floor. Thank you for coming.