Mayor Menino’s 2020 plan goes over housing need and proposed housing strategy. While there are many positive elements to the plan, there are several that we are really concerned about and do not want to be a part of the new mayor, Mayor Walsh, housing strategy. They include:
- Expanding Middle Income program that Boston’s median income (ie Boston’s Middle class) Blacks, Latino’s, Asians and Boston renters are far from affording!
- Pass an ordinance this fall to codify the City’s Inclusionary Development without making any reforms on pay-out, affordability, percentage’s. The issues that we and allies have been politely advocating for well over a year!
and more…..
According to data in the City’s Consolidated Plan, American Community Survey and information in the recently released 2020 report, there is a mismatch between housing need in Boston and the targeting of City resources. As stated in the City’s 2020 report, there are close to 46,000 households paying over 50% of their incomes for housing. Within that number, 23,000 are extremely low income, at risk of becoming homeless. Homelessness is already at an all-time high in Boston and likely to get worse. Because of federal sequestration and budget cuts, the Boston Housing Authority may be forced to terminate as many as 500 families from Section 8 rental assistance. Thousands of families, in and out of Boston, are reaching the end of time-limited HOMEBASE rental assistance and many will be forced to return to homeless shelters.
We would like to get hundreds of signatures as soon as possible to try to redirect the 11 million raised recently from Inclusionary Development Program (IDP),and City discounted land all slated for Middle Income Housing to housing for Boston’s low and working class residents.
Please sign and circulate this petition and take a look at the Real Housing Crisis Brochure which informs us of the present housing crisis in Boston.