This fund is dedicated to supporting participatory action research by a UMass Boston student to continue the work that Michael Stone carried out in the community to increase housing for low-income people, and to address fair housing issues and development without displacement. Working with the Boston Tenant Coalition (BTC) and its members as well as the Coalition for Occupied Homes in Foreclosure (COHIF), the intern will assist in promoting and continuing the work that Michael prepared and will be supported by a UMass faculty member, in collaboration with members of the Stone Scholars Advisory Committee, and a trusted consultant throughout their research internship.

Meet our Scholars

“I would like to thank all of the donors and everyone who has helped to make the Stone Scholar program possible. I was very honored to be approached about working with the BTC as the first Stone Scholar and after reading about Michael Stone and the work of BTC my decision was made instantaneously. I am a musician and the passion I have found for music I have also found in my time studying in the community Development major, especially concerning education and housing. I am very glad to have the opportunity to work for a much-needed organization that is making a difference in Boston and will do
everything I can to make this project a success! Professors such as Luis Aponte-Pares have inspired me and guided my path, and BTC seems to be a great fit as a next step towards what I hope to accomplish in the future.”

– Ian Whitney, UMass Boston, Fall 2017
Project: Section 8 (Dis)Placement and Mapping in the Boston Metro Area

 

“Being selected as a Stone Scholar has been transformative for me personally as a student and as a person, and I am extremely grateful for the chance to contribute to the continuation of Michael Stone’s important work in fair housing advocacy. As a recent transplant, the Michael Stone Scholarship was instrumental for me in getting to know the landscape of Boston’s housing policy and exploring Boston’s rich history of activism and community organizing. Working with the BTC through this scholarship has inspired me as a Community Economic Development student, and showed me the ways in which local CDCs can work together to forge positive change, giving me a chance to develop research skills and
knowledge that will be essential in my skill set as a future professional. Thank you to all the donors and everyone that made this scholarship possible, as well as those that gave me the encouragement and support I needed to complete my project!”

 

-Rose Southard, UMass Boston, Spring 2017
Project: Inclusionary Development Policy Functions and Processes

 

“Born and raised in the city of Boston, I grew up here in my grandmother’s apartment where she has resided for more than 20 years, where I hope to also raise my own son of 3. To know that many familiar faces are being displaced by policies and the attraction of urban life has hit me hard personally. Too often the very people affected shrug it off as to say, ‘what can we do about it’ or ‘it is what it is’. To be a part of this program I hope to be the example and the voice that we are doing something!”

-Sabrina Nuñez-Diaz, UMass Boston, Fall 2018
Project: Applicability of “New Tax Revenue” from New Boston Development to Fund Affordable Housing (Part 1)

 

“When I was first approached by my professor and now advisor Alan Wiig, I must admit I was simply and completely unfamiliar with the Stone Scholar program, the BTC, and all their important work. My father was born and raised in this city, as was I, so it has been easy to notice all of the developmental changes that have occurred over the years. As easy as it has been to see the physical changes – it has been just as hard to escape the pressures of this resulting housing crisis. Having witnessed first-hand how it has affected my family, our neighbors, and our friends’ families across the city have driven me to act. For so many of us, it is a real fight to remain in this great city. This unplanned opportunity for me to become familiar with Michael Stone and the continued efforts of everyone involved with the BTC has left me confident that our collective efforts will lead to creative and meaningful solutions.”

-Naoise McDonnell, UMass Boston, Spring 2018
Project: Investigation into National Comparisons to “New Tax Revenue” to Fund Affordable Housing (Part 2)