MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES UNPRECEDENTED INVESTMENT IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES UNPRECEDENTED INVESTMENT IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS

BOSTON - Tuesday, January 7, 2020 - Building on the Walsh Administration's commitment to create and preserve housing that meets the needs of a growing city, Mayor Martin J. Walsh pledged to dedicate $500 million over the next five years to create thousands of homes across Boston affordable to households with low and middle incomes tonight. These new investments will support the City's goals of creating rental and homeownership opportunities, preserving public housing units, and establishing the first city-funded voucher program.   "Housing is the biggest economic challenge our residents face," said Mayor Walsh. "We know we have been making progress, but rents and home prices are still too high for too many people. These investments are transformative and I invite housing advocates and residents to help us bring them to life. At a time when our federal government is stepping away from creating and preserving affordable housing, Boston is continuing to step up and make investments in housing because we believe housing is not a commodity, but our community."  Through increases in the City's operating and capital budgets, the investment announced tonight will double the City's current funding in affordable housing to $100 million. Additional revenue will be generated by selling the Lafayette Garage, as well as working with the Massachusetts Legislature to approve a transfer fee of up to 2 percent on private real estate sales over $2 million in the City of Boston. These combined investments will increase the available funds for affordable housing to five times current funding levels over the next five years. "We applaud Mayor Walsh for his leadership and commitment to affordable housing," said Rachel Heller, CEO of Citizens' Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA).  "By setting goals, creating a plan, tracking progress, and committing resources, the City is successfully creating more opportunities for people across incomes to have homes they can afford in the neighborhoods they choose." As the City continues to encourage using public transit, biking, and walking as preferred modes of transportation, Mayor Walsh identified the Lafayette Garage located at 1 Avenue de Lafayette in Downtown Boston as a means to generate additional funding for affordable housing. The proposal to sell the garage will be presented to the City Council in the coming months as a unique opportunity to turn a City asset into an immediate and impactful investment through one-time revenue from the sale.  These investments will support the City in achieving its housing goals:  Create and preserve 1,000 rental units, including senior housing production across all income levels, and expand the Acquisition Opportunity Program by targeting mid-size and large acquisitions and helping development partners compete with speculative buyers to prevent displacement Create 500 new homeownership units for low- and middle-income households and support 1,000 new low- and middle-income homebuyers with down payment assistance and low-interest mortgages  Create and preserve 3,000 units of public housing by providing subsidy funding to help fill the gap in Boston Housing Authority (BHA) pipeline projects, and renovate Boston's federal elderly/disabled portfolio to preserve this housing resource for future generations Establish the first City of Boston voucher program to provide hundreds of city-funded vouchers to those with the most need, including families experiencing homelessness not eligible for the State's Emergency Assistance, formerly chronically homeless individuals, and extremely low-income elderly and disabled households Create or accelerate the creation of 1,500 units by investing in large housing funds and developer capacity building, including: Provide critical seed funding to create a revolving, low-cost loan fund to support the acquisition of key vacant or underutilized properties for low- and middle-income housing, while seeking additional resources from businesses and foundations Establish an infrastructure fund to subsidize development costs in return for affordable units for low- and middle-income households Establish a fund for pre-development activity and support for local Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprises In the coming months, the Walsh Administration will work with the City Council to complete the sale of the Lafayette Garage and to advocate for passage of the Transfer Fee Home Rule Petition signed and submitted to the Massachusetts Legislature last month. In addition, the Administration will be working with the City Council, the Mayor's Housing Task Force and other housing partners to refine the priorities and programmatic structures of these proposed investments.  "Mayor Walsh's aggressiveness in addressing our housing crisis is very much needed and much appreciated," said Thomas Callahan, executive director of the Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance. "MAHA looks forward to working with the Walsh Administration to put these targeted resources to good use, including closing the racial wealth gap through increased affordable homeownership opportunities for first-time and first-generation homebuyers in Boston."   Since Mayor Walsh took office, the City of Boston has built over 65 percent of the new homes in Greater Boston, with 20 percent of new homes being affordable housing, according to the Metropolitan Area Planning Council. Boston has surpassed 32,000 units permitted under the administration's housing plan, including over 6,200 affordable housing units and over 500 units for senior housing. More than 1,000 BHA units have been renovated and the Department of Neighborhood Development (DND) has assisted over 600 homebuyers in purchasing their homes.  "Bravo to the Mayor for his leadership in closing the huge market gap that prevents older adults from having the opportunity to age in their community, which is the key to healthy aging," said Amy Schectman, president & CEO of 2Life Communities. "We look forward to working with the City to bring these opportunities to light for all older adults."    "Far too many older adults struggle to find the housing and services they need to age successfully at a price they can afford," said Linda Couch, vice president for Housing Policy, LeadingAge. "Our organization which is the nation's most trusted voice for aging with 6,000 mission-driven member organizations, is thrilled to learn about Mayor Walsh's proposals which represent a huge leap forward in making housing with services available to all older adults. Kudos to Boston's mayor for making older adults such a high priority."    Boston's strategy of increasing overall supply of housing units is beginning to show a stabilizing effect on the housing market. Year over year rental listing data from 2017 and 2018 in Boston shows rents increasing by 2.7 percent in older housing stock, and 3.3 percent in all housing, including newly-built stock.  Boston has been trending away from large year-over-year increases in rent costs for several quarters as development catches up with demand, creating more rental opportunities across the City. This trend continued in 2019: a year-over-year comparison of the first two quarters in 2018 and 2019 show rent prices incrementally increasing by 1.7 percent in older housing stock, with a 1.5 percent increase in all housing stock. "My wife and I work hard, but we didn't think we could afford a home to raise our three sons and take care of my in-laws," said Lamarana Bah, who immigrated 15 years ago from Sierra Leone. "Mayor Walsh's Neighborhood Homes Initiative helped us with our down payment and mortgage, and now we own our home in Dorchester. I want everyone to know about these opportunities. Our dream came true and that's why we believe in Boston."

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES EAST BOSTON TRANSPORTATION ACTION COMMITTEE IN STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES EAST BOSTON TRANSPORTATION ACTION COMMITTEE IN STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS

BOSTON - Tuesday, January 7, 2020 - Building on his commitment to ensuring Boston's streets are safe, equitable and reliable for all, Mayor Martin J. Walsh during his State of the City address tonight announced the creation of an East Boston Transportation Action Committee.  "This year, we will build on our community planning in East Boston, launching a Transportation Action Committee to address the traffic challenges there," said Mayor Walsh. "Transportation is crucial to ensuring our residents can get to their homes, their jobs and their schools, and my Administration will continue working hard to create the best transportation options for residents in Boston. I look forward to working with the East Boston community to make transportation better for all." Important projects under consideration include improving bus reliability on Meridian Street, designing Bennington Street to be safer and more bike friendly, and reimagining Day Square with additional public space. In his speech, Mayor Walsh announced new efforts to reduce congestion and improve in Boston, including launching a Transportation Action Committee in East Boston to address the unique circumstances in the neighborhood. The committee will include local residents, advocates and stakeholders. Since launching Boston's safety plan, Vision Zero, the City has cut fatalities on Boston roads by half. Mayor Walsh again called for Boston to have a seat on the MBTA Fiscal and Management Control Board, noting Boston is the largest payer into the MBTA--but doesn't have a voice at the table. In addition to this advocacy, Mayor Walsh urged Boston's partners at the Massachusetts Legislature to take up transportation financing, and enable Boston to use Regional Ballot Initiatives (RBI) to fund its transportation initiatives.  Last year, the Boston Transportation Department resurfaced over 30 miles of roads, repainted over 1,000 crosswalks, rebuilt sidewalks, installed safety signage all throughout Boston, cut the ribbon on North Square in the North End, and broke ground on new streets and sidewalks in Roxbury. The Boston Transportation Department has also worked to improve active transportation options, improving bike connections from Jamaica Plain, Mission Hill, and the South End to downtown. Additional work includes rethinking how our connections operate, designing bridges in Charlestown, South Boston, Hyde Park and Long Island that work for everyone.  In November, Mayor Walsh announced a significant milestone reached on the implementation of the City's Go Boston 2030 transportation plan, with more than half of the 58 projects and policies identified in the plan currently underway. The comprehensive plan was unveiled in 2017 and is designed to provide, by the year 2030, a safe, reliable and equitable transportation system that also supports Boston's climate goals. In just two years, the Boston Transportation Department and its partners have made significant progress on their planning goals, designed to increase safety, accessibility, equity and affordability in transportation for all residents. Twent

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES SINGLE LARGEST INVESTMENT IN DIRECT FUNDING TO SUPPORT STUDENTS, REACHING $100 MILLION OVER THREE YEARS FOR BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES SINGLE LARGEST INVESTMENT IN DIRECT FUNDING TO SUPPORT STUDENTS, REACHING  $100 MILLION OVER THREE YEARS FOR BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

BOSTON - Tuesday, January 7, 2020 - Building on his historic commitment to investing in our students and schools, during his 2020 State of the City address this evening, Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced a $100 million investment in new direct funding to support students at the Boston Public Schools. This funding will be phased in over the next three years to reach an annual investment of $100 million for direct classroom funding that is over and above cost increases. This level of planned new investment has never been seen before in Boston's history, and will reach every public school in Boston. "We believe in a Boston where every single student has access to high quality schools to reach their full potential, and this $100 million investment will make that vision a reality," said Mayor Walsh. "This new investment will be carefully targeted to evidence-based strategies so that every dollar makes a difference. We'll begin with intense support for underperforming schools because kids who start with less need more and deserve more. By lifting up our schools, we'll become one strong district and one stronger city." The $100 million investment over the next three years will focus on student wellness and mental health supports, curriculum enrichment, and programming and activities, and 100% of the funding will go directly to students or services provided by schools. The investment will be made on top of standard costs increases, such as inflation and employee costs.  "This is a great day for the children of Boston Public Schools," said Boston Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Brenda Cassellius. "This historic, new funding will allow us to provide direct support to every single student, starting with those who need it the most. I am incredibly grateful to Mayor Walsh for his continued commitment to our children and families." "Since 2014, Mayor Walsh and the Boston School Committee have committed to working with parents, teachers, students and community members for increased public education funding at all levels to address the critical needs in our schools," said Michael Loconto, Chairperson of the Boston School Committee.  "Mayor Walsh's continuing and deep investments in our schools reflects a fulfillment of this ongoing commitment. The Committee looks forward to receiving Superintendent Cassellius's recommendation on a Fiscal Year 2021 budget next month, which will put our strategic vision and these critical investments into action." "This historic investment is great news for public school students, parents and educators across the City. We applaud the administration for stepping up and allocating such a significant increase in funding to help create the schools our students deserve," said Jessica Tang, President, Boston Teachers Union. "While the recent increases in funding for public education at the state level were welcome news, that funding won't make a meaningful impact in Boston for many years, so this investment comes at a critical time to help fill the gaps." This new investment directly supports Superintendent Cassellius' draft strategic vision recently presented to the Boston School Committee, outlining the key priority areas where BPS will focus its efforts through the next school year to improve student experiences and outcomes, close opportunity gaps and increase instructional quality and rigor. The strategic vision was formed following her four-month long community tour across Boston, where she visited all 125 schools, hosted 98 community meetings, and engaged with more than 2,100 people. It focuses on five key priorities, including: elevating equity to address disparities, accelerating learning through a well-rounded education, expanding opportunity through targeted resources, cultivating trust to help all students reach their full potential and amplifying all voices to ensure strong student and school outcomes. The final version of the strategic vision will be presented to the School Committee on January 15.  "This investment speaks directly to the leadership of Dr. Cassellius. She listened to stakeholders, assessed the state of our schools, and identified high leverage focus areas to help accelerate the closure of achievement and opportunity gaps, and while there are still many issues we need to address in our schools, if allocated to align with Dr. Cassellius' strategic vision, this additional investment will help support our students who need it most," said Tanisha M. Sullivan, President, NAACP Boston Branch. "I am very excited for what this new funding will mean for students and the positive impact this will make in our schools moving forward," said Evelyn Reyes, a senior at the John D. O'Bryant School of Math and Science, and student representative on the Boston School Committee. "This is the kind of investment that is needed to take education at the Boston Public Schools to the next level. I can't wait to see this funding come to life in our schools and for students to fully reap the benefits." "This is really fantastic and will give BPS both at the higher level and at the school level more access to funds to increase support," said Carlos-Luis Brown, parent of two children at the Curtis Guild Elementary School, and also co-chair for the parent council at the Guild. "Any kind of funding that can go to schools, not just students in the classroom, but all the support structures in the schools, that's outstanding. I applaud the Mayor for making this investment." There is no better reflection of Mayor Walsh's commitment to equal opportunity than the City's continued strong investment in public education. Over the past six years Boston has grown annual public education spending at the Boston Public Schools (BPS), charter schools and Universal Pre-Kindergarten by over $360 million. This unprecedented level of investment makes up 40% of all new city funds that have been added to the annual budget.  Boston's most recent BPS budget includes $1.177 billion to support high-quality education for all BPS students. This overall level of investment of $1.177 million is not only at historic levels, but represents a 37 percent increase in per-student funding since FY14, up to over $22,000 per student. Included in this year's current budget is a $15 million investment in a quality pre-Kindergarten fund, which will guarantee access to free, high-quality pre-K for all 4-year olds living in Boston within five years. Other signature investments include free MBTA passes to all Boston students in grades 7-12; full-time nurses in every school, additional mental health counselors, and tuition-free community college available to BPS graduates. Building on the continued investments in BPS, the Fiscal Year 2021 budget for Boston Public Schools will be formally presented to the Boston School Committee on February 5th.  Following years of advocacy and hard work from led by a coalition of mayors, city leaders, parents, teachers, and advocates, the Massachusetts Legislature recently passed a landmark education finance reform law that was signed into law by the Governor. The law will directly benefit Boston's students with $100 million in additional funding per year once in full effect in the next seven years. Today's announcement bolsters this new state funding by putting this direct investment into our school systems effective in the new fiscal year in June.