Baker-Polito Administration and MassHousing Announce $7 Million in New Funding for Affordable Housing in Four Communities

 Baker-Polito Administration and MassHousing Announce $7 Million in New Funding for Affordable Housing in Four Communities

Awards from the Community Scale Housing Initiative will advance smaller-scale affordable housing developments in Hamilton, Holyoke, Somerville, and Tisbury

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

6/23/2021

• Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development
• Housing and Community Development
• Office of Governor Charlie Baker and Lt. Governor Karyn Polito
• MassHousing

BOSTON — Today, the Baker-Polito Administration and MassHousing announced $7.02 million in Community Scale Housing Initiative (CSHI) awards, which will help create 66 new rental homes for residents across a range of incomes in Hamilton, Holyoke, Somerville, and on Martha’s Vineyard.
 
CSHI is a joint initiative of the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) and MassHousing that provides funding to produce smaller scale affordable housing developments in communities with populations fewer than 200,000. Prior to the program’s introduction in 2017, there was no dedicated state funding stream for advancing small-scale affordable housing projects.
 
“The Commonwealth’s housing needs are diverse and urgent, and programs like the Community Scale Housing Initiative allow us to more effectively partner with cities and towns to develop new housing that meets local needs,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “Every new unit of housing that we develop brings opportunity and stability to families across the Commonwealth.”
 
“The Community Scale Housing Initiative empowers communities to meet unique local challenges and deliver on local priorities by providing funds to amplify local affordable housing efforts, making the Commonwealth a key partner on a broad range of housing developments,” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. “We are proud to help strengthen municipalities and create more homes for working families.”
 
The most recent CSHI funding round awarded $7.02 million in direct subsidy financing from DHCD and MassHousing to advance the four new construction projects. To date, CSHI has awarded $17.7 million and advanced 181 new housing units in 15 communities across the Commonwealth. All the projects have also received local funding and support from their home community.
 
“The Community Scale Housing Initiative is a key component of our efforts to reverse the trends of the Commonwealth’s housing market, which for too long has been plagued by a lack of available units, sky-high prices, and restrictive zoning that have hurt our most vulnerable families, working households, and employers struggling to retain talent,” said Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy. “Today’s awards are an important part of our multi-layered strategy to encourage housing production of all kinds in every part of our Commonwealth. These locally driven projects will provide housing near transit, workforce housing, and extremely affordable units in these communities.”

“DHCD works with cities and towns of all sizes to advance development that makes sense, connecting them with resources and programs to support their goals,” said Housing and Community Development Undersecretary Jennifer Maddox. “Hamilton, Holyoke, Somerville and Martha’s Vineyard will welcome new, affordable housing to address local housing needs, joining many communities in Massachusetts actively planning for new housing.”
 
“The Community Scale Housing Initiative allows communities of many different sizes to develop new, mixed-income housing that fits the makeup of their city or town,” said MassHousing Executive Director Chrystal Kornegay. “Finding an affordable place to live is one of the biggest challenges facing residents of the Commonwealth —this program provides a crucial opportunity to help change that.”
 
The four projects receiving financing from the most recent funding round are:
 
Willow Street in Hamilton, an 18-unit, mixed-income, mixed-use project being developed by the Traggorth Companies. Located less than a block from the Hamilton-Wenham commuter rail station, Willow Street will encompass three stories, with apartments on the second and third floors and community space on the first floor. The project is receiving $1.7 million in CSHI financing through MassHousing and DHCD, $4.5 million in construction financing from Eastern Bank, which will convert to permanent financing, and $500,000 in local Affordable Housing Trust funds from the town of Hamilton. Upon completion, Willow Street will provide nine units affordable to households earning up to 80 percent of AMI and nine units will be rented at market rates. Willow Street will also be highly sustainable and is expected to achieve Passive House certification.
 
South Holyoke Homes Phase I in Holyoke is the first of five phases of affordable rental and homeownership development by the Holyoke Housing Authority (HHA) centered around Carlos Vega Park in South Holyoke. The 12-unit project has received $2 million in CSHI financing, $550,000 in HOME funds from the City of Holyoke, $840,000 in permanent financing from PeoplesBank, and $908,759 in developer equity. Of the $6.6 million the HHA was awarded from MassWorks for the South Holyoke Homes project in 2019 to support infrastructure and streetscape, $221,000 will be used in this first phase. Upon completion, nine of the 12 total units created in Phase I will be affordable to households earning up to 30 percent of AMI, with three units affordable to households earning up to 50 percent of AMI. All the units will be supported by a federal Section 8 housing subsidy.
 
31 Tufts Street in Somerville will be a 16-unit affordable and workforce housing community developed on city-owned land by E3 Development, LLC. The project is receiving $1.3 million in CSHI financing and $1 million from the Somerville Affordable Housing Trust. Upon completion, 31 Tufts Street will feature three units affordable to households earning up to 50 percent of AMI, five units affordable to households earning up to 80 percent of AMI, and eight units of workforce housing for households earning up to 110 percent of AMI. The development will feature publicly accessible open space, will be highly sustainable and is expected to achieve Passive House certification.
 
Kuehns Way Rental Apartments in Tisbury will be constructed as part of Chapter 40B by the nonprofit Island Housing Trust Corporation. The 20-unit project in 10 duplex buildings will receive $1.01 million in CSHI financing, $1 million in MassHousing Workforce Housing Initiative financing, $1.6 million in MassHousing permanent financing, $1.9 million in developer equity, $1.58 million in Tisbury Community Preservation Act funds, and $921,000 in construction financing from Martha’s Vineyard Bank. Upon completion, Kuehns Way Rental Apartments will be the largest affordable rental housing development built on Martha’s Vineyard in 15 years. Of the 20 units, two will be restricted to households earning up to 30 percent of AMI, eight units will be for households earning up to 60 percent of AMI, and 10 units will be for households earning up to 80 percent of AMI.

Last week, Governor Baker announced a plan to devote $1 billion from the Commonwealth’s direct federal aid to funding homeownership and housing priorities, a significant investment to help increase housing production and reduce barriers to owning a home as part of the ongoing COVID-19 recovery effort.

Baker-Polito Administration Publishes Interactive Tool Showing Breakdown of $3.4 Billion in Federal Aid Awarded to Municipalities

 Baker-Polito Administration Publishes Interactive Tool Showing Breakdown of $3.4 Billion in Federal Aid Awarded to Municipalities 

BOSTON – The Baker-Polito Administration today announced that it has published a new, interactive online tool that displays a breakdown by municipality of the $3.4 billion in direct federal aid awarded to local governments across Massachusetts by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). This direct aid to local governments is part of a total of $8.7 billion awarded to Massachusetts through the new Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund, which was created by ARPA. This total also includes the $5.3 billion awarded directly to the Commonwealth, and last week Governor Baker outlined a plan to spend $2.8 billion of these funds on urgent priorities that support the communities hardest-hit by the pandemic.

 These discretionary federal dollars are available to every local city, town, and county throughout the Commonwealth to support urgent municipal COVID-19 response efforts, replace lost revenue, stabilize households and businesses, and address the existing disparities that the pandemic exacerbated.

 The new online resource consists of an interactive map that shows the breakdown of the $3.4 billion that is available to local cities, towns, and counties through the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund. The website also contains detailed information on funding allocations and the distribution process, as well as general information on the usage of these funds.

 Last week, Governor Baker outlined a plan to work with the Legislature to spend $2.8 billion of the Commonwealth’s discretionary funds on urgent priorities that support the communities hardest-hit by the pandemic. These significant federal resources complement other funding received by municipalities throughout the course of the public health emergency, such as the $502 million in Coronavirus Relief Fund dollars made available to municipal government entities earlier in the pandemic.

 To view the interactive map and this municipal funding information, please click here.

MAYOR JANEY'S DELIVERS REMARKS TO GREATER BOSTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

MAYOR JANEY'S DELIVERS REMARKS TO GREATER BOSTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Read the Mayor's remarks during the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Virtual Government Affairs Forum held on June 23, 2021. BOSTON - Wednesday, June 23, 2021 - Mayor Kim Janey today delivered remarks to the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce during their virtual Government Affairs Forum, laying out how she is leading Boston through the COVID-19 pandemic with a citywide agenda for recovery, reopening and renewal.  Below are the Mayor's remarks as prepared for delivery: Good morning! Thank you Miceal Chamberlain for that introduction. And thank you, Jim Rooney. You were an integral part of my transition committee, and I am grateful for your leadership. I also want to extend my gratitude to the Chair of the Board, Micho Spring.  I’m pleased to be joining you today from the Rapid 7 headquarters located in The Hub on Causeway in Boston. Rapid 7 is a leading global technology company, led by Corey Thomas. Like Corey, I am committed to investing in Boston’s diverse pool of strong and exceptional talent. I appreciate Rapid 7 for hosting me today.  It’s a beautiful day in Boston.   Today, we are healthier than we have been at any time in over a year. New cases of COVID remain at low levels. More than half of our residents are fully vaccinated. Over 60 percent have received at least one dose. And, for those hardest hit by this pandemic -- our seniors -- over 75% are fully vaccinated.  Today, our economy is rebounding, and people are getting back to work. Our unemployment rate has dropped from 16% a year ago to roughly 6% today. And, economic activity continues to pick up. And, today, Boston is buzzing. Tens of thousands of people were out this weekend. Families and friends reconnecting across our city -- from Juneteenth celebrations at Franklin Park to barbeques in backyards. Residents and visitors are strolling in our neighborhoods, cooling off in our parks, and dining under our streetlights and stars.   It truly is a beautiful day in Boston. As we reflect on our recovery and reopening, we must neither forget the 1,389 souls that we have lost in Boston due to COVID, nor the distance we still have to go as a city. Boston -- our neighborhoods, our business community, our people -- is incredibly strong and resilient. And, the challenges we faced prior to COVID are still ones we must solve today: rising sea levels, high housing costs, and wealth, health and wage disparities along race and gender lines.  Our work over the last 16 months provides a path we can follow to tackle these challenges. We are recovering from this pandemic because we analyzed the data and followed the science. We made tough decisions both at home and at work. And, above all, we partnered together, focusing our efforts on those most in need.   Black Suffragist Mary Church Terrell coined the phrase “lifting as we climb.” She understood that our own progress is tied to improving the conditions of others.  When I took the oath of office, I promised to lift up the people most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and improve the health, wellness, and economic status of workers and our business community.    That promise guided the municipal budget that I submitted to the City Council for approval next week. I want to thank Justin Sterritt, our CFO, and his team for their work.   My budget includes a $3.2 billion dollar capital plan. It is the largest in our city’s history. I believe that now is the time to invest in Boston. It will shape our recovery. ·    To prepare the workforce for our future, we are funding new and renovated public schools across our city, like the Josiah Quincy Upper School in Chinatown that we broke ground on last week.     ·    To strengthen the open spaces that residents relied on this past year, we are investing in nearly 80 different projects in our parks; ·    To mend the fabric of our neighborhoods after this year of social distancing, we are funding hundreds of millions of dollars for our cherished community centers and libraries; ·    And, to make transit and transportation more safe, reliable, and accessible for all, we are dedicating over $1 Billion to improving our streets and sidewalks all across our city. As we invest through this budget, we are creating the structures that allow us to not just get back on our feet but to go better as a city.   In this budget, we are funding Boston’s first Office of Participatory Budgeting, to elevate the voice that residents have in City Hall.   We are creating an Office of Police Accountability & Transparency. This office will strengthen the trust between the public and our police department.   And, we are investing heavily in the staff and programs necessary to address the disparities that exist in how City government contracts. The City’s recent Disparity Study examined the $2.1 billion in City government contracts between 2014 and 2019. The study revealed that only 2.5% of the spending went to minority and women-owned businesses combined, and less than one percent went to Black-owned businesses. In a city that has a population that is majority people of color, and in a city that is brimming with talented entrepreneurs of every race, ethnicity and gender, we can do better. We must do better.  Through the work of our Chief of Equity and Inclusion, Celina Barrios-Millner, we are transforming our procurement process to foster systemic change. We are marketing all of our procurement opportunities to diverse vendors, developing yearly equitable spending plans at the department level, and supporting the growth of minority and women-owned businesses.  We are also developing a pipeline of diverse vendors. This week we awarded grants to 56 local, diverse businesses through our newly created Boston Contracting Opportunity Fund. This fund helps businesses build their capacity to compete for City contracts. One of the grantees is Ricardo Pierre-Louis of Roxbury. Ricardo ran a valet parking service that was devastated by the pandemic when restaurants shut down. With relief funds from the city, he will be able to support his employees and pivot his operations to managing garages. His business, Privé [Pre-Vay] Parking, was recently awarded a major private contract on the South Boston Waterfront and he will leverage the Opportunity Fund grant to scale up. To further help all companies compete for City contracts, I have created a new five-person Supplier Diversity Team. This team is charged with creating fair and equitable access to City contracting opportunities. This team is led by a Supplier Diversity Manager.    I have created a new Director of Strategic Procurement in our Administration and Finance Cabinet. Together, the Director of Strategic Procurement and the Supplier Diversity Team, will develop the City’s first-ever Purchasing Plan. This will help companies see what we plan to purchase so that businesses can get ready to bid. I want to make it easier for businesses to connect with us, so we are hosting Pathways to City Contracting Opportunity Fairs where entrepreneurs meet with City departments and learn about upcoming contracting opportunities that align with their expertise. Quite like the Chamber’s Pacesetter’s program, the City is proactively inviting underrepresented enterprises to do business with us.  This is an intentional focus on addressing racial disparities as we advance the City’s largest capital budget. It will, over time, increase competition for City contracts, strengthen local businesses, and close persistent wealth gaps in our city. We need to take that same approach in our support for workers and in our housing policy. We must be intentional in our efforts as we emerge from this crisis so that we rebound as a stronger city. That means we must continue our focus on those most impacted during this crisis. For many of our lowest income workers, that means simply being able to pay the rent.   We have responded with a $50 million dollar Rental Relief Fund. This fund helps renters remain in their homes; it helps landlords keep up their buildings; and, it helps our neighborhoods have stability as we emerge from this crisis.   This fund is already making a real difference for residents like Marlinda, an elderly woman from Allston. She was about to be evicted from an apartment that she lived in for 27 years. She owed $15,000 in back rent. We were able to pay her landlord all that was due. With our help, Marlinda was able to stay in her home.  Suzanne, a landlord from Dorchester who did not want to evict her tenant when he fell ill during the pandemic, had applied for rental relief on his behalf. Through this fund, we paid his back rent, utilities, and two months of future rent.  Rental relief is helping our residents get through this crisis. But, systemic change is needed to make Boston affordable for the long term. I strongly support the growth of housing in Boston, but it must be growth that helps to build a middle class and keep our city accessible to all.  In July, we will take another step in that direction. Under the leadership of Sheila Dillon, our Chief of Housing, we will release a funding RFP of $30M to support the creation of housing for families, seniors, and currently homeless residents.    Homeownership is also a key strategy for tackling the wealth gap in Boston. To make homeownership more accessible, I recently invested $2.4 million into the Boston Home Center's first-time Homebuyer Program. This commitment more than triples the average amount of assistance previously offered by the City to income-eligible, first-time homebuyers.    Emergency relief for renters and homeownership opportunities for residents gives our city and our economy stability. As does support for our small businesses and our City’s entrepreneurs. The spirit of entrepreneurship resides deeply in my blood. I come from a long line of entrepreneurs. From construction to graphic design, from insurance to small business incubators, I am proud to come from an enterprising family that means business. Our business community experienced multiple closures and loss of profits during the pandemic. Through grant-making initiatives, such as the Small Business Relief Fund, we distributed $16 million dollars to over 4,000 small businesses — from iFresh Noodle in Allston to Beacon Hill Nutrition in the Back Bay to Mattapan Bottle and Can, Inc to the Rozzie Square Theater.  To ensure that small businesses can thrive as our city reopens, we’ve recently taken steps to expand our commercial rent relief and small business support programs by another $16 million dollars. This investment also helps business owners, their landlords and property managers build long-standing partnerships with each other and with the neighborhoods they serve.   Our travel and hospitality sector, which is 70% people of color and the 3rd largest industry in Boston, plummeted during the pandemic. This sector is still climbing towards recovery. So, we launched and extended the All Inclusive Boston campaign. This campaign encourages residents and travelers to take advantage of the unique offerings in each of Boston’s neighborhoods. We also launched the B Local app to support small businesses by rewarding users for shopping locally. Just last week, Midori Morikawa, our Chief of Economic Development, and I hosted a listening session with a critical part of the hospitality sector: our restaurant owners. I heard the challenges they are facing: severe staffing hurdles, limited operating hours, and massive debt from PPP loans. We also heard how valuable the outdoor dining program has been during this pandemic. It’s been a lifeline for many of our restaurants.  Coming out of this listening session, we are putting in place $1.7 million dollars in new City support for our restaurants.   This includes a new outdoor dining team to work with restaurateurs and neighborhoods to bring dining to streets, sidewalks, and open spaces in the years ahead. It also will fund a marketing campaign for local business restaurants in Boston, to raise their profile as we recover as a city.   To address the staffing challenges that restaurant owners identified, this funding will also support staff recruitment and retention bonuses and offer tuition assistance to workers for two years while employed at a restaurant. This should help our local restaurants -- and their employees -- rise as we recover.  No matter the scale of your business, you know that your employees are your most critical asset.   That’s why I am putting workers at the center of Boston’s recovery. I am committed to making sure investments in Boston’s reopening not only help businesses but also help workers whose employment and savings were most impacted by COVID.   That’s why, in our FY ‘22 budget, we are allocating $1 million in job training in the hardest-hit industries and $1 million in job training for artists. It’s why this budget also expands programs to support child care entrepreneurs, immigrant professionals, and careers in green jobs and transportation. And, it’s a budget that invests $4 million to expand our City-sponsored youth summer jobs program to reach 5,000 youth during the summer and 1,000 youth year-round. To help ensure that these investments and our policies in City Hall best support workers, I’m proud to announce the creation of a new cabinet-level Chief of Labor and Workforce Development.   This new cabinet member will help identify and advocate for legislation and investments that will end wage disparities and create stronger career pathways. And, they will work across the city to ensure Boston’s workers have the skills they need to meet the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow. By focusing on our workers, by supporting our businesses, by diversifying who we contract with, we will all rise from this pandemic to a stronger Boston that is more equitable, just, and resilient. So, I encourage you, in the days ahead, to invest in our talented, local and diverse businesses, who are eager to do business with you! As you return to your offices, hire Boston residents, and make Boston youth part of your reopening plans. They need opportunities to grow their skills in a professional workplace. Dine in our neighborhood restaurants. As you make plans for a joyful summer, choose a destination in a Boston neighborhood you’ve never been to before.  We are going better, we are centering equity, and we are “lifting as we climb!”

MAYOR JANEY ANNOUNCES EXPANDED RECYCLING SERVICES THROUGH BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS PARTNERSHIP

MAYOR JANEY ANNOUNCES EXPANDED RECYCLING SERVICES THROUGH BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS PARTNERSHIP BOSTON - Wednesday, June 23, 2021 - Mayor Janey, in collaboration with the City of Boston’s Environment Department, Boston Public Schools (BPS) and Northeast-based textile recycling company Helpsy, has delivered dropboxes for residents to bring their textiles to eleven BPS locations across Boston. These dropboxes are a part of the City of Boston's work to expand recycling services citywide, creating a healthier and more sustainable environment for generations to come. This expansion of services builds on the work of Boston’s Zero Waste Plan and BPS Sustainability efforts in reducing the amount of waste generated and going to landfill or incineration.   “Promoting sustainable practices are especially important as we work towards a greener and more equitable Boston,” said Mayor Janey. “I am excited that the City of Boston, in collaboration with Boston Public Schools and Helpsy, has delivered dropboxes for residents to bring their textiles to eleven BPS locations throughout Boston. These dropboxes will help expand recycling services citywide and will create a healthier environment for generations to come.”   Residents, including BPS teachers and students, looking to drop off their textiles, including clothes, shoes, sneakers, bags, stuffed animals, bedding and towels, should ensure items are dry and placed into a secured plastic bag. This Helpsy collaboration expands upon the partnership with BPS and Bay State Textile boxes. Together with the Boston Public Works Department, Helpsy boxes can already be found at municipal lots in Brighton, Dorchester, East Boston, Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain, South Boston, Roslindale and West Roxbury.   Boston Public Schools’ new textile dropbox locations include: ·    Blackstone Elementary, South End ·    Boston International Newcomers Academy, Dorchester ·    Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers, Fenway ·    James Hennigan K-8, Jamaica Plain ·    Josiah Quincy Elementary, Chinatown ·    Mary Lyon High, Brighton ·    Mather Elementary, Dorchester ·    McKinley Elementary, Back Bay ·    McKinley Middle, Kenmore ·    Pauline A. Shaw Elementary, Dorchester ·    Warren Prescott K-8, Charlestown  “Our student leaders have prioritized climate justice and environmental activism and this program honors and lifts up our students’ voices and priorities,” said Boston Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Cassellius. “Textile recycling companies like Helpsy not only help us create a healthier and greener Boston for our students, but it also helps promote sustainability awareness for our students to help them understand the importance of caring for our environment for future generations.”  These Helpsy textile boxes accept ·    Dresses, Shirts, Pants, Suites ·    Coats, Gloves, Hats ·    Belts, Ties, Scarves ·    Wallets, Purses, Backpacks, Totes ·    Shoes / Sandals ·    Towels / Bedding / comforters ·    Halloween Costumes ·    Pet Clothing ·    Curtains / Drapes ·    Placemats / Tablecloths and Linen ·    Throw Rugs  Helpsy sorts and grades the materials and 95 percent of textiles collected are reused, upcycled, or recycled, 75 percent being reused, and 20 percent being recycled. The higher grades are resold to thrift stores in North America and other second hand markets around the world. The lower grades get put to industrial use or alternative functions such as stuffing or insulation. In just the last year, Helpsy has collected and processed over 25 million pounds of textiles. Helpsy will pay a percentage per pound of clothing, shoes, and other textiles. On a monthly basis, Helpsy will calculate the pounds of clothes that were collected from the school and send it a check quarterly.  “Individuals can play a critical role in helping Boston meet its goal of zero waste by choosing what they do with the materials in their lives,” said Laura Alves, the City of Boston’s Zero Waste Coordinator. “The launch and expansion of the textile dropbox program is a shared focus across our city to increase material reuse and recycling. Collaborating with BPS Sustainability to roll out the opportunity for schools to participate in textiles waste reduction has already resulted in BPS communities helping Boston collect nearly a total of 69 thousand pounds of textiles in May.”   From 2017-2020, BPS Sustainability distributed new recycling equipment to BPS schools: 340 curbside carts, 333 barrels, and 5,197 classroom bins. From 2020 to 2021, even with the shift to school-from-home, BPS added 35 carts, 47 barrels, 119 classroom bins. BPS schools put out an estimated 820 recycling carts per week to be serviced by the City of Boston Public Works Department’s curbside residential recycling program. The Environment Department and BPS Sustainability also partnered to design and post new trash and recycling signage in all BPS classrooms.  In addition to textiles, roughly 30 percent of what gets put into the trash in Boston is compostable. Boston has expanded its leaf and yard waste curbside collection program from 17 to 20 weeks a year. The City is offering 20 additional weekends where yard waste can be dropped off at the Public Works composting facility on American Legion Highway. All residential yard waste is turned into compost and distributed to City Gardens and Boston Parks and Recreation Department greenhouses. Leaf and yard waste curbside collection will continue every week through December 11.   The City of Boston continues to encourage residents to utilize tools like the City's free "Trash Day" app. The app enables Boston residents to search a directory of hundreds of household items to find out the right way to dispose of them while on the go or at home. App users can also view a calendar for their home's collection dates, set reminders, get notifications of schedule changes, and locate the nearest textile dropbox in your neighborhood.   Boston residents can also safely dispose of hazardous waste, shred unwanted documents, discard textiles and recycle electronics for free at a series of Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Off events. These programs build on Boston's Zero Waste Plan, which was released in June 2019. This plan includes 30 near- and long-term strategies to divert at least 80 percent of the City's waste from landfills and municipal solid waste combustors by 2035.   Key pieces of the plan include expanding Boston's composting program, increasing access to recycling opportunities and launching a city-wide education campaign on recycling. Approximately six percent of Boston's greenhouse gas emissions come from the City's discarded materials. By reducing waste, recycling more, and composting, Boston can reduce emissions associated with waste and move one step closer to its goal of carbon neutrality by 2050, outlined in the City's 2019 Climate Action Plan update.

麻州8月14、15放稅假 州長正遞法案要擴大為2個月

 Baker-Polito Administration Announces Legislation to Make August and September 2021 Sales Tax Holiday Months

BOSTON — The Baker-Polito Administration today is filing legislation to establish a Sales Tax Holiday for the months of August and September. This plan aims to support Main Street businesses and local economies and promote economic growth and opportunity as the Commonwealth continues to recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

State tax revenues for Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) continue to significantly exceed projections, with revenues to date 14.9% above benchmark. Strong revenues across the board have allowed the Commonwealth to grow the size of the Stabilization Fund and be poised to end the fiscal year with a significant surplus for the FY21 budget. As a result, the Administration is proposing to support the Commonwealth’s taxpayers and downtown economies by designating the entire months of August and September as sales tax-free.

“A two-month sales tax holiday will provide a boost to Massachusetts’ taxpayers and Main Street economies as we continue to recover from COVID-19,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “Massachusetts’ economic recovery is off to a good start, but it’s crucial that the Commonwealth takes action now to spur more economic activity in communities and support taxpayers. Thanks to stronger than expected tax revenues, the Commonwealth has managed to grow the Rainy Day Fund to a balance higher than it was at the beginning of the pandemic, and we can also afford to return these tax dollars to our residents and small businesses.”

“We recognize that many residents, families, and small businesses continue to face challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “As a result of the Commonwealth’s strong revenue performance, we are proposing to extend the annual sales tax-free weekend to two months to help support small and local businesses throughout Massachusetts and power our economy forward.”

Through May 2021, FY21 tax revenues collections are $3.938 billion or 14.9% more than the year-to-date benchmark. Additionally, Massachusetts has been awarded significant federal resources since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, including Coronavirus Relief Fund dollars through the CARES Act which have helped reduce pressure on the operating budget.

“We are proud to offer this proposal to keep money in the hands of taxpayers and promote economic development amidst Massachusetts’ recovery from the COVID-19 public health emergency,” said Secretary of Administration and Finance Michael J. Heffernan. “These two sales tax-free months would be a great opportunity for consumers throughout local neighborhoods to help support small and Main Street businesses and grow our economy.”

Tax revenues have continued to come in at higher-than-expected levels. Yesterday, the Department of Revenue certified to the Comptroller that a total of $2.3 billion in capital gains tax revenue has so far been collected in FY21. This figure is $947 million higher than the FY21 capital gains tax collections threshold, meaning that under state law, $852 million is transferred to the Commonwealth’s Stabilization Fund. Therefore, the Stabilization Fund balance will now stand at approximately $4.4 billion, which is higher than it was at the beginning of the pandemic and nearly quadruple the balance when the Administration took office in 2015.

"A two month sales tax holiday is a smart, exciting, and progressive economic incentive that will benefit our small businesses and our consumers just when they need it,” said Retailers of Massachusetts Association President Jon Hurst. “Consumers represent 70% of our economy, and it is important that we encourage them to invest in our Main Streets, small businesses and communities.  And for our lower income families, this tax cut is all about temporarily suspending the most regressive tax on the books, just as their children are heading back to school.  Retailers and small businesses across the Commonwealth thank the Baker-Polito Administration in proposing this important economic growth incentive, and urge the Legislature to pass it into law."

If enacted, this proposal would be an expansion of the annual sales tax-free weekend, which the Administration is today also officially designating as August 14-15. In 2018, Governor Baker signed legislation that makes the annual sales tax holiday permanent. The Department of Revenue today is designating August 14-15 as the sales tax holiday under M.G.L. Chapter 64H, Section 6A. 

陳翟蘇妮(Sonia Chang Diaz)宣佈參選麻州州長

Sonia Chang Diaz在推特上宣佈參選麻州州長。
(圖片翻拍自推特視頻)

         (Boston Orange 周菊子麻州綜合編譯 ) 有四分之一華裔血統的麻州參議員陳翟蘇妮 (Sonia Chang Diaz) 今天(23日) 宣佈參選麻州州長了。

                     麻州現任州長，共和黨籍的查理貝克(Charlie Baker)在全美州長中，一直是近年來民調支持率最高的州長，支持率甚至高達70%以上，雖然他還未鬆口表示自己是否再次競選連任，但從迄今已出現三名挑戰者來看，民主黨不耐煩了。

                   哈佛大學教授Danielle Allen是在一星期前的6月16日，才剛宣佈參選麻州州長。今天(23日)一大早，陳翟蘇妮(Sonia Chang Diaz)在推特上，以及她個人的競選官網，放了一段視頻，宣佈她也參選麻州州長了。

                    陳翟蘇妮說，”我一直都在聽有權勢的人告訴我，慢下來，想得少一點，要等一下，但是選民們把我送進參議會，不是讓我去那兒等地。每一天，麻州都在變得讓工薪家庭更難生存，醫療保險及住宅花費變得更高，黑人及拉丁裔小孩面對著令人打哈欠的機會差距，如果我們現在不行動，再過10年，我們也會還是在討論同樣問題”。

               陳翟蘇妮現年43歲，住在牙買加平原(Jamaica Plain)，已在位7任。2008年她首度當選時，還是麻州的首名拉丁裔參議員。

                 在新冠病毒大流行期間，陳翟蘇妮是麻州現任州長查理貝克(Charlie Baker)的最激烈批評者，直指他在促使有色人種接種疫苗的努力不夠，麻州的疫苗分發系統，可作為結構性種族歧視教材。

                 在宣佈參選的視頻中，陳翟蘇妮形容自己是一名戰將，問題解決者，關注打造對生態友善的基礎建設，要彌平種族的財富差距。她說，太多領袖對如何保有權力比對做事更有興趣，她參選州長是要改變那種情況。

在宣佈參選視頻中她說，”我發聲，我組織，我贏”，”我們的州正處於轉捩點，我們面對的選擇是回頭像以往那樣做事，還是直接面對問題，以急迫及有決心的態度來解決問題”。

曾任Lynn市及波士頓市公校教師，也曾擔任議會助理，麻州預算及政策中心外展主任的陳翟蘇妮，當選後一直關注教育問題，在參議會中長期擔任教育委員會主席，

另一名已宣佈參選者，是二月時表態，曾任麻州參議員的Ben Browning。共和黨籍的麻州現任州長查理貝克還未宣佈他是否再度競選連任。

民主黨籍的麻州總檢察官奚莉(Maura Healey)是否參選，仍然是人們心中的懸念。一旦參選，她將是民主黨籍參選人中財力最雄厚，全美知名度最高者。

陳翟蘇妮預定今日分別到春田市，屋斯特市(Worcester)以及波士頓市位於牙買加平原的英文高中，舉辦競選活動。(更新版)