波士頓華埠退伍軍人會司徒文信接會長 續推紀念碑計畫

波士頓華埠退伍軍人會部分出席成員合影，右起黃國麟，伍振中，林銘浩，李錦棠，Lora Forman，Gienie Boland，司徒文信，
右起司徒焯榮，鄧健民，陳志航，梅珪泉。(周菊子攝)

波士頓華埠退伍軍人會職員及執委宣誓就任，右起，伍振中，Lora Forman，
 Gienie Boland，余國華，鄧健民，周暢，林銘浩，Edward Woodruff。 (周菊子攝)

波士頓經文辦事處處長孫儉元致詞，稱台灣刻正面對軍事威脅。 (周菊子攝)

         (Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓報導) 波士頓華埠退伍軍人會328分會6月18日晚改朝換代，會長重任再度交給年僅40出頭，從伊拉克戰役退伍，目前在麻省理工學院任職的司徒文信。他將積極推動在華埠內建造華裔退伍軍人紀念碑，藉以表彰華裔對美國的貢獻。

陳紹章將軍代表波士頓市議會議長Ed Flynn頒發表揚狀給司徒文信。       

波士頓華埠退伍軍人會新會長司徒文信將續推動建華裔退伍軍人紀念碑。(周菊子攝)

         波士頓華埠退伍軍人會新一屆職員包括會長(Commander，指揮官)司徒文信，資深副會長Edward Woodruff，初階副會長林銘浩(Kensley)，副官周暢，財政鄧健民，中士 (Sgt.-at-Arms) 余國華，牧師Genie Boland, Lora Forman，共8名職員，其中的司徒文信、Genie Boland 和伍振中等3人為執行委員會委員。

             司徒文信在就職致詞時表示，該會有歷史77年，今年第73次舉辦就職典禮。過去這2年多，有12名會員殞落，因新冠病毒疫情，入葬時未能妥善致意，這晚他特地唸出這些同袍的名字，聊以表達追悼心意。

           15年前，他入會時才20多歲，如今40出頭，司徒文信為時光荏苒感慨。他指出，過去這幾年，該會一直在討論建造華裔退伍軍人紀念碑。接任會長後，他將繼續推動這重要工作。他認為，華埠內迄今找不到明顯可見，紀念華裔對美國有貢獻的文物，在近年華裔社區面對歧視及仇恨威脅等偏頗現象之際，有這麼一個紀念碑，格外有意義。

              司徒文信會後透露，在殞落12名會員後，該會現有會員約40人，其中絕大部分年逾70，他非常希望能在再有年邁會員辭世之前，建成這紀念碑，讓他們看到自己對美國的貢獻，得到認可。

             在帝苑大酒樓舉行的這波士頓華埠退伍軍人會328分會就職典禮，包括曾任美國退伍軍人會會長的Jake Comer，黃宏達，已退休的美國首名華裔二星少將陳紹章，紐約華埠退伍軍人會會長Randall Eng，駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處處長孫儉元，波士頓僑教中心主任潘昭榮等，共有大約230名僑團首長及嘉賓出席。 

已退休的美國二星少將陳紹章 (右)是美國國會頒發金質獎章表揚第二次世界大戰
華裔軍人的重要推手之一。 (周菊子攝)

             孫儉元處長致詞時，引述台灣處境，稱許軍人對保衛國家民主、自由、法治及人權的重要性。他指出，在台灣的歷史中，美國軍人及退伍軍人對台灣有很大貢獻，台灣永遠不會忘記，也永遠感激。現在台灣面對著越來越大的來自中國軍事威脅，台灣在自我保衛之際，也需要”你們"的支持。

駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處處長孫儉元 (後右三)，波士頓僑教中心主任潘昭榮
 (後左二)和出席與會的波士頓榮光會理事長袁建業(前左三)等人合影。 (周菊子攝)

波士頓華埠退伍軍人會新任會長司徒文信稱Judy阿姨 (黃周麗桃) 對他這個晚輩
照顧有加。他十分感謝。(周菊子攝)

             退休少將陳紹章這晚先代表波士頓市議會議長Ed Flynn，恭賀司徒文信當選為波士頓華裔退伍軍人會會長，頒給一份表揚狀，接著闡述第二次世界大戰華裔退伍軍人對美國及華人社區的貢獻，指當年美國有排華法案，是這些華裔退伍軍人們或自願，或被徵召入伍的參加第二次世界大戰，讓美國人認識到華人對美國也有貢獻，才為後來的華人進入美國，鋪出一條平坦路。他和美國同源會 (CACA) 攜手，去年才成功推動美國國會，頒發金質獎章，表揚這些參加過第二次世界大戰的華裔退伍軍人。

             黃宏達則指出，紐約和波士頓華埠退伍軍人會關係深遠。他說，有人告訴過他，當年是紐約華裔退伍軍人中的有些人到波士頓工作後，在波士頓成立了328分會，因此兩會之間有如兄弟，每年都彼此互訪。

美國洪門致公堂總理余麗媖(左二)與波士頓洪門致公堂成員伍少武，胡振勝等人
聯袂出席波士頓華埠退伍軍人會就職典禮。 (周菊子攝)

              紐約華埠退伍軍人會會長Randall Eng也籲請各界支持波士頓華埠退伍軍人會的建華裔退伍軍人紀念碑計畫。他指出他們也是經過努力，才於去年9月成功爭取到紐約市把”華裔軍人忠烈坊”列為紐約地標，相信波士頓也可努力達成目標。

華埠退伍軍人會執委伍振中 (後)和黃國威 (左起)、何遠光、司徒宗達打招呼，
謝謝他們參加波士頓華埠退伍軍人會就職典禮。（周菊子攝）

            波士頓華埠退伍軍人會在過去這2年半中殞落的12名會員為，Lee SooHoo，James Wong，Harry Chin，Billy Chin (陳毓璇)，Russell Wong，Man Ho Chan (陳文浩)，Gim Fong (余錦芳)，Robert Hong，William Seam Wong (黃庭琛)，Arthur Wong (黃君裕)，Kwock Chi Yee，Harry Chung等。    (更新版)

波士頓經文處處長孫儉元(右五)應邀和朱沛國堂成員及波士頓華埠退伍軍人會新任會長
司徒文信(右六)合影。 (周菊子攝)

主辦單位介紹波士頓經文處處長孫儉元。 (周菊子攝)

波士頓華埠退伍軍人會資深副會長Edward Woodruff (左) 由擔任司儀的前任美國退伍軍人會
前會長 Jake Comer (中) 引介，出席致詞。 (周菊子攝)

曾任美國退伍軍人會會長的黃宏達闡述紐約華埠退伍軍人會和波士頓華埠退伍軍人會
的關係深遠，有如兄弟。 (周菊子攝)

波士頓華埠退伍軍人會今年的就職典禮格外盛大，有至少230名各界嘉賓、僑領參加。
(周菊子攝)

紐約華埠退伍軍人會組團到賀。 (周菊子攝)

司儀介紹曾任美國退伍軍人會會長的黃宏達。(周菊子攝)

紐英崙余風采堂新成立的舞蹈團獻舞。 (周菊子攝)

紐英崙余風采堂新成立的舞蹈團獻舞。 (周菊子攝)

周美桃(前)率領紐英崙養生舞團表演。(周菊子攝)

紐英崙養生舞團舞扇這晚有2名男士框助。 (周菊子攝)

波士頓華埠退伍軍人會會長司徒文信呼籲各界支持建造
華裔退伍軍人紀念碑計畫。(周菊子攝)

波士頓慈濟6月18日掃街 感動商家加入清掃行列

波士頓慈濟每月一次的華埠大掃除，6月18日一大早又聚攏20人，分成3人一組的清掃乞臣街，愛丁保羅街，必珠街，泰勒街，夏利臣街等
華埠主要街道。出發前，波士頓慈濟負責人長金滿(左一)和志工們合影。 (周菊子攝)

麵包工坊的老闆走出店門，感謝慈濟，允諾清掃自家店門外街道。
(波士頓慈濟提供)

          慈濟基金會波士頓聯絡處6月18日再次上街，清理華埠儀容，高興匯報有新義工加入清掃行列，連愛丁保羅街上的麵包工作坊店東都允諾，自己店門口自己掃。

              波士頓慈濟希望有朝一日，波士頓華埠店家都能加入清掃行列，以眾志成城方式，攜手把波士頓華埠變成一個清潔美麗，人見人愛的社區，吸引更多人進華埠消費，繁榮地方經濟，接觸並了解中華文化。

              清掃華埠是波士頓慈濟在華埠設立服務站以來的第一個長期項目，從去年12月迄今，除了因風雪關係，曾暫停2次外，不論人數多寡，每個月都堅持動員義工進華埠清掃街道，盡量照顧到華埠中心區的夏利臣街，必珠街，泰勒街，乞臣街，愛丁保羅街，甚至華盛頓街的每一條街道。

              慈濟義工們總是一大早8點，就趕到華埠牌樓前集合，穿上供人識別的慈濟背心後，從熱心的華人經濟發展協會董事余麗媖、雷國輝那兒，取得掃把，畚箕，以及特別挑選的鐵枝，就3人一組的兵分幾路，分別前往不同街道開始清掃工作。曾任紐英崙中華公所主席、波士頓僑務委員的陳家驊在路上遇到參加清掃活動志工，就也來加入了清掃行列。

紐英崙中華公所主席雷國輝也來參加清掃
華埠街道活動。(周菊子攝)

              慈濟義工們並沒有適當工具來清除街道上的油膩，每次清掃，主要是掃除紙屑，但每個月都看到街道上有那麼多菸蒂頭，卻也讓他們非常想要找到方法，減少這些菸蒂頭，紙屑，以達到讓華埠更乾淨的目標。

              清掃結束後，波士頓慈濟到慈濟波士頓社區服務站小憩，享用茶水，彼此認識。這次參加掃街的志工們，有已在台灣拿到電機工程碩士學位的年輕人，有帶著慈青女兒來的母親，有刻在哈佛大學研讀古文化博士的學生，剛開始工作的建築及城市設計專業人士，都為這天日行一善感到開心。

             波士頓華僑文教中心主任潘昭榮和中心員工張小慧也是慈濟清掃華埠活動的堅定支持者，每月必到，當天也在清掃行列中服務。

             

曾任紐英崙中華公所主席的陳家驊(左)和華經會董事余麗媖
這天都和慈濟人一起清掃波士頓華埠。 (周菊子攝)

慈濟基金會波士頓聯絡處負責人長金滿表示，自從設立華埠服務站後，該聯絡處成員積極腦力激盪，希望在顧及慈濟人的時間、精力與社區需求間取得平衡，為社區提供有意義，有助益的服務。除了每月掃街的服務之外，最近他們還針對老人家，嘗試開辦經驗分享座談，以及上門拜訪活動，有一次去南端的一棟老人公寓探訪，發現樓內設施極美，慈濟志工們笑說為將來做準備，也要申請。長金滿笑說，這類資訊都是因為服務而獲悉，彷彿在印證，有付出，就會有收穫。 (更新版)

波士頓慈濟人陳裕逢(中)等人拿起畚箕，掃把，準備掃街。 (周菊子攝)

  

                    

波士頓慈濟負責人長金滿和慈濟師姐高金花 (中)，

波士頓慈濟負責人長金滿和2名志工的朋友。(周菊子攝)

6月18日早上7點，泰勒街上垃圾散亂在行人道上。 (周菊子攝)

早上7點左右，波士頓公共工程部門的清掃街道車輛也進華埠清掃，不過只重點清掃
有大量垃圾散落的路段。 (周菊子攝)

AG HEALEY SUPPORTS SEC PROPOSAL REQUIRING COMPANIES TO DISCLOSE FINANCIAL RISKS OF CLIMATE CHANGE

AG HEALEY SUPPORTS SEC PROPOSAL REQUIRING COMPANIES TO DISCLOSE FINANCIAL RISKS OF CLIMATE CHANGE

Multistate Comments Argue for Greater Disclosure to Meet Growing Investor Demands and Protect Residents’ Retirement Savings and Other Investments

             BOSTON – Attorney General Maura Healey today joined a coalition of 19 attorneys general in support of a proposal by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) spelling out requirements for public U.S. companies to provide accurate and detailed information about the financial risks their businesses face from climate change.

             This week, nearly one-third of the U.S. population was under an extreme heat warning, and a once-in-a-century drought is causing ongoing losses in revenue from agriculture, tourism, and more. These impacts will only worsen in the coming years. The coalition’s letter argues that mandatory climate change-related disclosures are essential to guard U.S. and global financial systems against systemic risks associated with climate change and to protect investors, including the millions of residents with investment-based retirement savings, as well as the states’ own public pension funds.

             “The climate crisis is here, it is destructive, and it is expensive,” AG Healey said. “It threatens to wreak serious havoc on our financial markets and the investments that our residents have made to fund their retirements or pay for their children’s college. We support the SEC in taking this essential step to require companies to disclose the climate-related risks to their businesses.”

             As the coalition discusses in the letter, investors have been clear that climate-related risks are material to their investment decisions and they need specific, comparable disclosures about those risks, including their greenhouse gas emissions, and more information about how companies are managing them. The physical impacts of climate change already threaten companies and their operations, and those effects will only grow as extreme weather events caused or exacerbated by climate change increase in intensity and frequency. Extreme weather events caused or exacerbated by climate change, such as hurricanes, wildfires, extreme heat, and extreme drought, have cost U.S. companies more than $760 billion in the past five years alone. Already, climate-related disaster costs have increased from an average cost of $19.5 billion per year in the 1980s to $148 billion in 2021. Many other costs from climate change, such as short-term and long-term healthcare costs resulting from extreme heat and wildfire smoke inhalation, are also mounting.

 At the same time, companies face economic impacts from government efforts and market pressures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, transition economies to clean energy sources, and bolster climate resilience. Without reliable, standardized disclosures about company emissions and these risks, investors – including the Commonwealth and its residents – are unable to meaningfully compare companies or accurately price the risks companies face. The coalition underscores that the proposed rule will also help prevent companies from “greenwashing” their businesses with misleading claims to investors about their climate risks and transition plans. The letter also points out that the SEC’s proposed rule is fully within the SEC’s authority to establish disclosure requirements to protect investors.

 Last year, AG Healey also worked with a coalition of attorneys general to call on the SEC to prescribe climate change-related disclosures like the ones in the proposed rule. The letter submitted today further encourages the SEC to strengthen and improve the proposed rule, including by defining certain terms, expanding the rule’s scope, and accelerating the timelines for compliance. Earlier this year, AG Healey co-convened a public webinar series, Seeing the Dangers Ahead: How Regulators and Advocates Can Harness Physical and Financial Risk Data to Tackle the Climate Emergency, which included a session on climate financial risks and the increasing importance to investors of greater climate risk disclosures by companies.

 AG Healey has sought to protect Massachusetts investors from deceptive statements about climate risk through enforcement of the Massachusetts Consumer Protection Act. In 2019, AG Healey sued ExxonMobil, alleging that the global oil company has been unlawfully misrepresenting, omitting, denying, and downplaying the risks that climate change poses to its business, as well as failing to disclose to Massachusetts investors the systemic financial risks from climate change. Just last month, Massachusetts’ high court unanimously held that AG Healey could move forward with this lawsuit, which also alleges the company is unlawfully deceiving consumers about the climate dangers of its fossil fuel products and by “greenwashing” itself as an environmentally friendly company.

AG Healey joins the attorneys general of California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.

This matter is being handled for Massachusetts by Assistant Attorneys General Margaret Sullivan, Julia Jonas-Day, and Grace Gohlke and Bureau Deputy Chief Christophe Courchesne of AG Healey’s Energy and Environment Bureau, with assistance from AG Healey’s Insurance and Financial Services Division.

波士頓台灣夜市 6/25 見 優惠停車$10

 

波士頓經文處處長孫儉元踏進麻州眾議會 慶祝友好關係30年

波士頓經文處處長孫儉元在麻州眾議會議場致詞。(波士頓經文處提供)

        (Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓綜合報導) 駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處處長孫儉元 6月16日應邀見證麻州眾議會通過友台決議案，慶祝麻州與台灣締結姊妹關係30週年，以及新英格蘭地區州議員台灣連線麻州分會的成立。

經麻州眾議會亞裔黨團主席黃子安居間奔走，麻州眾議會早於5月初已傳出將成立新英格蘭地區州議員台灣連線麻州分會的消息。

6月16日與波士頓經文處關係良好，幾乎每年都參加雙十國慶酒會的麻州眾議會現任議長Ronald Mariano，今年與黃子安攜手，積極推動麻州議會通過新的友台決議案，還給波士頓經文處送上大禮，成立了新英格蘭地區州議員台灣連線的麻州分會，使得新英格蘭地區的友台州議員陣容更加強大。

麻州眾議會亞裔黨團主席黃子安致詞。 (波士頓經文處提供)

麻州眾議會議長Mariano 在通過新的友台決議案時，重申台灣和麻州關係友好。他還特別強調近年國際情勢更加動盪，台灣遭受之威脅益增，他們更希望展現對台灣的堅定支持。在場所有眾議員在Mariano致詞後，均報以熱烈掌聲。

波士頓經文處孫儉元處長感謝麻州眾議會議長

麻州眾議會亞裔黨團部分成員與孫儉元處長合影。(波士頓經文處提供)

Mariano和所有眾議員力挺台灣。他表示，2022年是台灣與麻州建立關係的30週年，他很高興能夠代表台灣政府及人民，再次到麻州議會議場親訪，為議員們說明，在2021年間，麻州和台灣之間的雙邊貿易額近20億美元，創10年新高，相信在「台美21世紀貿易倡議」架構下，台美經貿關係將大幅成長，台灣與麻州的經貿往來也將增加。他期盼台美能進一步簽署雙邊貿易協定，台灣能加入「印太經濟架構」。

在感謝Mariano議長及眾議會少數黨領袖Bradley Jones支持成立「新英格蘭地區州議員台灣連線麻州分會」之後，孫儉元處長還強調期待更多州議員加入，籲請眾議員們支持台麻州簽署教育合作備忘錄。

波士頓經文處指出，台灣官員上一次受邀進入麻州眾議會議場是在2009年。

創舞台 訂 6/25 演出 「基隆鬼」

 CHUANG Stage, Pao Arts Center, and Asian American Theatre Artists of Boston (AATAB)

announces new bilingual performance A Ghost of Keelung

BOSTON (June 20, 2022) – CHUANG Stage in collaboration with Pao Arts Center and Asian American Theatre Artists of Boston (AATAB) announces A Ghost of Keelung, presenting on Saturday, June 25, 2022, at 6 p.m. at Mary Soo Hoo Park on the Rose Kennedy Greenway.

Written by Jamie Lin and directed by Audrey Seraphin, The Ghost of Keelung is a bilingual radio play in English and Mandarin with live foley sound effects. The show takes audiences on a time-traversing auditory adventure of ancestral love, mistakes and revenge, hidden in the coastal memories of 1960s Taiwan.

Radio plays traditionally rely solely on sound to bring their stories and characters to life. This performance will be a unique radio play presentation where audiences will witness the actions of the actors, sound engineers, and foley artists in real time as their performances bring the play to life.

The event is a special collaboration with the Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy and Pao Arts Center as a part of the Summer 2022 outdoor VISIONS/VOICES performance series, activating artist Cheryl Wing-Zi Wong’s YEAR OF THE TIGER installation in Mary Soo Hoo Park. The VISIONS/VOICES series celebrates the cultural power that flows through the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities across the Asian diaspora in ways that vocalize both struggles and joys.

“As a Taiwanese-American, I relate deeply to the blending of cultures and multilingualism experienced by our Taiwanese characters,” said Jamie Lin. “The relationship between Mei Hua (the show’s protagonist) and her fellow Taiwanese is a reflection of the way Black, Indigenous and people of color, especially Asians, have learned to repress parts of themselves in order to survive in majority-white spaces.”

The show is also a part of Found in Translation series—a multilingual play reading and community workshop series produced for Boston, in collaboration with Pao Arts Center and Asian American Theatre Artists of Boston (AATAB). Found in Translation aims to amplify the power and complexities of being multilingual, immigrants, or identifying as AAPI in the Greater Boston area, connecting the AAPI community through artistic conversations about race, language and identity.

“A lot is going on in the AAPI Arts and Culture scene in Boston—it is just that the word cannot spread outside of Chinatown or our AAPI artist community as easily for a variety of reasons,” said Sarah Shin, Co-Founder and Lead Producer of AATAB. “I hope that our visibility and inclusion are recognized as a necessity in Boston and that all of the different communities can support, uplift and invite each other to our spaces to share and celebrate each other.”

CHUANG Stage’s mission is to cultivate joyful and challenging AAPI stories that create change in the world. The Ghost of Keelung is one of the steps in CHUANG Stage’s endeavor to exemplify AAPI narratives and theater talents in the Greater Boston area. CHUANG Stage envisions a future in the American theatre moved forward by theater artists and audiences of Asian descent, through producing new works that contribute to language and spatial justice, equity and accessibility, global perspectives, anti-racist practices, immigrant visibility, and care for the community.

“We are extremely grateful for local talents like Jamie Lin and Audrey Seraphin joining us to celebrate stories and voices native to Boston,” said Alison Yueming Qu, Co-Founder and Executive Director of CHUANG Stage. “Boston’s Taiwanese American community is vibrant in Chinatown and crucial to our city’s development. In presenting The Ghost of Keelung, we hope to uplift this community’s rich history and language heritage.”

This project is made possible in part by the Live Arts Boston grant from The Boston Foundation, and the Boston Cultural Council/Reopen Creative Boston grant from the Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture.

Tickets are free with a suggested donation of $10. For registration and more information, visit https://www.paoartscenter.org/events/2022/found-in-translation-the-ghost-of-keelung or contact hello@chuangstage.org.

麻州總檢察長Maura Healey加入15州聯盟要保護工人免於報復

 AG HEALEY JOINS COALITION DEFENDING STATES’ AUTHORITY TO PROTECT WORKERS FROM RETALIATION

Amicus Brief Filed in New York Lawsuit Following Alleged Retaliation from Amazon Against Workers

 

            BOSTON – Attorney General Maura Healey joined a coalition of 15 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief defending states’ authority to protect workers from retaliation when they speak up about unsafe working conditions and other workplace violations.

 

In the amicus brief, the coalition supported New York Attorney General Letitia James’ request to reinstate her lawsuit against Amazon for failing to take adequate health and safety precautions for workers at its New York facilities and for unlawfully retaliating against employees for protesting unsafe work conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

In May, a New York state appellate court dismissed James’ lawsuit, ruling that because the disciplined employees had participated in protests that the court viewed as linked to a unionization drive, New York’s retaliation claims were preempted by the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). The NLRA governs collective bargaining and other coordinated efforts by workers. The coalition has since filed an amicus brief supporting James’ request that the lower appellate court allow New York to appeal the decision to the state’s highest court, the Court of Appeals.

 

“Many states have existing laws in place to protect workers from retaliation for speaking up on issues involving working conditions, such as pay, discrimination, and workplace safety,” said AG Healey. “But if courts begin holding that these laws are preempted by federal labor law, as the New York court did, then states will be prevented from utilizing these laws to protect workers who organize to advocate for themselves and their co-workers. I am joining my colleagues today in filing this amicus brief calling on the court to allow states to protect workers from retaliation by their employers.”

 

The coalition argues that the appellate court’s ruling would excessively limit the ability of states to protect workers when employers retaliate against them for speaking up collectively. According to the brief, the ruling expands NLRA preemption to include claims with relatively weak ties to collective action by employees. While there are anti-retaliation protections at the federal level, most states have established even more robust laws that protect employees who report workplace misconduct from termination or other adverse action.

 

AG Healey has always advocated for the rights of employees in the workplace, and worked to combat all forms of worker exploitation. At the beginning of the pandemic, in Spring 2020, AG Healey led a coalition  of 14 attorneys general calling on Amazon to improve health and safety policies at their warehouses. The AG’s sixth annual Labor Day Report revealed that in fiscal year 2021, the AG’s Office assessed more than $8.1 million in restitution and penalties on behalf of working people in Massachusetts. The AG’s Office also protects employees from exploitation and wage theft through community education and strong partnerships with workers’ advocacy and community groups.

 

The brief was led by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul. Joining AG Healey and AG Raoul in filing the amicus brief are the attorneys general of California, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon and Vermont.

MAYOR WU JOINS STATE AND CITY OFFICIALS TO CELEBRATE THE GROUNDBREAKING OF BOSTON’S FIRST LGBTQ+-FRIENDLY AFFORDABLE SENIOR HOUSING COMMUNITY

MAYOR WU JOINS STATE AND CITY OFFICIALS TO CELEBRATE THE GROUNDBREAKING OF BOSTON’S FIRST LGBTQ+-FRIENDLY AFFORDABLE SENIOR HOUSING COMMUNITY  Former Barton Rogers School will provide 74 mixed-income rental units for seniors, with over 10,000 square feet of community space

 

BOSTON - Friday,  June 17, 2022 - Mayor Michelle Wu today joined state and City officials, Pennrose, LGBTQ Senior Housing Inc., and the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) to break ground on The Pryde, Boston’s first designated LGBTQ-friendly housing development for older Bostonians. When complete, the renovations of the former Barton Rogers School in Hyde Park will preserve the original 1899 building and its two additions from 1920 and 1934 while creating 74 new mixed-income rental units that will be welcoming to seniors 62 years and older. All units will be deed-restricted in perpetuity and will provide affordable, safe housing for seniors across a wide variety of incomes.  “Building a city for everyone means ensuring that as our residents age, they can stay here in the City with safe, affordable housing that is welcoming to all,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “This new development will be an incredible asset to the neighborhood, offering not just housing, but gardens, walking trails, an art studio with gallery space, and other community benefits to truly make our LGBTQ+ seniors feel at home. As we celebrate Pride Month, this is a shining example of how Boston can breathe new life into existing spaces for the benefit of our residents.”  “Older adults are the fastest-growing population in Massachusetts, and housing needs for this population are unique – and in high demand in every region. The Pryde in Hyde Park is the first of its kind in Massachusetts to provide tailored housing for our LGBTQ neighbors to age in this vibrant neighborhood,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “We are thrilled to continue investing state and federal funds to increase housing opportunities in the Commonwealth.”  The redevelopment is being led by Pennrose and LGBTQ Senior Housing, Inc. who worked extensively with the local community in Hyde Park to meet the needs of residents. The Pryde is located near shops and restaurants and a variety of cultural and outdoor amenities, including the Menino Arts Center and the public library. It is also close to two MBTA commuter rail stops serving the Fairmont and Providence lines.   “The Hyde Park community has completely embraced us and our plans for this building, as a welcoming and friendly complex,”  said Charlie Adams, Regional Vice President at Pennrose. “This treasured neighborhood asset served the neighborhood well for 100 years, and will now serve it for another 100 years not just for residents but for the community at large with over 10,000 square feet of gathering space.”    The new building will include elevators for accessibility, central air, on-site laundry facilities, a large community space for programming, and an art studio with gallery space for residents on the first floor. It will also be the new home office of the 54th Regiment organization. There will be a courtyard with green space that will also feature a community garden and recreational space available to all the residents. In accordance with the City of Boston’s Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO), The Pryde will include energy-efficient heating and cooling systems, as well as Energy Star rated appliances, and will have environmentally friendly design features throughout.   “LGBTQ seniors face higher rates of housing discrimination, lower incomes, higher unemployment, increased food insecurity, and deal with the legacy of trauma and social isolation, with fewer traditional supports,” said Aileen Montour, president of LGBTQ Senior Housing, Inc. “We are proud to work closely with all project partners - the city, the state, DHCD -  and to have the unwavering support of Mayor Wu to help address this inequity in Boston through affordable, inclusive housing that sets an example for other cities throughout the country. Our older adults especially appreciate the opportunity to live authentically and unapologetically in a supportive community - we feel seen, heard and cared about.”  "At HUD, we are focused on housing and community development with a dedication to equity, inclusive communities, and quality, affordable homes for all," said Michele Perez, Assistant Deputy Secretary for HUD's Office of Field Policy and Management. "HUD's greatest hope is that these efforts are sustainable and become a normal, natural way we operate. That is why it is so inspiring to be here to break ground on The Pryde today."  Of the 74 total income-restricted rental units in the new Barton Rogers development, eight will be rented to households of individuals who are homeless or who require rental assistance. Another three will be deeply affordable units for seniors with incomes up to 30% Area Median Income (AMI), seven units will be available to households earning 50% AMI, and thirty-two units will be available to a two-person household earning less than 60% AMI, eight households earning up to 80% AMI, and sixteen units will be set aside for 100% AMI.     The William Barton Rogers Middle School was built in 1899 on 74,000 square feet of land in Boston’s Hyde Park neighborhood. The original building was expanded twice, once in 1920, and then again in 1934. In the more than 100 years of its operation as a Boston Public School, it served as a high school, and later a middle school. Before its closure in June 2015, the Rogers School put an emphasis on the performing arts and inclusivity for all.  “We need in every community a safe haven with open doors for all. A place where you can be who you want to be,” said Pat Tierney, a local neighborhood advocate. “We thank Pennrose and LGTBTQ Senior Housing Inc.,  the City of Boston, and partners for giving Hyde Park The PRYDE.”      Financing for The Pryde includes $4 million from the City of Boston Mayor’s Office of Housing including $2 million of Community Preservation Act funding; $3.825 million from the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD); TD Bank, facilitated through Redstone Equity, provided over $16.4 million in Federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) and Federal Historic Tax Credit equity, and over $21 million in construction financing. The Commonwealth is providing $2.95 million of State Low Income Housing Tax Credits which generate over $12 million in equity and $1.8 million of State Historic Tax Credits which generate over $1.6 million in equity; Massachusetts Housing Partnership is providing over $6.6 million in permanent loans, the Community and Economic Development Assistance Corporation (CEDAC) is providing $750,000 of Community Based Housing (CBH) funding; the Federal Home Loan Bank Of Boston is providing $650,000 of Affordable Housing Program funds; LGBTQ Senior Housing is providing funding in the amount of $350,000.  The groundbreaking builds on Mayor Wu’s initiatives to address Boston’s housing affordability, including filing a Home Rule Petition relative to real estate transfer fees and senior property tax relief, signing an Executive Order relative to affirmatively furthering fair housing, convening a Rent Stabilization Advisory Committee to inform future legislative proposals, announcing the City’s new Chief of Planning, and the results of the Citywide land audit.