BOSTON
- Tuesday, January 12, 2021 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh tonight delivered his
final State of the City address as the 54th Mayor of Boston at the new Roxbury branch of the Boston Public
Library in Nubian Square, a $17.2
million total reconstruction that began in November 2017. Mayor Walsh, who
was nominated by President-elect Joe Biden on January 8 to serve as the
United States Secretary of Labor, reflected on the work of his
Administration over the last seven years, the City's collective
accomplishments, and the vital work that will continue to expand equity and
opportunity in the City of Boston.
In his speech,
Mayor Walsh recognized the health care workers, essential workers, first
responders, community partners, residents, small businesses, elected
officials, and everyone who contributed to Boston's COVID-19 response, and
the ongoing work to respond to the virus, and provide support for Boston's
most-impacted communities. Mayor Walsh's speech opened with a short-form
documentary highlighting the resilience and strength of Boston's
communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We must keep drawing on our strength --
and on each other. Recovery won't be easy. The virus will be with us for
much of the year. The economic impacts will continue as well. There will be
more hard decisions to make. Whatever happens, I know one thing: Boston
will stay true to our values. We believe in keeping each other safe. We
believe in caring for those who are vulnerable. We believe justice and
opportunity are for everyone." - Mayor Walsh
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2021 State of the City
Documentary
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Mayor
Walsh began his State of the City speech by paying tribute to the 1,060
Bostonians lost to the COVID-19 pandemic, and encouraged anyone feeling
overwhelmed to reach out to the City through 311, which is able to connect
residents to relief resources, mental health counseling, and recovery
services. He also discussed the ways that Boston's public servants have
risen to the occasion this year. Since the pandemic began, Boston EMTs have
helped 4,000 COVID patients. Firefighters have brought recovery coaches to
calls, helping those struggling with substance use. Police officers have
taken 800 guns off the streets. Boston built a field hospital in
five days in April.
During
the COVID-19 pandemic,
the City has focused on the most vulnerable communities. Mayor Walsh
created a COVID-19 Health Inequities Task Force
to close racial and ethnic health disparities, and the City provided over
six million meals to children, families, veterans, and seniors. Boston
Public Schools distributed 40,000 laptops to students, and Boston provided
permanent rental vouchers to over 1,000 families with children at risk of
homelessness. At the start of the pandemic, Mayor Walsh created the Boston Resiliency Fund.
The Fund has raised $34.1 million for COVID-19 relief efforts. Of that,
$30.3 million has already supported 366 nonprofits and more than 250,000
Boston families. 56 percent of Resiliency Fund grantees identify as being
led by a person of color, and 58 percent of grantees identify as woman-led.
Through
the work of the Boston Public Health Commission and Boston's community
health centers, the City of Boston continues making COVID-19 testing
available for Bostonians, including at free, mobile testing sites.
"We may be hurting, but the state of our
city is resilient; the state of our city is united; the state of our city
is hopeful; and the state of our city is deep-down Boston strong." -
Mayor Walsh
Mayor
Walsh also spoke about his commitment to the Boston
Public Schools (BPS). Yesterday,
BPS announced a plan to safely reopen all remaining schools
for hybrid and in-person learning. Boston will continue to provide a laptop
for every student and work to expand internet access citywide. Mayor Walsh
has also pledged BPS will ensure there is a social worker and family
advocate in every school, and expand on the food, clothing and housing
supports BPS is committed to providing.
"I want to thank our Superintendent and
teachers for working together. And I want to thank all our school leaders
and staff; as well as students, families, and administrators, for doing an
incredible job this year. This is a community committed to learning. And we
are ready to do more than ever to close the opportunity gaps that COVID
further exposed." - Mayor Walsh
During
his speech, Mayor Walsh highlighted the importance of economic
recovery in Boston as the City looks forward to
helping businesses rebuild from the COVID-19 pandemic. For seven years, the
Walsh Administration fostered one of the most dynamic and resilient
economies in the world. In 2020, despite the pandemic, the City of Boston
approved $8.5 billion of new investments, creating a potential for 35,000
new jobs. This year, the State Legislature approved Boston's plan for the first-ever Fire Cadet program,
a new pathway into firefighting careers for Boston's diverse residents.
During
the COVID-19 pandemic, the City of Boston has provided a total of $26
million in grants, fee waivers and other resources to 4,000 small
businesses. The City will continue working with business owners to build
back restaurants and bars, stores and salons, gyms and art studios that
make Boston's neighborhoods special, along with the hotels, museums, and
theaters that highlight Boston's diverse communities and cultures and bring
visitors to the city. A national study
reported in the New York Times named Boston the city best prepared to come
back strong from COVID-19.
"I want to say a word to small business
owners. You are the soul of our economy, and you sacrificed so much for the
safety of our city. I will never forget it." - Mayor Walsh
Under
Mayor Walsh's leadership, the City of Boston has focused on creating affordable
housing for all residents. In the last seven years,
the Walsh Administration has overseen the construction of 35,984 housing
units, of which 20 percent is deemed affordable, including homes for
seniors, veterans and families. Tomorrow, following a vote by the Zoning
Commission, Boston is expected to become the first major city in the United
States with fair housing requirements
built into the City's zoning code, a powerful tool to protect residents
from displacement. During the most recent legislative session, the Mayor
successfully advocated at the Massachusetts State House for legislation
that will build more housing, create additional opportunities for
affordable housing, and stabilize vulnerable households.
The
Walsh Administration has also expanded its work to end
youth and family homelessness. Boston
created the first-ever City-funded rental vouchers,
so more families can live in the neighborhoods they love. Boston has housed
over 2,300 formerly homeless individuals, and will continue to build
permanent, supportive housing in the City.
During
the pandemic, the City has also maintained supportive services for residents
suffering from substance use disorder.
Boston has maintained in-person recovery services and telehealth counseling
since March. The city has also continued to advocate for a rebuilt bridge
to and a regional recovery campus on Long Island in Boston Harbor. After court victories,
Boston is closer than ever to making this recovery campus a reality.
Boston
has also led the nation in addressing
climate change, and has already issued its first-ever Green Bonds to support
energy-efficient and environmentally friendly projects in Boston.
Next month, the City will begin implementing Community Choice Electricity,
which will provide affordable energy from climate-friendly sources. The
City will also continue the major investments it has already made in
resilient parks, protecting Boston from flooding while building open spaces
for residents to enjoy.
"The climate crisis requires the same
decisive action: based in facts, working as a community, protecting our
city. That's why I made sure that Boston never strayed from the Paris
agreement -- even when the White House did. As chair of the U.S. Climate
Mayors, I've led a national coalition of cities ready to work with the
Biden-Harris Administration and bring America back to the fight." -
Mayor Walsh
Mayor
Walsh also dedicated his speech to Boston and the nation's urgent work to
recognize and dismantle systemic racism.
In 2020, Mayor Walsh declared racism a public health crisis,
and began work on a Health Equity plan to end disparities. Boston shifted millions of dollars from the Boston
Police Department overtime budget into
programs for youth, trauma recovery services, and mental health, and
reorganized City government, appointing Boston's first-ever Chief of Equity.
Mayor Walsh signed historic police reforms,
led by the Boston Police Reform Task Force. The result is a new model for
oversight and accountability.
"The pandemic made it clear: a community
crisis demands a community-wide response. So I'm asking all of us to accept
this responsibility as our own -- and commit to fighting racism. It's our
deepest moral obligation. And it's our greatest opportunity for
growth." - Mayor Walsh
During
his final State of the City speech, Mayor Walsh spoke about the historic investments
his administration has made in Boston's
communities, including a $130 million citywide investment in libraries
across neighborhoods. Under Mayor Walsh's leadership, the City has also
invested more in Boston's parks than at any time since the Emerald Necklace
was created in the 1800s. Major updates will move forward at the City's
cherished parks, including the Boston Common and Franklin Park. The Walsh
Administration has also invested in community spaces that will serve
residents for decades to come, including a new senior center in East
Boston; a fully renovated community center in South Boston; revitalized
public housing in Charlestown; and a world-class Boston Arts Academy high school
in the Fenway. Residents will also see a renovated EMS Academy, a new ambulance
bay in West Roxbury for quicker response times, and Boston's first
brand-new firehouse in 30 years, Engine 42 in Roxbury.
As
Bostonians and visitors travel throughout the city, they will experience
miles of resurfaced roads and rebuilt sidewalks, with new bus and bike
lanes to make traveling around Boston safer. Work
is also underway on a renovated City Hall Plaza,
designed to best serve residents, a project that is scheduled to be
completed in 2022.
"I
am confident that the operations of City government -- including our COVID
response -- will continue smoothly. And I want you to know: the work we
have done together for the past seven years has prepared Boston to build
back stronger than ever." - Mayor
Walsh
Mayor Walsh's State of the City remarks as
prepared for delivery are available here.
