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Expand our Affordable Housing

Our neighborhoods are facing an affordable housing crisis. An increasing share of community members are having to pay 50% or more of their income on rent, and more so are unable to buy a home in Boston, denying them the opportunity to build generational wealth. This has led to a constant stream of community members having to leave the neighborhoods they were raised in to search for affordable housing and attainable homeownership elsewhere. For the future of our community we must build more affordable housing for both rent and purchase. As City Councilor I will advocate to...

• Raise the Inclusionary Development Policy to 33% with a priority of 40% AMI for rental units and 60% AMI for homeownership

• Expand current housing lotteries so that working class people have the ability to attain homeownership at an affordable price and build generational wealth.

• Provide municipal funds to incentivize the development of truly affordable housing for purchase and rent in our communities that have been historically denied that investment.

 

Reclaiming a Community Planning Process

Our current system of development planning does not support working class families and people of color. Residents of District 4  continue to have their communities shaped without their input, leading to developments that displace residents instead of building a stronger community. We deserve to have a community voice in the planning of our community and for the people to control the development of their neighborhood. If elected City Councilor, I will push to break up the Boston Planning & Development Agency and make all successor organizations democratically accountable to communities. Until that is achieved I will use my vote and voice during the vetting process to push for a BPDA board who support the protection of public housing, expansion of affordable housing for rent & ownership, and are against public land being sold off to developers.

 

Tenant Protection

The residents of District 4 deserve to feel secure in their homes and advocate for their housing rights without fear of retribution from landlords. As City Councilor I will advocate for the creation of an agency dedicated to informing, enforcing, and advocating for tenants rights. I will also use my position as City Councilor to support the right for renters to organize together and form tenant unions to improve their living conditions. Tenants also deserve:  

• A Tenant's Right of First Refusal that will allow renters the first opportunity to purchase the property they reside in if their landlord decides to sell it. 

• The extension of the eviction moratorium till we can end this pandemic induced economic recession, and expand it for the winter months.

 

Protect our neighbors from being priced out

Boston was built on the backs of working class and immigrant families. Their contributions continue to uplift our neighborhoods and make them vibrant and culturally rich places to live, so it is shameful that those very same families are being forced out of their communities due to rent costs growing faster than what is affordable. We must take immediate steps to alleviate price burdens on District 4 residents as rents soar. As City Councilor I will advocate for:

• Cooperation with state legislators to end the ban on rent control, while pushing for a Home Rule Petition for rent control at City Hall.

• The development of programs and tax credits to incentivize small landlords to maintain their housing and keep rents low.

• A vacancy tax to discourage the construction of luxury housing as solely investment opportunities and to raise funds for housing initiatives.

 

Fight for our unhoused neighbors

It is shameful that in one of the wealthiest cities in the world we have community members that are without shelter and forced to sleep on the streets. As City Councillor, I will advocate to fund initiatives which would increase capacity at homeless shelters and transitional housing & homelessness prevention programs.