Councilor Edwards issues statement on Housing Stability Notification Act

BOSTON (7 October 2020) - Boston City Councilor Lydia Edwards has issued the following statement on the ordinance filed by Mayor Martin J. Walsh which would require landlords to distribute materials to tenants on their rights prior to filing an eviction:

“I want to thank Mayor Walsh for filing this ordinance and asking that the council pass it during today’s hearing. These actions show a sense of urgency that is required of all elected officials in Massachusetts with the eviction and foreclosure moratorium set to end in 10 days. I can promise the mayor, my colleagues on the council, tenants, landlords, homeowners and housing advocates across Boston that as the chair of both the Housing and Community Development and Government Operations committees I am committed to ensuring this body will pass a comprehensive ordinance protecting renters and owners facing eviction or foreclosure. I am committed to doing so before the moratorium ends on the 17th or immediately afterward during our weekly meeting on the 21st.

The ordinance filed by the mayor is a good starting point, but it is just that: a start. We must go further than what’s being proposed today to protect Bostonians from the coming housing crisis.

The Mayor should call upon the Boston Public Health Commission to issue an emergency order establishing a moratorium on eviction enforcement during the pandemic. This would prevent the levying of an eviction order on commercial and residential tenants and protect tenants against people entering their unit except in limited circumstances. Governor Baker and Mayor Walsh have requested that residents stay home to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Evictions would make this impossible and would increase the risk to public health and safety.

Boston should also implement one of the proposals in the Housing Stability Act (H.5018/S.2918) at the statehouse and provide property tax relief for landlords that do not evict tenants for unpaid rent. This measure will provide much needed financial relief for landlords who are facing foreclosure as a result of their tenants not paying rent.

Finally, the mayor should call upon Governor Baker to do his job and lead the nation in cancelling rent and mortgage payments until the pandemic ends. Tenants, landlords, and homeowners throughout the Commonwealth are facing an unprecedented crisis on the 17th if we don’t take immediate action. I look forward to working with the administration, my colleagues and the housing advocates who have not had the opportunity to review today’s proposal on finding solutions to the challenges ahead.”

Source: Councilor Edwards' office 10/7/20

photo credit: EastBoston.com

Mayor Walsh signs "An Act to Further Leverage Commercial Development to Build Housing, Create Jobs, and Preserve Inclusionary Development."

BOSTON - Thursday, September 12, 2019 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today joined members of the Boston City Council, community residents and advocates as he signed "An Act to Further Leverage Commercial Development to Build Housing, Create Jobs, and Preserve Inclusionary Development." This Home Rule Petition enables the City of Boston to have more flexibility to fund affordable housing and workforce training through Boston's Linkage program, and will codify the Inclusionary Development Policy (IDP) into Boston's Zoning Code to protect the City's ability to create and fund income-restricted housing. Mayor Walsh proposed the Home Rule Petition in January 2019 as part of his 2019-2020 legislative package. Following the signing, the proposal will move to the Massachusetts Legislature for approval. 

"We must use every tool we have to leverage Boston's growth to invest in affordable housing and workforce training for our residents," said Mayor Walsh. "I am proud to sign this legislation that addresses one of our most pressing issues in Boston: building more opportunities for all. I thank the City Council and many advocates for helping us take this critical step forward, and look forward to working with the Legislature to quickly move this bill into law." 

Boston's Linkage program provides funding for affordable housing and workforce training through payments by large-scale commercial real estate development. Under the current law, the Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) is only allowed to adjust Linkage every three years based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Currently, commercial developments over 100,000 square feet pay $10.81 per square foot for housing and jobs Linkage. The money collected is made available through competitive funding rounds administered by the Neighborhood Housing Trust and the City of Boston's Office of Workforce Development.  

The Home Rule Petition signed today will allow Boston to make adjustments to the required payment and program guidelines, including annual adjustments, allowing for Linkage to be more closely aligned with the market and offering additional opportunities for the creation of affordable housing and workforce development.

Since 2014, the City has invested $43 million in housing funding from Linkage that it has leveraged for a total of $723 million in additional public funds across 66 developments. Those projects have created 1,546 new affordable units and preserved 749 existing affordable units. Between 2015 and 2016, Linkage helped more than 2,300 low- and moderate-income residents access job training and education programs. After job placement, graduates of the training programs earned an average wage of $15.23 per hour with 72 percent earning benefits as well.

"Housing our communities and preparing residents for economic prosperity are critical priorities for the City of Boston," said City Councilor Lydia Edwards. "This legislation will ensure Boston secures lasting affordability for those who live here today as we plan for growth and development in Boston neighborhoods."

"Throughout the legislative process, my City Council colleagues and I heard from a range of stakeholders who expressed how this Home Rule Petition would be a specific tool to address the housing crisis in Boston," said City Councilor Michael Flaherty. "This legislation will enable Boston to update the Linkage exaction rates on an annual basis to allow for the City to make adjustments based on the realities of the real estate market. Giving the City more flexibility and local control over the exaction rates is especially important so as we continue to go through an  era of rapid growth and development. I join Mayor Walsh and my Council colleagues in advocating to move this bill forward."    

The Home Rule Petition also codifies Boston's Inclusionary Development Policy (IDP) into the Boston Zoning Code. Under the current law, IDP requires that developers of buildings with 10or more units seeking zoning relief or building on City of Boston owned land set aside a percentage of their on-site units as income-restricted, create off-site income-restricted units, or make a payment to the IDP fund. As the BPDA completes comprehensive planning in Boston's neighborhoods and updates Boston's existing zoning, more market rate residential projects may become as of right and be exempt from IDP requirements. The Home Rule Petition strengthens Boston's IDP as a strategy to capture affordable housing units and funding from projects which are zoning compliant, expanding the work under Mayor Walsh to create and preserve Boston's affordable housing. 

"Workforce development and economic mobility go hand in hand in helping people achieve economic self-sufficiency," said Joanne Hilferty, President and CEO of Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries, which operates MassHire Boston Career Center, and provides job training and career services for 7,500 individuals annually. "We applaud Mayor Walsh and the Boston City Council for their work on strengthening the Linkage Program to create more access to job training and career services for those who need it most."

Since the inception of IDP in 2000, the policy has resulted in 2,706 units of stable, income-restricted housing for moderate- and middle-income families, and $154 million in funding. When combined with other affordable housing resources, this funding has supported the completion or preservation of 2,006 additional units of housing, affordable to very low-, low-, and moderate-income households.

"It is important that the City continues to increase affordable housing options for Boston's households that are rent burdened," said Karen Chen, Executive Director of the Chinatown Progressive Association. "We need to do everything we can to ensure that our low-income residents can remain in their neighborhoods, near their jobs, schools and families. I want to thank the Mayor and the City Council for passing this important home-rule petition and commit that the IDP and Linkage coalitions will work hard to get this bill passed at the State."

The BPDA is currently working with outside consultants, the development community and housing and job advocates to explore policy changes to both Linkage and IDP beyond the legislative changes made in the Home Rule Petition.  

The Mayor's commitment to increasing affordable housing in the City is reflected in Housing a Changing City: Boston 2030, Boston's latest  quarterly housing report, and the City's overall housing goal of 69,000 new units by 2030. These 69,000 new units include 15,820 new income-restricted units, which would elevate Boston's income-restricted inventory total to 70,000, or one in five of all housing units. In addition, the plan set a goal to preserve 85 percent of Boston's most at-risk privately-owned affordable units, and to purchase 1,000 units of rental housing stock from the speculative market and income-restrict them for perpetuity. 

ABOUT MAYOR WALSH'S 2019 LEGISLATIVE AGENDA

Mayor Walsh's legislative agenda continues his administration's work to create greater opportunity for all residents, and serves all people of Massachusetts through its focus on equity. The bills are grouped into different categories: housing security and economic mobility, environment and transportation, education, and health and public safety, and are aimed at ensuring Boston and Massachusetts' growth benefits all communities in the Commonwealth. For more information about the bills and to track the City's advocacy, please visit boston.gov/legislativeagenda. 

Boston Housing Authority Implements Small Area Fair Market Rents For Greater Boston Area

To expand opportunity and prevent displacement, BHA will apply the HUD’s Fair Market Rent formula by zip code

(BOSTON, July 1, 2019) –  Today, the Boston Housing Authority implemented a Small Area Fair Market Rent (SAMFR) policy, allowing more than 12,000 residents with federal Housing Choice Vouchers greater access to Boston area neighborhoods and towns.  The BHA, along with the Cambridge Housing Authority, are the first housing authorities in the Nation to voluntarily adopt the SAFMR standards.

Historically, housing authorities have been limited by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to one payment standard, known as Fair Market Rent (FMR), for each metropolitan area. However, under new HUD regulations, BHA can now adjust its payment standards for each zip code, more precisely matching the actual rental costs.   As a result, families will now have the choice to rent in areas that have historically been unaffordable with a voucher. This change affirmatively furthers fair housing goals and takes steps towards deconcentrating voucher families by providing expanded housing choices in Boston and the surrounding areas. 

"Our housing efforts have always been grounded by our fundamental belief that every person, regardless of their income, is deserving of a home," said Mayor Martin J. Walsh. "By implementing the Small Area Fair Market Rent policy for voucher holders, we are doubling down on one of the most important aspects of our fair housing efforts - the right for people to choose a place to live that works best for themselves and their families."      

The Federal Housing Choice Voucher Program, known as Section 8, is a program funded by the federal government to subsidize rent for low-income families and individuals across the United States. Voucher-holders pay approximately 30% of their income towards rent and utilities, and the federal government covers the rest for apartments up to a certain dollar amount.

Prior to this change the BHA payment standards for a two-bedroom apartment was $1914 for every zip code, city, and town in the Boston area, regardless of the actual cost of housing in individual neighborhoods. With only one payment standard for the entire region, voucher holders have been historically concentrated in low-income income areas, while failing to meet the needs of renters who may wish to pursue housing elsewhere. The new SAFMR will adjust the payment standards in all 236 zip codes in the Boston Housing Authority coverage area to more precisely match the actual rents in those towns and neighborhoods. For example, the implementation of SAFMR increases the two-bedroom payment standard in Brighton to $2600, in Newton to $2800, and in Framingham to $2200, making more neighborhoods accessible and affordable for BHA voucher holders.

“When the Section 8 Program was first created, it was designed to empower low-income people with the ability to choose where they want to live and raise their families.” BHA Administrator Bill McGonagle said. “By matching our Housing Choice Vouchers with the actual cost of rent in our communities, we hope to fulfill that promise.”

In setting its policy, BHA utilized current rental data to ensure that payment standards are high enough to prevent the displacement of voucher holders who wish to stay in their current neighborhood, but not so high that they would have the effect of artificially driving up rents for both voucher and non-voucher renters.

This year, BHA was able to secure approximately $28,000,000 in additional funding for vouchers after BHA, Cambridge and the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development initiated a rent survey and appealed the FMR. The survey demonstrated the need for a higher FMR after the previous HUD FMR rate lagged significantly behind the Boston region’s rising rental market. The new rate and additional funding allowed BHA to implement SAFMR without lowering the payment standards in some Boston neighborhoods.

A chart of the new 2019 payment standards by zip code can be found here.

This policy was submitted as an  amendment to the BHA’s 2019 Annual Plan Leased Housing Administrative Plan.  The policy change followed a public comment period and public hearing at the Copley Branch of the Boston Public Library.  The majority of comments were very favorable but the BHA did adjust some payment standards in response to comments related to concerns about actual rent levels in some communities and displacement. 

Councilors Edwards and Janey File Home Rule Petition to Enact a Fee on Investor and Commercial Real Estate Sales

Legislation would also discourage flipping of neighborhood homes 

On Monday, Councilors Lydia Edwards and Kim Janey proposed a Home Rule Petition to combat housing speculation and establish an investor and commercial property transfer fee. The proposed bill would enhance the city’s housing toolkit by generating millions of dollars for affordable housing and by discouraging the inflation of housing prices through rapid resale of properties. The proposal will be assigned to committee in Wednesday’s council session.

The bill authorizes the City of Boston to establish a fee of up to 6%, split evenly between buyer and seller, on real estate transfers over $2 million, with an estimated revenue of $175m - $350m based on 2015-2017 sales. Exemptions are in place for owner-occupants, transfers between family members and homes purchased through approved home-buying classes. The bill also would authorize a fee of up to 25% on secondary sales, or flips, within a two year period. 

"Boston residents are struggling as our economy booms, and our homes have become the new stock market," said Boston Councilor Lydia Edwards. "Housing costs are straining families' resources and pushing talented workers out of our city. This legislation will curb real estate speculation and generate millions to build and preserve affordable housing."

“We are in a housing affordability crisis,” said Councilor Kim Janey. “These fees will not only discourage speculation in our housing market and the over-creation of luxury condos, it will also raise much-needed revenue to invest in affordable housing, and help stem the tide of gentrification. I look forward to working with my colleagues on the City Council, the Mayor, and the legislature in passing this law.”

Other cities, including New York City, have enacted luxury transfer fees and there is a growing movement in Massachusetts. The Somerville City Council passed a home rule petition in 2018 which is still pending before the legislature. Cambridge began exploring a transfer fee in January 2019. State legislation authorizing a transfer fee has also been introduced by Rep. Mike Connolly and Sen. Joseph Boncore (HD.414  / SD334 - An Act supporting affordable housing with a local option for a fee to be applied to certain real estate transactions).

Mayor Martin J. Walsh: How We're Creating More Affordable Housing

By Mayor Martin J. Walsh 

Boston is going through a period of historic growth--- the kind our city hasn’t seen in decades. More people are choosing to put down roots and start families here. More businesses are choosing to open their doors here. Students from all over the world come to attend our universities and colleges each year. As Boston grows, we must keep our focus on the families and communities that make our our city the diverse, welcoming and world-class place it is. To do that, residents must be able to afford to live here in the city they love, families must be able to grow, and young people must be able to make our city their home. 

To achieve that, we’re working hard to increase Boston’s affordable housing stock -- that includes building housing across a range of incomes, and focusing on ensuring there are income-restricted homes being built throughout Boston. 

Just last month, we increased our overall housing goals from creating 53,000 units to 69,000 units by 2030 to meet Boston's growing population and increase the number of housing opportunities available to residents. These new housing goals, which were first set in 2014 through our housing plan, build on our commitment to increasing access to home ownership, preventing displacement and promoting fair and equitable housing access.

As we build more housing in Boston to relieve housing pressure, our regional partners are also working to ensure their cities and towns keep up with the demand for affordable housing. Boston can’t do this alone -- and that’s why I’m proud earlier this month, I joined leaders from 14 surrounding communities who are part of the Metro Mayors Coalition to announce a new regional housing production goal for coalition cities and towns to meet the demands of a robust regional economy and a growing population in Boston and surrounding areas. Together, the 15 members of the Metro Mayors Coalition announced a target to create 185,000 new units of housing across the region by the year 2030. 

We are at a pivotal time in Greater Boston as our economy continues to grow and thrive, and more people move to our communities. I know housing is the number one concern for so many families in Boston, and addressing it is my top priority. Of the 69,000 new units that will be created by 2030, 15,820 of them will be income restricted. By 2030, the total number of income-restricted housing units in Boston will be nearly 70,000. We are also committed to acquiring 1,000 market-rate rental units from the housing market and making them income restricted units.

If you think finding affordable housing, or becoming a homeowner, isn’t a reality for you -- explore the resources the City of Boston offers. Take a home buying class. Apply for an affordable home buying opportunity. Apply for an income-restricted apartment. All our resources are available at https://www.boston.gov/departments/neighborhood-development, and we’ll continue to work hard to make sure all families who want to live in Boston are able to.  

Source: Mayor's Press Office

News: Mayor Walsh Announces New Affordable Housing Fund Round

Includes first large scale CPA awards and $16 million in other funding that support the City's housing goals

(BOSTON -  Wednesday, September 19, 2018) - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced that the City of Boston has released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for affordable housing projects seeking City of Boston financial support. This affordable housing funding round will include over $16 million in city affordable housing funds, and in addition, will include the first large scale awards of Community Preservation Act (CPA) funding for affordable housing development projects.

While the exact amount of CPA funding for housing will be determined by the Community Preservation Committee (CPC), total awards from all sources in this funding round will likely exceed $25 million, making it one of the largest affordable housing funding rounds in City of Boston history.

File Photograph: EastBoston.com

File Photograph: EastBoston.com

"Addressing rising housing costs is critical for preserving the diversity and character that makes Boston a place where all residents can thrive," said Mayor Walsh. "Voters in Boston made their support for affordable housing creation clear when they passed the Community Preservation Act in 2016. My administration has put affordability at the top of our agenda, establishing a comprehensive plan, and committing more than $115 million to housing. With these new funds in this funding round, we will further accelerate our work to lift up every neighborhood and provide all residents and their families with accessible and affordable housing options."

Based on the goals outlined in Mayor Walsh's housing strategy, Housing A Changing City: Boston 2030 and the Imagine Boston 2030 Planning Process, the City of Boston has established priority criteria which proposals must meet, including:

• Affordable housing developments targeting a mix of incomes: from units for homeless households to units targeted and restricted to incomes representative of Boston's workforce;
• Affordable housing developments that serve the disabled community, vulnerable or special needs populations, older Bostonians, veterans, artists, and/or aging out youth;
• Acquisition of unrestricted housing developments in order to stabilize residents' tenancies, and provide long term affordability for a mix of incomes; or
• Affordable housing developments that utilize City-owned land;
• Affordable housing developments that have reduced the cost to build and use public funding most efficiently;
• Developments that are at risk of losing their affordability within five years.
• Projects creating new affordable units in high-cost neighborhoods where most of the IDP and NHT funds are generated.

Funds will be awarded from three sources: the first, of approximately $8 million, consists of funds administered by the Department of Neighborhood Development, including funds from the Federal HOME Investment Partnerships and Community Development Block Grant programs, the City's Housing Boston 2030 Fund, and the Inclusionary Development Policy Fund. Up to $3 million of this funding is earmarked to support housing that serves households 55 years or older. 

The second source utilizes funds from the Neighborhood Housing Trust (NHT). NHT disburses funds collected through the City's Linkage policy, which extracts affordable housing funds from developers of large commercial projects. 

The third source is CPA funds, which are collected through the one percent property tax surcharge approved by Boston voters in 2016 to help strengthen Boston neighborhoods through strategic investment in affordable housing, historic preservation, and open space. The addition of CPA funds to this funding package aligns the City's housing resources towards full implementation of Housing a Changing City: Boston 2030 plan. Applications are currently available for the next round of CPA funds.

About Housing A Changing City: Boston 2030

By the year 2030, Boston will reach more than 700,000 residents, a number the City has not seen since the 1950s. Housing a Changing City: Boston 2030 is Mayor Walsh's Administration's comprehensive housing plan to create 53,000 new units of housing for a variety of income levels. Since the policy was enacted in 2014, Boston has permitted more than 27,000 units of housing, completing nearly 18,000 of them as of the end of the second quarter in 2018. More than 11,000 of those permitted units are income-restricted, and more than 2,000 of these are reserved for Bostonians earning low and extremely low wages.

Although these results show strong progress toward the goals established by the Mayor's Advisory Housing Task Force, Boston's population is increasing more rapidly than the population models used in to establish plan targets had estimated. 

Housing A Changing City: Boston 2030 was created not as a static policy piece to be enacted, but as a living document meant to be reassessed and reframed as necessary. In the Spring of 2018, Mayor Walsh reconvened the Housing Task Force to assess progress and reevaluate the goals of the policy through this new population filter. Other factors under consideration include the Mayors Regional Housing Compact Policy and the effects on Boston and its neighbors, as well as the evaluation of lessons learned over the past four years. An update to Housing A Changing City: Boston 2030 is expected in the fall of 2018.

About Imagine Boston 2030

Imagine Boston 2030 is building on Housing a Changing City by identifying areas where continued growth can occur and where additional growth beyond the 53,000-unit target can take place. This growth will create a release valve for existing neighborhoods that are seeing pressure on housing prices. Other initiatives include: working to increase the overall housing supply, deploying tools to support the preservation of affordable housing citywide, putting forth an anti-displacement package that will create and preserve affordable housing, and preventing eviction, link housing and transportation and supporting home ownership. For more information included in the plan, please visit imagine.boston.gov.

Source: Mayor's Press Office (9/19/2018)

April 3: Boston city councilor Lydia Edwards to hold hearing on housing speculation

Boston City Councilor Lydia Edwards to hold hearing on Housing Speculation 

Council to examine displacement, affordability standards, progress on meeting Boston’s housing production goals

WHAT: The Committee on Housing and Community Development will hold a hearing on housing speculation and other trends affecting residents and the real estate market, including displacement of communities, the proliferation of luxury units and whether the standards of affordability in new development match incomes of current Boston residents. 

Members of the public are encouraged to attend or submit testimony.

WHERE: Iannella Chamber, 5th Floor, Boston City Hall

WHEN:   1 p.m., April 3rd

WHO:

• Boston City Councilor Lydia Edwards, Chair, Committee on Housing and Community Development
• 
  
• Representatives of the Boston Department of Neighborhood Development and the Boston Planning and Development Agency 
• 
  
• Members of Right to the City Boston
• 
  
• Various real estate industry representatives have been invited to testify

Link to official notice: https://www.boston.gov/public-notices/40366

March 8: Community Preservation Act discussion

On Thursday, March 8, the City of Boston will host an open forum for community members in East Boston to engage in discussions around the future of the Community Preservation Act (CPA) as it is implemented in neighborhoods throughout Boston. 

The new $20 million fund, established as a result of the passage of the Community Preservation Act in 2016, will support historic preservation, affordable housing, open space and recreation across the city. 

In July 2017, Mayor Walsh announced the selection of Christine Poff to serve as the Director of the Community Preservation Committee, which aims to shape the future of investments in Boston's neighborhoods with funds contributed through the Community Preservation Act (CPA).

This event is being hosted by City Councilor Lydia Edwards, State Senator Joseph Boncore, and State Representative Adrian Madaro.

WHEN: Tuesday, March 8, 2018 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

WHERE: East Boston High School, 86 White St, East Boston

For more information and to stay up-to-date on CPA in Boston, please visit:  www.boston.gov/community-preservation

32 new affordable apartments for families in East Boston at site of former Salesian Boys and Girls Club

EAST BOSTON (August 9, 2017)–  Mayor Martin J. Walsh today joined the East Boston Community Development Corporation, East Boston residents and local elected officials to celebrate the groundbreaking for Paris Village, a $14 million residential community that features 32 affordable apartments for working families in East Boston. 

The new apartment building will be located on the former Salesian Boys Club site on Paris Street in the heart of East Boston. 

"High quality, affordable housing for working families is the key to opportunity. Creating equitable housing like Paris Village preserves the rich character of Boston's neighborhoods," said Mayor Walsh. "I want to thank our partners for their work to make these homes possible. These are the 2- and 3- bedroom homes working families in Eastie have been calling for, and I'm proud we are continuing Boston's drive to make sure all families can live and work in the City of Boston." 

Paris Village is located in one of Boston's fastest growing neighborhoods, near restaurants and a variety of arts, cultural and outdoor amenities and activities. The development will feature 32 new transit-oriented apartments located close to the MBTA blue line, downtown Boston and Logan International Airport. 

All of the new apartments will be rented to individuals who are earning at or below 60 percent of the area median income (AMI), with four of the families earning 30 percent of AMI or below.

"As we see so much change in East Boston it is important that we create and preserve affordable family housing for all of the hard working residents of East Boston," said Albert Caldarelli, President and Executive Director of the East Boston CDC. "I am grateful that the Mayor Walsh is so committed to that goal. Without that strong leadership a wonderful development like this would not be possible."

When complete, Paris Village will include 22 two-bedroom and 11 three-bedroom family units, an elevator for accessibility, central air, on-site laundry facilities, a large community space for programming for residents on the ground floor, a rear courtyard and playground with a play structure for children. Construction of theParis Village apartments willgenerate approximately 250 new construction jobs. 

"As a long-time resident and tenant of East Boston CDC I am grateful for help we've received from City of Boston. Because of your assistance me and my family have the opportunity to reside in a nice apartment," said East Boston resident Blanca Ayala. "I am also grateful that I was invited to sit on the Board of Directors of EBCDC, Inc. As a Board Member, I have the opportunity to have a say in all of the decisions that affect my tenancy and the close to 1,000 other tenants in our buildings. In my role I also have a chance to work with the CDC and the Mayor of Boston to implement all of the housing initiatives the City supports."

 In accordance with the City of Boston's Green Affordable Housing Program, Paris Village will utilize high efficiency heating and cooling systems fixtures as well as Energy Star rated appliances. The development will employ environmentally friendly design features throughout and earn the distinction of being LEED-Homes "Silver" certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. The development will also meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star standards. 

Paris Village has been made possible in part by a contribution of almost $2 million from the City of Boston, as well as $2.1 million from the State's Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) and the Affordable Housing Trust.

Today's groundbreaking builds on the recent release of Housing a Changing City: Boston 2030; Boston's latest quarterly housing report, which highlights gains in stabilizing the housing market, accommodating housing growth, improving housing accessibility and increasing affordability. Since 2014, the implementation of the City's housing plan, 13,551 new units of housing have been created. With an additional 8,412 units currently under construction, the City has secured housing for an estimated 25,000 residents, making significant progress in meeting Boston's rapid population growth.

Source: Mayor's Office 8/9/2017

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