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

City Councilor Edwards to speak on charter amendment: August 6

Proposal filed by Councilor Edwards would modernize Boston’s budgetary process, expand participatory budgeting

WHAT: The Boston City Council’s Committee on Government Operations will hold a hearing on a proposed amendment to the city charter filed by Councilor Lydia Edwards. Councilor Edwards filed the amendment in response to the calls for systemic change in Boston and nationally. 

Under Massachusetts General Laws, Chapters 43B, section 10, subsection (b), a member of the city council may suggest a charter amendment. 

The proposal by Councilor Edwards will give Boston residents a choice in what the city’s budgetary process should be and, if approved by voters, would give taxpayers a greater say in how their tax dollars are spent by allowing for an expanded participatory budgetary process. 

During Thursday’s hearing the council will review the proposal by Councilor Edwards and suggest possible changes to it. Once the ballot question is finalized and approved by the city council it will be reviewed by the Attorney General to determine its constitutionality. If ruled to be constitutional, Boston voters will decide the future of the city’s budget process during the November 2021 municipal election.[1][2][3]

WHERE: Streaming live at http://www.boston.gov/city-council-tv 

WHEN: 10 a.m., Thursday, August 6

OFFICIAL HEARING NOTICE: https://www.boston.gov/public-notices/13660021

For more information: please contact Ricardo Patrón - ricardo.patron@boston.gov

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Councilor Edwards files city charter amendment to expand Council's budgetary power

BOSTON (July 6, 2020) - Boston City Councilor Lydia Edwards has filed a proposed amendment to Boston’s city charter that would give the Boston City Council budgetary powers equal to those of the mayor. 

The historic proposal was filed under a provision in state law that allows local elected officials to propose amendments to city charters which has never been used before.

“I’ve spent a lot of time over the past few weeks thinking about how to answer the calls for systemic change and investment in our future,” said Councilor Edwards. “An annual up or down vote alone on the mayor’s budget cannot bring about the long term change that is needed and that people are calling for. That change will not come from any one vote or annual budget. It’s time to break the wheel of Boston’s budget making process. This will take time, research, negotiations, and sustained conversations about what we want to invest in as a city. Until we change the budget process, we don’t have an opportunity

to have those conversations in a meaningful way.”

The proposed amendment specifically targets the budgetary powers of the City and is separate from the complete charter reform Edwards proposed earlier this year. "Boston can move forward on specific reforms to our budgetary process even as we pursue a democratic process to examine the entire charter,” added Councilor Edwards. “That process will require much more organizing and eventually candidates will have to run for an opportunity to write the charter. I am still committed to writing a clear, accessible, complete charter but right now people are asking for direct impact and influence on our budget. We can give them that power by modernizing and democratizing the budgetary process and expanding participatory budgeting, which would give residents greater control over portions of the budget."

Under Massachusetts General Laws, Chapters 43B, section 10, subsection (b), a member of the city council may suggest a charter amendment. After a hearing and final vote by the city council the Attorney General must approve the question's  constitutionality and then it will be put to the voters to decide in November 2021. This proposal would be the first known charter amendment to be implemented using this process.

If Boston voters approve this amendment next fall, the Boston City Council and the Mayor would share power over the city’s budget. This includes the ability to create proposals for the city’s capital and operating budgets, change line items within the proposals, allocate parts of the budget for a participatory budget process (voter direct allocation), and amend the budget for Boston Public Schools.

Additionally, this change would also give the city council tools to more quickly respond to the need for budget cuts in times of fiscal austerity and allow for public deliberation on what services could or should be reduced without lasting harm. This change also allows for earlier budgetary deliberation should either the Mayor or Council desire to do so.

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EB Residents Launch Grassroots Campaign for New Ward 1 Democratic Committee

(EAST BOSTON, January 2, 2020) - A grassroots group of civically-engaged residents have started a campaign to elect a new Ward 1 Democratic Committee in East Boston. The group, called “Fresh Slate Eastie,” includes:

Leaders of community organizations such as Airport Impact Relief (AIR) Inc., East Boston Community Soup Kitchen, Eastie Farm, Friends of Belle Isle Marsh, Golden Stairs Imigration Center, Harborkeepers, and What’s Up Eastie?

Representatives from all of East Boston’s neighborhoods including life-long and recently-arrived residents, 5 current Ward Committee members including City Councilor Lydia Edwards, and parents of students attending Boston Public Schools.

The group’s goal is to build a strong, open, and inclusive Democratic Committee. They envision fostering a rich discussion around issues most important to East Boston residents, resulting in greater community voice in city, state, and federal policy. The group’s principles include:

• Transparency: holding widely advertised Democratic Committee meetings at times and places that maximize involvement from all East Boston residents
• Diversity and Inclusion: engaging a diverse range of residents and community organizations
• Community Voice: creating channels for the East Boston community to express its priorities on issues such as housing, transportation, climate change, and education
• Independence: bringing a new perspective to the Ward Committee
• Civic Engagement: increasing voter registration and participation in elections

The Ward Committee gives East Boston residents the opportunity to voice concerns by creating forums for conversation with elected representatives, endorsing candidates, and creating opportunities for civic participation. Voters will elect the next Ward 1 Committee during the next Democratic primary election on March 3, 2020.

“We are excited to launch Fresh Slate Eastie. Our goal is to revitalize the policy conversation in East Boston around issues that matter most to residents while creating a more transparent and inclusive Ward 1 Committee,” said Brian Gannon, one of the members of the group.

The following is the complete list of candidates making up the slate: 

Matt Cameron, 
Gabriela Coletta, 
Ben Downing, 
Victoria Dzindzichashvili (DiLorenzo), 
City Councilor Lydia Edwards, 
Margaret Farmer, 
Jo Ann Fitzgerald, 
Brian Gannon, 
Zachary Hollopeter, 
Lisa Jacobson, 
Giordana Mecagni, 
Gail Miller, 
Dionyssios Mintzopoulos, 
Sandra Nijjar, 
Heather O’Brien, 
Ricardo Patron, 
Jesse Purvis.
James Rosenquist, 
Aneesh Sahni, and 
Kannan Thiruvengadam. 

For more information contact: freshslateeastie@gmail.com.

Councilor Lydia Edwards Proposes Fair Housing Amendment to Boston Zoning Code

Change Would Advance Civil Rights In Housing & Planning

(Boston, MA, APRIL 11, 2019) - Today, on the eve of the 51st anniversary of the Fair Housing Act, Councilor Lydia Edwards introduced a zoning amendment at the city council to advance fair housing through planning and zoning in the City of Boston.

“Planning and zoning can be tools of equity or tools of exclusion,” said Councilor Edwards. “As we move into the next 50 years of the Fair Housing Act, Boston can advance civil rights by adopting fair housing into our zoning code and ensuring we plan community development for all residents.”

The Fair Housing Act, signed into law on April 11, 1968, outlawed discrimination in sale, rental, and financing of housing. The Act does more, however, than just ban discrimination: it calls for processes that actively promote equity. The zoning change will require the city to engage in a thorough analysis of displacement and access to housing for protected classes, such as people of color, families with children, persons with disabilities, the elderly and other protected classes when reviewing new large-scale development projects.

Under the zoning change, large-scale developments would be subject to a fair housing analysis, ensuring that city plans include protected classes of residents, such as people of color, the elderly or persons with disabilities. The amendment focuses particularly on multi-acre “planned development areas” (PDAs). In reviewing PDAs, the city would be required to use data on barriers to housing, and local demographic information, in its decision about whether or not to approve the development, and just as importantly, in how it negotiates public benefits. 

Fair housing is already a commitment of the City of Boston and there are several laudable efforts underway. The Office of Fair Housing and Equity conducts fair housing trainings and, with the Fair Housing Commission, supports residents in addressing discrimination complaints. The Department of Neighborhood Development runs an Affirmative Fair Housing Marketing Program to promote equal access to government-assisted housing.The Boston Housing Authority operates a Fair Housing and Employment Unit to enforce fair housing standards. However, there are not currently procedures in planning and zoning, which fundamentally shape community development, to affirmatively further fair housing or monitor how zoning and planning impact fair housing. The proposed zoning amendment would address that gap.

Summary of key changes:

• Adds definition of "affirmatively furthering fair housing" and "analysis of impediments" to zoning code 
• Adds definition of “exclusionary displacement” to zoning code
• Changes "Article 80" (the zoning procedure for reviewing large development) to address fair housing and displacement concerns
• Changes standards for approvals for future review, amendment or updates to massive “planned development areas” like Suffolk Downs or Seaport Square, to incorporate fair housing and displacement concerns
• Raises the standards for public benefits in planned development areas affecting East Boston specifically. 

Source: Councilor Edwards office 4/10/2019

Councilor Edwards Releases Policy Brief on City Affordable Housing Programs

Report calls for updates to Linkage and Inclusionary Development Programs

Councilors Lydia Edwards, Chair of Boston's Housing and Community Development Committee, has released a policy brief (http://bit.ly/building4allbostonians) on two key city housing programs. Inclusionary Development requires certain developers to produce deed restricted units (for rental units, at up to 70% of the Area Median Income) or pay towards a fund that accomplishes the same purpose, and Linkage (also known as Development Impact Fees) generates funds for the Neighborhood Housing and Neighborhood Jobs Trust.

Boston's inclusionary development and linkage requirements are substantially lower than neighboring communities of Cambridge and Somerville. Inclusionary development in Boston is currently set at 13%, with up to 18% applying in certain areas, while Cambridge and Somerville have adopted 20% inclusionary requirements. In addition, many Boston renters, and Black and Latino households on the whole, tend towards income levels below those required by inclusionary development. Linkage, which in Boston applies to buildings over 100,000 square feet, is currently $10.81 / sq foot with $9.03 for housing. A 2016 "Nexus" study commissioned by the Walsh administration recommended increasing the housing portion to $16.08 - $21.39, depending on exemptions, for a total of $18.07 to $24.04. In January, Councilor Edwards filed legislation to implement the recommendations of the linkage Nexus study.

The report by Councilor Edwards calls for an array of updates to these programs, including:

• Modeling 20% and 25% affordability standards for inclusionary development in Boston; 
• Adopting new rental affordability measures to increase the affordability of deed-restricted properties, which may still be out of reach for many Bostonians;
• Eliminating loopholes that allow developers to avoid affordable housing contribution "triggers," such as building numerous 8-unit or 9-unit buildings when 10-unit buildings are subject to inclusionary requirements
• Evaluating decisionmaking on inclusionary development, which in most cities is done by the Mayor and City Council as opposed to by a quasi-public entity;
• Improving data reporting to track beneficiaries of the inclusionary development program to facilitate city's efforts toward advancing racial equity;
• Clarifying inclusionary development requirements for Planned Development Areas like Suffolk Downs; 
• Promoting long-term affordability by dedicating a portion of inclusionary development funds to community-owned housing, such as community land trusts;
• Adjusting Boston's zoning code to automatically update linkage and avert missed opportunities;
• Updating state law to codify inclusionary development and modernize linkage.

  

Table 1: Comparison of Inclusionary Development in Metropolitan Boston Municipalities

Municipality	Inclusionary %	Unit threshold	Authorization
Boston	13-18%, varies based on zones	10 units or more	Policy; cannot be adopted via zoning article or ordinance
Cambridge	20% citywide	10 units or more	Zoning Act + Ordinance
Somerville	20% citywide for large developments; 17.5% for 8-17 units; 6-7 units have option of building affordable unit or paying into fund	6 units, 8 units and 18 units each trigger deeper requirements.	Zoning Act + Ordinance
Quincy	10% citywide	10 units or more	Zoning Act + Ordinance

Table 2: Comparison of Development Impact Fees in Metropolitan Boston Municipalities

Municipality	Linkage	Exemption	Revision
Boston	$10.81 / sq foot ($9.03 for housing)	First 100,000 square feet	Can ONLY be changed every 3 years per statute, adjusted based on change to CPI.
Cambridge	$15.95/ sq foot, all housing	First 30,000 square feet	Automatically re-evaluated every 3 years; annual increase based on change to CPI.
Somerville	$12.46 / sq foot ($10 for housing)	First 30,000 square feet	Zoning ordinance requires 2020 study; annual increase based on change to CPI.

March 19: Boston City Councilors Lydia Edwards, Kim Janey to hold hearing on Investor and Commercial Properties Transfer Fee

Legislation could raise hundreds of millions for affordable housing, deter speculative real estate practices 

WHAT: The Boston City Council will hold a hearing TUESDAY, MARCH 19th on housing legislation filed by Councilors Lydia Edwards and Kim Janey to enact a real estate transfer fee on high value, commercial and investor-owned properties. The fee would EXEMPT owner occupants and sales under $2m, conveyances between family members, and allows for additional local exemptions.

A transfer fee of up to 6%, split evenly between buyers and sellers, would generate millions of dollars each year - hundreds of millions of dollars in recent years - for affordable housing to help stabilize communities. All funds would go to the Neighborhood Housing Trust for production of affordable and workforce housing.

The proposal also includes a higher fee on secondary sales, or flipped properties, in an effort to deter practices that destabilize neighborhoods and artificially inflate real estate prices.

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

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

WHEN:   2:00 p.m., Tuesday, March 19th, 2019

WHO:

·  Boston City Councilors
·  Representatives of the Walsh administration
·  City Life Vida Urbana, Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance, Institute for Policy Studies, Boston Tenant Coalition, Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations

Councilor Edwards to Call Hearing on City Regulation of Bars, Liquor Stores, Cannabis Establishments Near Substance Abuse Treatment Facilities

Regulation intended to explore distance-based buffer while leveling playing field between alcohol and cannabis establishments

WHAT:  This week, Boston City Councilor Lydia Edwards will call a hearing to discuss potential policy changes affecting the siting of enterprises serving alcohol and cannabis in the immediate vicinity of substance abuse treatment facilities.

Currently, the City of Boston regulates the distance between cannabis establishments at one-half mile and creates a 500-foot buffer between such businesses and K-12 schools. The City also regulates businesses that serve or sell alcohol through licensing and zoning, but has not enacted a similar distance-based buffer.

Zoning changes typically do not impact existing enterprises but would apply to new development and could potentially apply to substantially renovated buildings. The hearing will explore whether such a buffer should be created, potential impacts and how to create parity between industries.

WHERE: Curley Room, 5th Floor, Boston City Hall
WHEN:  12:00 p.m., Wednesday, October 17th, 2018

**Please note the councilor will file on 10/17 for a hearing to take place a later time.