Boston Adds $5M To Rent Relief Fund, Resumes Housing Construction

Boston has resumed construction on 3,000 affordable housing units as the state begins to move forward in its reopening plan, said Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh at his news conference Thursday. The rate of recovery in Boston is now two to three times the rate of new COVID-19 cases, Walsh said.

Rental vouchers have been issued to 167 families of children in Boston Public Schools, and 86 are in permanent housing. The Boston Housing Authority is working with a total of 400 families to find housing, Walsh said. Low-income renters will struggle financially beyond the reopening of the state, the mayor said, as the moratorium on evictions will eventually lift, unemployment may run out, and there could be a national recession. This week, the city added $5 million to the renter relief fund, which provided rent aid to 215 households in April and May.

“All of this work is about having a more equitable city, a city where everyone can be healthy and safe,” Walsh said. “But we know that here in Boston and all across our country, we have much more work to do.”

Walsh said he will be participating in the moment of silence for 8 minutes and 46 seconds at 3:45 p.m. called for by the NAACP––he encouraged everyone listening to do the same..

“Every single day as elected officials, it's time to listen and learn, and keep those voices at the center of the conversation,” Walsh said. “Not just for today. Not just for the next week. Not for just the next month––for our entire careers.”

The mayor said spaces will remain open for free speech and thanked the thousands of people who have peacefully protested and taken a stand against racism in Boston. Protesters should be mindful of precautions they can take to limit the spread of the virus, he said, and remember that they could spread it to family members at home who are older or may have pre-existing conditions.

“With everything else going on, it’s also an important time to remember that your precautions to limit the spread of the virus are still very important,” Walsh said.

A $6 million grant program will provide PPE to small businesses to help them in their reopening, Walsh said, and 1,000 applications have already been submitted. There is an additional $7.5 million economic relief fund, and the city will continue to support small business, Walsh said.

“A gradual reopening means a gradual economic recovery,” the mayor said.

The city will continue to closely monitor the data regarding COVID-19 cases and test results as the state moves farther in its plan to reopen. Boston met its goal of having the capacity to process 1,500 tests per day by June 1, Walsh said. Boston currently has 12,872 recorded COVID-19 cases, a one-day increase of 54 cases. Today, hospitals in Boston are at 81 percent capacity for ICU patients, Walsh said, in contrast to early March, when it was at over 120 percent.