City Of Boston: June 2021: Latest Updates From The Department Of Neighborhood Development

Press release from the City of Boston:

June 9, 2021

June is Pride month, when LGBTQIA communities worldwide remember the 1969 Stonewall Riots, celebrate the achievements that have been made to gain recognition and civil rights, and highlight the changes that are still needed. June is also the month that we recognize Juneteenth, the oldest national commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. From its Galveston, Texas origin in 1865, the observance of June 19th as the African American Emancipation Day has spread across the United States.

• application and development process,
• basics of financing and financing options,
• opportunities for technical support, and,
• networking and team-building opportunities.

Here is the Zoom registration link for the information session.

In partnership with the Boston Society for Architecture, the Housing Innovation Lab launched a Request for Ideas, where participants are invited to imagine new housing models that can be built on small sites. This RFI marks the first phase of this year’s Housing Innovation Competition and is a continuation of last year’s community conversations on the role triple-deckers have played in shaping Boston’s neighborhoods and how a new rendition of this building type can serve the needs of current and future residents.

The City is launching a Landlord Incentive Program to support landlords who rent to Boston households moving out of homelessness. The City will provide signing bonuses, holding fees, and a dedicated customer service provider to landlords who sign up for the program as a way to mitigate potential risks.

The Boston Home Center will be hosting a Virtual Homeowner Expo on June 23, from 6 - 8 p.m. The Expo will give homeowners an opportunity to learn about home repair programs and financial assistance that the City of Boston offers to eligible Boston homeowners. The Expo will consist of workshops covering the following topics:  and join us on June 23 for information about how the City can help you care for your most valuable asset — your home.

DND has received substantial funding from the federal government, as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act  (the "CARES Act"), passed in March of 2020, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, passed in December 2020, and the American Rescue Plan Act ("ARP"), passed in March of 2021.

• $28.5 million in Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) funding, to help reduce the spread of COVID in congregate shelters, to de-densify shelters, and to help move unhoused individuals from shelter into housing.
• $20 million in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds, for CDBG eligible activities which include, but are not limited to, purchase of properties for supportive housing, job training, and small business support. Initially committed primarily for rental relief, newer more flexible federal funding sources are being used for rental relief.
• $450,000 in Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) funds, to assist current providers of housing for persons with AIDS with operational costs related to COVID.

• $30.1 million in Rental Relief Funds;
• $20.6 million in HOME Investment Partnership funds, to be spent on supportive housing; and
• 480 emergency housing vouchers, to reduce homelessness.

DND is working hard to operationalize this funding and ensure that it supports an equitable recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pictured: Hearth at Four Corners, Rendering courtesy of the BPDA

We celebrated one AOP closing (two 3-unit buildings) in May. Partnering with the Boston Neighborhood Community Land Trust, properties at 31 Leroy Street and 632 West Park Street in Dorchester were acquired to preserve long term affordability. $750,000 of IDP funding was provided through the Acquisition Opportunity Program to support the purchase. Between the properties, there are four 60% of AMI units and two 80% of AMI units.

Every Tuesday at 5:30 p.m., the Office of Housing Stability hosts a virtual clinic for small landlords and tenants. Complete our online form to RSVP for this virtual clinic. 

This press release was produced by the City of Boston. The views expressed here are the author’s own.