To: Boston City Council and Marty Walsh, Mayor
Petition to Direct Inclusionary Development Funds and City Land to Meet Boston’s Housing Needs
We, the undersigned, urge the City of Boston to devote new affordable housing resources (below-market housing units, cash payments, proceeds from the sale of city-owned land and free or discounted city-owned land) from Boston’s Inclusionary Development Program and other sources Boston residents making less than $75,520 per year*. Priority should be given to:
• Very low-income and extremely low-income residents;**
• Residents who are displaced or at risk of displacement;
• Residents who are paying more than 40% of household income for housing and utilities; and
• Residents who are living in overcrowded or substandard conditions.
* Low and moderate-income defined as incomes below 80% of area median income (AMI) ($75,520 for a family of four)
**Very low-income defined as incomes below 50% of AMI ($47,200 for a family of four)
Extremely low-income defined as incomes below 30% of AMI ($28,300 for a family of four)
Why is this important?
Middle and working class Bostonians are facing skyrocketing housing costs while homelessness numbers in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts have hit a record high. The need for affordable housing in the City of Boston is dire, and we need a strong commitment from our elected officials to build an equitable, affordable city for all.