[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6233840,"mediaKeyId","3413731-b42fb04cd081dc6756f0667bb0a1cad9","parentId",3413731,"title","Urban agriculture advocates ask Boston to increase Grow Boston staff and grassroots funding to speed projects and add open space","audioSeconds",263,"startMs",3000000,"endMs",3263000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3413731-b42fb04cd081dc6756f0667bb0a1cad9&start=3000&end=3263","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3413731-b42fb04cd081dc6756f0667bb0a1cad9/thumbnail_3000000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6233840/Boston-City/Suffolk-County/Massachusetts/Urban-agriculture-advocates-ask-Boston-to-increase-Grow-Boston-staff-and-grassroots-funding-to-speed-projects-and-add-open-space","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6233840-cb0655f3868d4d0aa860d494fbe36ef0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770436931&Signature=a7naiGpc8CiXNQgvVdyBAbmgCkfUrl2qzlo3ADWVXyT6Hj9SQPY-FTn9Z8kfvB4oiNyKQ5wMKBqdxmRgIoEtK0FfN6hE1VIUvqJwzqfE0mgIpFcNa6ybERAGYr8KomVcLtsCwOS8t4IiLJE9sVsDEBsnnNTEFOulL4rSPXK-UibrR00CwdM~4xinSV8tzUaROek8Np6N~sRMzBou-24IbQ8bnYsTAgIGLvjo9yT1h9P3LyootZ-Qtr7GH2TaF6Bi5~WrJKXdIEFyb381PHHdUAk8za~EkW~0v4J3CFZ~Okf5XMf0bsRXF6-cK6ihkrEzbryIFSXDZtbaST0f6dbjbQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Boston City, MA","date","2025-05-21T05:01:12.733Z","article","Several neighborhood advocates and leaders in Boston’s urban‑agriculture network testified at the MOH budget hearing that Grow Boston needs more staff capacity and dedicated grassroots funding to accelerate parcels through disposition and into community use.

Orion Kriegman, executive director of the Boston Food Forest Coalition, described the climate and equity rationale for more open space and said low‑canopy neighborhoods suffer higher summer temperatures. ‘‘I'm strongly advocating for fully funding Grow Boston in the grassroots program…increase the staff capacity in Grow Boston program for timely land disposition processes,’’ Kriegman told the committee.

Alex, associate director at the Boston Food Forest Coalition, and Liz Luclous, director of engagement and food forest construction for the coalition, also requested more staff and a doubling of grassroots funding per project so neighborhood groups can move delayed projects at 301 Norfolk Street, 82 Mascot Street, Wentworth Street and Codman Square into construction. Alex said limited city capacity and small staff teams were a major cause of project delays and urged the council to invest in additional permanent staff for the program.

The nut graf: Witnesses argued that Grow Boston’s projects — community gardens, food forests and raised beds — deliver neighborhood cooling, food access and community benefits and can be built more quickly if the city increases the program’s staffing and the per‑project grassroots grants.

Speakers pointed to recent production numbers cited by MOH (Grow Boston completed 350 raised beds and committed more than $1 million to projects in FY25) and asked the council to make grassroots funding more robust and to prioritize timely land dispositions that already have community support.

Ending: Advocates asked the council to add staff capacity and to double grassroots grant funding per project in the FY26 budget, and to work with MOH to accelerate land transfer processes for community gardens and food‑forest parks.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Ways & Means FY26 Budget: Mayor's Office of Housing (MOH) on May 19, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Neighborhood groups and urban‑agriculture organizations urged the council to boost staffing and grassroots project funds for Grow Boston to reduce land disposition delays, deliver new food‑forest parks and increase cooling green space in neighborhoods facing heat inequity.","taxTitle","Boston City, Suffolk County, Massachusetts","taxId",3381,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6233844,"Boston residents urge council to boost Acquisition Opportunity, city vouchers and community land trust funding",2279,2232000,4511000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3413731-b42fb04cd081dc6756f0667bb0a1cad9&start=2232&end=4511","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3413731-b42fb04cd081dc6756f0667bb0a1cad9/thumbnail_2232000.jpg","/articles/6233844/Boston-City/Suffolk-County/Massachusetts/Boston-residents-urge-council-to-boost-Acquisition-Opportunity-city-vouchers-and-community-land-trust-funding","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6233844-e8db7848a2ac1680e21cea82894aea5c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770436931&Signature=mNHvAi~MzDTG1iPVwyA0PFWAIDmTWPNk-PYKkQBUwhT2kSlb0SQMO-Tu52e~-MH4wdyj7sRpJG9nWxeVZbjaR8gpYZqa-tdsZd6tNl2nTRGA9~YKGJSzXqRsWCwGASj7sQzWjTtSrdLenbmcfwDFF07OmfUwUb0gyM30rlIVbfIFNOH3xmqHEB7btUB34yZ2nYuw7ZfqR4ZH3lyCa11aNJqsvFK5nMLIeCJrCmBndgKhGsQeOUodvmh8AtPMw3f3nuAIa0LGKcYXHNwzyyLFB8bReksRfoBao6mobpZ-7z-u4FAbW3qZR1w6CXqeFmenDLBLJvCgaiLw2a8XdQkyUQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A series of resident and advocacy speakers used the Committee on Ways and Means hearing to press the council for larger, recurring investments in housing preservation and subsidies.

Kathy Brown, director of the Boston Tenant Coalition, opened public testimony urging the council to expand the city subsidy program and make the Acquisition Opportunity Program (AOP) a permanent line item. ‘‘It's such a great program…asking to go to 16,300,000.0, a $4,000,000 increase,’’ Brown told the committee, and she recommended a $7,000,000 recurring AOP allocation and a small, ongoing community land trust (CLT) fund.

Multiple nonprofit leaders echoed that ask. Meredith Levy of the Boston Neighborhood Community Land Trust said AOP historically reached $28,000,000 at peak capacity and urged a $7,000,000 recurring city allocation to leverage state matching funds. ‘‘In its prime, we had $28,000,000 in the AOP fund. We'd love to see a line item budget,’’ Levy said.

The nut graf: Speakers argued that acquisition and voucher funding preserve long‑term affordability and stability for low‑income families. They called on the council to add $4 million for the city rent subsidy program and $7 million for AOP, and to create a recurring CLT fund to preserve small properties and support long‑term affordability.

Youth and community groups pressed similar priorities: Lehi Santana, a 16‑year‑old District 7 resident, urged the council to ‘‘put funding into affordable housing that serves people under $5,000 a year.’’ Dan Lynch, representing Father Martin Cooperative Homes, asked the council to consider a $4,000,000 increase to the city rent voucher program to help rent‑burdened cooperative residents. Organizers from Youth Justice and Power Union and the Boston Tenant Coalition repeated those numerical requests and framed them as necessary to prevent displacement.

Michael Caine of the Mass Alliance of HUD Tenants supported expanding the city rent subsidy and described operational reforms that could expand project‑based voucher uptake, including a rolling application process for organizations seeking project‑based assistance.

Ending: Several speakers asked the council to amend the FY26 budget to add targeted increases: $7,000,000 for AOP, $4,000,000 for the city rent subsidy and an ongoing CLT fund (advocates proposed $2,000,000 annually). They urged councilors to prioritize those line items as budget negotiations proceed.","During the MOH budget hearing, community groups and residents urged the City Council to increase funding for the Acquisition Opportunity Program, expand the city rent subsidy (city voucher) program and provide recurring support for community land trusts.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6233849,"BHA outlines city voucher program, capital projects and warns proposed federal cuts would hit tenants and landlords",653,1258000,1911000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3413731-b42fb04cd081dc6756f0667bb0a1cad9&start=1258&end=1911","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3413731-b42fb04cd081dc6756f0667bb0a1cad9/thumbnail_1258000.jpg","/articles/6233849/Boston-City/Suffolk-County/Massachusetts/BHA-outlines-city-voucher-program-capital-projects-and-warns-proposed-federal-cuts-would-hit-tenants-and-landlords","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6233849-86fd233985deaadd8404f1c752ab7578/orig.mp4?Expires=1770436931&Signature=NWA3jhf~cq7wdgzqzJnVV6pderAwlM9WXR9T6jdute7WfilKRMyYhqqWFMd4nY3DSDn2RLCWIOpGVqwICdFUh-4~I52tDBByoK7aJEPyqWsjGvqk8QchqyCwuRr6WfJePOJ8NLeopaEdSEsEF83B-nOBR98Jo8gC38yPal6vq8AZRt-8DrcT6STZKEvNLx-1IRpk5FT9dZ~D76s-R~R0U4ouFbVM52ORjrwEJNxHaREaZoF6jhrYYvP2UXp350PuDYCjfseaXFg0CqGrvD-AV32ruYoCR~mVH-JPiiXA5NsdA~RFj9iVKBYN1mNDD5KWTYWMR59zsK3rFoXzlIz17g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Kenzie Bach, administrator of the Boston Housing Authority, briefed the council on the BHA’s city voucher program and capital plan, and described operational and program risks tied to federal funding uncertainty.

Bach told councilors the city voucher program currently serves 420 families — ‘‘a thousand and 4 total residents’’ — with an average monthly housing assistance per family of $2,262 and an average household income around $20,000. Bach explained the program’s initial emphasis on project‑based vouchers and timing mismatches between commitments and when new units come online had produced a temporary underspending that created a small reserve while buildings finish construction.

The nut graf: BHA leaders said city and federal voucher funding are tightly linked to affordable housing development and day‑to‑day landlord payments; they argued proposed federal changes could create far‑reaching consequences for tenants, landlords and the affordable housing pipeline.

Bach detailed capital work in the BHA pipeline including completed and upcoming projects at Charlestown (Building M and subsequent buildings), Mary Ellen McCormick redevelopment, Mildred Haley Buildings 1A and 1B and the Mildred Haley modernization phases, St. Botolph senior renovation, and a multi‑elevator modernization program that addresses reliability across the authority’s 100 elevators. She highlighted a Franklin Field geothermal project and larger ‘‘green and healthy homes’’ investments.

Bach and BHA staff warned that a White House budget proposal discussed publicly would cut rental assistance programs by 40% and said the local impact would be severe. Bach detailed the local scale of federally supported rental assistance: BHA houses about 18,000 families on federal vouchers and makes monthly payments to about 6,000 landlords. ‘‘That 40% cut…would be disproportionately cutting off 7,900 households from assistance, including almost 11,000 children,’’ Bach said, adding that such reductions would ripple through mortgage underwriting and building feasibility in the city.

Ending: BHA asked the council and regional partners to elevate the issue with the congressional delegation and to support local efforts to preserve vouchers and public housing funding. BHA officials said they are working to accelerate capital repairs and elevator modernization in the near term while monitoring federal developments.","The Boston Housing Authority described the city voucher program’s scale, capital projects in its pipeline and warned that a proposed 40% federal cut to rental assistance would remove aid for thousands of households and destabilize local housing markets.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6233854,"Mayor’s Office of Housing presents FY26 budget and warns federal HUD changes could threaten programs",1047,209000,1256000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3413731-b42fb04cd081dc6756f0667bb0a1cad9&start=209&end=1256","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3413731-b42fb04cd081dc6756f0667bb0a1cad9/thumbnail_209000.jpg","/articles/6233854/Boston-City/Suffolk-County/Massachusetts/Mayors-Office-of-Housing-presents-FY26-budget-and-warns-federal-HUD-changes-could-threaten-programs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6233854-233223b2fa244efe2f8b3ef7eee7004e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770436931&Signature=TZlyYLwQ-SDz6ZTuX2wFZ55FvVK79BJf5TZEn~HRbL8uw2b1z7RRHTdhITn10iNO8wIFRIk1DQ5oyG7fNg-nLBzlY9~PfP5abL23J1PAaAHB4kmWO9jKsHvVfdJSjiX64jcjKbugtOaJGfcAym60eVcXUnHZh92D~B~Lg-I6hfFz8iNKb2YVIXOXT4re-fuKnrAA4Kgimtj-zWVabkmg1cYt4r6528D4PN77gTC85GSMs6PIXjFJzOnnfkkpj5BoK5AdFjfAE20vphq2IIJqfaVe21B4pZr5jm6-hRb8z-CpT9ITOrRdehY2pQBGnuS01NvtHrwJc802oUSjaH1U7Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Sheila Dillon, chief of housing for the city and director of the Mayor’s Office of Housing, presented the office’s recommended FY26 operating budget and a summary of work completed in FY25, and said the office is preparing to sustain services despite federal uncertainty. ‘‘Last year, we permitted 816 new, income restricted units,’’ Dillon told the City Council committee, and the office is ‘‘targeting to permit over a thousand new affordable units’’ in FY26 based on its pipeline.

Rick Wilson, director of administration and finance at the Mayor’s Office of Housing, gave the numerical overview and said the FY26 recommended operating budget totals $52,100,000, ‘‘which is a decrease of 3,500,000.0 or 6.3% from our FY '25 budget.’’ He explained the reduction reflects the removal of one‑time investments and accounting changes, not cuts to staffing or core services.

The nut graf: City housing officials said that while Boston’s municipal funding and ARPA commitments have helped scale programs, most of MOH’s budget depends on external federal grants and other outside sources. Staff signaled that changes to HUD grant rules and the president’s federal “skinny” budget — which proposed eliminating or cutting several HUD programs — could undermine homelessness and affordable housing services unless federal allocations and legal challenges preserve current funding.

Wilson told councilors MOH expects about $97 million in HUD grants and another $52 million from other external sources in FY26, bringing the office’s external budget near $150 million. He also reported that MOH secured $48,000,000 in HUD Continuum of Care funding this year and said the city committed and is spending $237,000,000 from ARPA for housing projects.

On federal policy, Wilson said MOH joined other jurisdictions in litigation contesting new HUD grant terms and that the city obtained a temporary restraining order halting enforcement of those changes. ‘‘We were successful a few weeks ago in getting a temporary restraining order, prohibiting the administration from enforcing those terms,’’ Wilson said, and added MOH expects to continue advocacy with the congressional delegation if the federal budget framework proposed by the White House proceeds.

MOH also described program goals for FY26: placing approximately 1,000 people experiencing homelessness into permanent housing, serving more than 680 people living with HIV/AIDS, and housing at least 115 young adults. The presentation noted ongoing initiatives — from the Boston Home Center’s first‑time buyer support to Grow Boston’s urban agriculture projects and the Boston Energy Saver effort tied to Mass Save resources — that MOH said rely on steady external funding.

Ending: City housing officials urged continued municipal support and federal advocacy. Wilson told the council that if proposed federal cuts occur they will ‘‘severely impact our ability to create and preserve affordable housing’’ and asked councilors and partners to press congressional representatives and other stakeholders to protect HUD programs the city depends on.","Boston’s Mayor’s Office of Housing outlined a $52.1 million FY26 operating budget and said recent federal actions — and new conditions on HUD grants — risk funding for homelessness and housing programs unless challenged in court and by advocacy.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Urban agriculture advocates ask Boston to increase Grow Boston staff and grassroots funding to speed projects and add open space

Boston residents urge council to boost Acquisition Opportunity, city vouchers and community land trust funding

BHA outlines city voucher program, capital projects and warns proposed federal cuts would hit tenants and landlords

Mayor’s Office of Housing presents FY26 budget and warns federal HUD changes could threaten programs