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IBA Moves Forward in 2016

IBA Moves Forward in 2016

[caption id="attachment_4366" align="alignright" width="267"] IBA CEO, Dr. Vanessa Calderón-Rosado[/caption] As we continue into the New Year, we’re excited to see some of the progress being made, both here at IBA and more broadly in Boston to preserve affordable housing. First, we are thrilled to have been selected by the Boston Housing Authority to revitalize the West Newton/Rutland Streets project in the South End. This project is adjacent to Villa Victoria and consists of 146 units that we will upgrade over the next two years. Our plans include making improvements to both interior and exterior components, including kitchen, bathrooms, flooring, windows, building exteriors and common areas. We will also enhance the landscaping, perform upgrades to the heating and cooling systems and increase sustainability of the property to make it more energy efficient. We have begun meeting with residents to discuss the process and ensure that there is minimal disruption to their lives. It is exciting to watch our footprint expand in a neighborhood where we have been so deep rooted for many years, and we look forward to welcoming new residents into the IBA community! In other good news, it was encouraging to hear Mayor Walsh announce that Boston permitted over 1,000 units of affordable housing in 2015, more than any other year on record. This shows the progress that has been made in the city under his administration, and we are so proud to be a part of that. However, developing and preserving affordability continues to challenge much of Boston, which is among the costliest cities in the nation, and city officials are tackling this challenge head-on. In late 2015, Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced that he would nearly double the fees developers of market-rate housing must pay to create affordable housing units (if they do not provide affordable units in their buildings). The incentive is to provide the affordable units on-site, or at the least in the neighborhood where the project is developed, which aligns with President Obama’s call to increase economic diversity in costly neighborhoods across America. This is great news, but as expected, Mayor Walsh’s proposed changes to linkage fees were met with criticism from private developers and nonprofit developers, especially those in the designated Zone C of the plan, which includes the city’s Southern neighborhoods and much of East Boston. As the City moves to implement this policy, it will be important to closely monitor its impact across the neighborhoods. Of course, there is still much to be done. The city needs to revise its linkage policy, develop more college dorms and graduate student housing, and consider adopting the Community Preservation Act in Boston, which will add resources for the preservation of open spaces, and historic places, as well as the development of affordable housing. We look forward to working with stakeholders across the city to preserve and develop more quality affordable housing in the City of Boston. If you want to support IBA’s mission to protect affordable housing, promote diversity in our communities and empower residents, visit us at: /donate/...