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Contact: Lydia Agro, Communications Director, 988-4109
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Mayor Thomas M. Menino was joined by Senator John Kerry, Congressman Michael Capuano, Boston Housing Authority Administrator Sandra Henriquez and BHA residents today to issue a strong condemnation of the proposed Department of Housing and Urban Development budget during a protest rally at the Charlestown housing development. Overall, the budget slashes public and assisted housing programs by more than $1 billion nationwide.
“The current Administration in Washington is walking away from the public housing residents in this nation,” said Mayor Menino. “The families living in our public housing communities need and deserve decent and safe housing. The federal government needs to step up to the plate and insure that these important initiatives are adequately funded.”
For the Boston Housing Authority alone, this means a more than $11 million cut in programs that affect public safety, capital improvements and youth services. The White House’s proposed budget cuts public housing capital funding by $700 million nationwide, a 25 percent reduction compared to the current fiscal year. This translates to a cut of $8.25 million in the BHA’s capital budget, which is used to undertake major renovations and physical improvements in public housing.
In addition, HUD’s budget eliminates the Public Housing Drug Elimination Program that provides the BHA with $3 million for police and youth services. Currently, the BHA employs 41 police officers and 22 staff that work directly with youth. These programs will be put in jeopardy if this funding cut goes through.
“These cuts would be devastating to the residents of public housing in Boston and are reflective of the federal government’s lack of support for public and affordable housing in this nation,” said BHA Administrator Sandra B. Henriquez. “If these cuts go through, they will severely impede our efforts to improve and preserve our public housing stock in a safe and effective way.”
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