As Boston deals with the consequences of expanding luxury housing, short term rentals choking the housing market, and rising rents across the board, Michael has been committed to taking action to keep people in their homes while creating new, affordable housing for working-class families around the city.
In 2015, Michael introduced an ordinance to strengthen the policies that require developers to set money aside for trusts that pay for affordable neighborhood housing. With development booming in Boston, Michael wanted to ensure that this wave of development did not leave behind low income and working-class Bostonians.
In 2017, Michael guided the Jim Brooks Act, dealing with Just Cause Eviction, through the Government Operations Committee. This ordinance went a long way towards giving tenants protections from predatory practices by their landlords looking to cash in on the development boom.
In 2018, Michael guided an ordinance regulating short-term rental units through the Government Operations Committee. The city was nearing a breaking point, with countless investors buying up rental units across the city to turn a profit on short-term rentals like Airbnb. The bill helped ease the impact of these practices on regular people trying to find an affordable apartment in the city.
In 2019, Michael guided a historic home rule petition to passage to improve our City’s Linkage and Inclusionary Development Policy. This legislation gives the City more flexibility to fund affordable housing and workforce training through Boston's Linkage program and codifies the Inclusionary Development Policy (IDP) into Boston's Zoning Code to protect the City's ability to create and fund income-restricted housing. The Home Rule Petition allows Boston to make adjustments to the required payment and program guidelines, including annual adjustments, allowing for Linkage to be more closely aligned with the market and offering additional opportunities for the creation of affordable housing and workforce development. Since 2014, the Linkage program has generated over $80 million to support affordable housing and job training from new development. In 2020 alone, new development approved by BPDA is expected to generate over $43.2 million in Linkage fees to support affordable housing, and over $8.5 million in Linkage fees to support job training programs. Since its inception in 1986, Linkage has generated more than $200 million for affordable housing and workforce training.
In 2020, Michael supported the passage of text amendment to add Affirmatively Fair Housing requirements to the Boston Zoning Code. The zoning amendment is part of the City's overall efforts to address discriminatory housing practices. Boston is the first major City in the nation to include fair housing in the zoning code. Michael also connected residents to rental and homeowner relief funds during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2021, Michael co-sponsored and passed a home rule petition that allows Boston to preserve and restore at-risk affordable housing at no cost to the City. The proposal applies to current or formerly HUD subsidized housing with "expiring use" restrictions, which, according to the Mayor’s Housing Report, includes about 3,000 apartments across the city. This proposal would help maintain affordable units in the city and discourage condo conversions of these homes, which often causes displacement of some of our most vulnerable populations.
As Boston becomes increasingly unaffordable, our elected officials need to make sure that families living in Boston can continue to raise their kids here and won’t face unjust evictions or skyrocketing rents. If elected to another term on the City Council, Michael Flaherty will continue to fight for affordable housing.
In 2015, Michael introduced an ordinance to strengthen the policies that require developers to set money aside for trusts that pay for affordable neighborhood housing. With development booming in Boston, Michael wanted to ensure that this wave of development did not leave behind low income and working-class Bostonians.
In 2017, Michael guided the Jim Brooks Act, dealing with Just Cause Eviction, through the Government Operations Committee. This ordinance went a long way towards giving tenants protections from predatory practices by their landlords looking to cash in on the development boom.
In 2018, Michael guided an ordinance regulating short-term rental units through the Government Operations Committee. The city was nearing a breaking point, with countless investors buying up rental units across the city to turn a profit on short-term rentals like Airbnb. The bill helped ease the impact of these practices on regular people trying to find an affordable apartment in the city.
In 2019, Michael guided a historic home rule petition to passage to improve our City’s Linkage and Inclusionary Development Policy. This legislation gives the City more flexibility to fund affordable housing and workforce training through Boston's Linkage program and codifies the Inclusionary Development Policy (IDP) into Boston's Zoning Code to protect the City's ability to create and fund income-restricted housing. The Home Rule Petition allows Boston to make adjustments to the required payment and program guidelines, including annual adjustments, allowing for Linkage to be more closely aligned with the market and offering additional opportunities for the creation of affordable housing and workforce development. Since 2014, the Linkage program has generated over $80 million to support affordable housing and job training from new development. In 2020 alone, new development approved by BPDA is expected to generate over $43.2 million in Linkage fees to support affordable housing, and over $8.5 million in Linkage fees to support job training programs. Since its inception in 1986, Linkage has generated more than $200 million for affordable housing and workforce training.
In 2020, Michael supported the passage of text amendment to add Affirmatively Fair Housing requirements to the Boston Zoning Code. The zoning amendment is part of the City's overall efforts to address discriminatory housing practices. Boston is the first major City in the nation to include fair housing in the zoning code. Michael also connected residents to rental and homeowner relief funds during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2021, Michael co-sponsored and passed a home rule petition that allows Boston to preserve and restore at-risk affordable housing at no cost to the City. The proposal applies to current or formerly HUD subsidized housing with "expiring use" restrictions, which, according to the Mayor’s Housing Report, includes about 3,000 apartments across the city. This proposal would help maintain affordable units in the city and discourage condo conversions of these homes, which often causes displacement of some of our most vulnerable populations.
As Boston becomes increasingly unaffordable, our elected officials need to make sure that families living in Boston can continue to raise their kids here and won’t face unjust evictions or skyrocketing rents. If elected to another term on the City Council, Michael Flaherty will continue to fight for affordable housing.
Paid for by The Committee to Elect Michael F. Flaherty