COVID-19 & Churches: Essential Needs & Volunteer Coordination

Last updated May 13, 2020.

COVID-19 & Churches:

Essential Needs &

Volunteer Coordination

Essential needs

F O O D A C C E S S

Project Bread food resources guide

Information on Free Meals for Kids and Teens, Meals on Wheels, Food Pantries, and Project Bread's FoodSource Hotline  1-800-645-8333 (Monday-Friday: 8am-7pm & Saturday: 10am-2pm).

If you are unemployed because of COVID-19, you can apply for SNAP food benefits.

Some students’ families can receive Pandemic EBT cards to use for groceries.

Statewide list of food pantries & resources, by city & area

Food pantries and meal sites provide food directly to individuals, but food banks listed do not distribute food directly to individuals. Given the Pandemic, be sure to call to confirm information.

The Greater Boston Food Bank

Supplies food pantries and other programs providing food around greater Boston. They are in need of extra volunteers and financial donations.

If someone you know needs food, you can find locations of food pantry partners by entering the zip code on this webpage with map.

Food Resource Locations in Boston

Map and lists, including food pantries, free meal pick up sites for all youth and teens, free meal pick up sites for adults, and “Soup kitchens.” Call sites to confirm times and other current  information.

Call (617) 635-3717 or

Catalina Lopez-Ospina at (617) 635-2841

Free breakfast and lunch meals are available to all Boston children and youth while Boston Public Schools are closed.

Ethos - Meals for Older Adults (60+)

Ethos is providing meals for older adults through its Meals on Wheels program (617)- 477-6606 or take out meals available at their Community Cafe sites throughout the city.

L E G A L

Lawyers for Civil Rights

Provides information in English and Spanish on:

• employment and unemployment issues

• immigration concerns

• housing issues like the eviction moratorium and utility bills

• health insurance

• cash assistance

• and more

h o u s i n g

State Initiatives to help Renters  - Eviction Prevention and RAFT housing assistance- From the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development

Freeze and Moratorium on Evictions 

On April 20, 2020, Governor Baker signed into law legislation that imposes a temporary moratorium on evictions that goes beyond previous DHCD guidance. See web links for details.

Residential Assistance for Families in Transition

The RAFT program helps keep households in stable housing situations when facing eviction, foreclosure, loss of utilities, and other housing emergencies caused by loss of income, increase in expenses, or both. RAFT assists households of all sizes and configurations with financial assistance up to $4,000 per household to help preserve current housing or move to new housing. 

In Greater Boston, RAFT is administered by Metro Housing|Boston.

WORKERS & VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

H E A L T H C A R E

Boston Hope Medical Center

Mayor Walsh  would like to call attention to the need for healthcare providers, especially at the new Boston Hope Medical Center (at the Convention Center). Click HERE for more information on these jobs. Free accommodations and meals are provided. Please share with your networks and congregations.

MA Responds

Public health, health care, and emergency response volunteers can register to volunteer at MA Responds.  

F O O D A C C E S S

Boston Public Schools

Pack & deliver food for BPS students and families.

COORDINATING ORGANIZATIONS

Black Ministerial Alliance

The BMA resource webpage  includes a wide variety of basic information including  food distribution centers;  testing sites; information for tenants, homeowners, & landlords; information on financial assistance; legal assistance; and internet access.

Mass Council of Churches

MCC is gathering info from churches across the state with this form to learn what communities need and how churches can help.

Boston Cares

Boston Cares is coordinating volunteer opportunities such as packing and distributing meal for Boston Public School students at the distribution sites (schools). Click on the schools and then the specific days to find needs.

For other volunteer opportunities related to the Boston Public Schools, contact Miriam Rubin at mrubin2@bostonpublicschools.org. For donations of goods and services, contact Margaret Farmer (978) 729-7771 / mfarmer2@bostonpublicschools.org.

Neighborhood & Community Mutual Aid Networks

Communities sharing needs and serving neighbors in very practical ways.

• Allston Brighton Mutual Aid

• Cambridge Mutual Aid Network

• Dorchester Community Care Network

• East Boston Mutual Aid Eastie

• Jamaica Plain and Roxbury Mutual Aid

• The Roslindale Cares Network

• South Boston Neighborhood Aid

• South End Coronavirus Support

IDEAS

The Coronavirus Epidemic in Boston: Here’s How Christians Can Respond, from Unite Boston

INNOVATION

Faith Tech Christian Hackathon for COVID 19 Innovative Solutions

Between March 28th and April 4th, Faith Tech hosted an online Hackathon, unrestricted by geography and location. They built technological solutions to the problems local churches across the world are now facing. Check out the winning projects.

COVID-19 & Churches: Self Care & Mental Health

Last Updated May 1, 2020

COVID-19 & Churches: Self-Care & Mental Health

COPING

Resources on Depression, Anxiety and Counseling

Depression and Anxiety: symptoms and suggestions; Crisis hotlines; Christian counseling resources; and a teaching series, Jesus + My Mental Health. Compiled by Reunion Church.

Coping with Coronavirus Webinars

Dealing with daily stress, anxiety, and a range of other emotions. A series of four video webinars from Harvard Medical School by Dr. Luana Marques. Regulating emotions and building resiliency in the face of a pandemic.

CDC on Stress & Coping

The CDC web page on Daily Life and Coping has good general information on dealing with the mental strains and stress of the pandemic under the sub-section “Stress and Coping.”  It includes helpful information on how different people and age groups respond to stress and how to help reduce stress and anxiety for yourself, children, teens, first responders and those coming out of quarantine.

GRIEF & LOSS

Resources from Harvard Cru Staff Tammy and Pat McLeod, authors of Hit Hard.

Understanding & Help for Ambiguous Loss

Biblical & Theological Resources & Spiritual Practices for Ambiguous Loss

Conversations on Ambiguous Loss in a Pandemic

Contributions from Pat and Tammy McLeod, Harvard Chaplains for Cru, and Ron and Bonnie Sanders, Campus Ministers for Cru at Stanford.

POST-TRAUMA SUPPORT & HEALING

Corey Johnson Program - “Can We Talk” Conference Call

Experiencing stress or trauma during the coronavirus? “Can We Talk” is a weekly conference call every Thursday night, open to all.

Conference Call Line Instructions for CAN WE TALK:

Step #1: Dial: 1-929-436-2866

Step #2: Enter Meeting ID: 887995182#

Step #3: Press # to join the call. (There is no Participant ID)

EMOTIONAL SElf-Care TOOLS

Youper App

The free Youper app is helpful for taking a moment to yourself, saying how you feel, and connecting those feelings to what’s happening in your life. This simple act alone helps to right-size your feelings so you can take positive action. With Premium features, the app also asks you questions to help you explore, gain insight, reframe your thinking, and take positive steps. - Jess Mason, M.Div., EGC Applied Research & Consulting

COVID-19 & the Church: Leadership in Crisis & Change

Last Updated August 14, 2020

COVID-19 & the Church: Leadership in Crisis & Change

Church Leadership

9 Leadership Principles from an Interim Pastor to Get You Through a Crisis (Like COVID-19) - David Miles of Vital Church Ministry

COVID-19 Toolkit for Nonprofits and Ministries - a course from City Vision University

The course is designed to train leaders at nonprofits, NGOs and ministries on how to respond to the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic effectively and adapt to the financial crisis. This course builds on City Vision's experience working with thousands of nonprofits, NGOs and ministries in the past 20 years. We have also been curating the best COVID-19 resources and training from some of the best sources in the world.

Some of the other material covered includes:

• Nonprofit Government Grants, Loans, CARES Act & Other Legislation

• How to Maintain Healthy Relationships and Organizations in a Remote Work Environment

• Resources for Homeless Shelters & Organizations Serving High-Risk Clients During COVID-19

• COVID-19 Planning Toolkit for Nonprofit Leaders & Boards

• COVID-19 Nonprofit Fundraising Toolkit

• Leading through a Crisis, by John Maxwell

• Nonprofit Board Resources, Risk Management, HR & Legal Guidance

Non-Profit Leadership

Online Courses for Nonprofit and Ministry Leaders - free online courses from City Vision University

• Christian Community Development and the Social Justice Tradition

  • Learn how to apply principles of Christian community development and the social justice tradition to transform at-risk communities

• Christian Leadership in Diverse and Under-Resourced Communities

  • Learn how to use life reflection and leadership best practices to lead effectively in diverse and under-resourced environments

• Disruptive Innovation in Higher Education, Instructional Design & Program Design

  • Learn how to utilize disruptive innovation in higher education as well as instructional design and program design for online and blended programs

• COVID-19 Toolkit Course for Nonprofits and Ministries

  • Learn how to serve effectively and adapt to financial crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19 & Churches: Testing Sites

Last Updated April 20, 2020

COVID-19 & Churches: Testing Sites

PhysicianOne Urgent Care

COVID-19 testing available at all PhysicianOne Urgent Care locations, with drive-up option and contactless care. First, contact your healthcare provider.

Massachusetts Testing Sites

Do you need a test to determine if you may have COVID-19? The testing sites on this list are available by appointment only. If you believe you may need a test, first contact your healthcare provider. If he or she recommends that you should be tested, but their facility cannot offer the test, obtain a referral and contact one of the facilities listed.

COVID-19: Relationships, Marriage & Family

Last Updated April 13, 2020

COVID-19 & Churches: Relationships, Marriage & Family

DOMESTIC & Intimate Partner VIOLENCE (IPV)

Find a Local Service Provider

Jane Doe Statewide Map of Service Providers

For People Experiencing IPV

Hagar Sisters Resources

For Church Leaders Supporting Those Affect By IPV

Hagar Sisters - Help a Friend

For People Tempted to Use Violence

Emerge

Dealing with CONFLICT

Tips for Dealing With Family Conflicts While Living in Close Quarters – Jennifer Thomas

Family Bonding

10 Ways to Bond as a Family When Hunkered Down – Asheritah Ciuciu  

KIDS Learning At home

Home Learning Resource Guide for Children

Help for Homeschooling in a Crisis without Panicking 

A video from Jamie Erickson with practical advice from a Christian author, and experienced teacher and homeschooler, tailored to this new situation.

Free Amazon /Audible For Kids & Youth

You can now live-stream for free all audio books for children and youth, courtesy of Audible by Amazon.

Cry Out: New Music Video & Lyrics

Cry Out

This year, EGC’s annual urban ministry celebration was a bit different. Instead of a party, we sent out a gift. Straight from the heart and spirit of EGC’s creatives, this song and music video is for you to enjoy, reflect on, and share. Below you’ll find the video link, lyrics, and art photos.

Like the Christian leaders we serve, EGC is in a time of deep listening—to God and to other leaders—in this unexpected season of distancing and connecting, conserving and giving, caring and surviving.  Friends, may this song inspire you to cry out to God with all that you need, as you also hear the cries of those Jesus loves.

Music Video

Cry Out. Music and Lyrics by Caleb McCoy & Jaronzie Harris. Sound Production by Caleb McCoy. Video Directed & Edited by Elijah Mickelson. Videography by Giovanni "Fugi" Acevedo and Sue Murad. Behind the scenes Photography by Rosa with R9Foto. All precautions were taken in the filming of this video to ensure the health and safety of the artists, film crew, and Boston public.

Lyrics & Photos

CALEB

See I just wanna go on record

That this is never what I expected

Take away our pride and possessions and

It’s gonna beg the question, what is anybody left with?

What do you do in a pandemic?

Who takes the blame and who gets the credit?

Some will second guess it and others will get prophetic

Some sayin’ it’s the endin’, I think it’s a new beginning

We still have abundant life, we can live it up

But when Lord speaks we should listen up

And it shouldn’t take a virus that’s killing us

To think about the elderly, the poor, and the prisoners (that’s real)

It changed the whole world as we know it

But hopefully we can learn from this moment

We need beauty from artists and words from the poets

It’s time to dive deep, like the pearls in the ocean

I know you sad Sunday service is closing

But this the best time for the Church to be potent

How can we go serve the hurt and the homeless?

Do we really believe every curse can be broken?

I think we do, so let’s see it then

Some people need food, some will need a friend

Some people need a song, go and sing it then

This our prayer ‘til we meet again, that

We need perseverance through the pain

We need God to clear it when it rains

It’s only by the Spirit that we change

So let the people cry out



And God gave a command—it was, “Love one another”

Through the hard times enemies become brothers

The only thing certain is the God that’s above us

Let the people cry out

Jaronzie

We cry out in this world where calamity’s conjectured on a curve

We confront our own fragility

Raising up petitions and repenting on our bended knees

Seeking asylum from a sickness of a different breed

Shadow of death looming long on society

But servants of the Most High still trust in His authority

Who grasps the globe in His hands? Who is the King of Kings?

Holding all of our existence in supreme dexterity

Lifting up the cup of my salvation, calling urgently

Hoping that the God who formed creation will deliver me

Resting in His promise, drawing power from the NIV

Knowing that He’s faithful so I give Him this doxology

Chorus

We need perseverance through the pain

We need God to clear it when it rains

It’s only by the Spirit that we change

So let the people cry out

And God gave a command—it was, '“Love one another”

Through the hard times enemies become brothers

The only thing certain is the God that’s above us

Let the people cry out (So we all pray together)

ALL

Let the people cry out to you

Let the people cry out to you

Let the people cry out to you

Let the people cry out

Let the people cry out to You (for healing)

Let the people cry out to You (for breakthrough)

Let the people cry out to You (for deliverance)

Let the people cry out

The Word

When the righteous cry out for help,

The Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers them out of them all.

Psalm 34:17-19

About the Artists

Caleb McCoy

Caleb writes, performs, records, and shoots videos for Christian hip-hip through his ministry called OAK. His ministry also mentors other Christian hip-hop artists in Boston. Before the stay at home advisory, you could find Caleb ministering in schools, communities of youth at risk, and sold-out concert venues across the region. The OAK albums are available on Apple Music, Google Play, Spotify, and wherever albums are sold. Caleb also is EGC’s Development Manager and teaches the EGC 101 introduction to EGC’s city ministry.

Jaronzie Harris

Jaronzie is an educator, worship leader, playwright and director who uses research and the arts to unite communities and promote justice. She is currently a scholar in the Institute for the Study of the Black Christian Experience at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and the Research & Networking Associate at EGC for the Boston Black Church Vitality Project. Before the stay at home advisory, you could find Jaronzie meeting with Christian leaders across eastern Massachusetts to bolster youth programs and develop spiritual vitality through collaboration and the arts.

Elijah Mickelson

Elijah is a storyteller, pastor, and director. He serves as EGC’s director of communications helping churches and Christian leaders tackle the complexity of the urban environment. He is also the founder of the Filmmaker Collaborative. The purpose of the Filmmaker Collaborative is to build community, encourage one another in the creative process, and explore collaboration. Contact Elijah at emickelson@egc.org.

Rosa Cabán

Rosa Cabán is R9 Foto. Rosa is a photographer who uses the arts to bring influence to communities in need of God's love. She is currently serving on the creative team in the media department at Impact Church. Before the pandemic, you could find her cooking, hosting friends, and working on projects with other Kingdom artists.

EGC FILMS

COVID-19: Government Info & Resources

Last Updated March 25, 2020

COVID-19: Government Info & Resources

NATIONAL

Center for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC)

COVID-19 Info

English

Español

Haitian Creole

• Kisa pou fè si ou malad avèk maladi kowonaviris 2019 (COVID-19) (What to do if you are sick with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

• Sentòm maladi kowonaviris 2019 (SYMPTOMS OF CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019)

Other Languages

Guidelines for Faith-Based Organizations

State

Mass.gov

COVID-19 in Massachusetts

Boston

City of Boston - Boston.gov

The City of Boston COVID-19 page has information about closures and guidelines, a map of school food distribution sites, and provides COVID-19 fact sheets in English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole.

• City of Boston Health Line: 617-534-5050

• Social Media: Mayor Walsh (@Marty_Walsh), City of Boston (@CityOfBoston)

Boston Public Health Commission

https://www.bphc.org/

You can also refer to the BPHC for cleaning tips, prevention tips, and hand washing guidelines.

COVID-19: Churches & Schools

Last updated March 25, 2020

COVID-19: Churches & Schools

Churches can assist their families and neighbors in making sure students have laptops (free Chromebooks are being distributed), have internet access, and know how to use them to access online learning activities and resources from the Boston Public Schools.

Boston Public Schools

BPS COVID-19 Info Page

To request a Chromebook and get basic information on using one:

• https://www.bostonpublicschools.org/Page/8131

• Call (617) 635-9000

• http://www.bostonpublicschools.org/laptops

Funding Resources for Boston Public Schools Partners and non-profits

A number of charitable funds have been set up to respond to the Covid-19 Crisis. 

COVID-19 & Churches: Addiction Recovery

Last updated March 25, 2020

COVID-19 & Churches: Addiction Recovery

Celebrate Recovery

Crisis Response Open Share Groups online are being set up by leaders of current groups following certain guidelines. These are Christian 12 Step groups.

Alcoholics Anonymous

Most AA Recovery groups are not meeting now, but for a list of those which are meeting (meetings limited to 10 people) and for links to online Virtual AA groups, see the Boston Area AA website.

Narcotics Anonymous

New England area NA virtual online groups are available and listed by day of the week.

Healing Racial Trauma: Fresh Resources

Healing Racial Trauma: Fresh Resources

We at the Race & Christian Community Initiative (RCCI) at EGC would like to draw your attention to an essential upcoming book, Healing Racial Trauma: The Road to Resilience, by Boston area Christian counselor, speaker, and author Sheila Wise Rowe.

Racial trauma awareness—by both people of color and white people—is critical to healing our racial wounds and racial divides. Sheila’s newest book fills this crucial gap with an exploration of the reality and scope of racial trauma, along with interviews that honor real people’s paths toward resilience.

Sheila is the executive director of The Rehoboth House, an international healing and reconciliation ministry that provides counseling, spiritual direction, art therapy, retreats, and life coaching in Greater Boston and Johannesburg, South Africa. Spanning these two racism-charged settings in her work has yielded vital insights into racial trauma. In her 2018 article “Healing from Race-Based Trauma,” she shared poignantly about her journey from South Africa back to the US, when she observed more deeply the extent and impacts of race-based traumatic stress in the US.

In June of this year, RCCI was honored to welcome Sheila to give a keynote address on racial trauma at the RCCI Community Gathering & Fundraiser. There she explained the cycle of racism-based traumatic stress that people of color accumulate and carry with them daily. She challenged white people seeking racial reconciliation to understand and acknowledge racial trauma.

Watch brief clips from the 2019 RCCI keynote address:

SPECIAL OFFER

Pre-order Healing Racial Trauma: The Road to Resilience HERE and get 30% off with promotion code: OFFER20W. Offer good only until Monday, January 6, 2020!

You’re also invited to join Sheila at the Book Launch Party on Saturday, January 11! RSVPs are appreciated!

Take Action

Victims, Threats, Leaders: Uncovering Our Mental Models About Refugees

Victims, Threats, Leaders:

Uncovering Our Mental Models About Refugees

By Olivia Blumenshine

I asked Rev. Torli Krua, a Liberian refugee and Boston ministry leader, what assumptions Americans make about him after learning of his refugee status. He shared, “Sometimes when I speak, they say, ‘Oh! So you speak English! Ah, when did you learn that?’” The Americans’ surprise suggests they hold a “mental model” about refugees. 

A mental model is an assumption we make about how the world works—and a driving force behind how we act. Americans who are taken aback by Rev. Krua’s fluent English may hold a variety of mental models. They may believe that refugees come from non-English speaking countries, that refugees are uneducated, or that refugees don’t have the motivation or opportunity to learn English.

Some Americans might even believe that poor non-Westerners have a lower mental capacity than wealthy Americans or that refugees are lazy moochers who likely can’t be bothered to learn English. Our mental models are generally unconscious, meaning we are not readily aware of them, and they take work to uncover.

Some mental models are roughly accurate if oversimplified. Most current refugees do speak another language besides English as their native language, but Liberia happens to be an exception. When asked this question about his English skills, Rev. Krua responds, “Come on now! My country [Liberia] was started by the United States government!” 

But other mental models are misleading or wholly inaccurate. They’re rooted in misinformation, prejudice, trauma, or historical realities that are no longer true. 

Rev. Torli Krua (left), executive director of Universal Human Rights International, with fellow pastor Sam Boadu (right) at the 2018 fundraiser for the Greater Boston Refugee Ministry.

Mental models, which we form based on our limited information and experience, influence our reactions to the world every day—often without our awareness. Peter Senge, who first coined the term “mental model,” explains, 

Mental models can be simple generalizations, such as “people are untrustworthy,” or they can be complex theories, such as my assumptions about why members of my family interact the way they do.…But what is most important to grasp is that mental models are active—they shape how we act. If we believe people are untrustworthy, we act differently than we would if we believed they were trustworthy. — The Fifth Discipline, p. 164.

Uses & Limits of Mental Models

Everyone has mental models. Our brains are designed to gather and store information for quick retrieval to help us more quickly process the world around us. Our experiences thus shape our perspectives about the world and our place in it. But mental models can backfire—with harmful consequences—if they’re inaccurate or we’re unwilling to challenge them.

To uncover our mental models, we’ll need to engage our minds and spirits intentionally. We’ll need to push against our automatic brain process to identify our assumptions and their roots. 

Checks on our mental models can come from circumstances (where we gain insight into ourselves and the world), reading (which challenges our thinking), and especially through discussion with others. Because others hold diverse mental models due to their different life experiences, input from others is necessary and helpful for surfacing our mental models.

My Shift in Perspective

I have never been a refugee. When I started volunteering with the Greater Boston Refugee Ministry (GBRM) four years ago, I found that my perspective on refugees needed to be tested and refined. I had seen the photographs—emaciated people drifting in rafts or crouching in tents. From those images, I had formed the belief that refugees are people who needed saving—who aren’t able to protect themselves. 

Over the years, I have spent more time with people with a refugee background through my work with GBRM. In that time, I’ve learned that humans can endure intense pain and loss and still retain their generosity, hospitality, goodness, and strength. 

My mental models about refugees continue to evolve. I’m currently learning more about refugee innovation and leadership. I thank God that, by His grace, we are always learning and growing. 

Opening Reflection

As you begin to consider the mental models you may hold about refugees, you may find these questions helpful for your reflection:

1. When I think of the word ‘refugee,’ what images and feelings first come to mind?

2. What words and phrases do I associate with refugees?

3. What do these images, words, and feelings tell me about my perspectives on refugees?

4. How would I explain who a refugee is to someone else?

5. What information or experiences have led me to hold those perspectives?

6. Am I willing to test my mental models about refugees with updated information?

Hold on to these reflections as you consider the specific mental models in this article.

5 Mental Models ABOUT Refugees

I want to share just a few of the many ways I’ve observed Americans viewing refugees. As you read them, consider with which views you agree or disagree. For those you agree with, I encourage you to go deeper—ask yourself, What mental models are at the root of my perspective?

MENTAL MODEL #1: Refugees are victims.

When I first started volunteering with the Greater Boston Refugee Ministry, I was operating under the assumption that refugees are victims. My mind was filled with stories of people forced to flee their country under horrible circumstances. From those, I developed an image of people who are powerless to the harm they experience. 

Refugees have, in fact, experienced tremendous suffering at the hands of others. I soon learned, however, that the “victim” label falls short of describing the strength of mind, body, and spirit it takes to leave one’s home, community, possessions, and family to start a new life in a different land. 

If you see refugees as victims, how do you define “victim”? If you, like I, associate victimhood with helplessness and passivity, what might that mean for how you think and act towards refugees? 

Maybe you see refugees as people who need to be helped. Perhaps you see Americans, with their resources and social programs, as people who can provide that help. Here is where it can get ugly: where do we mentally draw the line between “needing help” and “being helpless?” When Americans see ourselves as rescuers and refugees as powerless, we reduce the value of both groups, limiting opportunities for creative collaboration and new initiatives.

To go further, why might Americans see ourselves as people in the position to rescue others? Maybe we have heard so many times that the United States is the greatest nation in the world, and we have grown to believe it without question. Perhaps our perceived authority to save is rooted in how we see our political structure or our material resources. Or, it may be rooted in the majority whiteness of our population and the privilege and assumed responsibility that comes with that.

Furthermore, some Americans also see refugees living in the US as needing rescue. They may think, If they couldn’t handle the pressures in their country, how will they manage life in the US without help?

If you find yourself identifying with any of these assumptions, to what extent does that lead you to believe that US citizens are responsible for ‘saving’ refugees? What, then, does that reveal about your view of US citizens’ role in the world? What does it say about your sense of American superiority or resilience?

Mental Model #2: Refugees are a drain on societies.

When we think of refugees as people who need help, we might assume there is nothing refugees can contribute in return. Many Americans are concerned that welcoming refugees to the US is too costly or that it will jeopardize Americans’ jobs. This assumption is not just untrue—it’s the opposite of true. For example,  welcoming refugees boosts national economies, according to a study by German economists Marcel Fratzscher and Simon Junker. However, in the present article, I am more concerned with the mental model that is the basis of this assumption. 

Seeing refugees as a burden reveals an underlying view that refugees are “other,” and therefore, their entitlement to resources and legal protection is different than that of native-born US citizens.

If you find yourself identifying with this assumption, ask yourself: Who do I believe is entitled to American resources, and why? Who belongs in the US? What gives them the authority to reside there? You may uncover a mental model that informs your perspective.

Mental Model #3: Refugees are terrorists. 

Americans consume media at an unprecedented rate, some of which contain images and information that helps create the generalization that refugee groups are full of terrorists. This assumption remains, even though the Cato Institute reports that of the near three million refugees admitted to the United States since 1980, no refugee has killed an American in a terrorist attack. 

By contrast, Americans don’t label all teenagers as terrorists, despite the many school shootings carried out by teenagers. Why, then, do Americans believe that refugees are more likely to be terrorists?

Data from Terrorists by Immigration Status and Nationality: A Risk Analysis, 1975 – 2017, by the Cato Institute, May 7, 2019.

If you hold the assumption that refugees are more likely to be terrorists, take a moment to identify its origin. When you think of the word ‘terrorist,’ what images first come to mind? What memories and feelings arise in you?

You may feel instinctive anger or fear toward people who match your image of a terrorist, and that could shape your perception of many people. Perhaps the Black or Brown people coming to the US—sometimes with head coverings—remind you of the faces, clothing, or head coverings of terrorists you have seen in the media. 

We often overgeneralize based on appearances, especially in situations of fear or threat. If you agree with the view of refugees as likely terrorists, perhaps the way the government or media presents information confirms what you already believed about who is a threat to US safety. 

Mental Model #4: Refugees are far away and not our problem. 

When hearing about refugees fleeing from far-off conflicts, many American Christians may feel a moment of sympathy before returning to their daily concerns. If you think of refugees as belonging to a distant reality from American Christians, why do you think that is? 

The traumatic ordeals that many refugees have undergone are so far outside the experience of most Americans that it makes it hard for us to empathize fully. We might then develop a mental model about the “otherness” of refugees, where the injustice done to them does not affect us.

Country-to-Country Net Migration, snapshot taken October 22, 2019 from “All the World’s Migration in 1 Map”.

The reality is that war and displacement can happen anywhere, and our empathy for refugees is directly related to our capacity to acknowledge this vulnerability. Many refugees lived in places that were once peaceful, and they struggle to understand what has happened to their community. 

Some Americans have difficulty picturing an interrelated world where the problems of one nation also belong to others. In truth, we are more interdependent than we like to think. In acting in its immediate interests, the US has sometimes contributed to instability around the world. 

For example, Rev. Krua mentioned above the founding of Liberia by the US government. He elaborated, “Liberia was founded unlawfully through the American Colonization Society (ACS) by high-ranking American government officials who were slaveholders and white supremacists. Using American taxpayers’ money and the United States Navy, they colonized Liberia with Black Americans and mixed-race Americans to prevent a slave revolt.”

What do such realities say about our responsibility to accept and support refugees displaced by the ensuing chaos? What is the US’ duty, for example, to Liberian refugees who continue to be denied work permits over 16 years after they arrived in the US accompanied by US soldiers?

If refugees feel like far-away “others” to you, you might wish to learn more about refugees in Massachusetts who contribute to our local communities. Pay attention to what surprises you about this information. Consider what mental models you hold and how the current data helps you update those mental models.

Mental Model #5: Refugees are survivors & leaders.

American Christians who consider the resourcefulness of refugees begin to see them as resilient, agile innovators—people who can survive, succeed, and lead. Rev. Krua defines refugee leadership as “a leadership that adapts to the circumstances around itself. It’s a leadership that looks to the future. So it’s a resilient leadership—and I think it’s necessary leadership.” 

Photos from GBRM Refugee Entrepreneurs Gathering, June 10, 2017.

While this positive image of refugees is still a simplification (as all mental models are), in my experience, it better captures the truth about this remarkable population. If we imagine the ingenuity and grit needed to make a new home, we grow in understanding and respect.

Photo from the 2018 GBRM Fundraiser Party.

Learn More

About the Author

Olivia Blumenshine worked a dual internship at EGC during the summer of 2019, serving both as a writing intern in Applied Research & Consulting and a ministry intern with Greater Boston Refugee Ministry. Originally from Greater Boston, she is a double major in English and Anthropology at Washington University in St. Louis. She loves experimenting with the power of story to connect people across cultures and backgrounds.

The Good You All Are Doing: Youth Research & Community Dialogue

The Good You All Are Doing

Youth Action Research Sparks Community Dialogue in Lower Roxbury

By Elizabeth McColloch

Youth who know how to ask the right questions of their community have the power to make a positive difference in the city. With knowledge of their community’s history and some innovative thinking, young people from the Lower Roxbury area of Boston are contributing to the growing conversation and action around Boston’s housing and development crisis. The 2019 Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) project connected young people from the Lenox/Camden neighborhood with mentors to foster neighborhood unity in the face of gentrification and its local impacts. 

Video by Malcolm Thomas.

Unlike many nearby neighborhoods, the Lenox/Camden neighborhood of Boston struggles to build cohesive activism. The many housing developments in the area are each run by different management companies. Furthermore, the Lenox/Camden neighborhood has no common space to bring people across housing developments together. There is no neighborhood association for the area, as the housing developments mainly focus on serving their residents.

Thus, collaboration—and even communication—between businesses, individuals, and groups in the neighborhood poses a severe challenge. To face this challenge, the youth of the 2019 YPAR project focused their research on building neighborhood unity by learning from senior citizens about this community’s past.

About Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR)

Since 2017, EGC’s Boston Education Collaborative (BEC) has worked with Lenox/Camden area organizations to oversee Youth-led Participatory Action Research (YPAR) projects. According to YPAR Hub, the YPAR model is “a cyclical process of learning and action. Research is done not just for the sake of it but to inform solutions to problems that young people themselves care about.” The project model empowers youth to develop “skills in inquiry, evidence, and presentation” to become “agents of positive change.”

The 2019 YPAR project, called “Learning from the Past to Build a Stronger Future” project, the team focused on learning from senior citizens in the community. The project was the brainchild of the late Brent Henry, a beloved community leader who passed away suddenly in April. 

In 2012, Henry co-founded Vibrant Boston, a drop-in after school program intended to provide community and support to children and youth to pursue their unique dreams. Through Vibrant Boston, he served and loved students and families selflessly and wholeheartedly for many years. He was a mentor, father-figure, and positive role model to the children and youth involved with Vibrant Boston.

For the YPAR projects, Henry collaborated with the BEC, who added research support, resources and project oversight, and Crosstown Church, who provided a facilitator and other project needs. Vibrant Boston recruited local youth and community participants for the project.

The local partnering organizations are all connected through the Melnea Cass Network, a collaboration that began in 2016 with the mission of “ending youth poverty and violence one neighborhood at a time.” For the 2018 YPAR project, 11 youth explored neighborhood opinions and experiences about education, poverty, drugs, violence, and employment in the Lenox/Camden community. 

For the 2019 project, the team focused on building neighborhood unity. Melany Arevalo (BEC intern), Malcolm Thomas (CrossTown Church member), and Ruth Wong (BEC director) partnered to train eight local youth in community research methods, facilitate discussions with elderly community members, and inspire community action. Throughout the YPAR experience, dialogue between the young people and seniors in the neighborhood meant fruitful exchanges of reflections, advice, and shared aspirations for the future of the community. 

COMMUNITY PRESENTATION & Dialogue

Eight young people from Lower Roxbury persevered through a six-month research journey filled with challenges and setbacks. In the end, they, along with Ruth Wong and Malcolm Thomas, hosted community meetings to share their research findings. 

The events, held at St. Augustine & St. Martin’s Church on June 26 and Mandela Residents Cooperative Association on June 29, consisted of a formal presentation followed by a question and answer session. The audience included project partners, the seniors interviewed for the project, and other community members. Lengthy question and answer sessions created space for honest dialogue between youth and members of the community. 

The atmosphere was respectful and engaging, with both groups desiring to learn from one another. One participating senior expressed appreciation for the opportunity: “We never hear about the good you all are doing!” 

View Presentation Slides

What the Youth Learned

Students asked seniors a variety of questions about the Lenox/Camden community. Topics included the community’s level of connectedness, positive qualities, challenges, safety, sources of tension among residents, and transitions the neighborhood has experienced. They also asked the seniors for reflections and suggestions for improving neighborhood unity. 

The young researchers learned from their assessment that seniors have mixed feelings toward their community. Some seniors said they felt connected to the Lenox/Camden neighborhood through church and neighborhood groups, while others pointed to gentrification as a catalyst for division and decreasing involvement in the community. While all respondents felt a general sense of safety, they expressed frustration at the tensions that have emerged from rising housing prices, transient college students, and gang violence. 

Community Input

Community members offered suggestions for building neighborhood unity, including: 

• encouraging people to attend community events

• creating meeting spaces for both the youth and seniors

• improving respect for elders

• increasing police engagement with residents.

One senior also proposed the need for a “positive mission.” She explained, 

I have thought about the one thing that this territory could unite around. When people get united, it seems to be about anti-gentrification, which I think is legitimate, but it’s not a winning strategy. It’s a negative strategy. If you go to war with somebody and defeat them, then that’s what you’ve done. You’ve defeated them. But you haven’t done anything for yourself. So I’m hoping that at some point we will figure out how to develop something that we can all get behind that will help us all to thrive.

During the second presentation, discussion arose regarding the significant role a community center could play in bridging divides and addressing loneliness among younger and older generations. A community center is one example of a positive mission—something to fight for, rather than to fight against.

Seniors also offered life advice to youth, such as: 

• Hold onto a “taste of home” wherever you go.

• React with a positive attitude toward others, even in the face of ignorance and prejudice.

When asked what the youth learned throughout the research process, one student responded, “Senior citizens have good advice. They know a lot about the community, and they should get more credit for what they give.” 

Another youth added, 

I thought this community was taking care of its senior citizens, but I guess not. Based on what they were saying, they’re not getting the support they need. And that is kind of odd to me because I thought they would prioritize them because they have certain needs to be met.

Youth Action

Throughout the presentation and in the question and answer session, students also discussed action steps they would take as a result of their findings:

1. They dedicated themselves to honoring Henry’s legacy through their work.

2. They agreed to help coordinate activities at a “Shawmut Avenue Community Day.” One of the seniors proposed the event, and the young people committed to plan it with the support of several churches, Mandela Homes, and neighborhood residents.

3. They planned to organize a Bingo night for seniors, responding to the seniors’ frustration about the isolation their generation feels in the community.

Much work remains to be done in the Lenox/Camden community to build neighborhood unity in the face of deep-rooted city issues. The YPAR project youth took concrete steps in that direction: they created opportunities for constructive community discussion, and they participated in community-led solutions.

About the Author

Elizabeth McColloch is a junior at Boston College, studying Operations Management, with minors in International Studies and Public Health. She interned with EGC’s Applied Research and Consulting division in the summer of 2019, where she loved learning about the Lord’s heart for justice through the work of her and her colleagues.

Power Dynamics in Multicultural Congregations

God’s Word gives us a beautiful vision for multiracial community (Rev. 7:9). This vision, however, is challenging and complicated to live out in practice. Broken power dynamics is just one of the ways that the sin of racism can show up in the Church. Research reveals that, even well-intentioned congregations can perpetuate inequitable power dynamics, instead of the mutuality and reciprocity God intends for the body of Christ.

Take time to learn how power dynamics make a difference in the life of multiracial congregations. While getting people together across racial lines is a first step, more work is needed to nurture a healthy and authentic community.

Wrestling with Inequitable Power Dynamics

The Elusive Dream: The Power of Race in Interracial Churches - Kori Edwards' groundbreaking research explains how and why multiracial congregations tend to conform to the White ways of doing things instead of creating a more inclusive community.

Having identified the problem, Edwards didn't stop there. She is now working on the Religious Leadership Diversity Project that is helping us understand the type of leadership and qualities needed to lead a genuinely integrated multiracial church.

Why Do Multi-ethnic Churches Fail? - Check out this brief Pass the Mic podcast where Jemar Tisby and Pastor Earon James get real about why multi-ethnic churches fall short of God's intention. Spoiler alert: It has to do with inequitable power dynamics.

Multiethnic Churches: A Foretaste of Heaven or Bulwark of White Supremacy ? - Listen to the ladies of Truth's Table, a podcast for Black women by Black women, discussing in a 4-part series if multiethnic churches are a foretaste of Heaven or bulwark of White supremacy. If you haven't wrestled with this question, these conversations will get you thinking.

Working Toward Authentically Integrated Multiracial Community

Intercultural Churches: Moving Beyond Mere Statistical Expression of Multi-ethnicity - Intercultural congregations are those that attend to power dynamics and work to make sure that no one culture dominates, but that cultures interact in mutual and reciprocal ways. Check out an article expressing Rev. Dr. Nam-Chen Chan's vision for such communities and offering steps to make this vision a reality.

Continuum on Becoming a Multiracial and Multicultural Church - Explore these handouts from McSpadden's "Meeting God at the Boundaries" that offers perspective on the journey of moving from lack of cultural awareness to becoming a multi-cultural church.

The Color of Church: A Biblical and Practical Paradigm for Multiracial Churches - Hear from Rodney Woo, former Pastor of one of the nation's most successful multiracial congregations, on how to develop healthy and biblically-based multiracial churches.

One Body, One Spirit: Principles of Successful Multiracial Churches - Check out George Yancey's short and sweet book on principles for leading a successful multiracial church. Do note, however, that Yancey's research on worship has been qualified and expanded by Gerardo Marti in A Mosaic of Believers. If you're interested in worship in multiracial congregations, be sure to explore Marti's more updated and nuanced work.

Courage for Troubled Times: The Surprising Power of Hymn Poetry

Courage for Troubled Times

The Surprising Power of Hymn Poetry

By Rev. Dr. Dean Borgman

Dear friends, in my distress concerning our country’s political turmoil, I’ve often felt anxious and confused. For this reason, I’ve found myself drawing back from discussing “the elephant in the room,” as many Americans do when we face opposing opinions in our families, workplaces, and churches. What then can I and other followers of Jesus Christ do with our feelings?

The Apostle Paul suggests encouraging ourselves and one another “with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” (Ephesians 5:19). As I confront this new political climate, I look to these forms of poetry for the inner peace which leads to godly action. 

I’d like to acquaint you with some hymns that may be unfamiliar to you. The best hymns combine sociopolitical laments with personal emotions, confessions, and spiritual hope. I find that reading them as poems allows me to take in and soak up their richness of spiritual comfort and inspiration.

god moves in a mysterious way

William Cowper’s life was described by biographer John Piper as “one long accumulation of pain.” Cowper came to faith in the asylum at St. Albans when he happened to pick up a Bible in the garden. After this experience, Cowper was forced to reconcile a life marked by death and mental illness with the goodness and sovereignty of God.

God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform.

He plants His footsteps in the sea and rides upon the storm. 

Deep in unfathomable mines of never-failing skill,

He treasures up his bright designs and works His sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take—the clouds you so much dread

are big with mercy and shall break in blessings on your head. 

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, but trust Him for His grace.

Behind a frowning providence He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast, unfolding every hour.

The bud may have a bitter taste, but sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err and scan His work in vain.

God is His own interpreter and He will make it plain.

Reflection Questions

• As you take your time to read Cowper’s hymn, what most resonates with you?

• In a world and life like Cowper’s—and ours—in what ways do God and God’s actions often seem mysterious?

• How do you see our Creator and Redeemer becoming His own interpreter amidst our cultural chaos?

God is working his purpose out

In writing the refrain of “God Is Working His Purpose Out,” scholar Arthur Campell Ainger drew inspiration from Habakkuk 2:14: “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of God, as the waters cover the sea.” It, too, speaks to trying times.

God is working his purpose out as year succeeds to year.

God is working his purpose out and the time is drawing near.

Nearer and nearer draws the time, the time that shall surely be

when the earth shall be filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea.

From utmost east to utmost west wherever feet have trod,

by the mouth of many messengers goes forth the voice of God:

'Give ear to me, ye continents, ye isles, give ear to me,

that the earth may be filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea.’

What can we do to work God's work, to prosper and increase

the love of God in all mankind, the reign of the Prince of peace?

What can we do to hasten the time, the time that shall surely be,

when the earth shall be filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea

March we forth in the strength of God, with the banner of Christ unfurled,

that the light of the glorious gospel of truth may shine throughout the world.

Fight, we that fight with sorrow and sin to set their captives free,

that the earth may be filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea.

All we can do is nothing worth unless God blesses the deed;

vainly we hope for the harvest-tide till God gives life to the seed.

Yet nearer and nearer draws the time, the time that shall surely be

when the earth shall be filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea.

Reflection Questions

• Do you ever feel yourself asking with Habakkuk, “Why, God? How can you stand by while such things happen?”

• What do you do when you feel this way?

• What possibilities for action does this hymn offer to you, even when you feel directionless?

once to every man & nation

Concerned about slavery and the impending Mexican-American War, professor and abolitionist James Russell Lowell penned “The Present Crisis” early in his career. This poem later became “Once to Every Man & Nation,” and as a hymn retains its message about social responsibility. Though the gender-exclusive language is dated, what can we take from this 1845 hymn to use in our own lives?  

Once to every man and nation comes the moment to decide

In the strife of truth and falsehood, for the good or evil side.

Some great cause, some great decision, offering each the bloom or blight,

And the choice goes by forever 'twixt that darkness and that light.

Then to side with Truth is noble when we share her wretched crust

‘Ere her cause bring fame and profit, and 'tis prosperous to be just.

Then it is the brave man chooses while the coward stands aside

Till the multitude make virtue of the faith they had denied.

By the light of burning martyrs, Christ, Thy bleeding feet we track, 

Toiling up new Calv'ries ever with the cross that turns not back. 

New occasions teach new duties, ancient values test our youth. 

They must upward still and onward who would keep abreast of truth. 

Though the cause of evil prosper, yet the truth alone is strong.

Though her portion be the scaffold and upon the throne be wrong. 

Yet that scaffold sways the future, and behind the dim unknown 

Standeth God within the shadow, keeping watch above His own.

Reflection Questions

• What stands out to you from this hymn? In what ways is it different from the earlier two?

• How are we as Christians asked to follow Jesus, carrying our crosses up “new Calvaries”?

• What does Truth mean to you? Do you think that this is a moment when all Americans must decide about Truth?

In conclusion

Although changing our world is an enormous task, encouraging ourselves and others with psalms and hymns is a doable first step. Can you give yourself some time daily or weekly to devote to songs like these? 

As you do, may this powerful poetry lift your spirit and give you the courage to cooperate with our Father, who is fulfilling our prayer that God’s Kingdom might come to this world.

Boston Housing: Facts and Resources

Editor’s note: This resource was updated with the most recent research in May 2022.

Boston Housing: Data & Resource Guide

by Rudy Mitchell, Senior Researcher

Housing remains a critical and controversial community issue in Boston.

In the “Boston Housing Facts and Resources” guide below, we have compiled a list of resources with the latest information on housing data and plans, demographics, innovative models, organizations working in housing-related justice, and the mayor's Housing Innovation Lab.

Boston Housing Facts and Resources

Basic Facts

• Total number of housing units in Boston: 301,702 (2020 Decennial Census)

• Occupied units: 91.5% (276,057)

• Vacant units: 8.5% (25,645)

• Rental vacancy rate: less than 3%

• Owner-occupied units in Boston: 96,502 (35.3%) (2016-2020 ACS 5 yr. est)

• Renter-occupied units in Boston: 176,686 (64.7%) (2016-2020 ACS 5 yr. est)

• Over 50% of Boston housing units were built in 1939 or earlier.

• The percentage of owner-occupied housing increased from 33% in 2012 to 35.3% in 2020.

• BPDA Board Approved Projects in 2021

  • Number of new Residential Units: 6,555

  • Number of new On-site Income Restricted Housing Units: 2,366

• In Boston, the median owner-occupied home value was $581,000 in 2020, up from $395,000 in 2010 — an increase of $186,000.

• In Greater Boston in April 2022, the median price for a single-family home hit $845,000, and the median price for a condo rose to $716,500, according to the Greater Boston Association of Realtors.

• In Massachusetts, prices of single-family homes increased 28% between 2019 and 2021. (Kara Miller, Boston Globe, 12 May 2022).

• Over 40% of renters pay more than 35% of their household income for gross rent.

Boston Housing Authority (BHA)

• Kate Bennett, administrator

• (617) 988-4000

“In total, BHA currently owns and/or oversees approximately 12,623 rental units of public housing in Boston and houses more than 25,000 people under the public housing program. BHA owns 63 housing developments. Of the 63 developments, 36 are designated as elderly/disabled developments and 27 are designated as family developments. Three of the 27 family developments have elderly/disabled housing on site and one of the elderly developments has designated units for families.

In addition to housing developments, BHA administers approximately 11,469 rental assistance vouchers, otherwise known as Tenant-Based Section 8 vouchers, that allow families to rent in the private market and apply a subsidy to their rent. A similar state program assists an additional 700 households. With this assistance, residents are able to pay approximately 30-40 percent of their income toward rent, and BHA pays the remainder. BHA helps provide housing to approximately 29,000 people under these programs. In addition, BHA provides subsidies to more than 2,100 households under its Section 8 Project-Based Voucher and Moderate Rehabilitation programs as well.”

Overall, the BHA is involved in assisting almost 60,000 people.

Finding Affordable Housing

The City of Boston website listing new and existing affordable housing units also has the link to sign up for the MetroList through which you can receive up-to-date information on new housing opportunities as well as housing programs and events. Some other resources for finding housing include the following Boston City webpages:

• www.bostonplans.org/housing/finding-housing

• www.bostonplans.org/housing/finding-housing/more-housing-resources

Resources

The Boston Foundation

The 2021 Greater Boston Housing Report Card recommends:

• Build on recent legislative momentum around zoning and housing production by legalizing small-scale multifamily housing and expanding the mandate for multifamily zoning in MBTA communities.

• Improve the quality and frequency of transit service, both to better serve transit-dependent populations and to better support new or planned housing development.

• Advance housing equity by making local inclusionary zoning policies more universal and more effective and by advancing state and local policies that limit displacement.

• Advance building techniques and strategies with great potential to reduce housing production costs.

City of Boston

Housing Boston 2030

Released in 2014, Housing a Changing City: Boston 2030 was former Mayor Marty Walsh’s original housing plan.

Housing Boston 2030: 2018 Update

By 2018, the original 2014 Housing plan was revised to account for the greater population growth that was being projected by 2018 and thus a need for even more new housing.

2020 Annual Report for HOUSING BOSTON 2030

According to the report, 3,300 new housing units were permitted in 2020, which included 1,023 income-restricted units.

In 2019, 40,933 students were living on campus or in university-provided housing, 9,917 lived off-campus in their family home, and 36,288 lived off-campus and not at home. 5,245 new beds were completed or were in the process of being built by 2020.

Quarterly Housing Progress reports on Housing a Changing City: Boston 2030

• Boston 2030 includes quarterly reports for 2015 through 2018.

City of Boston Department of Neighborhood Development

• 26 Court St., 8th & 9th Floors, Boston, MA 02108-2501

• neigborhooddevelopment.dnd@cityofboston.gov

• 617-635-3880

• The Department of Neighborhood Development works with communities to improve Boston’s neighborhoods through investing public resources. Its main jobs are to create housing options, support tenants, foster homeownership, end homelessness, and manage the City’s real estate.

Imagine Boston 2030 Housing Goals

• General goal: Reduce housing cost burden for Bostonians.

  • Decrease portion of low- and middle-income households that are severely housing-cost burdened.

• Initiatives to encourage housing production, increase affordable housing options, and reduce displacement. The city seeks to:

  • Work to increase overall housing supply.

  • Deploy a suite of tools to support the preservation of affordable housing citywide.

  • Pursue policies that encourage the production and maintenance of deed-restricted low-, moderate-, and middle-income housing.

  • Aspire to higher levels of affordability in geographies where this is feasible.

  • Stabilize housing and reduce displacement. (The City established the Office of Housing Stability to prevent evictions, foreclosures, and displacement.)

  • Partner with neighboring municipalities to identify and consider regional solutions to housing challenges.

  • Support homeownership by: › Assisting moderate- and middle-income Bostonians to purchase and maintain their first home through a variety of homebuyer and homeowner programs including prioritizing pathways to homeownership for tenants.

Community Preservation Act

A significant amount of money is now available from this tax supplement.

• Thadine Brown, director, THADINE.BROWN@BOSTON.GOV

• 617-635-0545

Churches may apply for Community Preservation Funds (with some limitations). Examples: Charles St. AME, Roxbury Presbyterian, and Second Church in Dorchester. Grants will be made available for three types of initiatives or projects:

1. Affordable housing

2. Historic preservation

3. Parks, outdoor recreation, and open spaces

The Mayor’s Housing Innovation Lab

It seeks to increase housing affordability by testing innovative housing models and accelerating the pace of innovation in the housing sector.

• 26 Court St., 11th Floor, Boston, MA 02108-2501

• HOUSINGILAB@BOSTON.GOV

• 617-635-0259

Projects of the Housing Innovation Lab:

1. Plugin House Initiative: The Plugin House demonstrates the possibilities of backyard homes and smaller living to provide housing affordable to all.

2. Housing with Public Assets: Could building housing on top of, or next to, city buildings, such as libraries and community centers, benefit our communities?

3. Intergenerational Homeshare Pilot: We’re offering affordable housing to graduate students while helping local homeowners and communities. This plan aims to encourage age-friendly development in the City. We’re also exploring different housing options in communities through a “Homeshare” network. This network matches older homeowners with extra rooms to rent to people who need to rent a room. This uses the Nesterly housing app.

4. Additional Dwelling Unit Pilot: This pilot program seeks to streamline the process for homeowners looking to create an additional unit. This 18-month pilot program allows owner occupants in East Boston, Mattapan, and Jamaica Plain to carve out space within their homes to create smaller, independent units, known as Additional Dwelling Units (ADUs). The program aims to help homeowners take advantage of the existing space in their homes, which can help people age in place and prevent displacement.

5. Urban Housing Unit Roadshow: Through our interactive exhibit, we heard from the Boston community about what they think about compact-size living units. The Urban Housing Unit was a compact apartment on wheels. The Housing Innovation Lab took it from downtown Boston to Roslindale, Mattapan, Dorchester, Roxbury, and East Boston. The 385 square-foot, one-bedroom unit was modular and fully furnished. Evidence shows that smaller, modular units can be built much cheaper than traditional housing.

6. Housing Innovation Competition: The Lab asked development teams to propose innovative compact living designs. The goal of the competition was to show that small, affordable family units are feasible. The competition took place from November 2016 to June 2017. This wasn’t just an ideas competition. The subjects of the competition were five city-owned properties in the Garrison Trotter neighborhood in Roxbury. The winning proposals in the competition would be built there.

7. Density Bonus Pilot Program: This pilot initiative allowed developers in the program to increase the height or floor area of their units. In exchange, they would restrict the income on a percentage of their residential units. The City created new density bonus zoning for the Strategic Planning Areas of PLAN: JP/Rox and PLAN: Dot Ave. This seeks to increase the number of affordable housing units.

8. Simplifying the Homebuying Process: After research with recent first-time homebuyers, the Housing Innovation Lab developed a framework to better support first-time buyers through the complex process. This framework keeps in mind the unique paths different individuals take in buying a house. The results were put into use by the Boston Home Center.

The Boston Home Center

• 26 Court St., 9th Floor, Boston, MA 02108

• 617-635-4663

The Boston Home Center is the City’s one-stop-shop for homebuyers and homeowners. The Boston Home Center helps Boston residents purchase, improve, and keep their homes. We offer training, financial help, and counseling to first-time homebuyers, guidance and funding for homeowners for home improvements, and counseling to help families avoid foreclosure. The Home Center also markets homes developed for income-eligible, first-time homebuyers. The website also has information on current home-buying lottery drawings for income-eligible families.

Other Organizations

Boston Neighborhood Community Land Trust

• 550 Dudley St., Roxbury, MA 02119

• (617) 237-6015

• Meridith Levy, executive director, mlevy@bnclt.org

Mission: “Boston Neighborhood Community Land Trust works to combat displacement and racial injustice by creating permanently affordable, community-controlled housing in the Boston area, with a specific geographic focus on Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan. BNCLT builds neighborhood stability, housing equity, and community strength among low- and moderate-income residents most at risk of displacement; and through the collective strength of partners working toward a shared, equitable, and just future.”

Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance (MAHA)

• 1803 Dorchester Ave., Dorchester MA 02124

• 617-822-9100

• Symone Crawford, executive director

MAHA’s mission is to educate and mobilize to increase affordable homeownership opportunities, break down barriers facing first-time and first-generation homebuyers, and close the racial-wealth and homeownership gaps.

The Massachusetts Housing Partnership (MHP)

• 160 Federal St., Boston, MA 02110

• 617-330-9955; Toll-Free 877-MHP-FUND

A statewide public nonprofit affordable housing organization that works in concert with the Governor and the state Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) to help increase the supply of affordable housing in Massachusetts.

See also the MHP One Mortgage Program.

Massachusetts Area Planning Council (MAPC)

• 60 Temple Place, Boston, MA 02111

• 617-933-0700

The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) is the regional planning agency serving the people who live and work in the 101 cities and towns of Metropolitan Boston. Its mission is to promote smart growth and regional collaboration. Its regional plan, MetroFuture, guides its work as it engages the public in responsible stewardship of the region’s future.

MAPC recently released a new long-range regional plan for Greater Boston, called MetroCommon 2050.

The housing chapter of this plan recommends these goals:

Homes for Everyone

• Ensure that people of all races and income levels have equal access to affordable housing through homeownership and rental opportunities.

• Ensure adequate protections against displacement for communities and residents of color, low-income communities, and renters.

• Accelerate the production of diverse housing types, particularly deed-restricted affordable housing, throughout the region.

The Planning Council produced an influential report on projected population and housing trends: Reardon, Tim, and Meghna Hari. “Population and Housing Demand Projections for MetroBoston,” 2014.

“To help the region and its communities plan for a changing and uncertain future, MAPC has prepared projections of population change, household growth, and housing demand for Metro Boston and its municipalities. ... More than 400,000 new housing units — mostly multifamily, and mostly in urban areas — will be needed by the year 2040 if the region is to keep growing its economic base.”

Boston’s Inclusionary Development Policy (IDP)

This city policy requires that developers of buildings with 10 or more units seeking zoning relief or building on City of Boston-owned land set aside a percentage of their units as affordable to moderate- to middle-income households. The IDP leverages resources from the strong private housing market to build or finance affordable housing. Any proposed residential development of 10 or more units that is either (1) financed by the city, (2) on property owned by the city or BPDA/BRA, or (3) that requires zoning relief must designate 13% of the total number of units on-site as affordable units. The developer may meet the requirement under certain conditions with special approvals by a financial contribution to the IDP Fund. Another alternative allows the developer to create new affordable units separate from but within the vicinity (within one-half mile) of the project in an amount equal to or greater than 18% of the total number of units.

The term that units will remain affordable is generally 30 years with the city’s right to extend that another 20 years. The policy contains various details defining affordability and financial details for three zones of the city (Zone A: downtown; Zone B: middle zone; and Zone C: outer neighborhoods). In general, affordability is calculated on percentages of income compared to the Area Median Income (AMI).

Over the life of the program, developers have directly created 2,599 income-restricted units, and IDP funds have created 1,414 income-restricted units. Thus, the IDP policy has resulted in 4,013 income-restricted housing units in Boston. If the restricted units have higher percentages of the AMI, they may still not be affordable to some lower-income residents.

Habitat for Humanity, Greater Boston

• 240 Commercial St., 4th Floor, Boston, Massachusetts 02109

• (617) 423-2223

• James Kostaras, president and CEO

• volunteers@habitatboston.org

Retail Outlet: ReStore (Habitat’s Donation and Home Improvement Outlet store)

• 1580 VFW Parkway, West Roxbury, MA, 02132

• 617-327-1170

• ReStore@habitatboston.org

A faith-based, charitable nonprofit organization dedicated to building simple low-cost homes by forming partnerships with low-income families in need of decent and affordable housing. Habitat for Humanity believes homeownership is a vital step to help families break the cycle of poverty and contributes to pride in families and communities.

Mission Statement: Seeking to put God’s love into action, Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities and hope.

Habitat for Humanity Greater Boston builds strength, stability, and self-reliance through shelter. They bring people together to build homes, communities, and hope by revitalizing neighborhoods, building sustainable and affordable housing solutions, and empowering families through successful homeownership.

Through volunteer labor and tax-deductible donations of money, land, and materials, Habitat Greater Boston builds simple, decent houses. Families are selected based on their level of need, willingness to partner, and ability to repay a mortgage. They complete 300 hours of sweat equity by helping to construct their future home or working in other capacities alongside staff, volunteers, and sponsors. They also participate in homeowner education classes, like financial management and estate planning. Qualified families purchase Habitat homes with no down payment and pay an interest-free mortgage to Habitat, which enables them to afford owning their own home.

Habitat’s ReStore Outlet receives donations and either uses them in the homes they build or resells them at 50-70% off retail to the general public. These items include building and construction materials, home furnishings, and appliances, etc. Sales help fund new homes.

Habitat Greater Boston is a participant in the Neighborhood Revitalization Program. They are taking a holistic approach to creating change in our neighborhoods that have the greatest need for stability. This means joining residents, nonprofits, businesses and local government to discover what is needed most in a neighborhood, and helping to implement a shared vision of revitalization. Our focus neighborhood is Codman Square in Dorchester. They have partnered with the Codman Square Neighborhood Council to identify important ways to improve the neighborhood and surrounding areas.

Habitat has mobilized volunteers and future homeowners to build homes in Dorchester, Roxbury, Roslindale, South Boston, Mission Hill, and other communities. Although they only work on a few projects each year, they keep building year after year, resulting in many homes being built over the last 25 years with and for low-income families.

Additional Resources

• Dorchester Not For Sale

• Dudley Square Neighborhood Initiative

• Greater Boston Interfaith Organization

• Office of Housing Stability

• Reclaim Roxbury

• City Life/Vida Urbana

• BMA Tenpoint (Black Ministerial Alliance / Ten Point Coalition)

• Massachusetts Affordable Housing Trust Fund

Contact Rudy

Contact Rudy Mitchell