##VIDEO ID:j5M-qRyyCsA##  OH.  OH GOOD MORNING EVERYONE.  WE'RE BACK IN SESSION. FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS LIZ BRITTEN, DISTRICT NINE CITY COUNCILOR AND I AM THE CHAIR OF THE BOSTON CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. TODAY IS SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2020 FOR THIS HEARING IS BEING RECORDED. IT IS ALSO BEING LIVESTREAMED AT BOSTON DOT GOV BACKSLASH CITY DASH CONSOLE DASH TV AND BROADCAST ON XFINITY CHANNEL EIGHT RCN CHANNEL 82 FIREHOUSE CHANNEL 964. WRITTEN COMMENTS MAY BE SENT TO THE COMMITTEE EMAIL AT C C C DOT S W F C BOSTON DOT GOV AND WILL BE MADE A PART OF THE RECORD AND AVAILABLE TO ALL COUNCILORS PUBLIC TESTIMONY WILL BE TAKEN AT THE END OF THIS HEARING. INDIVIDUALS WILL BE CALLED ON AN ORDER IN WHICH THEY SIGNED UP AND WILL HAVE 2 MINUTES TO TESTIFY. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN TESTIFYING IN PERSON PLEASE WRITE YOUR NAME TO THE SIGN UP SHEET NEAR THE ENTRANCE OF THE CHAMBER. IF YOU ARE LOOKING TO TESTIFY VIRTUALLY PLEASE EMAIL OUR CENTRAL STAFF LIAISON CORA MONTROSE AND AT CAREER C0RA DOT M OR NN T R AND D ON BOSTON.COM FOR THE LINK AND YOUR NAME WILL BE ADDED TO THE LIST.  TODAY'S HEARING IS ON DOCKET 0764. ORDER FOR A HEARING TO UTILIZE FORMER FORMER SCHOOL AND MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS AS AFFORDABLE HOUSING. THIS MATTER WAS SPONSORED BY CITY COUNCILORS CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT CHRISTINE LOUIJEUNE. COUNCILOR HENRY SANTANA AND BENJAMIN WEBER AND REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE ON MAY 1ST, 2024 . TODAY I AM JOINED BY MY COLLEAGUES IN THE ORDER OF ARRIVAL COUNCIL PRESIDENT LUCY LOUIJEUNE, COUNCILOR ENRIQUE PEPEN, COUNCILOR ED FLYNN,  COUNCILOR HENRY SANTANA, COUNCILOR FITZGERALD.  COUNCILWOMAN HERE AND COUNCILOR WERE L A TWO. WE WILL START WITH OPENING REMARKS AND WE'LL START WITH THE LEAD SPONSOR AND IN THE INTEREST OF TIME I WOULD PREFER THAT WOULD HAVE THE LEAD SPONSORS MAKE OPENING REMARKS AND THEN OTHER COUNCILORS I AM TRYING TO ALLOCATE ADEQUATE TIME FOR ROBUST QUESTIONING OF THE PANEL SO WE'LL JUST HAVE OPENING COMMENTS FROM THE LEAD SPONSORS AT THIS TIME. COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE DO YOU HAVE THE FLOOR?  THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR FOR CHAIRING THIS TODAY.  THANK YOU VICE CHAIR COUNCILOR MEJIA TO MY CO-SPONSORS AS COUNCILOR SANTANA AND COUNCILOR WEBER AND TO ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES FOR BEING HERE ESPECIALLY AFTER A BUSY WEEKEND OF PARADES AND RACES AND ALL OF THAT. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH AND THANK YOU TO THE ADMINISTRATION AND TO WHAT I'M VERY EXCITED FOR REALLY ROBUST PANEL THAT WILL HAVE WILL HAVE AFTER THE ADMINISTRATION PANEL. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT HEARING ABOUT ISSUES FACING OUR CITY.  HOUSING AFFORDABILITY IS CLEARLY THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE THAT WE'RE FACING IN THE CITY. WE HEAR ABOUT IT EVERYDAY IN OUR OFFICES AND WE KNOW THAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING A HOUSING CRISIS WITH DEMAND FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING FAR EXCEEDING SUPPLY.  MANY OF OUR RESIDENTS PARTICULARLY THOSE FROM LOW AND MIDDLE MIDDLE INCOME FAMILIES ARE STRUGGLING TO FIND SECURE, AFFORDABLE PLACES TO LIVE. IT'S OFTEN REALLY HARD AND I THINK WE HAD A HEARING ABOUT THIS LAST WEEK. IT'S DIFFICULT FOR US TO INTERVENE AND WE TRY WHEN WE CAN TO IN ON THE MARKET DIRECTLY WHEN IT COMES TO PROVIDING HOUSING SUPPLY WHICH IS WHY TO ME THIS HEARING IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE WHAT CAN WE DO THAT'S ALREADY WITHIN OUR JURISDICTION AND WITHIN OUR PURVIEW TO REALLY ADDRESS THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS. THE CHALLENGE WITH THESE CHALLENGES LIES OPPORTUNITIES. OUR CITY OWNS MUCH LAND IN MANY BUILDINGS SUCH AS PARKING LOT SCHOOLS, POLICE STATIONS, LIBRARIES THAT ARE VACANT OR UNDERUTILIZED. I'M HOPEFUL THAT TODAY WE CAN START REIMAGINING HOW WE USE THESE ASSETS AND HOW WE CAN HELP ADDRESS THIS HOUSING SHORTAGE IN A MEANINGFUL WAY. THE THEME I WANT TO EXPLORE AND THE THEME AND THE REASON FOR FILING THIS HEARING IS HOW WE REPURPOSE THESE ASSETS SO THAT HIGHEST AND BEST USE I SEE RICHARD GIORDANO HERE A PHRASE THAT HE LIKES TO USE WHILE CREATING HOMES FOR OUR RESIDENTS AT THE CITY'S WELCOME HOME BOSTON PROGRAM IS A GREAT PROGRAM AND HAS ALREADY SHOWN HOW WE CAN ACHIEVE SOME OF THIS WHEN WE FOCUS ON USING AND UTILIZE LAND TO BENEFIT OUR RESIDENTS. THE PRIDE BUILDING IN A HIGH PARK IS ALSO A GREAT EXAMPLE OF HOW WE USE A FORMER SCHOOL BUILDING AND ALTHOUGH IT ALSO SHOWS SOME SHORTCOMINGS FOR HOW LONG THE ROGERS WENT ON USE AS A SCHOOL THROUGH THIS INITIATIVE, BOSTON IS TRANSFORMING VACANT LAND INTO NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS IN DORCHESTER AND MATTAPAN ALONE. WE'RE ON TRACK TO CREATE UP TO ALMOST 100 NEW LOW AND MODERATE INCOME CONDOS FOR OUR FAMILIES. I'M PROUD OF THE WORK THAT THIS ADMINISTRATION HAS DONE AND PROGRAMS LIKE THIS THAT DEMONSTRATE OUR COMMITMENT TO CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATION THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TODAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.  COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE COUNCILOR SANTANA TO 2 MINUTES. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR AND THANK YOU COUNCIL PRESIDENT LOUIJEUNE FOR PROVIDING THIS.  OUR CITY OWNED LANDS AND BUILDINGS ARE PUBLIC ASSETS AND THEY SHOULD BE PUT TO THE HIGHEST AND BEST USE FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC. WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF A SEVERE HOUSING AFFORDABILITY CRISIS THAT IS PUTTING TRULY ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS TO THE BRINK INCLUDING OUR FAMILIES. RECENT GRADUATES AND YOUNG PROFESSIONALS SENIORS LIVING ON FIXED INCOMES. FIREFIGHTERS.  POLICE OFFICERS. EMERGENCY EMERGENCY MEDICAL RESPONDERS. NURSES.  TEACHERS AND OTHER CITY WORKERS. EVERYDAY WE ARE LOSING THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE OUR CITY WORK AND MAKE BOSTON THE PLACE THAT WE LOVE. SO I THINK OF NO BETTER WAY TO REPURPOSE OUR CITY OWNED BUILDINGS HAVE RETIRED FROM THEIR ORIGINAL PURPOSE THAN TO HELP MAKE HOUSING MORE AFFORDABLE FOR OUR BOSTON RESIDENTS. THAT KIND OF REUSE IS ALSO ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE AND IT CAN PRESERVE SOME OF OUR HISTORICAL CHARACTER OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. AND IN THIS ERA WHEN WE'RE CONSIDERING HOW WE CAN DIVERSIFY BOSTON'S SOURCES OF REVENUE, IT'S ALSO FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE.  REDEVELOPING CITY OWNED LAND CAN BE A REVENUE SOURCE FOR BOSTON AND IT CAN PROVIDE US ACCESS TO NEW FEDERAL FUNDING MENTORING ENCOURAGE CITIES TO UNDERTAKE EXACTLY THIS KIND OF REUSES OF CITY OWNED BUILDINGS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING. I LOOK FORWARD TO THIS HEARING AND I JUST REALLY WANT TO THANK OUR PANELISTS, OUR FIRST PANELISTS AND I KNOW WE HAVE A SECOND PANEL COMING UP SO I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU ALL BEING HERE TODAY. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU.  AND AT THIS POINT IN TIME I THINK I'D LIKE TO MOVE ON WITH THE PANEL TESTIMONY. THE CHAIR I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW INTRODUCE TODAY'S PANELIST TESTIFYING ON BEHALF OF THE ADMINISTRATION.  DEON IRISH CHIEF OF OPERATIONS FOR THE CITY OF BOSTON.  SHEILA DILLON, CHIEF OF THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING. AND SOMEONE ELSE HAD YOUR NAME A MINUTE AGO.  YES. AND REBECCA THOMAS SYLVIA.  I'VE GOT IT. REBECCA THOMAS, CIVIC DIRECTOR OF REAL ESTATE FROM THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT. YOU'RE ALL WELCOME HERE THIS MORNING.  I'VE ALLOCATED LIKE ABOUT 20 MINUTES FOR YOUR TESTIMONY SO WHOEVER WOULD LIKE TO START? SURE. GOOD MORNING, COUNSELOR. COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSON.  I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE. CERTAINLY WITH ALL OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND THOSE THAT ARE LISTENING IN TO TALK ABOUT THE RE-USE OF SURPLUS CITY BUILDINGS AND OTHER IDEAS THAT THAT YOU ALL HAVE. I AGREE THAT WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT EVERY EVERY AVENUE WE CAN TO CREATE MORE MIXED INCOME AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR OUR RESIDENTS. I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF IT'S OKAY WITH THE COUNCIL TO GO OVER THE CURRENT PROCESS THE SORT OF THE LEGAL PROCESS THAT WE FOLLOW TO SURPLUS A BUILDING SOME RECENT AND NOT SO REZONING GOOD EXAMPLES OF HOW WE HAVE USED SURPLUS BUILDINGS AND THEN REBECCA IS GOING TO GO OVER JUST TO GIVE AN UPDATE ON THE CITY LAND AUDIT AND SOME OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING TO BUILD LIBRARIES AND HOUSING.  AND THEN CHIEF IRISH IS GOING TO END WITH GOING OVER HIS ROLE ,HIS DEPARTMENT'S ROLE AND CERTAINLY ANYTHING THAT WE HAVE MISSED. SO IF IT'S OKAY, I WILL START. IS THERE IS THERE A WAY TO ADVANCE SLIDES?  I'M GOING TO PAUSE THIS FROM A PAUSE PLEASE. YES, I'M GOING TO STOP THIS FOR A SECOND. ALL RIGHT.  OKAY. SORRY . WE'RE CERTAINLY HAVING TECHNICAL CHALLENGES THIS MORNING. IT'S NOT LIKE THE MORNING.  IT'S MONDAY MORNING AND THE NEXT SLIDE. OKAY, GREAT. SO SO THERE'S A LOT OF WORDS ON THIS PAGE BUT MOST LEGAL PROCESSES COME WITH A LOT OF WORDS. SO LET ME JUST WALK THROUGH AND THEN WE CAN ADVANCE TO SORT OF MORE SOME OF THE MORE INTERESTING OUTCOMES. BUT SO WHEN A CITY DEPARTMENT REALIZES THAT THEY NO LONGER NEED A BUILDING, THEY SUBMIT A FORMAL LETTER TO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING REQUESTING THAT THE BUILDING BE TRANSFERRED SINCE IT'S NO LONGER NEEDED FOR THEIR OPERATIONS. ANY DEPARTMENT CAN DO THIS IN MANY DEPARTMENTS IN THE CITY OWN PROPERTY. THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING THEN PRESENTS A REQUEST TO THE PUBLIC FACILITIES COMMISSION PFC SEEKING APPROVAL TO TAKE IN THE PROPERTY INTO ITS INVENTORY FOR CARE AND CUSTODY. BUT WE HAVE TO GET A PFC VOTE APPROVING THAT TRANSFER AFTER WE HAVE THAT BEFORE WE BEGIN ANY TYPE OF DISPOSITION PROCESS OF THE ASSET EMMA, WHICH COMES BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL AND SEEKS A SURPLUS VOTE FROM THE CITY COUNCIL WHICH AUTHORIZES THE PROCESS TO BEGIN. WE DON'T HAVE AT THAT POINT EXACTLY WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW THE BUILDING WILL BE USED. WE ONLY KNOW THAT IT'S NO LONGER NEEDED BY THE THE ORIGINAL OWNER OR THE DEPARTMENT AND THAT WE'RE SEEKING TO START A COMMUNITY CONVERSATION ONCE THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVES THAT. THEN WE GO OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT BUILDING BE USED FOR. SOMETIMES COMMUNITIES DON'T KNOW THEY HAVEN'T GIVEN ANY THOUGHT. SOMETIMES COMMUNITIES ARE STILL IN MOURNING THAT A SCHOOL OR ANOTHER PUBLIC ASSET IS CLOSED AND THEY NEED THEY NEED TIME TO REALLY THINK THAT THROUGH.  WE DO CERTAINLY TAKE THIS UP TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ON WHAT THE BUILDING MIGHT BE USED FOR. YOU KNOW, NOT EVERY BUILDING IS GOOD FOR EVERY USE AFTER WE'VE HAD LOTS OF COMMUNITY CONVERSATION AND WE'VE COME TO SORT OF AN UNDERSTANDING WITH THE COMMUNITY. WE ISSUE AN RFP REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS ADHERING TO THROW BE OPEN COMPETITIVE ADVERTISE SIZED AVAILABILITY OF THE ASSET AND THEN WE START PICKING A DEVELOPER WITH THE COMMUNITY'S INPUT AND MOVE TOWARDS A DISPOSITION. SO IT'S TO COUNCIL PRESIDENT LOUIJEUNE COMMENT IT IS A LONG PROCESS AND ONE THAT CAN MOVE MORE QUICKLY THAT WAY IF IF WE'RE WE ARE ALL DETERMINED. I DID WANT TO DO NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. I WANT TO SHOW SOME EXAMPLES, SOME OLDER EXAMPLES AND CERTAINLY SOME NEWER EXAMPLES OF SUCCESSFUL DEVELOPMENTS WHERE WE HAVE TAKEN AN OLDER ASSET AND OFTENTIMES BUT NOT ALWAYS DEVELOPED HOUSING INTO THAT ASSET.  SO THE MICHELANGELO SCHOOL IN THE NORTH END BUILT IN 1990 1919 A BEAUTIFUL PROPERTY WAS DISPOSED OF AND RENOVATED IN 2001 AND HAS BEEN HOME NOW FOR OUR SENIORS FROM THE NORTH END AND OTHER OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS.  IT CREATED 71 UNITS OF LOW INCOME SENIOR HOUSING.  NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.  THE THE NEXT EXAMPLE HERE WAS DEVELOPED IN 2007 IS THE BARNES SCHOOL IN EAST BOSTON.  BEAUTIFUL BUILDING. I REMEMBER I REMEMBER THAT MEETINGS I A DIFFERENT ROLE AT THE CITY AT THE TIME BUT I REMEMBER THOSE MEETINGS THERE WAS A LOT OF PASSION ABOUT WHAT THIS BUILDING SHOULD SHOULD AND SHOULDN'T BE.  IT WAS CONVERTED INTO 74 UNITS OF LOW INCOME ELDERLY OR DISABLED FOR ELDERLY OR DISABLED RESIDENTS AS WELL AS COMMERCIAL SPACE FOR ADULT DAY CARE AND A NEIGHBORHOOD HEALTH CENTER. SO OFTENTIMES THESE BUILDINGS ARE SO LARGE WE WILL SEE THAT THEY'LL BE USED FOR BOTH HOUSING AND OTHER PUBLIC USES THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN ALL ENJOY. THIS WAS DONE BY THE EAST BOSTON CDC. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.  MORE RECENTLY WE PUT OUT THE WHEN EAST BOSTON HAD A NEW LIBRARY. THERE WERE TWO OLDER MUCH SMALLER LIBRARIES THAT BECAME SURPLUS. ONE WAS THE MERIDIAN STREET LIBRARY.  AND THIS DIDN'T BECOME HOUSING. IT WAS A VERY SMALL STRUCTURE BUT INSTEAD IT BECAME REALLY A SMALL A SMALL BUILDING WITH A LOT OF RESOURCE AS THE EAST BOSTON CDC OFFICES ARE THERE.  EBC C'S OFFICES ARE THERE. THERE'S A COMMUNITY RESOURCE AND WELLNESS CENTER. THERE'S A FOOD PANTRY AND IN THE LOWER LEVEL THERE'S VERONICA ROBLES CULTURAL CENTER WHICH IS A GEM AND SO IMPORTANT TO EAST BOSTON AND THEY'RE USING THE LOWER THE LOWER SQUARE FOOTAGE EVEN OUTGROWING THE SPACE IT'S BECOME SO POPULAR.  NEXT SLIDE THERE YOU GO. ANOTHER SMALL LIBRARY THAT WAS SURPLUS IN EAST BOSTON, A LOT OF ACTIVITY IN EAST BOSTON.  BUT THIS WAS A VERY, VERY SMALL LIBRARY AND THE COMMUNITY FELT VERY STRONGLY IT'S A THAT THEY WANTED THIS LIBRARY WHICH WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO THEM TO MANY ,MANY OF THE FAMILIES THAT LIVED IN THE AREA TO CREATE IN EAST BOSTON SENIOR CENTER. AND THIS WAS DONE BY A STRONG AND THE PUBLIC FACILITIES COMMISSION. IT'S A REALLY BEAUTIFUL RESOURCE FOR OUR SENIORS IN EAST BOSTON. AND AS MENTIONED IN THE SLIDE THEY HAVE SPECIAL EVENTS OF YOGA CLASSES, SPANISH LESSONS, KNITTING GROUPS.  IT'S A IT'S A BEEHIVE OF ACTIVITY AND JUST A BEAUTIFUL A BEAUTIFUL RESOURCE . AS WAS MENTIONED, THE WILLIAM BARR ROGERS SCHOOL OF ART AND ROGERS MIDDLE SCHOOL WAS RECENTLY CONVERTED INTO THE PRIDE. THIS WAS BUILT IN 1899. IT IS A HYDE PARK GEM AND IT WAS CONVERTED INTO 74 INCOME RESTRICTED RENTAL UNITS FOR LGBTQ FRIENDLY C SENIOR HOUSING AGE 62 AND ABOVE AND THERE'S ALSO A LOT OF COMMUNITY SPACE ON THE LOWER FLOORS THERE'S GALLERIES THERE, THERE'S SPACES FOR NONPROFITS, LOUNGES, CLASSROOM SPACE FOR THE COMMUNITY REALLY JUST A AND IT JUST SO WELL DONE. THIS WAS DONE BY PENROSE. SO ONCE AGAIN IF FINE EXAMPLE OF SUPPRESSING A BUILDING AND PUTTING IT INTO GOOD USE BUT I DO AGREE THIS TOOK LONGER THAN IT SHOULD HAVE.  ONE BUILDING THAT IS ON OUR RADAR RIGHT NOW AS AS MANY OF YOU KNOW THE EAST BOSTON RECENTLY RECEIVED HER WAS A NEW POLICE STATION WAS BUILT IN EAST BOSTON.  AND SO THEY HAVE NOW VACATED ABOUT I DON'T KNOW 12 MONTHS AGO OR SO FINALLY THEIR OLD POLICE STATION AND THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST IN WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO THIS BUILDING. IT'S RIGHT IN MERIDIAN SQUARE. WE ARE STARTING TO TALK TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD BUT WE HAVEN'T HAD A FORMAL COMMUNITY PROCESS WHEN WE HAVEN'T COME BEFORE YOU TO SUPPLIES THE BUILDING BUT TO THERE IS A THERE DE KIM IS DOING AN AUDIT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE OWN AND WHAT THEY OWN BECAUSE IT'S ATTACHED TO A COURTHOUSE. AND REBECCA CAN TALK MORE ABOUT THAT IF YOU HAVE QUICK QUESTIONS. SO THAT'S JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF ONE A BUILDING THAT WE HAVE UPCOMING. SO THOSE ARE THE RECENT EXAMPLES AND THERE'S PROBABLY MORE BUT I THAT I DID I PULLED FROM MEMORY AND WILL NOW HAND IT OVER TO REBECCA TO GIVE AN UPDATE ON THE LAND AUDIT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SHEILA. REBECCA, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. HI, EVERYONE. GOOD MORNING. SO AS CHIEF DOLAN HAD MENTIONED, WE DID WANT TO PROVIDE A BRIEF UPDATE ON THE LAND AUDIT WHICH WAS COMPLETED IN JUNE OF 2022. SO THIS WAS A CROSS-DEPARTMENTAL EFFORT TO REALLY UNDERSTAND THE INVENTORY ACROSS ALL CITY DEPARTMENTS TO UNDERSTAND AND TRY TO IDENTIFY PROPERTY THAT IS EITHER VACANT OR UNDERUTILIZED.  AND SO THROUGH THE CULMINATION OF THAT EFFORT WE WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THAT THERE'S AROUND 9.5 MILLION SQUARE FEET OF LAND WITHIN THE CITY OF BOSTON THAT FALLS INTO THAT VACANT OR UNDERUTILIZED CATEGORY. AND THAT'S ABOUT 5% OF THE ACTUAL INVENTORY OF THE CITY. SO JUST TO PUT THAT INTO PERSPECTIVE AND CERTAINLY YOU KNOW, IT'S IT'S SPREAD ACROSS THE VARIOUS NEIGHBORHOODS AND A LOT OF THESE ARE SMALLER INFILL SITES. BUT WE WERE ABLE TO LOOK AT SOME OF THE LARGER SITES AS WELL TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THERE IS OPPORTUNITY AND SPECIFICALLY TO PROVIDE HOUSING AT A LARGER SCALE BUT THEN ALSO SMALLER SCALES AS WELL WITHIN THE NEIGHBORHOODS.  SO IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE SPECIFICALLY THE LARGE OPPORTUNITY SITES THAT HAVE BEEN ADVANCING SINCE THE LAND AUDIT WAS COMPLETE. SO YOU CAN SEE A NUMBER OF THE DIFFERENT PROJECTS THAT ARE LISTED HERE. THE FIRST BEING THE 290 TREMONT STREET PARKING LOT IN CHINATOWN WHICH HAS BOTH BEEN DESIGNATED AND COMPLETED ARTICLE 80 REVIEW. AND WE HAVE THE AWESOME STREET PARKING LOTS IN CHARLESTOWN WHICH IS DESIGNATED FOR REDEVELOPMENT AND ALSO UNDER REVIEW AND THE BOSTON WATER AND SEWER PARKING LOTS AND ROXBURY WHICH HAS BEEN A GREAT PARTNERSHIP WITH BOSTON WATER AND SEE WHERE THOSE PARKING LOTS ARE ALSO DESIGNATED AND UNDER REVIEW FOR THE CREATION OF HOUSING.  I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T ALSO SPEAK TO THREE REALLY GREAT PROJECTS THAT ARE HOUSING WITH PUBLIC ASSETS SO NOT ONLY DO WE LOOK AT THE OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE HOUSING ON SITES THAT ARE VACANT OR UNDERUTILIZED BUT ALSO COULD WE COMBINE A MUNICIPAL USE WITH HOUSING AS WELL? AND SO THERE ARE THREE ACTIVE PROJECTS THAT ARE UNDERWAY THAT COMBINE A LIBRARY WITH HOUSING. SO THAT BEING IN THE WEST END UP HOMES CORNER AND CHINATOWN AND THOSE ARE ALL IN VARIOUS STAGES OF COMPLETENESS THEY ALL HAVE A DESIGNATED ENTITY WITH A PROGRAM IN PLACE AND ARE GOING THROUGH A REVIEW AND WE'RE HOPING TO BE ABLE TO BREAK GROUND ON THE CHINATOWN PROJECT IN EARLY NEXT YEAR WHICH IS VERY EXCITING.  AND ALL TOLD IF YOU COME TOGETHER JUST THOSE SIX PROJECTS THAT'S OVER 1500 UNITS OF WHICH 1251 ARE INCOME RESTRICTED WHICH IS A VERY LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THAT OVERALL COUNT. AND AS AS PART OF THIS EFFORT WE ALSO TRIED TO CREATE A LARGE NUMBER OF HOME OWNERSHIP UNITS AS WELL. SO OVER 300 ARE PROPOSED AS PART OF THIS PROJECT. OBVIOUSLY THE CREATION OF THE THREE PROVINCIAL LIBRARIES WHICH IS REALLY IMPORTANT AND THEN GIVEN THAT THESE ARE LARGER SCALE SITES, THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY FOR CREATING SIGNIFICANT QUALITY OPEN SPACE AND COMMERCIAL SPACE AS WELL TO COMPLEMENT THOSE RESIDENTIAL USES. AND ALSO AS CHIEF DOLAN MENTIONED, WE ARE CURRENTLY INVESTIGATING THE EAST BOSTON A7 FORMER POLICE STATION AND HAVE AN ONGOING EXISTING CONDITIONS ASSESSMENT WITH DE CAM AND THEN ALSO HAVE BEEN DOING SOME WORK LOOKING AT THE BPH THEME OUT OF HAND CAMPUS AND CONSIDERING YOU KNOW THE EXISTING USES ON SITE AND HOW THOSE CAN BE ACCOMMODATED BUT ALSO THE OPPORTUNITY FOR CO-LOCATING HOUSING AT THAT LOCATION AS WELL. NEXT SLIDE. AND THEN ALSO AS I MENTIONED THERE IS A NUMBER OF SITES THAT ARE SMALLER NOT AS LARGER SCALE BUT THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING HAS LED AN INCREDIBLE EFFORT IN WELCOME HOME BOSTON TO BE ABLE TO CONVERT AT SCALE A NUMBER OF THOSE PARCELS INTO HOMEOWNERSHIP, AFFORDABLE HOMEOWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES. SO WELCOME TO BOSTON PHASE ONE AND TO YIELDED THE REDEVELOPMENT OF 28 PARCELS WHICH HAVE BEEN DESIGNATED FOR REDEVELOPMENT AND WE ANTICIPATE WELCOME HOME BOSTON PHASE THREE TO BEGIN FALL OF THIS YEAR TO REALLY INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PROPERTIES THAT ARE BEING DISPOSED OF AS WELL FOR FOR HOUSING. AND SO THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION FORMALLY BUT I WANT TO TURN IT OVER TO CHIEF IRISH FOR ADDITIONAL COMMENTS AS WELL. CHIEF HARRIS, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.  THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING. ALL MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND THANKS TO MY COLLEAGUES I'M BATTING CLEANUP TODAY AND THERE'S NOT A LOT TO CLEAN UP BUT I WILL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MY ROLE AS CHIEF OF OPERATIONS WITHIN A CABINET. WE HAVE THE INSPECTION SERVICES DEPARTMENT, THE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT AND THE PUBLIC FACILITIES DEPARTMENT AND THOSE DEPARTMENTS ALONG WITH MY TEAM PARTICULARLY IN MY DEPUTY CHIEF OF OPERATIONS WHO FOCUSES ON STRATEGIC CAPITAL INVESTMENTS. WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING, WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND ALL THE OTHER AGENCIES TO SUPPORT ALL OF THESE INITIATIVES FROM THE HOUSING WITH PUBLIC ASSETS TO THE CITYWIDE LAND AUDIT TO SUPPORTING DEPARTMENTS IN MAKING THEIR LONG TERM PLANS AND THEN ALSO TRYING TO BE MORE INTENTIONAL AND MORE STRATEGIC ABOUT HOW DO WE REUSE THE ASSETS THAT WE NO LONGER NEED TO THE HOUSE AND BEST USE FOR THE TO SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY SO WITH THAT SAID, I DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S ANYTHING MORE FOR ME TO ADD BUT HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS. THANK YOU.  OKAY SO WE'LL START QUESTIONS.  COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE LET ME JUST RESET IT VERY WELL AND IN ON TO THE TIME THERE AND COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE YOU HAVE 6 MINUTES. OKAY. THANK YOU AND THANK YOU TO CHIEF DILLON, CHIEF IRISH AND REBECCA FOR.  I'LL GET YOUR TITLE READY FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND IT'S GOOD TO KNOW I REALLY APPRECIATE SEEING THESE PAST EXAMPLES BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING AND SO JUST SOME TO CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION AS YOU KNOW WE IT'S A THAT WE SHOULD MAKE SURE THAT WE CODIFY TO ENSURE THAT REGARDLESS OF ADMINISTRATION WE ARE ALWAYS THINKING ABOUT PRIORITIZING AFFORDABLE HOUSING . MY QUESTIONS AND FIRST ARE IN RESPONSE TO SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT I HEARD. SO REBECCA, YOU STATED THAT OF THE 1515 53 TOTAL UNITS A THOUSAND 251 ARE ARE INCOME RESTRICTED WHICH MEANS THAT THERE'S SOME MARKET HOUSING IN HERE. CAN YOU TELL US WHERE AND WHICH WHICH OF THE PROPERTIES AND WHY WAS THAT DECISION MADE? YES. SO SO ACROSS EACH OF THE DIFFERENT PROJECTS CERTAINLY THE ONE OF THE MAJOR GOALS WAS DELIVERING INCOME RESTRICTED HOUSING BUT WE DID LEAD COMMUNITY PROCESS FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL SITE TO REALLY NAIL DOWN THE PLAN AND GET A LITTLE BIT MORE FEEDBACK INTO WHAT THE COMMUNITY WAS LOOKING FOR. AND SO WITHIN THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DID SEEK OR WE DID HEAR SOME CALLS FOR MORE MARKET RATE OPPORTUNITIES OR MIXED INCOME ACROSS THE PROPERTIES. AND SO OF THE ONES THAT I MENTIONED SPECIFICALLY AUSTIN,  THE AUSTIN STREET REDEVELOPMENT SITE AND THE BUS AND WATER AND SEWER PARKING LOTS THERE IS MARKET RATE PROPOSED AS PART OF THOSE REDEVELOPMENTS AND AGAIN THE RFP THAT WE PUT TOGETHER MANDATED AT LEAST A 60% OF THE UNITS BE INCOME RESTRICTED AS PART OF THE RFP RESPONSE SO THE RESPONSES THAT WE GOT WERE CONSISTENT WITH THAT. OKAY, GREAT. AND IT SEEMS LIKE MATH OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD THAT'S MAYBE 80 AT LEAST 80% OF THAT IS INCOME RESTRICTED. SO I JUST WANTED TO CLEAR I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THE CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH WE DECIDED ON THESE LARGE OPPORTUNITY SITES THAT 100% AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS NOT THE WAY THAT WE WANT TO GO AND IT LOOKS LIKE IN A MINORITY OF SITES THAT WAS THE DECISION THAT WAS MADE. AND CHIEF DILLON, YOU SAID THAT OFTEN BUT NOT ALWAYS HOUSING WHEN IT COMES TO LOOKING AT THESE ASSETS AND I THINK YOU GAVE EXAMPLES AS TO WHEN DECISIONS WERE MADE ARE THOSE IN THE EXAMPLES YOU GAVE? WAS THAT SOLELY A RESULT OF THE COMMUNITY PROCESS THAT WAS LIKE OKAY, WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO WE'RE NOT GOING TO DEVELOP HOUSING ON THE SITE? I THINK IT'S A COMBINATION OF OF TWO THINGS. FIRST AND FOREMOST FROM FIRST AND FOREMOST ALWAYS COMMUNITY VOICE AND YOU KNOW IS IS WHAT WE'RE LISTENING TO AND WHAT WE ARE TAKING OUR DIRECTION FROM.  ALSO THE BUILDINGS THAT WERE NOT HOUSING REALLY WERE JUST VERY, VERY, VERY SMALL AND JUST DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF LAND. I MEAN THE THE EAST THE THE THE SENIOR CENTER HAD A LITTLE BIT OF LAND IN THE BACK. THE OTHER ONE I'M READING THE STREET HAD NO REALLY NO LAND TO SPEAK OF SO AND THE BUILDINGS WERE FUNCTIONAL AND SOLID AND SHIP AND REUSED SO I THINK IT'S FIRST AND FOREMOST COMMUNITY VOICE BUT THEN TO DO THE BUILDINGS LEND THEMSELVES TO ANY KIND OF HOUSING AND LIKE IF YOU LOOK AT IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE ONE THAT BECAME A SENIOR CENTER THE NUMBER OF SENIORS THAT BENEFIT FROM THAT VERSUS THE NUMBER OF UNITS WE COULD HAVE PUT IN THERE WAS PROBABLY A HANDFUL WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE. SO COMBINATION OF VOICE AND THE WITH THE BUILDINGS REALLY LEND THEMSELVES TO BE IS THERE FROM A RUBRIC YOU FOLLOW FOR THE COMMUNITY PROCESS SO YOU KNOW WE WE OFTEN WE WE DO THE SAME TYPE OF COMMUNITY PROCESS WILL DO A VERY VERY VERY LARGE MAILING WILL WORK WITH YOUR OFFICE IS TO ENSURE THAT YOU KNOW THAT YOU KNOW THAT YOUR CONSTITUENTS KNOW WE WILL ADVERTISE WE WILL PUT OUT LOTS AND LOTS OF NOTIFICATIONS ON SOCIAL MEDIA SO WE GET REALLY DO GET THE WORD OUT AND THEN WE TALK ABOUT THE DISPOSITION PROCESS AND START GATHERING FEEDBACK SOMETIMES WE JUST THE FIRST MEETING JUST GO OVER THE PROCESS AND THEN FOLLOW UP WITH MULTIPLE MEETINGS ON YOU KNOW REALLY WHAT IS THE COMMUNITY'S VISION FOR THIS SITE. WE DO PEPPER IT WITH A BIT OF REALITY, RIGHT? SO IF IF FOLKS WANT TO SEE SOMETHING THAT THE SITE JUST WON'T LEND ITSELF TO THEN WE'LL PROVIDE THAT THAT EDUCATION AS WELL.  SO IT'S IT'S ITERATIVE BUT I GOT TO SAY ON ALL OF THESE I THINK IT WAS A GOOD COMMUNITY PROCESS AND THE COMMUNITY ENDED UP FEELING VERY, VERY HEARD AND LIKE THEY WERE PARTICIPATING IN SOMETHING THAT WAS MEANINGFUL TO THEM AS I MENTIONED AND I KNOW IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING BUT THESE BUILDINGS ARE SO IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE THEY'VE USED THEM FOR DECADES SO THEY IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO THEM THAT THEY HAVE NEW LIFE THAT THE COMMUNITY CONTINUE TO USE. GREAT. I'M GOING TO TRY TO GET IN TWO MORE QUESTIONS BEFORE MY TIME IS UP. ONE IS SO WHEN THESE BUILDINGS ARE COMING OFFLINE YOU SAID THEY TRANSFERRED TO MDH. IS THAT ANY MUNICIPAL BUILDING THAT IS COMING OFFLINE AS IS INTENDED PURPOSE IT'S TRANSFERRED TO MLH WITH PFC APPROVAL?  THAT IS CORRECT AND I'M GOING TO LOOK AT DIONNE.  YES, PFC APPROVAL IS REQUIRED.  HOWEVER, I WOULDN'T SAY IN EVERY SINGLE CASE I THINK THERE COULD ALSO BE OTHER MUNICIPAL PURPOSES OR OTHER COMMUNITY PURPOSES THAT A BUILDING COULD SERVE. BUT I DO LIKE YEAH, I DO LIKE THAT IDEA IF YOU MEAN IF IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT'S WRITTEN IN STONE SOME SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT THAT AS A MATTER OF LIKE EITHER IT'S A RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL OR A MATTER OF A REQUIREMENT THAT THE LAND THAT THE THAT THAT THAT THE ASSET TRANSFER GOES TO MLH AND IF IT'S TO BE DISPOSED FOR ANOTHER REASON THEN IT WOULD GO TO A DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT AFTER THAT . RIGHT I'M GOING TO YOU SAID EVERY SO I'M GOING TO GET BACK TO YOU ON THE EVERY I CAN'T I CAN'T THINK OF HOW I CAN'T HAVE A BUILDING WHERE WOULD THAT WHEN THAT HASN'T HAPPENED BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I'M ACCURATE WITH EVERY.  OKAY. THANK YOU. AND THEN SHE'S IRISH. IS THERE INVENTORY THAT YOU HAVE OF UNDERUTILIZED OR UNUSED BUILDINGS AND THINK ABOUT LIKE THE TEMPLE TO YOUR OTHER BUILDINGS AROUND THE CITY THAT ARE COMING OFF LINE OR HAVE COME OFF LINE RECENTLY AS MUNICIPAL FOR ITS INTENDED PURPOSE EITHER AS WE MENTIONED THE POLICE STATIONS BOSTON BUT OTHERS SCHOOLS. YEAH I WOULD STILL REFER BACK TO THE CITYWIDE LAND AUDIT THAT HAS ALL THE BUILDINGS ARE LAND THAT WE KNOW ARE UNDER OR UNUTILIZED BUILDINGS LIKE THE TIMOTHY ALTHOUGH IT MAY IT'S NOT THAT OF FUNCTION IN SCHOOL NOW IT'S STILL BEING USED BY THE DISTRICT FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES SO THAT WOULDN'T BE IN THERE IS A FUTURE PLANNED USE FOR THAT BUILDING. OKAY. THANK YOU.  THANK YOU, COUNSELOR SANTANA,  YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.  AND THANK YOU FOR OUR PANELISTS FOR BEING HERE. I DO HAVE A FEW FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS.  TO YOU KNOW, YOU YOU TALKED ABOUT THE COMMUNITY YOU KNOW,  COMMUNITY BEING SUCH A BIG PART OF OF OF THE PROCESS AND THE PURPOSE OF THIS.  RIGHT. CAN YOU SPEAK TO THE RELATIONSHIP AND THE WORK THAT IS DONE BETWEEN THE CITY AND SPECIFICALLY THE KDKA'S ACROSS THE CITY? AND YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY ACROSS DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS AND ONE OF THOSE RELATIONSHIPS LIKE THE RELATIONSHIPS ARE SOLID.  JUST JUST TALK ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIPS WE MEET WITH MASS ASSOCIATION AS KDKA'S TRY TRY EVERY QUARTER OR SO JUST AND THEY'RE ALL THEY'RE ALL THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS THERE AND WE WE HEAR THEIR CONCERNS AND WHAT THEY'RE WRESTLING WITH AND ANY ISSUES THEY HAVE WITH THE CITY. SO I THINK THEY'RE VERY IT'S VERY, VERY STRONG. YOU KNOW I KNOW WE ALL KNOW THAT THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS AND THE STAFF REALLY WELL AND WORK WORK WORK ON PROJECTS I THINK AT A VERY PRODUCTIVE WAY WHEN IT COMES TO DEVELOPING OR ACCESSING CITY OWNED PROPERTY WHICH SOMETIMES TRICKY FOR A CDC IS THAT THEY ARE IN THE COMMUNITY ARE EMBEDDED IN THE COMMUNITY. THEY'VE GOT COMMUNITY VOICE. BUT WHEN WE'RE SHAPING AN RFP IF THERE'S A IF THERE'S IF THEY HAVE AN INTEREST IN THAT PROPERTY THAT SCHOOL THAT THAT LAND THEN THAT VOICE HAS TO RECEDE BECAUSE OF DIRTY B SO THEN THEY HAVE TO REALLY JUST TO WHAT THE COMMUNITY'S SAYING AND NOT AND NOT SHAPE AN RFP THAT THEY'RE THAT THEY CAN POTENTIALLY BID BID ON OR BID FOR.  WE'VE BEEN WORKING REALLY HARD WITH THE CDCR AND THEIR PIPELINE IS STRONG AND WE'VE ALSO BEEN WORKING WITH OTHER NEWER DEVELOPERS AND IN IN ALL OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'VE GOT ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AS WELL. WE'RE HEARING THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT. AND SO I THINK WE'RE WE'RE REALLY TAKING A AND PLUS. THAT'S RIGHT. BUT YOU KNOW WE'RE REALLY WE'RE WORKING WITH THE CDC IS CONTINUING TO KEEP THEIR PIPELINES HEALTHY AND ACTIVE AT THE SAME TIME GROWING OTHER DEVELOPERS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT REALLY MIGHT BENEFIT FROM FROM THIS WORK. OKAY, GREAT. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT FLAHERTY. AND YOU KNOW, YOU TOUCHED ON THIS. YOU KNOW, I GUESS THE FINANCES THERE OR WHERE THE CITY OF BOSTON AND WE'RE ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT REVENUE HOW COME INCREASE REVENUE HERE ACROSS THE CITY LIKE AND YOU KNOW BEING INTENTIONAL ABOUT THAT CAN YOU SPEAK TO YOU KNOW I KNOW YOU MENTIONED SOME OF THE PROJECTS IN THE PAST THAT WE'VE TRANSFORMED.  CAN YOU SPEAK TO YOU KNOW, THE FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY THERE AND HAS IT BEEN FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR CITY TO BE TAKING ON THIS AND YOU KNOW, FOR FUTURE PROJECTS?  DOES IT MAKE SENSE FOR THE CITY TO BE CONTINUING TO DO THIS? THE CITY DOES HAVE AN OPTION TO SELL THESE BUILDINGS TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER. SOME CITIES DO. SOME CITIES TAKE THEIR ASSETS AND AND SEE THEM AS REVENUE GENERATING. WE HAVE CHOSEN WHEN POSSIBLE TO CREATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING OR OPEN SPACE OR SENIOR CENTERS.  SO WE HAVE WE'VE WE'VE MADE THE DECISION TO ALWAYS EXPLORE THOSE OPTIONS FIRST BEFORE WE SEEK REVENUE OCCASIONALLY.  WE OCCASIONALLY A SITE JUST DOESN'T HAVE VALUE IS AFFORDABLE HOUSING OR URBAN AGRICULTURE OR COMMUNITY USE AND THEN WE WILL GET IT APPRAISED AND WE'LL PUT IT OUT ON THE MARKET. BUT THAT THAT'S RARE AND THAT'S ONLY AFTER WE'VE LOOKED AT OTHER OPTIONS. WELL, THANK YOU. ONE FINAL QUESTION. YOU KNOW THE SOME OF THE EXAMPLES THAT YOU GAVE YOU KNOW A LOT OF THEM IN EAST BOSTON, YOU KNOW, I THINK A LOT OF THEM SERVE, YOU KNOW, SENIORS. CAN WE JUST TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT GOES INTO, YOU KNOW, MAKING A DECISION IN TERMS OF , YOU KNOW, TARGETING THE SENIORS ? YOU KNOW, ARE THERE ANY PLANS OR WE DON'T REALLY LOOK AT ALSO FAMILIES AND BIGGER UNITS, YOU KNOW, YOUNG PROFESSIONALS WHO ARE STARTING THEIR CAREERS HERE AND CAN'T AFFORD TO STAY HERE. YOU IT'S IT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION AND SOME OF THIS SOME OF SCHOOLS IS CERTAINLY THAT THE CITIES THAT THAT HAVE BEEN DONE PRIVATELY HAVE HAVE REALLY BEEN MORE FAMILY HOUSING OR CONDOMINIUMS. THE REASON THAT SENIOR HOUSING SOMETIMES YOU SEE IT IN THE HOUSTON SCHOOLS AND THOSE CLASSROOMS WERE REALLY BIG CLASSROOMS AT THE TIME WITH VERY HIGH CEILINGS AND THEY REALLY LEND THEMSELVES TO THE A CLASSROOM EQUALS A SENIOR UNIT . SO SOMETIMES THEY JUST THE THE PHYSICAL LAYOUT OF THE SCHOOLS LEND THEMSELVES TO SENIOR HOUSING. WE OFTEN FIND TOO THAT WHEN WE GO OUT TO A NEIGHBORHOOD THE THE THE FOLKS THAT ARE TALKING ABOUT THE BUILDING ARE SENIORS OLDER RESIDENTS THAT HAVE WENT TO SCHOOL THERE AND VERY MUCH SEE THAT AS A AS A GREAT NEXT STEP OR NEXT USE FOR THE BUILDING.  BUT THERE'S LOTS OF VERY GOOD EXAMPLES. I JUST DIDN'T BRING THEM TODAY WHERE WHERE OLDER BUILDINGS EVEN SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN USED FOR FAMILY HOUSING OR THEY'VE BEEN ABLE HAD ENOUGH LAND THAT THEY THAT THEY CAN YOU KNOW BUILD ON THE LAND NEXT TO SENIOR HOUSING. SO THERE ARE GOOD EXAMPLES TO I'LL FIX THEM UP. THANK YOU. THANK YOU CHIEF AND AGAIN THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU, COUNSELOR SANTANA COUNSELOR PEPEN YOU'RE NEXT.  AND BECAUSE WE SET THE THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.  THANK YOU SO MUCH TO THE PANELISTS FOR BEING HERE. THIS IS A CONVERSATION THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT. OBVIOUSLY HOUSING IS THE NUMBER ONE TOPIC THAT WE NEED TO BE TALKING ABOUT IN THE CITY OF BOSTON AND IT IS CERTAINLY ONE THAT MY DISTRICT IS VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT BECAUSE ONE WE HAVE ALREADY SEEN GOOD EXAMPLES OF OLD SCHOOL BUILDINGS BECOMING HOUSING AFFORDABLE HOUSING AT THAT IN MY DISTRICT AS YOU MENTIONED THE PRIDE WHICH IS A BEAUTIFUL NEW SENIOR HOUSING IN MY DISTRICT RIGHT IN THE HEART OF HYDE PARK BUT ALSO THERE'S AN OLDER EXAMPLE WHICH IS THE OLD RISE THE HIGH SCHOOL WHICH IS NOW ALSO SENIOR SENIOR HOUSING ON THAT ON POPLAR STREET IN ROSLINDALE.  SO FOR ME I HAVE A GOOD EXAMPLES OF THESE BUILDINGS AND I ALSO HAVE FUTURE POTENTIAL SITES ONE BEING THE SUMNER SCHOOL WHICH IS CLOSING DOWN GOING INTO THE IRVING SCHOOL ON CUMMINS HIGHWAY AND THEN ONE THAT'S RIGHT OUTSIDE MY DISTRICT WHICH IS THE PHILBROOK SCHOOL, THE PHILBROOK IN THE SUMMER OUR EMERGING GOING INTO THE NEW IRVING.  SO NOW RESIDENTS ARE REACHING OUT TO MY OFFICE FIGURING OUT WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN WITH THOSE TWO SCHOOL BUILDINGS IMMEDIATELY PEOPLE ARE ASKING ABOUT HOUSING THAT IS OBVIOUSLY THE NUMBER ONE OPTION. SO MY QUESTION IS GOING TO BE SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THOSE TWO SITES. DO WE KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WITH THE SUMNER SCHOOL OR THEIR PHILBROOK SCHOOL IN THE NEAR FUTURE?  I DO NOT I DO NOT EITHER. BUT THAT IS A GOOD QUESTION AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WILL BE FOLLOWING UP WITH. OKAY. AS WE GO TO NOW BUT JUST KNOW THAT IN DISTRICT FIVE THERE'S A LOT OF SUPPORT FOR IT TO BECOME HOUSING IN THOSE TWO SITES. CHIEF DYLAN WE WERE JUST AT A RIBBON CUTTING AT A GROUNDBREAKING LAST LAST WEEK TOGETHER IN HIGHLAND PARK AND I CAN'T HELP BUT THINK OF THE TIMING OF PROJECTS AND LUCKILY THIS ONE DID SEEM TO BE RIGHT. BUT YOU MENTIONED THAT THE PRIDE TOOK LONGER THAN EXPECTED. WHAT IS THE RIGHT TIMELINE FOR A PROJECT TO GO UP WHEN THE CITY IS PART OWNER OF IT? YEAH.  SO I YOU KNOW THE THE STEPS THAT WE OUTLINED IT'S ALWAYS HARD TO JUDGE EXACTLY HOW LONG A COMMUNITY PROCESS SHOULD TAKE BECAUSE SOMETIMES YOU JUST CAN'T RUSH THEM. THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS TO DISCUSS AND AND THERE'S A LOT OF OPINIONS TO TO GATHER YOU KNOW THE SUPPLY SAYING IF IF THIS THE SURPLUS SAVING EFFORT SHOULD TAKE SIX MONTHS OR SO COMMUNITY CONVERSATION SHOULD TAKE SIX PLUS MONTHS RIGHT YOU DO IT RIGHT WE SHOULD BE SORT OF THROUGH SOUP TO NUTS AND HAVE AN RFP ON THE GROUND I WOULD THINK IN WITHIN THE YEAR. YOU KNOW, MAYBE BETTER, MAYBE A LITTLE WORSE. BUT SOMEWHERE IN THERE I WOULD THINK OKAY. AND WHEN YOU I MEAN OBVIOUSLY GOES THROUGH AN RFP BUT IS THERE ALWAYS A IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY THAT YOU SEEK TO WORK WITH A LOCAL CDC FOR EXAMPLE, IN MY DISTRICT IT'S A SOUTH SOUTHWEST CDC IN BOSTON.  DO YOU TRY TO COLLABORATE WITH WITH PROGRAMS LIKE THAT DEPENDING ON WHERE IN THE CITY YOU'RE TRYING TO BUILD HOUSING? SURE. I MEAN WE WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THE SOUTHWEST CDC ON PROJECTS, MULTIPLE ACQUISITIONS. THEY CAN CERTAINLY APPLY TO AN RFP OR ONCE AN RFP IS OUT THEY CAN APPLY IF THEY HAVEN'T BEEN IF THEY HAVEN'T BEEN REALLY INVOLVED SHAPING THE RFP BECAUSE THEN 30 BE WOULDN'T ALLOW THEM TO DO THAT BUT OF COURSE I WE ARE SEEING VERY GOOD GOOD EXAMPLES WHERE THE THE LOCAL NONPROFIT IS IS IS EITHER DOING THE PROJECT ON THEIR OWN OR TEAMING UP WITH THOSE THAT HAVE ADDITIONAL CAPACITY AND BEING A PARTNER SO THERE'S THERE'S MULTIPLE WAYS THAT THE LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS CAN GET INVOLVED.  GOTCHA. GOTCHA. THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE AND ONE QUESTION THAT KEEPS BEING BROUGHT TO MIND TO ME IN MY MY DISTRICT IS A LOT OF CITY EMPLOYEES ARE INTERESTED IN THE ANYONE WHO PURCHASED A HOME IN THE CITY OF BOSTON OR TO BE ABLE TO RENT AT AN AFFORDABLE RATE. THE CONVERSATION THAT WE'RE HAVING TODAY IS HOW DO WE USE FORMER CITY BUILDINGS FOR HOUSING?  HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT THESE? ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT THE IDEA OF PUTTING ASIDE SOME OF THOSE UNITS FOR CITY EMPLOYEES CONSIDERING IT IS A CITY BUILDING BUILT BY THE CITY?  SO AND IF CITY EMPLOYEES ARE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY IN ANY LOTTERY WE HAVE THERE YOU KNOW, FOR TO TO BUY A HOME OR TO RENT A HOME UNLESS THEY WORK FOR THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING AND THEN THEY CAN'T BECAUSE WE'RE JUST WANTING TO BE VERY, VERY AWARE OF ANY POTENTIAL CONFLICTS WE HAVE NOT AT THIS POINT HAVE A SET ASIDE FOR CITY IN BOSTON EMPLOYEES.  I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST THERE'S THERE'S A VERY STRONG OPINIONS ON BOTH SIDES OF THIS AND WE'RE GLAD TO CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT IT. BUT RIGHT NOW THEY'RE THEY'RE IN THE LOTTERY AND I WAS HEARTENED TO SEE AND IN IT ANYWAYS THERE WAS A FOIA REQUEST SEVERAL MONTHS NOW AND I WAS HEARTENED TO SEE THAT A LOT OF OUR HARD WORKING CITY EMPLOYEES CAFETERIA WORKERS, LIBRARY WORKERS TEACHER AIDES WERE IN HAD HAD BEEN ABLE TO ACCESS AFFORDABLE HOUSING THROUGH THE LOTTERY. SO I THINK THAT'S THAT'S AN ABSOLUTE WONDERFUL THING. YOU'RE RIGHT. THERE'S A REQUIREMENT TO LIVE HERE AND PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO RESOURCES TO DO SO. BUT I THINK IT NEEDS FURTHER CONVERSATION IF WE'RE GOING TO SEE IT SET ASIDE.  AND I'D ALSO WANT TO CHECK IN WITH FAIR HOUSING. YEAH, THAT'S DEFINITELY I THINK YOU THINK WE'RE ENTERING THAT. IT'S ONE OF THE TOPICS THAT I DO ALWAYS BRING UP BECAUSE IT IS AS WE KNOW YOU MENTIONED THAT WE HAVE A CITY YOU HAVE TO WORK IN THE CITY FOR A LOT OF THE CITY JOBS AND WE KNOW THE COST OF LIVING IS INCREASING AND SOME OF THOSE JOBS AREN'T PAYING ENOUGH.  SO MAYBE THERE'S A SEPARATE HEARING THAT WE SHOULD THAT WE SHOULD HAVE BUT THAT'S REALLY IT FOR ME AT THE MOMENT. OH, PERFECT TIMING RIGHT,  MA'AM. THAT'S IT. THANK YOU.  COUNCILOR FLYNN, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR, CORRECT? OH, SORRY . BEG YOUR PARDON?  COUNCILOR FITZGERALD, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.  THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.  FIRST CAN I JUST SAY A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO DIRECTOR?  I WILL STILL GO BY AS WHEN YOU WERE MY BOSS DIRECTOR HANSON I CAN'T CALL YOU ANYTHING ELSE BUT IT'S FANTASTIC TO SEE YOU HERE AND I KNOW THAT THE REAL ESTATE DEPARTMENT IS IN GREAT HANDS UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP. SO WELCOME.  ONE OF THE QUESTIONS AT THE 9.5 MILLION SQUARE FEET THAT THE AUDIT HAS PRODUCED AND THIS COULD BE VERY PROBABLY FOR SHEILA OR REBECCA I ASSUME THAT IS THE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THE LAND, CORRECT? NOT NOT OF THE BUILDING. DO WE KNOW THE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF BUILDINGS ON THAT CITY OWNED LAND AND IF SO ARE WE ARE ANY OF THESE DEMOLISHING THE EXISTING BUILDING OR IS IT ALL REHABS OF CURRENT CITY OWNED BUILDINGS? I'M JUST TRYING TO GET AN IDEA OF THE ACTUAL SQUARE FOOTAGE OF HOUSING THAT WE CAN MAKE ON THIS STUFF BECAUSE THE 9.5 MILLION NUMBER IS NICE IF THAT BUT IF THAT'S THE LAND HOW MUCH OF IT IS ACTUAL HOUSING IS EQUIVALENT? YEAH THAT IS CORRECT.  IT'S THE LAND AND I WILL HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU ON THE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF PROPER BUILDINGS THAT ARE ACTUALLY WITHIN THAT. WHAT I DO KNOW IS THAT THE MAJORITY OF PROPERTIES THAT FALL WITHIN THAT CATEGORY ARE EITHER VACANT SITES THAT HAVE NOTHING ON THEM OR THEIR PARKING LOTS WHERE TECHNICALLY THERE IS AN ACTIVE USE BUT CERTAINLY NO STRUCTURES IN PLACE. SO I THINK IT WAS VERY FEW WHERE A STRUCTURE WAS ACTUALLY PRESENT WITHIN THE 9.5 MILLION SQUARE FEET AND I THINK THAT'S YOU KNOW, EAST BOSTON BEING AN EXAMPLE OF ONE THAT WHERE THERE WAS BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE A VERY SMALL NUMBER BUT WE CAN GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT. ALL RIGHT, GREAT. NOW THAT I THINK THAT'S MORE POSITIVE THAN TRYING TO REHAB OR JUST HAVING A FLAT EMPTY SPACE TO WORK WITH IS GREAT. DO WE KNOW HOW MANY SCHOOLS SPECIFICALLY DO WE ANTICIPATE COMING ON FOR HOUSING IN THE FUTURE?  ARE THERE OTHERS WE DON'T? YEAH, I DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION.  NO, I'M SORRY . WELL, THIS IS MORE OF A LARGER QUESTION SO I THINK THIS IS FOR YOU PLEASE AND THANK YOU AND IT'S SORT OF A PHILOSOPHICAL ONE BUT I'VE HEARD IT RECENTLY AND I THOUGHT I'D TRY AND GET YOUR TAKE ON IT. DO WE ACTUALLY FEEL THAT MORE SUPPLY WILL BRING DOWN THE COST OF HOUSING? BECAUSE WHAT I'VE HEARD FROM SOME CONSTITUENTS LATELY IS LIKE THEY'RE JUST GOING TO BUILD MORE HOUSING AND EVERYTHING'S STILL JUST GOING TO BE MORE EXPENSIVE ANYWAY. IT'S NOT GOING TO ACTUALLY DRIVE DOWN. WHAT CAN I SAY TO FOLKS WHO COME WITH ME WITH THAT QUESTION OR RESPONSE?  I TOLD YOU IT'S A BIG I ALWAYS IT'S IT'S IT'S IT'S ONE OF THESE QUESTIONS THAT HAS A LOT OF OPINION ON IT.  I WILL SEND OVER TO YOU FOR YOUR READING PLEASURE SOME REALLY GOOD ACADEMIC STUDIES ON THAT SUPPLY DOES HELP IT DOES BRING DOWN PRICES I WOULD I WOULD ADD THOUGH THAT THAT WE NEED HOW EVEN IF THE PRICES THE MARKET RATE PRICES COME DOWN AND AND BECOME MORE A SLIGHTLY MORE MODERATE OR AT LEAST STABLE A LOT OF OUR RESIDENTS CAN'T WILL BE ABLE TO AFFORD THOSE NEW UNITS RIGHT SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE INCREASE SUPPLY AND STABILIZE MARKETS SO WE DON'T FEEL PRESSURE AND PEOPLE ARE GETTING RENT INCREASES EVERY YEAR YEAR AFTER YEAR BUT WE CONTINUE TO BUILD A LOT OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND MIXED INCOME HOUSING THAT OUR THAT ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS CAN AFFORD.  SO I THINK IT'S A YES AND THERE IS THE RESEARCH WILL SHOW SOMETIMES THAT THE NEW HOUSING RIGHT AROUND AN AREA THAT BECOMES IF THERE'S A LOT OF NEW HOUSING STOCK THE AREA MIGHT BECOME RENTS MIGHT GO UP ON THE OLDER HOUSING STOCK BUT OVERALL IF YOU BUILD A LOT OF HOUSING YOU'LL YOU'LL SEE SOME SOME SOME SOFTENING, SOME STABILIZING OF THE MARKET. BUT I'LL SEND YOU STUDIES. NO, THAT'S GREAT. DO WE KNOW HOW MUCH IT WOULD TAKE? LIKE HOW MANY UNITS ARE WE LOOKING TO BUILD TO GET THAT STABILIZATION OR EVEN JUST A PLATEAU OR SLIGHTLY DECREASE? IT'S IT'S IT'S A FACTOR OF THE NUMBER OF HOUSING UNITS BUT IT'S MOST IT'S MOSTLY DRIVEN BY THE VACANCY RATES RIGHT SO THAT YOU HAVE TO NOT ONLY LOOK AT HOW MUCH HOUSING YOU'RE BUILDING BUT WHAT ARE THE VACANCY RATES ASSOCIATED WITH IT. IT'S REALLY THE VACANCY RATES THAT CAUSED THAT CAUSES THINGS TO STABILIZE THERE THERE WE HAVE LOOKED AT THIS QUESTION I DON'T HAVE IT RIGHT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD BECAUSE I WASN'T ANTICIPATING IT BUT I CAN GET YOU OVER WHAT WE'VE DONE NOW. I'D LOVE TO ANY ANY READING TO EDUCATE ME ON THAT. OKAY. THANK YOU CHIEF. AND FINALLY, WHAT ARE THE MAIN FUNDING STREAMS TO FACILITATE SORT OF ALL OF THIS NEW CONSTRUCTION? WHERE ARE WE LOOKING TO GET THE DOE FROM? I'M SURE IT'S A MYRIAD OF OF OF STREAMS BUT JUST WONDERING WHICH ONES THEY ARE.  YEAH SO WE WE YOU KNOW USE BOTH CITY OPERATING AND THANK YOU ALL FOR APPROVING EVERY YEAR CITY OPERATING FUNDING WE SEE AS YOU ALL KNOW WE EXTRACT FROM OUR THE PRIVATE MARKET BOTH THROUGH LINKAGE AND THROUGH INCLUSIONARY ZONING SO WE HAVE WE'VE GOT SORT OF EXTRACTION MONEY. WE'VE GOT OUR FEDERAL RESOURCES CDBG AND HOME AND THEN ON AND WE'VE MOST RECENTLY HAD ARPA WHICH HAS BEEN JUST A WONDERFUL COUPLE YEARS TO SAY YES TO VERY GOOD IDEAS THAT WERE COMING TO THE DOOR. IT'S LIKE YES, YES, LET'S MOVE. I THINK WHAT'S GOING INTO A LITTLE BIT OF A NOT A LITTLE BIT WE'RE GOING INTO A TIME PERIOD WHERE WE DIDN'T TRANSFER FEE DIDN'T PASS AND ARPA IS DRYING UP. SO I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO REALLY LOOK AT ASKING THE STATE TO DO TO HELP US MORE WITH OUR PROJECTS. WE PROBABLY WILL BE ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE AS MUCH IN LOOKING AT POTENTIAL OTHER RESOURCES SO MORE MORE TO COME ON THAT BUT YOU KNOW WE WE WE TAKE WE TAKE RESOURCE AND I SHOULD I SHOULD MENTION CPA TOO BECAUSE CPA VERY GENEROUSLY HAS DESIGNATED HALF OF THEIR RESOURCES FOR HOUSING WHICH HAS BEEN REALLY VERY VERY HELPFUL. SO IT'S YOU'RE RIGHT IT'S A IT'S A LOT OF RESOURCES BUT WE ARE YOU KNOW WE NEED MORE I WILL JUST SAY ONE MORE THING THAT EVERY PROJECT PRETTY MUCH THAT COMES INTO US WILL THEN ON TO THE STATE FOR TAX CREDITS STATE TAX CREDITS, SOFT DEBT ETC. ETC. AND WE ALWAYS LOOK TO OUR DEVELOPMENTS TO LEVERAGE PRIVATE DEBT AS WELL. SO WE FUND FROM FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES AND THEN WE SEND THEM OUT TO THE STATE AND PRIVATE PARTIES TO TO TO BUILD OUT THEIR PERFORMANCE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.  THANK YOU, COUNCILOR FITZGERALD. NEXT IS COUNCILOR MEJIA YOU HAVE 6 MINUTES.  THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT OF MADAM CHAIR. SORRY TOOK IT. OH, I JUST HAVE TO LET YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT COUNCILOR COLETTA AND COUNCILOR MURPHY HAVE JOINED US . I THINK THERE'S A SERIES MAP, MADAM PRESIDENT. RIGHT THERE IS, RIGHT. THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I AM SO EXCITED TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION AND I JUST WANTED TO LET MY COLLEAGUE BAY KNOW THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE HOSTING A HEARING ON WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT HOUSING FOR MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES AND I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE A REALLY GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. HOWEVER, I DO WANT TO SPEND A LITTLE BIT OF TIME UNPACKING THAT WHILE WE ARE HERE BECAUSE I NOTICE THAT A LOT OF THE WORKFORCE I MEAN A LOT OF THE HOUSING STOCK AND OPPORTUNITIES HAVE BEEN GEARED TOWARDS SENIORS AND I'M GOING TO ASSUME THAT IT'S BECAUSE THE WAY THE BUILDINGS ARE SET UP THAT IT'S MORE FOR SINGLE OCCUPANCY.  IS THAT THE CORRECT ASSUMPTION? THAT IS CORRECT AND IT'S JUST EXAMPLES I BROUGHT IN LIKE I MENTIONED EARLIER, THERE ARE EXAMPLES OF OLDER BUILDINGS BEING CONVERTED INTO FAMILY HOUSING AS WELL WHICH WE COULD GET YOU.  OKAY. SO THERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES THAT EXIST FOR FAMILY HOUSING. YES. AND SO I WOULD LOVE TO JUST TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT KIND OF WHAT IT COST TO RETROFIT A SCHOOL INTO, YOU KNOW, AFFORDABLE HOUSING OR JUST KIND OF BEING ABLE TO LIVE IN THOSE SPACES KIND OF WHAT'S THE AVERAGE? YEAH, I DON'T HAVE THOSE BUT I'D BE GLAD TO GET THEM FOR YOU BUILDING EITHER.  GROUND UP NEW CONSTRUCTION AND RENOVATION RIGHT NOW IS JUST EXPENSIVE. IT'S JUST I MEAN WE WE WE SAW INCREASES AFTER COVID AND THEY REALLY HAVEN'T THEY HAVEN'T GONE DOWN ALTHOUGH I'M JUST STARTING TO HEAR THE CONSTRUCTION COSTS ARE LIKE PEOPLE PUTTING THINGS OUT TO BID AND BIDS ARE COMING IN AND FINALLY SORT OF WITHIN WITHIN THE PROJECTED PERFORMANCE BUT THEY ARE VERY, VERY EXPENSIVE. WE DON'T SEE GREAT ECONOMIES OF USING OLD BUILDINGS BUT THERE'S ALWAYS SUCH A GOOD REASON TO USE THEM. IT'S IT'S IT'S BETTER FOR THE CLIMATE THERE REALLY COMMUNITY FEEL VERY STRONGLY ABOUT REUSING THEM THEY'RE BEAUTIFUL THEY'RE PART OF OUR OUR YOU KNOW INFRASTRUCTURE BUT THERE'S NOT A GREAT FINANCIAL BENEFIT OF USING SOMETIMES YOU CAN GET THOUGH HISTORIC TAX CREDITS WHICH IS YOU KNOW A NICE BENEFIT OF USING AN OLDER BUILDING AND CAN YOU SHARE SOME EXAMPLES OF HOW THE CITY HAS UTILIZED THESE OPPORTUNITIES TO SUPPORT DEVELOPERS OF COLOR BECAUSE SOMETIMES OFTENTIMES,  YOU KNOW, THINGS GO TO THE LOWEST BIDDER AND I'M JUST WONDERING IN TERMS OF EQUITY IN FROM A PLACE OF UNDERSTANDING THAT WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR BUSINESSES WOMEN AND MINORITY OWNED AND FOLKS IN THIS INDUSTRY KIND OF HOW ARE YOU UTILIZING THOSE OPPORTUNITIES TO SUPPORT THAT DEMOGRAPHIC?  NO, I THINK IT'S A IT'S A VERY, VERY GOOD QUESTION. AND THE RFP THAT WE'RE PUTTING OUT NOW REALLY VERY MUCH ARE CALLING FOR CLEAR SECTIONS ON THE DEVELOPMENT TEAM NOT JUST WORKER HOURS COUNSELOR BUT WHO ON YOUR DEVELOPMENT TEAM IS WOMAN OR MINORITY OWNED BUSINESS AND OR IS THE IS THE OWNERSHIP GOING TO BE THAT? I THINK OUR BEST EXAMPLE RIGHT NOW OF CONCENTRATED EFFORT NOT THE ONLY ONE BUT A GOOD ONE IS THE LAND THAT WE'VE PUT OUT FOR WELCOME HOME BOSTON WHICH IS LIKE SHOW ON THE SCREEN RIGHT NOW WHERE I WANT TO SAY 80% OF THE DEVELOPERS SELECTED WITH THEY WILL BE THE DEVELOPERS AND THEIR TEAMS ARE LOCAL MINORITY FOR THE MOST PART BLACK DEVELOPERS AND SOME WITH A LOT OF EXPERIENCE, SOME WITH MODERATE AMOUNT OF EXPERIENCE BUT REALLY WORKING VERY, VERY CLOSELY WITH THEM TO ENSURE THEIR SUCCESS. ANOTHER GOOD EXAMPLE I THINK IS THE ALBUM'S CORNER LIBRARY WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE LARGER DEVELOPER DREAM.  I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO MENTION THAT OR OH AND THERE MAY BE WATER AND SEWER. YEAH I KNOW. SO I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS WITHIN OUR RFP CRITERIA BECAUSE WE'RE ABOUT TO 30 B IS HOW DO WE MAKE DIVERSITY EQUITY INCLUSION A BIG PART OF THAT EVALUATION AND SO WITHIN OUR RFP IS WE MANDATE THAT 25% OF THE EVALUATION CRITERIA LOOK AT THE DTI PLAN AND AGAIN FROM ALL THE WAY FROM OWNERSHIP TO OPERATIONS HOW THEY PLAN TO INCORPORATE THAT. AND SO WE DO HAVE A NUMBER OF THE LARGER SITES TO WHERE THAT HAS BECOME AN OPPORTUNITY. SO AS CHIEF DOLAN MENTIONED, THE CORNER PROJECT WHICH HAS A DREAM AND ANOTHER DEVELOPMENT PARTNER THE BUS OF WANDERING THROUGH A PARKING LOTS IS ALSO DREAM AND RELATED BILL AND SO WE HAVE A LOT OF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES AND I THINK A LOT OF THE PROJECTS THAT AREN'T MENTIONED HERE BUT IN NUBIAN SQUARE AS WELL THERE'S THE LOT THAT'S GOOD TO HEAR AND I KNOW THAT MY TIME IS GOING TO TAKE OFF AND I WANT TO GET ONE MORE QUESTION IN AND YOU KNOW, I DO APPRECIATE THE OFFER BUT I THINK THAT THE MORE THAT WE CAN PUSH BECAUSE I KNOW SOME OF THESE CONTRACTS GO TO THE LOWEST BIDDER AND THERE'S A LOT TO CONSIDER AND GRAPPLE WITH AND I THINK THAT AS CITY PROPERTIES THAT WE WE SHOULD BE DOING MORE IN THAT SPACE NOW I'M CURIOUS SO CHEAP IRISH AND I BOTH GRADUATED FROM DORCHESTER HIGH WHO WHO GO BEARS BUT I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION IN REGARDS TO YOU KNOW THAT PARTICULAR BUILDING HAS GONE THROUGH SO MANY DIFFERENT PHASES IT'S.  YOU KNOW IT'S BEEN SO MANY DIFFERENT NAMES OF SCHOOLS AND I'M CURIOUS LIKE IF A BUILDING LIKE THAT THAT AND I'M GOING TO ASSUME THAT THE FOOTBALL FIELD IS ALSO A PART OF GEORGE HAS THE HIGH OR IS IT SEPARATE? IT'S A PARK. IT'S A PARK SO WE DON'T OWN IT. THE PARKS DEPARTMENT DOES. OKAY. SO LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT IN THE INTEREST OF YOU KNOW AND ALSO THE PARKING LOT AND OF LIKE WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE SCHOOL, ARE WE LOOKING AT THE ENTIRETY OF THE SCHOOL WHICH INCLUDES THE PARK THAT IS ASSOCIATED OR USED BY THAT SCHOOL? ARE WE LOOKING AT THE PARKING LOT LIKE CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND KIND OF LIKE THE DEPTH OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SCHOOLS BEING TURNED INTO AFFORDABLE HOMEOWNERSHIP IS THAT THE ENTIRE LANDSCAPE?  YEAH, I'LL START UP AND THEN I'M GOING TO POINT IT BACK TO CHIEF DYLAN TO MAYBE TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE SCHOOLS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN CONVERTED. I LIKE DORCHESTER HIGH AND THAT WAS THE TECH BOSTON ACADEMY. THAT'S THAT'S NOT ON THE LIST. THAT'S STILL AN ACTIVE SCHOOL. BUT IN TERMS OF LIKE PAST PROJECTS MAYBE I USE THAT AS AN EXAMPLE BECAUSE IT WAS THE ONE THAT I COULD CLEARLY LIKE VISUALIZE BUT I'M CURIOUS ABOUT OTHERS EXAMPLES OTHER EXAMPLES OF SCHOOLS IN ADDITION TO THE ONES THAT WE WENT OVER. SO I SOMETIMES I NEED A TRANSLATOR BUT BASICALLY WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET AT IS IF THERE'S A SCHOOL YEAH AND THAT SCHOOL HAS A PARK AND THAT SCHOOL ALSO HAS A HUGE PARKING LOT. GOTCHA. I'M CURIOUS ABOUT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE LAND AND THE USE OF IT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THE ITS ENTIRETY AND EVERYTHING THAT SURROUNDS IT OR ARE WE JUST TALKING ABOUT THE BUILDING? YEAH, EXCITING STUFF.  YEAH. USING THE DORCHESTER HIGH AS AN EXAMPLE LIKE WE WOULD LOOK AT THE PARCEL THAT'S ACTUALLY OWNED SO THAT WOULD BE THE BUILDING, THAT WOULD BE THE PARKING LOT.  IT PROBABLY WOULD NOT BE THE PARK BECAUSE THAT THAT IS A PARK AND THAT WOULD BE SUBJECT TO IT LIKE A DIFFERENT STATE APPROVAL PROCESS TO TO REMOVE A PARK.  SO IN THAT EXAMPLE WOULD BE LOOKING AT THE PARKING LOT AND THE BUILDING ITSELF. OKAY THANK YOU FOR THAT FLAHERTY TO CREATE IT. I WOULD JUST ADD THAT THERE ARE THERE ARE GOOD EXAMPLES AND I MEAN I'M THINKING MORE OF PRIVATE EXAMPLES RIGHT NOW WHERE THE HISTORIC BUILDINGS WERE RENOVATED INTO HOUSING AND THEN THE LAND AROUND IT WHERE IT WAS NEWT BECAME NEW CONSTRUCTION SO IT WAS CERTAINLY A COMBINATION. SO YEAH, THANK YOU.  COUNCILOR FLYNN, DO YOU HAVE THE FLOOR?  THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR AND THANK YOU TO THE PANELIST FOR BEING HERE. I APOLOGIZE FOR STEPPING OUT AT THE BEGINNING I HAD TO ATTEND A CEREMONY FOR THE VFW 125TH ANNIVERSARY. MADAM CHAIR, I'M GOING TO HOLD OFF ON ASKING QUESTIONS IN THE INTEREST OF THEY MAY HAVE BEEN ALREADY OUT. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO RESET THE CLOCK CONSIDERING WE'RE OUT. YOU HAVE THE YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. AND THANK YOU TO THE PANEL FOR BEING HERE TODAY. YOU KNOW, ONE OF MY BIGGEST PUSHES IS JUST TO GET THE CITY TO DO MORE AND WHEN IT COMES TO HOME OWNERSHIP AND JUST LOOK AT ARE YOU ABLE TO TELL ME LIKE THE BREAKDOWN OF RENTAL VERSUS HOME OWNERSHIP IN THE PROJECTS THAT WERE DESCRIBED OR IN THE ONES THAT WE HAVE CONVERTED AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE THAT BREAKDOWN, I GUESS FOR ME IT IS THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN EXPLORE GOING FORWARD. YOU KNOW, I KNOW HOME OWNERSHIP WHEN IT COMES TO THE FUNDING SOURCES FOR AFFORDABILITY. YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOT A LOT OUT THERE BUT I KNOW THERE'S BEEN MORE DEVELOPERS I GOT A LITTLE BIT MORE CREATIVE ON MIXING RENTAL WITH HOME OWNERSHIP. SO IN THE FUTURE RFP IS IS IT A POSSIBILITY TO KIND OF PUSH DEVELOPERS OR INCENTIVIZE THEM TO HAVE THAT MIXED USE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING MORE HOMEOWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES BEING BUILT ESPECIALLY FAMILY SIZE HOME OWNERSHIPS?  SURE. AND AND YOU KNOW AND I ACTUALLY WAS SCHOOLED THE OTHER DAY I WAS AT A HEARING AND I MISSPOKE AND MY STAFF SAID TO ME LATER DO YOU KNOW WE HAVE 900 AFFORDABLE HOMEOWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES IN OUR PIPELINE SO THERE'S A LOT OF COMMUNITY AGREES WITH YOU AND THEY'VE BEEN REALLY THEY'VE BEEN VERY, VERY CLEAR THAT THEY WANT TO SEE MORE AFFORDABLE HOMEOWNERSHIP IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS. AND WHEN SOME SOMETIMES HISTORIC BUILDINGS DON'T REALLY WORK GREAT WITH FAMILY FOR LARGER UNITS. BUT AS AS COUNCILOR MEJIA MENTIONED, IF THERE'S LAND AROUND IT AND YOU CAN DO YOU KNOW, SMALLER UNITS FOR SMALLER HOUSEHOLDS MAYBE THE HISTORIC BUILDING AND THEN USE THE LAND FOR FOR FAMILIES SO THAT WOULD BE THE IDEAL. BUT YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'RE ALL COMMITTED TO IT.  BUT YOU ARE SO CORRECT IN THAT THE THE THE NUMBER OF RESOURCES THE AMOUNT OF RESOURCES FOR RENTAL YOU KNOW, INCOME RESTRICTED RENTAL VERSUS INCOME RESTRICTED OR MORE AFFORDABLE HOMEOWNERSHIP ARE VERY, VERY DIFFERENT AND IT'S MUCH HARDER FOR THE CITY TO DO HOMEOWNERSHIP ALTHOUGH WE WE HAPPEN AND THEN WHEN IT COMES TO THE RESOURCES BECAUSE I THINK THE RESOURCES DICTATE HOW LONG A RENTAL AFFORDABLE UNIT STAYS AFFORDABLE WHAT IS THE TYPICAL TIMEFRAME AND THEN WE PUSH MORE AFFORDABLE THAN YOU KNOW.  SO IF WE'RE IF WE'RE PUTTING ANY RESOURCES IN LAND BUILDING MONEY INTO CREATING INCOME RESTRICTED RENTAL HOUSING, WE ARE SEEKING AFFORDABILITY IN PERPETUITY.  WE JUST ARE WE'VE.  SO THAT THAT'S SORT OF A NON-NEGOTIABLE ITEM FOR FOR DEVELOPERS AS YOU KNOW THAT IF WE ARE BUILDING AFFORD VIABLE HOMEOWNERSHIP NOW WE ARE LOOKING FOR 30 YEARS BASED ON AN AGREEMENT WE HAVE MADE WITH THE STATE AND OTHERS. SO THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BUT THERE'S THERE'S DIFFERENT GOALS ASSOCIATED WITH EACH PROGRAM. AWESOME. AND THEN I KNOW WE HAVE A SHELTER MARKET PROGRAM WHICH KIND OF JUST TOXIC CONTRACTS WHERE YOU KNOW, A CONTRACT WILL ENTER A SHELTERED MARKET AND INDIVIDUALS OR COMMUNITIES THAT WERE LAID OUT IN THE CITY'S DISPARITY STUDY ARE ELIGIBLE TO BID ON THOSE CONTRACT RFP THE SAME WAY LIKE ARE WE ABLE TO RFP ELIGIBLE TO ENTER INTO A SHELTERED MARKET PROGRAM?  I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE WOULD GET BACK INTO WHAT WE ARE INCLUDING IN THE EVALUATION CRITERIA. SO I THINK A LOT OF WHAT YOU'RE REFERENCING IS IS FOR GOODS AND SERVICES AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE CONTEMPLATED.  BUT FOR RFP AS YOU KNOW SINCE WE FOLLOWED CHAPTER 30, IT'S NOT THAT YOU HAVE TO GO TO THE LOWEST BIDDER. IT'S WHATEVER THE EVALUATION CRITERIA IS, WHICH IS WHY WE'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, PREFERENCING SPECIFIC CRITERIA WITHIN THE DTI PLAN AS PART OF IT. SO I THINK WHATEVER OUR PREFERENCES WOULD BE WHICH AGAIN IS HIGHLIGHTED THROUGH THE COMMUNITY PROCESS WE WOULD MAKE SURE THAT'S WITHIN THE EVALUATION CRITERIA. GOT IT. AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION IS THE BJP GHOST AND HOW DOES THAT FACTOR IN TO THE EVALUATION CRITERIA? ARE WE LOOKING AT PAST TRACK RECORDS FOR SOME OF THESE DEVELOPERS TO SEE WHAT THEIR BJP NUMBERS ACTUALLY WERE BEFORE WE ASSIGN THE BID? I HAD A MEETING ON THIS LAST WEEK COUNSELOR I THINK MY OFFICE IS BUGGED. SO IT'S YOU KNOW, AFTER WE WE ALL SAW THE GLOBE ARTICLE WHERE THEY YOU KNOW, WE HAD WE HAD LEARNED THAT SOME OF OUR DEVELOPERS WERE FOLLOWING UP SHORT ESPECIALLY WITH BOSTON NEIGHBOR OF RESIDENTS, BOSTON RESIDENTS AND WOMEN. SO WE'RE DOING AN ANALYSIS RIGHT NOW AT MY AGE A VERY CAREFUL ONE AND I'M GOING TO START MEETING WITH ANYONE WHO HAD IS A MEETING TO FIND OUT WHY. WHY AREN'T THEY MEETING SO WE DON'T FUND REQUISITIONS UNLESS WE ARE KIND OF GET THE GREEN LIGHT TO DO SO. BUT I THINK IT DOES REALLY NEED A MORE DETAILED ANALYSIS. SO WE'RE WORKING ON THAT RIGHT NOW. SO THANK YOU. NO FURTHER QUESTIONS. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR . COUNCILOR COLETTE, AS A PARTNER YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. AND THANK YOU TO THE LEAD SPONSORS FOR PUTTING THIS FORWARD. THIS IS AN INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT CONVERSATION AND SO I JUST WANT TO EXPRESS GRATITUDE AND GRATITUDE GRATITUDE TO THE PANEL FOR COMING OUT.  I APOLOGIZE THAT I WAS LATE BUT I WAS LISTENING IN AND VERY HAPPY TO SEE THAT THIS ENTIRE PACKAGE IS BASICALLY SPONSORED IS BOSTON IS CLEARLY THE BENEFICIARIES OF THIS PROCESS AND PROVIDES A WINDOW INTO WHAT SUCCESS COULD BE FOR OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS WHEN YOU HAVE INCREDIBLE PARTNERS AT THE TABLE LIKE THE EAST BOSTON CDC LIKE VERONICA ROMULUS, THE E-ZPASS NEIGHBOR HEALTH CENTER AND EVEN IN THE NORTH END WE SAW THE TILES IN STREET PARCELS BE SO BLESSED AND WENT TO A WORTHY ORGANIZATION OF NAMPAK WHICH IS A MUSIC AND ARTS ORGANIZATION.  SO I AM VERY MUCH A PROPONENT OF THIS AND I THINK IT'S AGAIN NECESSARY AND URGENT TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION GIVEN THE HOUSING MARKET AND JUST EVEN IN EAST BOSTON THIS PROCESS HAS CONTRIBUTED TO A HEALTHY AND THRIVING COMMUNITY EVEN WHEN THERE IS SIGNIFICANT GENTRIFICATION AND DISPLACEMENT HAPPENING. AND SO WE SEE AND WE KNOW THE URGENCY AROUND THE HOUSING CRISIS ESPECIALLY IN BOSTON IT'S A NATIONAL CRISIS BUT BEING FELT ACUTELY IN EAST AND SO THE EAST POSSIBLY STATION IS TOP OF MIND FOR MANY FOLKS AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S A A SLIDE IN THIS PRESENTATION AND THERE'S A LITTLE UPDATE BUT PEOPLE ARE COMING TO ME CONSTANTLY ASKING WHAT IS GOING ON AND THEY'RE CHOMPING AT THE BIT AS THEY SHOULD BECAUSE THIS IS ESSENTIAL SPACE . IT'S IN THE MIDDLE OF THE COMMUNITY AND COULD REALLY BE A RESOURCE AND SO FOLKS ARE WORRIED THAT IT WILL GO TOWARDS PRIVATE USE.  AND SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS THAT IT STAYS IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN FOR PUBLIC GOOD AND I'M JUST CURIOUS TO KNOW WHERE WE'RE AT FOLLOWING THIS DE CAM SURVEY. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES INTO MOVING FORWARD ON THIS PARCEL BECAUSE OF THE URGENCY OF THE HOUSING CRISIS AND DO YOU FOLKS INTEND TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING HERE LIKE WHAT IS THE ADMINISTRATION THINKING NOW AT THIS POINT? SO I'M GOING TO HAND OVER TO REBECCA ON THE DE KIM UPDATE BECAUSE WE REALLY WE ARE WE ARE KIND OF WRITING THEM IT'S IT'S PREMATURE TO SAY WHAT WE THINK THE BUILDING COULD BE USED FOR. I THINK WE DO NEED TO GO OUT AND HEAR THE COMMUNITY I KNOW THAT WE'VE HEARD FROM SOME OF THE NONPROFITS THAT ARE REALLY LOOKING AT THIS SPACE AND SO I'M REALLY WE ARE WE'RE CHOMPING AT THE BIT TO WE REALLY WOULD LIKE TO GET OUT THERE BUT WE DON'T WANT TO GO OUT THERE WITH THE WRONG BOUNDARIES AND THEN HAVE TO RETRACT SO. REBECCA, CAN YOU GIVE AN UPDATE? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.  SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH CLOSELY WITH DECAMP THERE'S I THINK AROUND 11 OR 12 COURTHOUSES THROUGHOUT THE CITY THAT YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO BE WORKING AND REFINING THOSE BOUNDARIES. EAST BOSTON BEING ONE OF THE ONES THAT'S THE TRICKIEST BECAUSE THE COURTHOUSE IS RIGHT ADJACENT AND IN FACT THERE'S EVEN DOORWAYS CONNECTING THE TWO. AND SO TO BE ABLE TO INTRODUCE HOUSING THERE, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE OR ANY OTHER TYPE OF USE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE VERY THOUGHTFUL IN TERMS OF HOW THOSE USES WILL BE CO-LOCATED. AND SO THEY'RE COMPLETING A STUDY, A FACILITIES ASSESSMENT AND THEN ALSO JUST REALLY ESTABLISHING WHAT THOSE BOUNDARIES ARE. I THINK WE'D WANT TO MEMORIALIZE THAT IN SOME TYPE OF , YOU KNOW, M.O. YOU OR AT LEAST RECORDING WHAT THOSE PROPERTY LINES ARE SO THEN WHEN WE PUT IT OUT TO BID IT'S MUCH MORE CLEAR AND WE DON'T HAVE TO PLAY CATCH UP LATER ON IN TERMS OF DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN THOSE TWO USES AND IT CAN BE MUCH MORE STRAIGHTFORWARD. SO WE HOPE TO HAVE A COMMUNITY CONVERSATION SOON TO REALLY KICK OFF THE PROCESS. YOU KNOW OBVIOUSLY WE'D HAVE TO SURPLUS IT AS WELL BUT THAT THAT CONVERSATION NEEDS TO BE INFORMED BY THE DE CAM WORK WHICH WE KEEP ON PUSHING THEM ON HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET INFORMATION. WE ARE EXPECTING IT IN SEPTEMBER BUT WE ARE AT IT SEPTEMBER 30TH SO HOPEFULLY EARLY OCTOBER . OKAY, THANK YOU FOR THAT AND THAT IS THAT'S MORE INFORMATION THAN ANYTHING WE'VE GOTTEN IN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS. SO I APPRECIATE THAT. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF WE NEED TO AS AS A COMMUNITY WILL LIVE IN THE CITY DELEGATION TO PUSH DE CAM FOR ANSWERS SINCE DE KIM IS GOING TO BE IN FOR A IS GOING TO INFORM THE COMMUNITY PROCESS AND I'M REALLY HEARTENED TO HEAR YOU SAY THAT YOU WANT THE COMMUNITY TO DECIDE WHAT HAPPENS HERE.  THERE ARE MANY NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE LOOKING TO THIS TO THIS BUILDING AS AN OPPORTUNITY AND HOW CAN WE MAKE EVERYBODY HAPPY. I KNOW AFTER THE LIBRARY SITUATION NOT EVERYBODY WAS HAPPY WITH THAT AND FELT LIKE IT DIDN'T ADDRESS ADDRESS COMMUNITY NEEDS. BUT WHAT CAN WE DO THAT IS AN AMALGAMATION OF ADDRESSING THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS ALSO THE FOOD ACCESS CRISIS THAT'S HAPPENING IN EAST BOSTON. I TALK ABOUT A FOOD HUB IN SD SO I REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO THESE CONVERSATIONS AND HEARING FROM THE COMMUNITY WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE. I DON'T HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS BUT JUST REALLY GRATEFUL FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS AND TAKE IT TO THE SPONSORS. THANK YOU COUNCILOR CLARISSA PADDOCK COUNCILOR MURPHY, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU CHAIR THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.  A FEW QUESTIONS I KNOW LIKE IN MY OWN NEIGHBORHOOD MANY FORMER SCHOOLS THE RICHARDS, THE ROCHE AND BABA WERE PRIVATELY SOLD BECAUSE THOSE ARE CONDOS NOW YOU KNOW THAT HEALTH CENTER WAS AN OLD PUBLIC SCHOOL SO THE IDEA OF USING SCHOOLS AS WE TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE FUTURE OF MERGING SCHOOLS, BUILDING NEW ONES, IT'S IMPORTANT I THINK TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION NOW BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO SEE WE KNOW THOSE BUILDINGS WILL BECOME EMPTY RIGHT.  AND TO HAVE THAT, YOU KNOW, CONTROL OVER WHAT HAPPENS TO THEM AND WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE LIBRARIES, THOSE COME TO MIND FIRST IN SOME NEIGHBORHOODS, SOME COMMUNITIES WANTED HOUSING ABOVE, OTHERS DIDN'T. THE ADAM STREET LIBRARY AND YOU'VE TALKED TOUCHED ON THIS WHERE IN MANY CASES I MEAN I THINK THE OLD SCHOOL HOUSES ARE BEAUTIFUL, YOU KNOW, THE CLOSETS AND THE HALLWAYS, THE WOOD FLOORS BUT THE HIGH CEILINGS PROBABLY IN MANY CASES TEARING IT DOWN WOULD BE MORE COST EFFECTIVE LIKE THE ADAM STREET LIBRARY EVEN THOUGH PEOPLE WANTED TO KEEP KIND OF THAT FEELING WE KNEW TO, YOU KNOW, BE TOO COLD AND TO MAKE IT MODERN AND ALLOW FOR ALL OF THE THINGS THAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS OUT OF IT. IT'S NOT ALWAYS COST EFFECTIVE. SO HOW DO WE NAVIGATE THE NEED FOR HOUSING WHICH IS IS A WONDERFUL IDEA AND THE CONVERSATION TO HAVE WITH ALSO PEOPLE NOT WANTING TO REALLY LOSE THE YOU KNOW, THE FEELING OF A BUILDING BUT KNOWING WE COULD MAYBE FIT MORE YOU KNOW, HOUSING UNITS IN LIKE HOW DO YOU FEEL LIKE THAT CONVERSATIONS GOING TO GO AS WE ARE ABLE TO TALK MORE ABOUT IT I I'LL JUST START AND THEN HAND OVER TO MY COLLEAGUES BUT I THINK IT'S THERE IS REALLY TWO PROCESSES IS THERE IS ONE WHERE COMMUNITY IS INVOLVED IN TALKING ABOUT SCHOOLS OR TALKING ABOUT THEIR LIBRARIES, RIGHT? BECAUSE THEY ARE THEIR PUBLIC ASSETS AND THAT BESIDE DIANE IS PROBABLY WILL BE IN THIS IN THIS A PANEL UP HERE BUT IT WON'T BE ME RIGHT THERE IS THERE IS A CONVERSATION THAT HAS TO HAPPEN BUT CERTAINLY ONCE ONCE IT'S BEEN DECIDED THAT A BUILDING IS SURPLUS AND NO LONGER NEEDED FOR ITS ORIGINAL PURPOSE, THEN I THINK ONCE AGAIN IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO TALK TO COMMUNITY TO HEAR FROM THEM AND WHAT THEY WANT TO SEE HAPPEN. AND YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT SOME OF THAT SOME NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE SAID WE REALLY LOVE THE IDEA OF A NEW SCHOOL OR A SORRY A NEW LIBRARY WITH HOUSING ON TOP AND THERE'S SOME THAT SAID NO, THAT'S THAT DOESN'T THAT DOESN'T FEEL RIGHT FOR US. LIKE EGGLESTON COMES TO MIND AND ONE IN CODMAN SQUARE I THINK I MEAN SQUARE THEY'RE STILL WORKING THEY'RE TRYING TO FIGURE THAT OUT AND I THINK IN THAT INSTANCE YOU REALLY DO HONOR THE COMMUNITY'S KIND OF OPINION ON THIS BECAUSE THE ASSET IS SO IMPORTANT TO THEM. SO I THINK IT'S LISTENING AND LISTENING AND LISTENING AND LISTENING BUT I, I THE CONVERSE THE REUSE OF THE BUILDINGS THAT WE'VE HAD REALLY HAVE HAVE YEAH MAYBE WE COULD HAVE GOTTEN SLIGHTLY MORE SQUARE FOOTAGE FOR THE EAST BOSTON SENIOR CENTER OR MAYBE WE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN EASIER TO CREATE THE THE HOUSING ON THE BARNES SCHOOL SITE BUT TO ME YOU KEPT THE BUILDINGS THAT ARE SO FAMILIAR TO RESIDENTS AND I DON'T KNOW TO ME IT'S WORTH THAT'S WORTH THAT IT'S WORTH THE AGGRAVATION AND SOMETIMES THE INEFFICIENCY AND THE MAYBE THE LACK OR NOT OPTIMIZING THE SQUARE FOOTAGE.  I THINK HANGING ON TO THE OLDER BUILDINGS IS IMPORTANT. OKAY.  ANYTHING ELSE? YEAH. JUST ADD TO SHEILA'S POINT ON THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. IT'S GOING TO BE A BIG PART OF IT. WE WE KNOW NOW ABOUT SOME THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT FOR COMMUNITIES BUT I THINK WE'LL HAVE EVEN BETTER INFORMATION IN THE NEXT YEAR AND A HALF OF SOME OF THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT IS DOING A A CITYWIDE NEEDS ASSESSMENT SO THAT WILL HELP TO INFORM LIKE WHAT'S THE BEST USE GIVEN WHAT THE PARTICULAR BUILDING LENDS ITSELF TO AND WHAT IS THE COMMUNITY ASKING FOR IN ADDITION TO YOU KNOW,  PRIORITIZING HOW AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THERE IS DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE'RE HEARING FROM DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE COMMUNITY AND THE COMMUNITY VOICE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT TO ME SO I DON'T WANT TO MAKE IT SEEM LIKE I DON'T THINK IT'S IMPORTANT BUT I THINK GOING INTO THIS IT WOULD ALSO BE SMART TO BE SHARING OUT THAT COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT SO THAT WE'RE HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS LIKE THIS IS WHAT YOU NEED, THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE. HOW CAN WE COME TO SOME COMMON GROUND SO THAT WE'RE NOT MISSING OPPORTUNITIES AND THE NEWER BUILDINGS I MEAN, YOU KNOW THE FIREHOUSE, RIGHT? IT'S NOT JUST THAT IT LOOKS NICE. IT'S SAFER.  RIGHT. THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, LESS CANCER FOR OUR FIREFIGHTERS AND OUR FIRST RESPONDERS. SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE'RE ALSO MAKING SURE THAT THE BUILDINGS ARE ABLE TO YOU KNOW ,STAY AROUND TOO FOR A LONG TIME. AND LASTLY, I MEAN AFFORDABLE HOUSING AS YOU AND A HALF SHAYLA, THIS IS YOUR LIFE. IT MEANS A LOT OF THINGS WILL BE THE PRIMARY TIES IN RENTALS AT AFFORDABLE RATES AND WE'LL BE PRIORITIZING SENIORS AND VETERANS WILL BE PUSHING MORE LIKE WE HAVE BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO GIVE YOU KNOW THESE FREE FREE MONEY FOR DOWN PAYMENTS FOR HOME OWNERSHIP. BUT WITH OPERA THAT WE KNOW THAT MONEY WON'T BE AROUND FOR LONGER. DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF WHICH ONE YOU'RE GOING TO TRY TO ADVOCATE MORE OR WILL BE KIND OF EVEN MIXED? I THINK THERE'S THERE'S A NEED FOR AT ALL CORRECTION AND IT'S AND I THINK IT COMES BACK DOWN TO LIKE WHAT DOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD REALLY WANT TO SEE WITH BUT ALSO INFORM THE THE NEIGHBORHOOD IF WE ARE TRYING TO USE AN OLDER BUILDING WHAT YOU KNOW WHAT MAKES SENSE WHAT CAN WE HOW MANY UNITS CAN WE GET OUT WHAT WHAT UNITS WOULD WORK WHAT THEY WHAT WOULDN'T WORK REALLY JUST HAVING SOME DETAILED AND EDUCATED CONVERSATIONS WITH COMMUNITY THERE THERE IS A NEED FOR FOR FOR IT ALL.  THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU COUNCILMAN MURPHY.  I'LL JUST TAKE SOME TIME BUT OKAY.  THIS IS GOOD. THAT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTIONS . MANY OF MY QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN ALREADY ASKED IN ALLSTON BRIGHTON WE HAVE I WOULD SAY A LACK OF AVAILABLE SPACES FOR POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT. I WAS JUST GOING THROUGH A LIST OF WHAT WE'VE SORT OF DISPOSED OF ALREADY THE ALLSTON RIGHT?  THE CDC THE OAK SQUARE SCHOOLHOUSE WAS THE LAST WOODEN SCHOOL HOUSE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON AND I THINK THAT WAS THEIR FIRST PROJECT TO DEVELOP IT AS CONDOS WAY BACK 40 YEARS AGO. SO THE START OF SCHOOL IS HOUSING. JACKSON SCHOOL IS HOUSING THE HOBART SCHOOL IS NOW A PUBLIC PARK. A WASHINGTON ALLSTON SCHOOL WAS IS HOUSING NOW EVENTUALLY THE BENNET SCHOOL IN ALLSTON WAS SOLD TO HARVARD TO THE SIDE ADMINISTRATION BUILDING AND THEN WE HAVE THREE FIREHOUSES. ONE OF THEM IS A SENIOR CENTER VERONICA SMITH THE WESTON OF A FIREHOUSE IS A CONDO STUDIOS AND THE HARVARD OF OUR HOUSE IS A COMMERCIAL AND IS THE RENTED BY NONPROFIT AND COMMERCIAL RETAIL USERS.  SO I THINK WE'VE DISPOSED OF A LOT OF PUBLIC PROPERTY IN ALLSTON BRIGHTON AND WE DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT LEFT THAT SORT OF DISPOSABLE.  BUT I HOPE THAT WE WILL PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THE POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES AT THE JACKSON MANOR SITE FOR POSSIBLY DEVELOPING HOUSING THERE IT IS 280,000 SQUARE FEET. WE ALSO NEED A NEW COMMUNITY CENTER ON THAT SITE GIVEN THAT WE DON'T HAVE ONE AND WE ONLY HAVE ONE IN THE CITY AND I'M JUST LOOKING FORWARD TO A REALLY ROBUST COMMUNITY PROCESS ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS NEXT AT THE JACKSON MANOR SITE I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT IT REALLY BACK TO THE WHOLE IDEA OF WORKFORCE HOUSING IN A LOT OF OUR INCOME RESTRICTED HOUSING IS JUST A LITTLE THE THE THE INCOME RESTRICTIONS ARE JUST SLIGHTLY LESS THAN WHAT THE FOLKS ARE EARNING SO FOLKS ARE EACH OF THOSE MIDDLE INCOME FOLKS WHO ARE EARNING A LITTLE BIT MORE THEY DON'T QUALIFY FROM THE INCOME RESTRICTED UNITS BUT THEY CERTAINLY CAN'T AFFORD MARKET RATE AND THEY'RE THE FOLKS THAT ARE FEELING THE GREATEST SQUEEZE. ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT ISSUE?  YEAH, I WE DO HEAR THAT. WE HEAR THAT AND WE ALSO HEAR THAT THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT WE'RE BUILDING OUR RESIDENTS CAN'T AFFORD.  RIGHT. SO I THINK WHENEVER POSSIBLE IT'S REALLY NICE TO HAVE A RANGE OF INCOMES ESPECIALLY IF THERE'S A IF THE FINANCING LENDS ITSELF TO MAKING THAT WORK BECAUSE THEN THEN THE RESIDENTS AND THE FOLKS THAT ARE INTERESTED IN THAT SITE CAN SEE THEMSELVES THERE. RIGHT? IT JUST IT'S SOMETIMES IT COMES DOWN TO LIKE WHO YOU'RE TRYING TO SERVE AND WHAT RESOURCES YOU CAN LINE UP. IT'S IT'S A LITTLE BIT COMPLICATED SOMETIMES BUT IT IS THE IDEAL CERTAINLY YEAH AND THE OTHER CONCERN I HAVE IS REALLY JUST THINKING ABOUT A LOT OF THE HOUSING IN SCHOOLS THAT ARE CONVERTED TO HOUSING OR FOR ELDERS AND I REALLY APPLAUD THAT BECAUSE I THINK WE'RE ABOUT TO SEE A TSUNAMI. I THINK IT'S HAPPENING ALREADY OF ELDERS NEEDING HOUSING THREAT OF A LOT OF ELDER HOMELESSNESS FOR FOLKS WHO HAVE LIVED AND WORKED HARD ALL THEIR LIVES BUT THEY'RE MAYBE THEY'RE SEEING THAT THEY'RE MAYBE RENTED AFFORDABLY RENTED FROM FOLKS WHO ALL MAYBE A TWO FAMILY THE THE OWNER OCCUPIER LIVES IN ONE UNIT THEY HAVE RENTED THE OTHER FOR MAYBE 30 YEARS AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE THE OWNER GETS SICK AND RETIRES OR GOES TO ASSISTED LIVING OR WHATEVER AND THEY'RE LEFT HIGH AND DRY AND THEY CANNOT AFFORD THE MARKET RATE. I I KNOW WE'VE TALKED SOME ABOUT THIS. DO WE HAVE ANY MEASUREMENTS ON HOW HOW SEVERE THIS IS GOING TO BE? YEAH. SO I CAN GET YOU THIS I DIDN'T BRING IT BUT WE SAT DOWN WITH AGE THE AGE STRONG COMMISSION LAST WEEK WEEK AND A HALF AGO AND JUST STARTED TO SHARE LIKE WHO'S GOT WHAT CASE AND THERE'S HUNDREDS OF THEM HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF CASES AND IT AND IT REALLY IS WHEN THERE'S SOMETHING HAPPENING WITH THE PROPERTY THAT THEY'RE LIVING IN THEY'VE LIVED IN A MARKET RATE RENTAL UNIT FOR DECADES. IT'S BEING SOLD THE OWNERS ALL OF A SUDDEN LEAVING IT OR WANTS TO LEAVE OR HAD TO LEAVE AND THEN THEY FIND THEMSELVES WITH EITHER RENTS BEING DOUBLED WITH THE NEW OWNER OR BEING ASKED TO LEAVE THAT. SO IT'S IN THE HUNDREDS THAT WE ALWAYS HAVE HUNDREDS OF CASES LIKE THAT. I DID LOOK UP LAST WEEK HOW MANY OF OUR OLDER ADULTS ARE SEVERELY RENT BURDENED AND THE NUMBER IS 10,000. WOW.  YEAH. AND THE FIXED INCOMES DON'T YOU CAN'T JUST, YOU KNOW, FLEX THEIR FINGERS AND FIND THAT YEAH WE WE WE DO HAVE A VERY VERY HEALTHY PIPELINE RIGHT NOW OF SENIOR HOUSING OLDER ADULT HOUSING WHICH I'M VERY PROUD OF . WE HAVE TEN PROJECTS ARE MOVING THROUGH MOVING THROUGH AND WE HAVE JUST OVER 12,000 UNITS IN THE CITY THAT SERVE THAT POPULATION THAT ALREADY EXIST. AND MY FIRST ENGAGEMENT WITH THIS ISSUE IS WAY BACK WHEN I WORKED AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL YEARS AGO AND I MET AN OBESE ANNETTE AND SHE TOLD US ABOUT THE OLDEST LIVING AT HOME PROJECT AND IT'S ALWAYS STRUCK ME AS SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THE THE NEW DEVELOPERS AND NEW PEOPLE COMING INTO THE SPACE TO DEVELOP THIS THESE TYPE OF PROJECTS. WHAT SORT OF PIPELINE DO WE HAVE FOR THOSE?  ARE WE SEEING LAND TRUSTS ENGAGED IN THIS PROCESS?  YEAH, I MEAN WE'RE SEEING SOME LAND TRUSTS. THEY'RE NOT IN EVERY CORNER OF THIS CITY AS YOU KNOW. I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S LAND TRUST IN ALLSTON. WE'D LOVE ONE. WE REALLY WANT ANOTHER. YEAH, I KNOW YOU GET ONE. YOU KNOW WE CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, WELCOME LAND TRUSTS. WE WELCOME WORKING WITH LAND TRUSTS. I THINK THE NICE THING ABOUT LAND TRUST IS THEY YOU KNOW THEY ENSURE LONG TERM AFFORDABILITY OF COURSE BUT THEY ALSO ENSURE OUR COMMUNITY AND I THE GOOD ONES ARE REALLY REALLY GOOD AT THAT. SO WE WE HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO ISSUE FUNDING PROJECTS ON LAND TRUSTS.  I'M SORRY WHAT WAS THE OTHER PIECE OF THAT QUESTION? OUR OWN JUST NEW OPERATORS ANYONE?  YEAH SO LIKE I MENTIONED EARLIER WHEN COUNCILOR MEJIA ASKED AND AND REBECCA ANSWERED WE ARE REALLY ARE TRYING TO CULTIVATE NEW DEVELOPERS TO TO COME INTO THIS SPACE WE WE TREASURE OUR CDCS AND OUR LARGER NONPROFITS THAT HAVE BEEN WORKING WORKING ON THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING SPACE FOR A LONG TIME BUT THERE REALLY IS A NEW GENERATION OF DEVELOPERS THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH AND YOU KNOW, BOSTON'S HARD TO NAVIGATE OUR OUR SYSTEMS ARE HARD TO NAVIGATE SO AND THE WELCOME HOME BOSTON EXAMPLE WE MEET WITH THOSE DEVELOPERS AS A COHORT EVERY SINGLE WEEK TO MAKE SURE THEY'VE GOT PRE-DEVELOPMENT THAT THEY'RE GETTING THROUGH EYES YOU KNOW ZEBA THAT THEY'RE STARTING TO WORK WITH OUR LOCAL LENDING INSTITUTIONS ETC. SO I THINK IT'S SUPPORTING THE FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN IN THE TRENCHES FOR DECADES AND ALSO SORT OF WELCOMING IN NEWER DEVELOPERS AS WELL. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. MY TIME IS UP. I WILL ASK MY COLLEAGUES IF ANYONE HAS A FOLLOW UP TWO MINUTE FOLLOW UP OPPORTUNITY AND YOU WOULD YOU LIKE ONE CONSTRUCTIVE ROLE CONSTRUCTIVE OPEN FOR MEJIA. OKAY. WE'LL START WITH THE LEAD SPONSOR. HANG ON AND INTERSECT AT LEAST AT THE TIME OF THANKSGIVING SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU.  OKAY. 2 MINUTES. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. AND I THINK THE CONVERSATION AROUND COMMUNITY INTEREST IS WHY SUPPORTING THE ACQUISITION OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM IS SO IMPORTANT IN PREVENTING THAT SPECULATION THAT IS HAPPENING IN THE MARKET AND ABOUT OUR SENIORS WHO ARE REMEMBERED AND WHO ARE BEING DISPLACED. SO DO YOU SAID 10,000 OF OUR OLDER ADULTS OF WHAT'S THE TOTAL WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THAT SORRY YOU SAID 10% OF TEN OH OH SORRY 10,000 OLDER RESIDENTS OUR RENT BURDEN. OH SO HOW MANY OUT OF HOW MANY? LET ME GET BACK TO YOU. I CAN DO THAT 2 HOURS. YOU MENTIONED IT BEFORE. I THINK IT WAS CHEAP IRISH THAT AND I DON'T I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE FROM BP'S IS HERE BUT THAT BP'S MAKES A DECISION LIKE ON THE MULTI WHETHER THE SCHOOL IS STILL HAVING SOME EDUCATIONAL HAS AN EDUCATIONAL PURPOSE WHAT ROLE AND AS WE WERE TALKING ABOUT RESTRUCTURING SCHOOLS AND CLOSING SCHOOLS PART OF WHY WE'RE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION IS WHAT IS THE ROLE OF BP'S IN DETERMINING WHAT THE FUTURE USE OF THAT SCHOOL IS OR WILL BE.  WELL, I MEAN BP IS THE ABILITY TO PLAY THE LEAD ROLE IN DECISION MAKING AS IT RELATES TO SCHOOL AND RELIEF FOR THE TERM MULTI FOR EXAMPLE TO THE LONG TERM DESIRES TO HAVE A A K TO SIX SCHOOL YEAR SO THE ROLE THAT WE PLAY IS WE HELP TO SUPPORT THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS. WE SUPPORT THE BP AS PROJECTS BUT CERTAINLY THE DECISION ON WHAT HAPPENS WITH A PARTICULAR SCHOOL IN THE DISTRICT IS MADE BY THE SUPERINTENDENT SCHOOL COMMITTEE AND THE MAYOR. OKAY, THANK YOU. SOMETHING I THINK WE'LL HEAR ABOUT FROM IN THE NEXT PANEL IS AS SOME CITIES HAVE BEEN DOING HOUSING ON SITES WITH SCHOOLS LIKE WE SEE HERE WITH OUR OUR LIBRARIES IN DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE'VE THOUGHT ABOUT? SO YOU KNOW, HERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BOTH VACANT LAND AND SCHOOLS THAT ARE COMING OFF LINE BUT THERE'S ALSO UNDERUTILIZED SPACE AND HOW WILL WE BE THINKING ABOUT THAT ? WE'D LOVE TO LEARN MORE. ABSOLUTELY. THERE'S YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE SCHOOLS HAVE LOTS OF OPEN SPACES AREN'T THAT AREN'T USED FOR RECREATION AND OR PARKING LOTS THAT ARE UNDERUTILIZED SO BE GLAD TO EXPLORE THAT. THANK YOU. WHO'S NEXT? CAN'T CONSIDER ME CONTROL PIPPIN, YOU'RE NEXT. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. ONLY ONE FOLLOW UP QUESTION. IF FOR WHATEVER REASON THE DECISION DOES COME TO SELL THE LAND WHICH IS ALWAYS SOMETHING WE PROBABLY DON'T WANT TO DO. BUT IF IT COMES TO THAT CAN WE SELL IT WITH SOME SORT OF DEED RESTRICTION SO THAT THE PERSON THAT PURCHASED IT HAS TO MAKE IT INTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT IF THEY WANT TO SELL IN THE FUTURE HAS TO REMAIN AFFORDABLE HOUSING JUST SO THAT THERE'S SOME SORT OF PROTECTION TO WHAT HAPPENS TO THAT PERSON TO THAT PROPERTY OR PIECE OF LAND.  SURE. BUT WE ARE HAPPY WITH THOSE RESTRICTIONS.  RIGHT. SO THE THE LAST THING WE EVER WANT TO DO IS PUT OUT AN RFP AND THEN GET RESPONSES AND THEN ADD ON LIKE I'VE DONE THIS AD ON BURDEN AFTER AFTER THE RFP IS OUT YOU KNOW MY THING LATELY IS TREES RIGHT SO SO WE REALLY WE REALLY DO NEED TO DO PUT ALL THOSE RESTRICTIONS IN THE RFP BEFORE IT BEFORE IT GOES OUT. YES, OF COURSE THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW. I THINK ACTUALLY YOU KNOW, THAT WAS HAS BEEN ASKED TO SELL THE PIECE OF LAND. OKAY.  YEAH, THAT'S GOOD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COME TO MEJIA. THANK YOU.  YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU. JUST TWO QUESTIONS ONE MINUTE EACH. THE FIRST ONE IS IF YOU COULD JUST TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOU.  I BELIEVE THEY WOULD USE 9.5 MILLION AND SQUARE FOOTAGE OF PROPERTY RIGHTS.  CAN YOU GIVE ME A DOLLAR AMOUNT? WHAT DOES THAT TOTAL UP TO IN TERMS OF THE ASSESSED VALUE? YEAH, WE DON'T HAVE THAT BUT THAT'S SOMETHING WE COULD PROBABLY PULL TOGETHER RELATIVELY QUICKLY. IT WOULD BE BASED ON THE ASSESSED VALUE BECAUSE WE WOULDN'T HAVE APPRAISALS FOR ALL OF THOSE SITES.  YEAH, IT'D BE GOOD TO KNOW KIND OF LIKE YEAH WHAT WE'RE SITTING ON. OKAY. SO THAT I CAN ADD ONE MORE QUESTION BECAUSE YOU'RE DOING IS YOU'RE HOMING IN ON THAT ONE. SO I'M CURIOUS YOU KNOW I OFTEN TALK ABOUT SUPPORT SERVICES FOR 18 TO 24 YEAR OLDS. WE CREATED A LINE ITEM IN THE BUDGET MANY, MANY YEARS AGO FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES EXCUSE ME FOR YOUNG PEOPLE PARTICULARLY YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE AGING OUT OF EITHER FOSTER CARE OR AGING OUT OF YOU KNOW, OR GRADUATING FROM BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS.  AND I'M JUST CURIOUS AS WE CONTINUE TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS, WHAT ROLE DO YOU SEE IF ANY WILL UTILIZING MAYBE ONE OR TWO BUILDINGS TO REALLY SUPPORT AND DO SOME REAL WRAPAROUND? I WORK WITH YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE 18 TO 24 YEAR OLDS. I MEAN I'M JUST I'M THINKING ABOUT THE CONTINUATION FROM LIKE THEY A LOT OF THESE KIDS FOLLOW THAT GAP WHERE HOUSING FOR AFFORDABLE UNITS IS USUALLY EITHER YOU ARE A CHILD OF OFF OF A HOUSEHOLD OR YOU'RE AN ELDER. BUT THEN WE HAVE THESE 18 TO 24 YEAR OLDS THAT ONCE THEY TURN 18 OFTENTIMES EITHER THEY EITHER HAVE AGED OUT OF FOSTER CARE OR THEIR PARENTS NO LONGER FEEL LIKE THEY NEED TO PROVIDE FOR THEM. AND SO I'M JUST CURIOUS KIND OF LIKE WHAT THINKING OF ANY OPPORTUNITIES EXIST FOR SOME REALLY TARGETED HOUSE WORKFORCE THAT WORK WITH OLDER HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THIS AGE THEM SO THERE'S WE HAVE SOME WE HAVE SOME OF THAT IN THE CITY BUT WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH RIGHT SO I WAS AT A RIBBON CUTTING OF OF BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER HAD HAD WAS BUYING TRIPLE DECKERS IT'S A VERY VERY SIMPLE IDEA THEY WERE BUYING TRIPLE DECKERS THE LAST ONE WAS IN ALLSTON AND BRIGHTON. OKAY IT WAS IN BRIGHTON AND THE LIBERTY MUTUAL HAD GIVEN THEM MONEY TO PURCHASE IT AND THEY WERE GOING TO THE 18 TO 24 YEAR OLDS MANY OF THEM COMING FROM FOSTER CARE. WE'RE GOING TO LIVE INDEPENDENTLY AND ACCESS SERVICES AS NEEDED. RIGHT AND SO THEY WERE ALL GETTING A BEDROOM AS AS PEOPLE IN THAT AGE GROUP OFTEN DO RIGHT AND THEY LIVED TOGETHER AND I WAS IT WAS IT'S REALLY THAT MODEL IS REALLY WORKING WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO EXPLORE DOING MORE OF THAT TYPE OF HOUSING. WHAT WE NEED IS SOME WILLING PARTNERS THAT CAN THAT CAN CONTINUE TO DEVELOP THAT HOUSING BUT WE HAVE SOME WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH. GOOD. THANK YOU.  UM, I THINK THAT CONCLUDES OUR WORK. OH, THANK YOU. PARDON?  YOU DON'T. YES, SORRY . THAT'S OKAY. THANK YOU. KEEP TELLING YOU SAID THAT WE HAD 900 AFFORDABLE HOME OWNERSHIPS UNITS IN THE PIPELINE. YES. OUT OF HOW MANY OUT OF WHAT? WHAT'S A PERCENTAGE? YEAH, LIKE I KNOW WE HAVE 30,000 PERMITTED BUT I DON'T AT THE BPD. OH MARKET AND SO RIGHT MARK SO I THINK THERE'S TWO THINGS THAT YOU MAY WANT RIGHT SO JUST ACROSS THE BOARD AFFORDABLE INCOME RESTRICTED IN MARKET HOW MANY ARE HOMEOWNERSHIP AND HOW MANY ARE RENTAL AND THEN DRILLING DOWN OF THE INCOME RESTRICTED STOCK YEAH HOW MANY ARE HOMEOWNERSHIP AND HOW MANY ARE RENTAL RIGHT RIGHT. I PUT WORDS IN YOUR MOUTH. YEAH. I THINK IT'S OKAY SO WE WILL GET YOU THAT. I DON'T I DIDN'T I DON'T HAVE THAT BUT THAT WE CAN EASILY GET YOU THAT AWESOME AND THEN WHEN WE RFP OUT IS THAT CITY GIVING 100% OF THE OWNERSHIP TO THE DEVELOPER ARE WE TAKING ANY ANY PERCENTAGE TO CONTINUE? I'M JUST THINKING OF LIKE HOW ELSE CAN WE GENERATE REVENUE AS A CITY? IS THAT ONE WAY YOU KNOW, 10%,  20% ARE WE JUST GIVEN 100% OUT AND THEN ALSO 9.5 MILLION SQUARE FEET OF UNDERUTILIZED YOU KNOW, KIND OF GOING BACK TO IS THIS LIKE THE BEST USE LIKE SHOULD WE BE RENOVATING BUILDINGS OR SHOULD WE BE POLISHING THEM TO GET THE HIGHEST AND BEST USE AND ALSO I JUST KIND OF THINK ABOUT WHEN I GO TO ALL THESE COMMUNITY MEETINGS WHEN IT COMES TO TALKING ABOUT HOUSING, ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT PARKING RIGHT?  SO LIKE ARE WE ABLE TO DO MORE IF WE ARE ABLE TO DEMOLISH THE BUILDING INSTEAD OF BUILDING WITHIN WITHIN THE EXISTING FRAMEWORK BECAUSE THEN WE'RE ALSO ABLE TO GET GET BETTER BIGGER, BETTER BIGGER UNIT SIZES. YEAH TO US. SO MAYBE TO YOUR SECOND QUESTION SO TYPICALLY WHEN WE PUT OUT ESPECIALLY A LARGER SITE WE WILL RETAIN FEE OWNERSHIP OF IT AND GROUNDLINGS THE PROPERTY AND SO THROUGH THAT THERE IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO COLLECT RENT. BUT I WOULD SAY WHEN WE ARE TRYING TO SEEK DEEPER LEVELS OF AFFORDABLE RE WE TYPICALLY USE THE VALUE OF THE LAND AS SUBSIDY. SO IN THAT CASE WE ARE NOT AS FREQUENTLY PARTICIPATING IN THE FINANCIAL UPSIDE OF THAT JUST BECAUSE OF YOU KNOW, THE AMOUNT OF SUBSIDY THAT IS REQUIRED TO BE ABLE TO DELIVER THAT PROJECT OVERALL AND THE LAND BEING A PART OF IT. SO YOU KNOW IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE LOOK AT AND CONSIDER AND THERE'S PROPOSALS SUBMITTED IN TERMS OF WHAT THEIR WILLINGNESS TO PAY TO THE CITY. BUT WE TYPICALLY ARE ABLE TO ACCEPT LESS BECAUSE OF THE PROGRAMS AND THE BENEFITS THAT ARE BEING PROVIDED AS PART OF THAT REDEVELOPMENT. AND THEN AND THEN TO THE POINT ABOUT THE 9.5 MILLION SQUARE FEET SO A MAJORITY OF THAT IS VACANT WITHOUT ANY BUILDINGS. SO I'M HAPPY TO PROVIDE IF THERE IS A SQUARE FOOTAGE OF BUILDINGS ON TOP OF THAT. BUT I THINK TO THE POINT THAT COUNCILOR MURPHY BROUGHT UP, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THAT TO CONSIDER REUSE BUT THEN ALSO DEMOLITION JUST BASED ON THE STRUCTURE AND AGAIN THAT WOULD BE PART OF A COMMUNITY CONVERSATION AND EVEN THERE'S A CREATIVE USE WE HAVE AN UPPER CORNER. WE'RE DOING A FACADE ACADEMY WHERE WE'RE ABLE TO CREATE AND MAINTAIN THE FACADE BUT THEN WE'RE ABLE TO BUILD AN ENTIRELY NEW PROPERTY BEHIND IT. SO THERE'S DIFFERENT WAYS TO LOOK AT ADAPTIVE REUSE TOO. THANK YOU.  THANK YOU. I THINK THAT WON'T ADD UP FOR THE PANEL. HAVE YOU ANY CLOSING COMMENTS OR NO, JUST LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ON IT. I REALLY I THINK WHEN WE CAN TAKE PUBLIC PUBLICLY OWNED ASSETS AND CONTINUE TO USE THEM TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY TO ME IT'S IT'S WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING AND AND YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN WONDERFUL SUPPORTERS OF THAT SO LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ON THIS. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH THIS MORNING RICK.  OUR SECOND PANEL OF ADVOCATES IS RICHARD GERE. DONALD G.  O'DONNELL, SENIOR ADVISER FOR SPECIAL PROJECTS AT THE FENWAY CDC. MICHAEL WOLFSON, PROFESSOR AT WINTHROP SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN. ROGER BROWN, DIRECTOR OF REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT AND PRESERVATION AT THE PRESERVATION PRESERVATION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING POOR,  POOR, POOR JUST WATCH ME , OKAY? AND HE WILL PROVIDE TESTIMONY ON BEHALF OF ERIN GORENSTEIN AND DANIELLA DILLON MAGA, PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER OF DV HOUSING PARTNERS. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.  I THINK WHAT I'LL DO IT AS I DID WITH THE ADMINISTRATION PANEL WILL ALLOW YOU 20 MINUTES TO MAKE YOUR PRESENTATION AND HOWEVER YOU'D LIKE TO START LET ME JUST START THIS THE TIME IT'S JUST 5 MINUTES WHICH WOULD BE WHAT FOR A QUESTION. OKAY ALL RIGHT.  5 MINUTES FOR QUESTIONS.  JUST A POINT OF FLAHERTY. HAVE YOU FOLKS GOT A PRESENTATION OR ARE YOU JUST GOING TO SPEAK? I HAVE THREE SLIDES. YOU HAVE THREE SLIDES. OKAY. SO ONE TIME SO WE JUST SAY NEXT SLIDE. JUST SAY NEXT SLIDE AND I'LL BRING IT UP FOR OKAY, VERY GOOD. SO WHO WOULD LIKE TO START?  OKAY, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK COUNCILOR . IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE. FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS RICHARD GIORDANO AND I WORK AT FENWAY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND I'LL BE BRIEF I MAYBE WILL JUST FRAME THINGS A LITTLE BIT AND PROFESSOR WOLFSON WILL GIVE US THE DRILL DOWN INTO THE I THINK IT'S IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE FENWAY CDC WORKED WITH WENTWORTH SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE WITH PROFESSOR ROSS WOLFSON AND AND BORST AND THEY TOOK A LOOK AT THE BUILDABLE SITUATION REGARDING BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL LAND PARKING LOTS AND LAND AROUND THE SCHOOLS AND THIS CAME ABOUT IN PART BECAUSE IN THE FENWAY WE ESSENTIALLY HAVE NO AVAILABLE LAND. EVERYTHING IS BUILT UP AND THE PARKING LOTS ALONE ARE PROBABLY WORTH MORE THAN MOST BUILDINGS ELSEWHERE IN THE CITY CONSIDERING WHAT THEY'RE USED FOR.  SO WE TOOK A QUICK LOOK AND STANTEC HELPED US WITH THIS AT A PARTICULAR SCHOOL BUILDING IN THE FENWAY AND JUST BUILDING AROUND THE SCHOOL ITSELF WITHOUT TOUCHING THE SCHOOL WE FOUND THAT WITH A REASONABLE STUDY WITH REASONABLE DENSITY WE COULD BUILD ABOUT 100 UNITS OF HOUSING AND OUR SUGGESTION WAS THAT THIS WAS UP TO THE CITY AND THE SCHOOL DEPARTMENT SOME OF THAT MONEY IN ORDER TO DO THIS PROCESS COULD BE HALF AFFORDABLE AND HALF MARKET RATE AND IN A SITUATION LIKE THAT THE MARKET RATE DEVELOPER COULD SPEND MONEY ON A LONG TERM LAND LEASE OF THE SCHOOL DEPARTMENT LIKE THAT AND WOULD GENERATE THEN MONEY FOR UP THE SPECIFIC SCHOOL BUILDING AROUND WHERE THE HOUSING IS BEING BUILT. SO WE HAD WENT WITH SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE.  TAKE A LOOK AT THE SITUATION ON THE CITYWIDE LEVEL AND PROFESSOR WOLFSON WILL GO INTO IT BUT THE SHORT VERSION IS THAT THERE'S PROBABLY EASILY 30 ABSOLUTELY BUILDABLE LOTS AROUND BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL FACILITIES WITHOUT EVEN GOING INTO ALL SORTS OF GEOGRAPHIC AND ZONING PROBLEMS WITH THE REALLY STRONG POSSIBILITY THAT STAYING IN A VERY SMALL SCALE DEVELOPMENT IN A TAX CREDIT AREA OF MAYBE 40 UNITS WHEN YOU DO THE NUMBERS YOU COULD EASILY BUILD 1200 UNITS OF HOUSING ON 30 DIFFERENT SITES IF THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE COMMUNITY PROCESS WERE TO APPROVE AN IDEA OF DENSITY THAT WAS MORE YOU KNOW DEPENDING IF EACH BUILDING COULD BE 50, 60, 100 UNITS DEPENDING YOU'RE NOW TALKING THOUSANDS OF UNITS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING OR IF THE CITY WERE TO DETERMINE IT WAS A BETTER IDEA SOME OF IT COULD BE MARKET, SOME OF IT COULD BE AFFORDABLE AND THEN YOU WOULD HAVE THE CAPACITY TO ASK THE DEVELOPER OF THE MARKET TO SPEND A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY ON A LAND LEASE OR A SALE IF THAT'S THE WAY THE LAW DEPARTMENT THOUGHT IT COULD WORK AND THE MONEY COULD BE GENERATED FOR BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO FIX UP THE BUILDINGS . BUT WITH THAT I'LL STOP AND TURN IT OVER TO PROFESSOR WOLFSON. THANK YOU, PROFESSOR WILSON,  YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. MY NAME IS MIKE WOLFSON. I'M AN ARCHITECT AND PROFESSOR AT WENTWORTH INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY. PART OF WHAT I'VE DONE IN MY PROFESSIONAL CAREER IS TO WORK WITH CBDCS IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR THE LAST 30 YEARS. SO I'VE WORKED ALL OVER THE COMMUNITY AND DONE WORK IN DIFFERENT PLACES IN BOSTON I WAS ASKED BY PROFESSOR AND BORST TO HELP HER ON THIS STUDY GIVEN MY EXPERIENCE WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING THE STUDY IS AN ACADEMIC STUDY AND OUR PURPOSE WAS JUST TO BASICALLY LOOK AT DATA WE USE THE SIMS MEANING THE KEY ASSETS DATABASE OF BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL LAND. IT'S NOT 100% ACCURATE BECAUSE THINGS CHANGE. THIS WAS BACK IN 2016 BUT THE POINT WAS TO SAY YOU LOOK 40,000 FEET IN THE AIR AND LOOK DOWN AND LOOK AT THE PROPERTY LINES IS THE LAND ARE THERE POTENTIALS FOR HOUSING?  AND WE LOOKED AT BOTH OPEN LAND PARKING LOTS THAT MAY NOT BE UTILIZED WELL AND SURPLUS LAND BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THE PARCELS OWNED BY BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS THERE'S LAND THAT SHOULD NOT BEING USED AT ALL AND WE SAID WHAT PIECES OF THESE LAND HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BE DEVELOPED NOW THIS WILL TAKE CREATIVITY. THIS IS LOOKING AT HOW CAN PARKING OR PLAYGROUNDS BE SORT OF REPURPOSED AND THOUGHT OF IN DIFFERENT WAYS AND THE POINT OF THE STUDY TO START A CONVERSATION IT'S NOT TO SAY USE THIS PIECE OF LAND. WE DON'T WANT TO GET PEOPLE EXCITED LIKE OH THAT STUDY SAID THIS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ANY PROCESS NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT CREATIVELY AND EXPAND OUR IDEAS . THE KEY IN THIS STUDY IS WE LEFT THE SCHOOLS THERE AND SO THE POINT IS A SCHOOL COULD EXIST AND THE POTENTIAL IS HOW CAN YOU USE THAT LAND TO GET MORE?  SO WE HAD SPECIFIC CRITERIA AND BASICALLY IN MOST CASES WE WERE LOOKING AT PIECES OF LAND THAT WERE ENOUGH FOR A TYPICAL HOUSING UNIT FOR LIGHT AND AIR AND WE WERE LOOKING AT LAND THAT COULD MEET SORT OF TAX CREDIT QUALIFICATIONS. NOW SOME OF THESE DON'T NEED ZONING.  THEY DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT SETBACKS BUT THAT IS WHAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE TO OUR INVENTORY OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS TO LOOK MORE CAREFULLY AT ZONING, LOOK AT HAVE NEIGHBORHOODS ASK HARD QUESTIONS ABOUT IS THIS PARK WELL UTILIZED IF WE MAKE A PARK OVER HERE AND REARRANGE THINGS CAN WE MAKE HOUSING AN INCREASE AND HELP SOLVE THE PROBLEM. SO I HAVE ABOUT THREE OR FOUR SLIDES WHICH ARE EXCERPTS FROM THE REPORTS JUST TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF HOW THE REPORT WORK. SO IF YOU COULD SHOW THE NEXT SLIDE AND I PICKED THESE RANDOMLY SO HERE'S THE DOTS OF ALL THE INVENTORY WE SORT OF SAID 44 SCHOOLS WE THOUGHT HAD POTENTIAL. NEXT SLIDE AND SO ON AN EXAMPLE HERE AND I DROP MY GLASSES BECAUSE I CAN'T SEE AND THEN YOU CAN SEE THE FIRST SLIDE ON THE LEFT YOU CAN SEE THE SCHOOL BUILDING, YOU CAN SEE RED LINES AROUND IT AND THERE'S THIS GREEN SPACE AT THE BOTTOM.  THE SLIDE ON THE RIGHT BASICALLY SORT OF SHOWS THE EXISTING SCHOOL AND THEN A HATCHED AREA WHERE WE WE LIST OUT THE POTENTIAL FOR LAND IN SOME CASES AND REALLY OF ABOUT MY GLASSES WHAT SCHOOL IS THIS CAN YOU APOLOGIZE I'M THE LAND IF YOU LOOK AT AND WHAT I DID WAS I ADDED JUST LAST NIGHT SORT OF WHICH WAS OKAY SO BASICALLY WHAT I WAS TRYING TO SHOW IN THE GOOGLE SLIDES IS WHAT THE REAL PLOT LOOKS LIKE AND IN THIS CASE IT'S JUST A GRASSY AREA WITH TREES NOW THIS MAY BE VERY IMPORTANT TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THERE MAY BE A LARGE DISCUSSION WHERE PEOPLE SAY I DON'T WANT TO BE BUILT THERE. BUT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS IDENTIFIED THE POTENTIAL AND I THINK THE KEY IN ALL THIS IS TO BE CREATIVE ABOUT DIFFERENT USES. NEXT SLIDE ONCE AGAIN IT'S JUST TO SAY HERE'S HERE'S A SCHOOL BUILDING LOOK AT THE LAND AROUND IT AND WHAT'S POTENTIAL AND WE'VE HATCHED AROUND THE AREA FOR IT IN OUR MIND THE NEXT STEP IS TO REALLY HAVE DISCUSSIONS TO SAY COULD THIS BE USED FOR A HIGHER USE AND CAN THAT HIGH RISE AND I JUST PICK RANDOM SCHOOLS AND I WAS TRYING NOT TO BE IN THE LAST SLIDE. I THINK THERE IS I THINK THIS IS BRIGHTON HIGH WHICH ALONG THE ROAD IS A LARGE HILL IT'S JUST GRASSY NOW IT'LL CHANGE THE CHARACTER OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND YES IT'LL BE PROBLEMATIC. I'M NOT HERE TO SORT OF CREATE TROUBLE OR BUT IT'S BASICALLY TO SAY FROM AN ACADEMIC POINT OF VIEW THERE IS POTENTIAL AND I THINK MY MESSAGE BEFORE I PASS THIS ON TO OTHER PEOPLE IS THAT THE CITY AND NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE TO MAKE HARD CHOICES RIGHT ? WE CAN'T ALWAYS IF WE WANT TO SOLVE THE HOUSING PROBLEM WE NEED TO LOOK AT OUR LAND AS VALUABLE RESOURCE IS IN QUESTION AND MAKE HARDER CHOICES ABOUT WHAT THE POTENTIAL FOR HOUSING IS ONCE WE DO HAVE THAT HARD CONVERSATION WE CAN BE VERY CREATIVE ABOUT THE ARCHITECTURE THAT GOES INTO IT. WHAT IS THE USE? THERE'S A VERY DIFFERENT CHARACTER I MEAN FROM THIS IS A GOOD EXAMPLE FROM THE ROAD TO THE HIGH SCHOOL IN ELEVATION PROBABLY COULD FIT AN EIGHT STOREY BUILDING BUT WOULD THAT BE APPROPRIATE FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD?  I'M NOT MAKING THAT DECISION. MAYBE IT'D BE MORE APPROPRIATE BUT A THREE STOREY BUILDING. BUT IF WE WANT TO BALANCE HOMEOWNERSHIP HOUSING AND AFFORDABILITY WE NEED TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT DENSITY, THE ABILITY TO BUILD IN CREATIVE SPOTS AND PUSH ON PEOPLE'S PRECONCEPTIONS OF WHAT'S AVAILABLE.  THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING. AS TEAM MEMBERS OF THE BOSTON CITY COUNCIL , THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK BEFORE YOU TODAY. I'M HERE TO STRONGLY ADVOCATE FOR A BOLD AND INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO ADDRESSING OUR CITY'S HOUSING CRISIS REPURPOSING FORMER SCHOOLS AND MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS, AFFORDABLE HOUSING AFFORDABILITY BEYOND MOGGA A LIFELONG RESIDENT OF BOSTON WITH DEEP ROOTS IN DORCHESTER, ROXBURY AND MATTAPAN I CALL MYSELF AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING LIFER. I GREW UP IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING. I LIVED IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING AS A YOUNG ADULT AND I'VE BEEN ABLE TO PURCHASE MY HOME IN MATTAPAN THROUGH USING FIRST TIME HOMEBUYER PRODUCTS HERE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON.  I'VE ALSO WORKED IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING SINCE THE AGE OF 18 IN DIFFERENT ASPECTS PROPERTY MANAGEMENT, DEVELOPMENT SERVICE PROVIDER AS WELL.  IN 2021 I FOUNDED DVM HOUSING PARTNERS, A ROXBURY BASED BLACK OWNED FIRM COMMITTED TO THE CREATION AND PRESERVATION OF INCOME RESTRICTED HOUSING DVM HOUSING PARTNERS WAS ABLE TO HAVE ITS LAUNCH INTO REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT DUE TO WINNING A CITY OF BOSTON LAND DISPOSITION COMPETITION IN 2022. IF IT WEREN'T FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP AFFORDABLE HOUSING ON CITY OWNED LAND WE WOULDN'T BE SUCCESSFUL AS REAL ESTATE DEVELOPERS IN THE CITY DUE TO THE LACK OF ACCESS TO CAPITAL WE HAVE NOW PARTICIPATED IN IT AND TWO ADDITIONAL CITY OF BOSTON LAND DISPOSITION COMPETITIONS HAVE WON ONE AND ARE WAITING TO HEAR ABOUT ANOTHER.  WE HAVE A PIPELINE OF ALMOST 100 AFFORDABLE HOME OWNERSHIP UNITS ACROSS THE CITY OF BOSTON. WE ARE MUCH OF OUR SUCCESS TO OPPORTUNE TO THE OPPORTUNITIES PROVIDED TO US FROM THE CITY LAND DISPOSITION PROCESS. WE ALL KNOW BLACK DEVELOPERS REPRESENT POINT 4% OF BOSTON'S REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY YET WE ARE THE ONES CLOSEST TO THE ISSUE.  OUR FAMILIES ARE THE ONES WHO HAVE BEEN HARMED THE MOST BY THE LACK OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPTIONS. THE ORDER CONTEMPLATED HERE TODAY CAN PROVIDE MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR MY MINORITY DEVELOPERS LIKE MYSELF TO GROW AND THRIVE IN THE CITY. AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPERS FACE A SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGE. THERE ARE CURRENTLY FEW SITES SUITABLE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AT THE NECESSARY SCALE FOR NEIGHBORHOOD BASED DEVELOPERS LIKE MYSELF COMPETING WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR ON THE OPEN MARKET HAS PROVEN TO BE BOTH CHALLENGING AND ALMOST ALWAYS UNFRUITFUL SECURING PHYSICAL LOCATIONS WITH SITE CONTROL WILL REMOVE THE COMPETITION FROM THE SPECULATIVE MARKET AND ENSURE BOSTON AND ENABLE BOSTON TO MAINTAIN A STRONG PIPELINE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS TO MEET THE DEMAND UNDER UTILIZED CITY OWNED BUILDINGS ARE A VIABLE OPTION.  FURTHERMORE, THE COMMUNITY DIALOG AROUND REPURPOSING CITY OWNED BUILDINGS IS ALREADY UNDERWAY THROUGH INITIATIVES LIKE CITY AND STREETS AND CONCURRENT NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING STUDIES.  THIS CONVERSATION DEMONSTRATES A READINESS AND WILLINGNESS AMONG OUR RESIDENTS TO EMBRACE CREATIVE SOLUTIONS TO OUR HOUSING CRISIS. WE ARE ALL AWARE OF THE RISING RENTS AND SALES PRICES THAT ARE FORCING INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES TO LEAVE BOSTON. MANY OF MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS HAVE DECIDED TO MOVE TO OTHER AREAS WITH MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPTIONS THROUGH OUR AFFIRMATIVE MARKETING WORK WE SEE FIRSTHAND THE AMOUNT OF INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES IN NEED OF HOUSING STABILITY.  FOR EXAMPLE, IN ONE OF OUR LOTTERIES FOR 40 UNITS OF AFFORDABLE HOMEOWNERSHIP IN NUBIAN SQUARE WE RECEIVED 883 APPLICATIONS FOR 29 AFFORDABLE RENTAL UNITS IN FIELDS CORNER WE RECEIVED 3913 APPLICATIONS JUST LAST WEEK FOR 45 AFFORDABLE HOMEOWNERSHIP UNITS IN JAMAICA PLAIN WE RECEIVED OVER 1000 IN EIGHT APPLICATIONS. AS SOMEONE WHO GREW UP IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE CITY, I UNDERSTAND THE ANXIETY THAT FAMILIES FACE WAITING TO SEE IF THEY ARE CHOSEN IN A LOTTERY PROCESS. EQUALLY I REMEMBER THE EXCITEMENT AND JOY I FELT WHEN I TRANSLATED A HOUSING OFFER LETTER FROM MY MOTHER WHEN OUR OFFER WAS ACCEPTED TO PURCHASE OUR FIRST HOME IN MATTAPAN. ALL BOSTON RESIDENTS DESERVE THAT JOY. LET'S DO BETTER. WE MUST LEVERAGE EVERY TOOL IN THE TOOLBOX TO REPURPOSE THE REPURPOSING OF FORMER SCHOOLS AND MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS INTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING REPRESENTS A STRATEGIC AND EFFECTIVE WAY OF ADDRESSING THE BOSTON HOUSING CRISIS.  THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION. I URGE YOU TO SUPPORT THIS INITIATIVE SET FORTH BY MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL AND I LOOK FORWARD TO OUR CITY CONTINUING TO BE ON THE LEADING EDGE OF NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING INITIATIVES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MR PRIME, YOU HAD THE FLOOR. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS ROGER BROWN AND I'M THE MANAGING DIRECTOR OF REAL ESTATE AT A BOSTON BASED NONPROFIT PRESERVATION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING. I'M HERE TO SUPPORT THIS MOVE TO UTILIZE PUBLIC OWNED RESOURCES, LAND AND BUILDINGS. I CAN'T SAY ANYTHING MORE ELOQUENT THAN DARIO SO I'M NOT EVEN GOING TO TRY. I WILL SHARE WITH YOU A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES OF SOME OF THE EFFORTS THAT WE'VE MADE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON TO REPURPOSE ITS MUNICIPAL RESOURCES TO PROVIDE AFFORDABLE HOUSING. SOME OF THEM YOU PROBABLY KNOW OUR MOST SIGNIFICANT ONE TODAY IS LOCATED RIGHT AT REBEL STATION. IT'S THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE WILLIAM STREET PUBLIC HOUSING DEVELOPMENT INTO FLAT NINE APARTMENTS THAT TOOK A 200 UNIT PUBLIC HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AND TRANSFORMED IT AND IS TRANSFORMING IT INTO A 350 UNIT MIXED INCOME DEVELOPMENT WITH HOUSING FOR PUBLIC HOUSING RESIDENTS, WORKFORCE HOUSING UNITS AND MARKET RATE UNITS INCLUDING RETAIL THAT WILL SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES AND RETAILERS. IN ADDITION TO THAT. TWO MONTHS AGO WE DELIVERED A MIXED INCOME SENIOR PROJECT AT BERKELEY YARD WHICH WAS FORMERLY IN BETA A TRANSIT STOP THAT HAS BEEN TURNED IN.  WE PARTNERED WITH AN INVESTOR CDC. WE DO A LOT OF PARTNERING WITH COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS. I FORGOT TO MENTION THAT AT WILLIAM STREET WE ALSO PARTNERED WITH MADISON PARK THE CREATION OF THAT COMMUNITY AT BARTLETT. WE'VE GOT THE FIRST FIVE STORY ALL ELECTRIC BUILDING BUILT TO A PASSIVE HOUSE STANDARD IN THE CITY OF BOSTON PROVIDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO SENIORS BUT ALSO PROVIDING FOR SENIORS WHO ARE SELLING THEIR HOUSES. THE TRIPLE DECKERS IN THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS WHO NEED A PLACE TO MOVE INSTEAD OF HAVING TO LEAVE THEIR THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS. WE ALSO HAVE DEVELOPING OPPORTUNITIES UNDERWAY IN UPTON'S CORNER WHERE WE'RE A 47 UNIT AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT, YOU KNOW, UTILIZING A ABANDONED BANK BUILDING. WE ALSO BE DELIVERING 3000 SQUARE FEET OF COMMUNITY SPACE THERE FOR ARTS AND EDUCATION IN CONJUNCTION WITH DORCHESTER BAY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION WHO'S ALSO OUR PARTNER IN THAT IN THAT TRANSACTION AND AND THE MOST PERTINENT PROJECT THAT'S IN PRE-DEVELOPMENT NOW FOR US IS THE WESTERN LAB WHERE WE WERE SELECTED BY THE CITY TO REPURPOSE THE WESTERN LIBRARY. WE WILL BE CREATING A 20,000 SQUARE FOOT COMMERCIAL FOR THE LIBRARY AND WE BE DELIVERING 119 AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS.  ON TOP OF THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY IN NEGOTIATIONS THE BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY ABOUT WHAT THEIR SPACE GOING TO LOOK LIKE AND HOW TO AND HOW WE WILL COORDINATE THOSE MIXES AND WE THINK WE'LL BE BREAKING GROUND IN 12 MONTHS OR SO. WE'VE BEEN ENGAGED WITH THE MTA I MEAN WITH THE WITH THE BPA AND THE OTHER SIGNIFICANT OPPONENT IN THAT DEVELOPMENT IS THAT WE'RE PARTNERING WITH A DORCHESTER BASED MINORITY OWNED DEVELOPMENT COMPANY THAT HAS PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT. BUT WE'LL BE BRINGING THEM AND INTRODUCING THEM TO THE WORLD OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING THROUGH OUR ACTIVITIES AT THE WESTERN LIBRARY. AND I THINK I'LL STOP THERE. THANK YOU. WE'LL MOVE TO QUESTIONS FROM MY COLLEAGUES TO LEAD SPONSOR PRESIDENT LOUIJEUNE WILL DO 6 MINUTES OF ROUND OF QUESTIONS TO GIVE EVERYONE TIME.  THANK YOU AND THANK YOU TO THIS PANEL FOR BEING HERE. I LOVE THE MIX OF PRACTITIONERS AND ACADEMICS WHO HELP US THINK ABOUT CREATIVELY ABOUT HOW WE CAN SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS. THIS QUESTION IS BOTH FOR RICHARD AND PROFESSOR WOLFSON AS AS AS PROPONENTS OF LOOKING AT HOUSING ARE THEY IN FRONT OF OUR SCHOOLS TO SEE WHAT ELSE WE CAN BE DOING? DO YOU HAVE EXAMPLES OF OTHER CITIES THAT ARE DOING THIS?  I'M ALWAYS INTERESTED TO SEE WHAT OTHER CITIES HAVE LOOKED AT THEIR SCHOOL IMPRINT. YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I LIKE THIS HEARING IS THIS HEARING IS FOCUSING ON BUILDINGS COMING OFFLINE. RIGHT. AND AND YOU KNOW, ENSURING THAT WE HAVE WE'RE USING THOSE FOUR PROPERTIES BUT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT A BIT MORE CREATIVE AND EXPANSIVE. IT'S ABOUT LOOKING AT THE CURRENT IMPRINT OF THE SCHOOL AND BEING CREATIVE ABOUT THAT USE.  HAVE WE SEEN THAT IN OTHER CITIES? WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO FIND WERE EXAMPLES OF REUSE OF THE BUILDINGS THEMSELVES AND NOT SO MUCH BUILDING ON THE EMPTY LAND AROUND THEM. SO OTHER CITIES ARE REPURPOSING BUILDINGS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN SOME CASES AS WAS MENTIONED EARLIER FOR HOUSING FOR MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES,  SOMETIMES FOR TEACHERS. SO I DO HAVE SOME EMAIL MATERIAL THAT ONCE I GET BACK TO THE OFFICE I COULD SEND TO YOU. OUR THOUGHT IS YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT TO TELL THE SCHOOL DEPARTMENT WHAT TO DO THEIR BUILDINGS AND WE DON'T WANT TO TELL THE CITY WHAT TO DO WITH THE BUILDINGS.  WE CAN LEAVE THAT UP TO THE COMMUNITY PROCESS THAT THE CITY WOULD LIKE TO ENVISION.  BUT HERE WE ARE WITH EMPTY LAND ALL THE BUILDINGS THAT IS ABSOLUTELY BUILDABLE THAT COULD GENERATE A THOUSAND 2000 AS MANY AS 3000 UNITS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEPENDING ON HOW DENSE AND WHAT THE COMMUNITY WAS IN FAVOR OF AND YOU KNOW ALL THE WHILE HAVING A SCHOOL BUILDING THERE. AND AS I SAID, IF WE DO A MIX OF MARKET AND AFFORDABLE THEN THERE'S A WAY TO GENERATE MONEY TO FIX UP THE SCHOOL BUILDING IF THE COMMUNITY PROCESS AND THE CITY AND THE LEGAL REQUIREMENT SAY NO, YOU CAN'T DO IT THAT WAY, FINE LET'S BUILD ALL AFFORDABLE HOUSING. I MEAN WE LOVE THAT AND IT WOULD HAVE TO RFP THE WAY CHIEF DOLAN MENTIONED AND IT'D HAVE TO HAVE RESTRICTIONS ETC. ETC. BUT WE HAVE AN ENORMOUS OPPORTUNITY HERE THAT IS JUST NOT BEING TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF . PROFESSOR WOLFSON, THEIR STUDY HAS A LOOK AT 40 APR BUILDABLE SITES. WE CAN EMAIL THE WHOLE THING TO YOU. IT'S A BIT BIG. WE MIGHT HAVE TO ZIP TO, YOU KNOW, COMPRESS IT I BELIEVE JOSIE PURPOSE FROM YOUR OFFICE HAS TO IT'S A REMARKABLE STUDY SHOWING US IF WE THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX WE HAVE THE OPTION TO BUILD THOUSANDS OF UNITS OF HOUSING AND AGAIN WE'RE NOT WE'RE AGNOSTIC ABOUT WHAT TO DO WITH THE SCHOOL BUILDING. WE'LL LEAVE THAT UP TO THE SCHOOL DEPARTMENT, THE CITY AND THE COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW BUT HERE WE ARE. I THINK ALSO THE REASON THERE AREN'T MANY GOOD EXAMPLES IS BECAUSE AND PROBABLY RICHARD COULD TALK MOST ELOQUENTLY ABOUT THIS IS THE BUREAUCRATIC PROCESS OF LAND DISPOSITION IS A BIT BYZANTINE RIGHT IN TRYING TO SORT OF UNTANGLE WHO OWNS THE LAND AND THEN GET TO SORT OF CREATE EASEMENTS SO THAT THE RFP PROCESS COULD TAKE YEARS. I MEAN I WAS INVOLVED I WAS ONE OF THE ARCHITECTS DID THE ORIGINAL RFP FOR THE WHOLE BARTLETT YARD I HAVE I LEFT THE FIRM THAT WAS THERE 15 YEARS AGO AND SO THE TIME IT TAKES TO UNTANGLE THESE THINGS IS GOING REQUIRE SORT OF POLITICAL LEADERSHIP I THINK AND THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE TO SORT OF SAY HEY, THERE'S ALL THESE LEGAL RESTRICTIONS. HOW CAN WE UNTANGLE AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS BECAUSE YOU'VE DEALT WITH SOME OF THESE VERY COMPLEX PROJECTS JUST VERY TIME. AND SO I THINK WHAT WE'VE TRANSFERRED A LOT OF IN THAT FROM THE MITA NOW THAT'S A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT PUBLIC ENTITY BUT THE GROUND LEASE NEGOTIATION WAS REALLY THREE YEARS WHICH WAS PRETTY REMARKABLE.  SO FROM MY PERSPECTIVE TODAY I KNOW THERE WAS ONLY ONE PUBLIC AGENCY TO DEAL WITH BUT THE NEGOTIATION WAS VERY TOUGH.  THANK YOU. YOU KNOW, COUNCILOR JAPAN ASKED THE QUESTION TO CHIEF DHILLON ABOUT HOW LONG SHOULD IT TAKE WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AND YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T PRESS ON THAT BUT IT SOUNDED LIKE IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A YEAR TIMELINE, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A MUNICIPAL BUILDING, IT DOES SOUND LIKE WISHFUL THINKING BUT IT ALSO SOUNDS LIKE IT SHOULD IT SHOULD IT BE OUT OF THE REALM OF POSSIBLE LETY AND THEN YOU CREATE THE TIMELINE FOR THE RFP PROCESS.  A QUESTION FOR YOU, DANIELA, AS SOMEONE WHO IS IN THE PROCESS WITH THE CITY BOTH I BELIEVE YOU'RE PART OF THE WELCOME HOME BOSTON. YOU'RE NOT PART OF THE WELL NO ,I WAS A PART OF THE PILOT FOR THE WELCOME HOME BOSTON OKAY. OKAY.  I'M CURIOUS WHAT YOU SEE AS THE BIGGEST OPPORTUNITIES HERE WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF THE MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS TO LEARN TALKING ABOUT SCHOOLS, POLICE STATIONS YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT IT'S YOU KNOW AND SHE DYLAN SPOKE ABOUT THIS AS WELL. WE'RE NOT JUST TALKING. IT'S NOT ALWAYS GOING TO BE ALTHOUGH I HOPE IN A SUPERMAJORITY OF TIME THAT HOUSING THE BEST OPTION ALICE LEARNING CENTER IN SOUTH BEND THEY WANT MORE EARLY CHILDCARE FACILITIES AT THESE FORMER BUT I'M CURIOUS WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF FORMER BUILDINGS AND HOW THEY LEND THEMSELVES TO HOUSING AND SORT OF AS YOU ARE DOING YOUR WORK OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.  SO ALL OF OUR DEVELOPMENTS ARE MIXED USE DEVELOPMENTS.  I THINK IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE ACCESS LOCAL BUSINESS OWNERS OR LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS TO HAVE NEW HOMES THAT ARE STATE OF THE ART OR THAT ARE MODERNIZED.  I SEE THAT I SEE THAT AS ONE OF THE BIGGEST BENEFITS THAT WE'RE PROVIDING OUTSIDE OF HOUSING. I ALSO THINK THAT IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO HOW I SPOKE IN MY REMARKS FOR THE MINORITY DEVELOPERS LIKE MYSELF TO BE AN ATTRACTIVE PARTNER TO LARGER DEVELOPERS THAT WOULDN'T ELSE WISE CHOOSE TO WORK WITH US AND THE ONLY WAY THAT MINORITY DEVELOPERS WILL BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE CITY IS IF THE CITY IS MANDATING THAT THROUGH THEIR PROCESS AND FORCING THE LARGER DEVELOPERS TO COME TO THE TABLE AND WANT TO WORK WITH FIRMS LIKE MINE. I THINK ALL OF THE QUESTIONS TO MY COLLEAGUES THANK YOU COUNCILOR PEPEN YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.  THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR AND THANK YOU SO MUCH TO THE PANEL FOR FOR BEING HERE.  THIS HAS BEEN VERY UP FOR ME . YEAH, GO AHEAD COUNSELOR SANTANA WAS ALL RIGHT. HE COULD HAVE STARTED SO SURE I APOLOGIZE. I'LL BE SURE I PROMISE IT'S A GOOD TO SEE SOME FAMILIAR FACES BUT ALSO SOME NEW FACES WHERE THEY REALIZED YOUR YOUR OPENING STATEMENT REALLY CAUGHT MY ATTENTION BECAUSE AS YOU WERE PRESENTING HALF OF MATTAPAN OR YOU KNOW, PROUD OF THAT BUT JUST OF THE OF THE WAY YOU PHRASE IT OF WHAT YOU JUST SAID RIGHT NOW BUT MAKING SURE THAT IT IS NOT EASY BUT THAT THERE'S AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY FOR WOMEN AND MINORITY DEVELOPERS TO GET A CHANCE TO BUILD AND THAT LEADS ME TO MY FIRST QUESTION. IT IS DO YOU SEE THAT AS A IS THAT STILL A MAJOR OBSTACLE FOR DEVELOPERS IN THE CITY OF BOSTON TO HAVE YOU BEEN HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH THE DEPARTMENT IN THE ADMINISTRATION TO ONLY TO FIX THAT IN THREE THIS IS MORE OF A GENERAL QUESTION I KNOW THAT TIMELINE IS AN ISSUE FOR EVERYONE HERE BUT IS THERE ANOTHER OBSTACLE THAT YOU FORESEE? IS IT THE COMMUNITY PROCESS? IS IT IS IT IS IT BEING OPEN TO NEW IDEAS THAT SERVE AS OBSTACLES THAT YOU SEE AS POTENTIALLY HELPING TO ALLEVIATE?  FIRST QUESTION.  AS I MENTIONED, I WAS A PART OF THE BLUE HILL OF ONE PARCEL SO WE WERE ESSENTIALLY THE PILOT TO THE WELCOME HOME BOSTON INITIATIVE AND WE WERE DEFINITELY AT THE TABLE WITH THE CITY HELPING THINK THROUGH WHAT WERE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT OUR FIRM WAS FACING THAT WE CAN ENSURE THE OTHER MINORITY DEVELOPERS WERE KIND OF SET UP FOR SUCCESS ONCE THE WELCOME HOME RFP WERE RELEASED.  SO CHIEF DOLAN SPOKE TO SOME OF THOSE INITIATIVES WHERE THERE'S THERE'S CONNECTION TO PRE-DEVELOPMENT DOLLARS,  THERE'S THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE THAT'S BEING PROVIDED IN THE PEER LEARNING ON A WEEKLY BASIS. I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR EXPERIENCE BEING IN THE PILOT HAS HELPED SHAPE THAT WE I THINK THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE OF THAT AS WE THINK ABOUT RELEASING THESE RF PS AND ENSURING THAT WE'RE NOT JUST AT THE TABLE BUT THAT WE ARE PREPARED TO BE AT THE TABLE. TO YOUR SECOND QUESTION, I THINK THAT IN ORDER FOR THIS INITIATIVE TO BE SUCCESSFUL I THINK THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE A ROBUST COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS AROUND THE INITIATIVE IN GENERAL PRIOR TO RFP GOING OUT FOR INDIVIDUAL. I THINK THAT THROUGH OUR BLUE HILL, OUR B ONE PARCEL INITIATIVE, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING HAD ABOUT A YEAR LONG COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS TO HELP INFORM THAT RFP BEFORE IT WAS RELEASED. I CAN SEE FIRSTHAND THAT THERE WAS TREMENDOUS BUY IN FROM THE COMMUNITY BASED ON THAT AND THAT ALSO ALLOWED US TO MOVE FORWARD A LOT FASTER. SO WE WERE ABLE TO PERMIT THREE SEPARATE BUILDINGS ON BLUE HILL OF IN A YEAR AND EIGHT MONTHS THAT IS ALMOST LIKE YOU KNOW, CHIEF DOLAN WILL STILL SAY I THINK WE'RE THE FASTEST PROJECT . BUT I THINK THAT INTENTIONAL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT DOES REAP THOSE BENEFITS.  SO I WOULD ADVISE THE COUNCIL TO ENSURE THAT PRIOR TO THESE RFP IS BEING PUT OUT THAT THERE IS A ROBUST COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS TO HELP KIND OF LAY THE GROUNDWORK FOR WHEN THOSE ARE AS THOSE ARE FEES ARE RELEASED.  THANK YOU FOR THAT. HONESTLY, THAT'S THAT'S THE QUESTION THAT I HAD FOR THIS PANEL. I'M JUST VERY THANKFUL FOR ALSO YOUR CREATIVITY. I LOVE THAT AND FORGIVE ME WHAT'S YOUR NAME AGAIN? OH, PROFESSOR IS A PROFESSOR. I WILL TELL YOU, PROFESSOR, THAT YOU CAN JUST CALL ME MIKE OUT OF RESPECT. I CALL YOU PROFESSOR. I LOVE THAT YOU BROUGHT UP YOUR CREATIVITY WITHOUT FELT FEAR FEARING YOU KNOW WHAT SO MANY SAY. I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE COURAGEOUS IN THESE CONVERSATIONS BECAUSE I MEAN I'M GOING THROUGH THE SCORES AND SERIES CONVERSATION RIGHT NOW IN MY OWN DISTRICT AND WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT WHAT IDEA WHAT OPPORTUNITIES WE HAVE OUT THERE WHEN WE ARE THINKING ABOUT HOUSING BECAUSE WE'VE GOT TO PUT EVERYTHING ON THE TABLE . SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE WORK YOU DO. THAT'S IT FOR ME . THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.  THANK YOU, COUNSELOR SANTANA, YOU HAVE YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.  THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. AND THANK YOU ALL FOR OUR PANELISTS BEING HERE FOR BEING HERE AND I JUST SEE YOU REG.  I MEAN I THINK YOU RETIRED A FEW WEEKS AGO IN YOUR BACKYARD AND THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS.  SO GOOD TO SEE YOU.  I DO HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS AND I THINK YOU KNOW, FOR THE PROFESSIONAL AVERAGE HERE, YOU KNOW, YOU TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, BUILDING AROUND SCHOOLS AND I KNOW THESE ARE JUST CONVERSATIONS YOU'RE NOT RIGHT. SO HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT I MEAN LIKE SOME OF THE YOU KNOW ,SOME OF THE THINGS YOU BROUGHT UP I MEAN THEY'RE LARGE DEVELOPMENTS IN TERMS OF LIKE PROJECTS OF HAVE YOU LOOKED AT ANY EFFECTS THAT THIS WILL HAVE ON OUR STUDENTS WHILE THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, TAKING CLASSES OUT AND THAT YOU KNOW, THE CONSTRUCTION AND AROUND BUILDING AROUND SCHOOLS WITHOUT YOU KNOW, SORT OF SOME OF THOSE BARRIERS OUT THERE MAYBE HAVE THOUGHT I GUESS I KNOW THESE ARE CONVERSATIONS BUT HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT THAT? AND I THINK SOME OF THE LAST EARLIER THE OTHER CITIES HAVE DONE IT. I BELIEVE THE ANSWER WAS POTENTIALLY NO. SO I JUST WANT TO HEAR SOME MORE ABOUT ON THAT. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. THE COUNCIL IT'S A GREAT QUESTION AND I WOULD SAY WE'VE ALREADY GOT TWO TREMENDOUS EXAMPLES OF HOW THAT CAN BE HANDLED.  ONE IS WHAT THE VHA IS DOING ON ITS BUILDING PROGRAM AROUND SOME OF ITS DEVELOPMENTS BROMLEY HEATH OR MILDRED HALEY FOR INSTANCE WHERE THEY'RE BUILDING HUNDREDS OF NEW UNITS OF HOUSING ON AND AROUND EXISTING VHA HOUSING AND THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT PROCESS HAS TO BE MANAGED SO THAT IT DOESN'T INTERFERE WITH THE LIVES AND THE LIVING ARRANGEMENTS FOR ALL THE RESIDENTS THERE. BUT IT CAN BE DONE BUT YOU HAVE TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, STRICT GUIDELINES AROUND THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS, SECURITY AROUND THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS, ETC., ETC.. ANOTHER EXAMPLE AND IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME IN THE CITY IS CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS AROUND HOSPITALS. SO HERE WE HAVE SITUATIONS WHERE HOSPITALS BUILD NEW BUILDINGS IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO ALL BUILDINGS WHERE THE PATIENTS ARE IN STILL BEING YOU KNOW, IN THE HOSPITAL AND AGAIN IT'S CONSTRUCTION AND MANAGEMENT THAT HAS TO HANDLE THAT BUT IT'S GOT TO BE BAKED INTO THE RFP AND IT'S GOT TO BE IN THE SCHEDULE OF HOW YOU DO IT, HOW YOU OPERATE, WHAT HOURS, WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR SAFETY. SO IT'S ALL VERY, VERY DOABLE. THE QUESTION IS GETTING THE RIGHT CONTRACT AND GETTING THE RIGHT REQUIREMENTS IN AND THEN OF COURSE POLICING IT SO THAT THE SAFETY AND SECURITY FOR THE STUDENTS THAT THE NOISE IS IS SOMEHOW MITIGATED. YOU KNOW, BUT AGAIN, WE'RE NOT REALLY TALKING ABOUT HUGE THINGS WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO BE FOR THE MOST PART BLASTING TO GET, YOU KNOW, FOUNDATIONS DONE AND YOU'D HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, SUGGEST CERTAIN KINDS OF FOUNDATION WORK AS OPPOSED TO OTHERS THAT WOULD BE QUIETER . PILE DRIVING IS PROBABLY NOT SOMETHING YOU WANT TO SEE THAT GO ON NEXT TO A SCHOOL BUILDING. BUT THERE ARE OTHER WAYS TO DO YOU KNOW YOUR FOUNDATION WORK. SO IT'S IT'S ALL GOT TO BE BUILT IN THE DEVIL WOULD BE IN THE DETAILS BUT WE'VE GOT EXAMPLES OF HOW IT'S ALREADY BEING DONE IN THE CITY. GREAT. AND I THINK YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE THE EXAMPLES AND I DO THINK THIS IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT BECAUSE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT SCHOOL AND STUDENTS AND YOU KNOW, OPERATE. BUT I THINK AGAIN, YOU KNOW, IT'D BE VERY INTERESTING JUST YOU KNOW, LEARN MORE ABOUT THAT AND SEE HOW YOU KNOW, IF IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD WE SHOULD BE DOING HERE IN BOSTON. SO YOU KNOW, REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. I THINK MY NEXT QUESTION IS TO TWO TO ROGER BROWN AND YOU KNOW, REALLY APPRECIATE IT. RIGHT. OKAY. I WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU KNOW, YOU TOUCHED ON THE WHITTIER STREET, RUGGLES PROJECT.  I GREW UP YOU KNOW, RIGHT AROUND THERE I GREW UP IN AND RIGHT ACROSS FROM RUBBER STATIONS AND HAD A LOT OF FRIENDS IN THAT PROJECT. CAN YOU SPEAK MORE AND DETAILS ABOUT THAT PROJECT?  I KNOW YOU SAID THERE ARE ABOUT 200 OR SO UNITS PRIOR AFFORDABLE UNITS NOW THERE'S 300 300 PLUS UNITS OF MIXED INCOME HOUSING. I'M I'M VERY BIG AND A BIG ADVOCATE OF MIXED INCOME SOCIAL HOUSING LIKE A INAUGURAL SPEECH ON THE CITY COUNCIL EARLIER THIS YEAR WAS WAS ON HOW WE SHOULD BE USING THAT HERE IN BOSTON IN THAT MODEL BUT YOU KNOW I WANT YOU TO SPEAK MORE ABOUT THAT PROJECT BECAUSE YOU KNOW, ONE OF MY CONCERNS IS AND I'VE HEARD IT DIRECTLY FROM RESIDENTS WHO ARE LIVING IN THIS RIGHT WAS A DISPLACEMENT. YOU KNOW, THEY WERE LIVING THERE.  I THINK THEY WERE POTENTIALLY PROMISED TO COME BACK BUT IT BY THE TIME THE PROJECT WAS WAS COMPLETED THEY EITHER YOU KNOW ,MOVED OUT OF BOSTON ALREADY BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T AFFORD IT OR THEY DID IT MAKES SENSE FOR THEM TO COME BACK AND NOW THEY'RE DISPLACED. YOU KNOW, ELSEWHERE IN THE CITY OR AROUND THE CITY AND YOU KNOW, SO WANT YOU TO TALK YOU KNOW, TO TOUCH ON TO TOUCH ON THAT AND THEN ALSO JUST AGAIN, YOU WENT FROM 200 AFFORDABLE UNITS TO NOW TO 300 PLUS MIXED INCOME UNITS THERE ARE THERE ARE LESS AFFORDABLE UNITS AS A WHOLE, YOU KNOW, SO WHERE PEOPLE EVEN THOUGH YOU KNOW, WERE PROMISED TO COME BACK WHERE IT WAS, I JUST HAD A EVEN UNREALISTIC THING TO EVEN SAY SO OKAY. WELL THERE'S A LOT IN THERE. I CAN SEE IF I CAN HANDLE IT. LET'S JUST TALK LET'S START WITH THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE FROM MY PERSPECTIVE THE ISSUE OF DISPLACEMENT.  EVERY EXISTING RESIDENT AT WHITTIER STREET HAD A 100% RIGHT TO RETURN.  THAT'S A HARD AND FAST RULE.  THERE'S NO WAY THAT THAT ANYONE IS FORCED TO DISPLACE. THEY MAY BE FORCED TO RELOCATE. RIGHT. BECAUSE WE WERE UNABLE TO START OUT WITH ENOUGH UNITS ON THE SITE SO THAT PEOPLE COULD SOMETIMES WE'VE DONE PROJECTS WHICH WE JUST RELOCATE PEOPLE ONSITE LIKE HOTELS. IN THAT CASE WE'RE CHANGING THE SITE SO MUCH THAT SOME PEOPLE HAD TO MOVE OFF AND THEN MOVE BACK. NOW WE WERE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO TO PARTNER WITH MADISON PARK, A COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATION. THEY'VE DONE A LOT OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ON THAT SITE BEFORE WE EVER GOT THERE.  THEY HAD A REPUTATION IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. THEY WERE ALSO DOING A COUPLE OF OTHER PHASES OFFSITE ON WASHINGTON STREET AND ON ON THE CAFS AND SO THEIR BUILDINGS GAVE RESIDENTS OTHER CHOICES. THEY COULD EITHER COME BACK ON SITE OR THEY COULD MOVE TO BE ON ON THE A CASTLE, A NEW BUILDING OR MOVE CLOSER TO NUBIAN ON WASHINGTON STREET TO BE IN A NEW BUILDING. SO THAT'S KIND OF THE DISPLACEMENT ISSUE RELATIVE TO MIXED INCOME.  THE 350 SOME ODD UNITS ARE JUST WHAT HAPPENED ON THE ON THE MAIN SITE AND WHEN WE CONSIDER THE OFFSITE PARCELS AND THE UTILIZATION OF VOUCHERS THAT NUMBERS PROBABLY CLOSER TO 450 . SO YOU KNOW THE IDEA THERE IS THAT WE'RE PROVIDING PEOPLE CHOICE THAT IN FACT THAT PROJECT WAS ENABLED BY A $30 MILLION GRANT FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAT HAPPENED ON THE LAST DAYS OF THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION. IT WAS A CHOICE NEIGHBORHOOD GRANT AND YOU KNOW, PART OF THAT MONEY FUNDED BRICKS AND STICKS SO WE CAN BUILD PART OF IT FUNDED NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENTS LIKE YOU KNOW, CONNECT MAKING THE CONNECTION BETWEEN RUGGLES AND NUBIAN SQUARE BY MAKING STREET IMPROVEMENT AND OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENTS AND AND AND PUMP A BUNCH OF THAT MONEY WENT TO PROVIDE CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICE FOR EXISTING PUBLIC HOUSING RESIDENTS SO FOLKS ALWAYS KNOW WHAT THEIR RIGHTS ARE THEY WOULD HAVE ACCESS TO FINANCIAL LITERACY TRAINING. THEY CAN PARTICIPATE IN THE FAMILY SELF-SUFFICIENCY PROGRAM WHICH WE'VE RUN ON SITE SO IT'S IT'S A MORE COMPREHENSIVE EXECUTION.  THE IDEA IS THERE IS THAT WE WOULD YOU KNOW BECAUSE OF THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS ONE OF THE BIG ISSUES FOR US EARLY ON WAS WHAT WAS THE INCOME MIX GOING TO BE? YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD FELT LIKE 75% OF THE EXISTING HOUSING UNITS WERE INCOME RESTRICTED.  AND SO WHAT THEY DIDN'T WANT TO SEE HAPPEN WAS THIS HAVE US DUMP A BUNCH OF INCOME RESTRICTED INCOME UNITS BACK THERE AND NOT PROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR FOLKS WHO MAY BE OVER INCOME THEIR CHILDREN TO HAVE TO LEAVE THE NEIGHBORHOOD. SO THAT WAS THAT WAS OUR OBJECTIVE. ABSOLUTELY. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, OVERTIME IS ONE TO SAY THANK YOU, TERRY, FOR BEING HERE AND SHARING YOUR STORY AND I KNOW I GOT CUT OFF BUT I THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU, COUNSELOR FITZGERALD ,DO YOU HAVE THE FLOOR?  THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR. I JUST WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU GUYS FOR COMING IN TODAY AND FOR CONTINUING TO ADVOCATE FOR HOW WE CAN BEST SUPPORT HOUSING IN THE CITY, BRING DOWN THE COSTS FOR EVERYONE, KEEPING FAMILIES IN BOSTON I HAVE NO ACTUAL FURTHER QUESTIONS BUT JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO ALL OF YOU AND RICH, ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO SEE YOU, SIR. OKAY.  THANK YOU. CONCERN FITZGERALD COMES FROM MEJIA. YOU'RE NEXT. YOU'VE GOT 6 MINUTES IF YOU NEED IT.  YOU SAY THAT YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.  THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. I'M CURIOUS.  WELL, FIRST OF ALL, LET ME JUST START OFF WITH YOU AND I WHEN I FIRST RAN IN 2018, 2019, I CONVENED A GROUP OF HOUSING ADVOCATES BECAUSE I REALLY WANTED TO HEAR FROM PEOPLE WHO WERE LIVING THE REALITIES AND OR DOING THE WORK AND YOU ENTERED INTO THE SPACE WITH A VERY STRONG VISION FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING. BUT IN THAT SPACE THERE WAS ALSO SOMEONE WHO WAS A DEVELOPER AND WHO SHARED HIS VISION FOR HOME OWNERSHIP AS OPPOSED TO AFFORDABLE RENTALS AND IN THAT SPACE WAS SOMEONE WHO HAD BEEN HOMELESS ONCE UPON A TIME.  AND SO THIS IS WHAT POLICYMAKING FOR ME HAS ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT IS REALLY BRINGING THESE THOUGHT LEADERS TOGETHER TO DO THAT WORK AND MY POLICY MY HOUSING POLICY WAS REALLY CREATED ALONGSIDE YOU AND OTHER FOLKS LIKE YOU IN THE SPACE. THIS ONE IT'S JUST BEEN A BEAUTIFUL THING TO SEE YOU GROW IN THIS SPACE FROM AN ADVOCATE AND UTILIZING YOU LIVED EXPERIENCE NOW TO BEING THE FOUNDER OF YOUR OWN FIRM AND I THINK THAT THAT IS WHAT WE NEED MORE OF . THOSE ARE THE FEEL GOOD STORIES THAT I THINK REALLY HELP US UNDERSTAND WHAT OUR WHY IS SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND THANK YOU FOR BEING SUCH A GREAT ROLE MODEL FOR SO MANY OTHER KIDS WHO GREW UP AND YOU KNOW, AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND JUST SAY THIS IS WHAT WE CAN DO WHEN ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE. SO I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT AND AND I'M GOING TO STAY WITH YOU REAL QUICK. I'M JUST CURIOUS BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY AND THERE ARE THE SMALL MOM AND POP SHOPS LIKE YOURSELVES AND JUXTAPOSE THOSE TO CDS AND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS WHICH ARE GREAT BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S WORKING TOWARDS CREATING MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING. BUT CAN YOU JUST TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY AS SOMEONE WHO'S ENTERING THIS SPACE AND NAVIGATING IT AND HOW ARE WE SHARING THAT PROSPERITY WITH FOLKS LIKE YOU? WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE?  THANK YOU COUNSELOR.  I YOU'RE A BIG PART OF WHY I'M HERE.  YOU'RE AN INSPIRATION. SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT FIRST I. I THINK FOR ME IT'S IMPORTANT THE CITY HAS STARTED. I WANT TO SAY TO REALLY HYPER FOCUS IN THE LAST THREE YEARS ON MINORITY PARTICIPATION IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT. I THINK I SAID IN MY REMARKS I WOULDN'T BE HERE IF IT WEREN'T FOR THAT BECAUSE I COME FROM A VERY HUMBLE FAMILY WITH NO ACCESS TO CAPITAL. SO IN ORDER FOR FIRMS LIKE MYSELF, FOR FIRMS LIKE NORFOLK CAPITAL, WE HAVE WE HAVE AN EMERGING BLACK DEVELOPER PIPELINE IN THE CITY. BUT IN ORDER FOR US TO CONTINUE TO BE SUCCESSFUL THE CITY NEEDS TO HELP US IN WAYS LIKE THIS USING CITY RESOURCES TO LEVERAGE TO LEVERAGE THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY TO LET US IN. IT'S WE'RE HERE, WE'RE EXPERIENCED BUT WE NEED WE NEED FOLKS TO COME TO THE TABLE AND LET US BE A PART OF IT.  I THINK THAT I AND I ENVISION THIS PROCESS HAVING SIMILAR TO WHAT FOLKS FROM THE BPA WERE SAYING EARLIER, THERE SHOULD BE A ROBUST REVIEW PROCESS AND EVALUATION PROCESS OF THESE ARE A PIECE THAT SHOULD SHINE A LIGHT ON ACTUAL OWNERSHIP OF PARTIES IN THE DEVELOPMENT TEAM NOT JUST PARTICIPATION BUT ACTUAL OWNERSHIP PERCENTAGE.  WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT LARGER DEVELOPERS ARE HELD ACCOUNTABLE TO THAT NOT JUST PUTTING BEAUTIFUL OUR PIECE TOGETHER WITH OUR FACES IN THEM. WE NEED TO ACTUALLY HAVE OWNERSHIP IN DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE LEVERAGING PUBLIC DOLLARS. I THINK THAT THAT SHOULD BE A HUGE PART OF THIS INITIATIVE BECAUSE I SEE THAT I SEE THAT REFLECTED IN MY WORK IN TERMS OF THE EDUCATION THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO TO COMMUNITY. SO THE MORE THAT WE LEVERAGE LOCAL NEIGHBORHOOD BASED DEVELOPERS THE MORE THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN CONTINUE TO GAIN TRUST IN THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS IN THE CITY BECAUSE THEY'RE HEARING IT FROM FOLKS THAT HAVE LIVED IT IN ARE PARTICIPATING IN IT AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO THE CITY PROCESS IN GENERAL. YEAH, AND I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT MY TIME BUT BUT YOU KNOW I'LL JUST WAIT FOR MY SECOND ROUND AND I'LL JUST YOU KNOW, JUST ADD A LITTLE BIT TO THAT IS THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS WHAT I FIND TO BE THE HARDEST IN THE AREA OF GOVERNMENT IS THAT OFTENTIMES THOSE WHO HAVE PROFOUND LIVED EXPERIENCE ARE USUALLY THE AFTERTHOUGHT AND THEN WE GET BROUGHT IN TO JUST FOR THE SHOW AND I THINK THAT THERE'S SOMETHING TO BE SAID ABOUT WHAT INTENTIONALITY LOOKS LIKE IN ACCOUNTABILITY AND I THINK THAT THE CITY HAS TO REALLY BAKE THAT INTO THE RFP PROCESS. RIGHT. AND ALSO THE ACCOUNTABILITY BECAUSE WHAT'S THE SENSE OF BRINGING YOU IN JUST FOR THE SHOW BUT THEN YOU'RE NOT THERE FOR THE INTERMISSION, RIGHT, OR THE FINAL ACT. RIGHT. SO I ALSO THINK AND IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WOULD HELP US IN TERMS OF LIKE THE LONGEVITY OF THAT RELATIONSHIP, ARE THERE SITUATIONS WHERE THEY BRING YOU IN IN THE BEGINNING AND THEN YOU ALL BREAK UP AND THE SITUATION IS OVER AND YOU KNOW WELL WE WE HAVE SEEN WE HAVE SEEN THOSE SITUATIONS IN THE PAST AND I THINK WE'VE BEEN FOCUSED ON BEING LEAD DEVELOPERS ON PROJECTS NOW SO THAT WE CAN BRING IN OTHER MINORITY FIRMS AND ENSURE THAT THEY CONTINUE TO BE A PART OF OUR PROJECTS SO WE'VE KIND OF SHIFTED TO TRYING NOT TO BE A MINORITY OR OR NOT LEAD DEVELOPERS AND PROJECTS BUT TAKE THE LEAD AND REALLY ALLOW OURSELVES TO BRING IN OTHER MINORITY FIRMS IN ALL ASPECTS OF OUR WORK TO ACTUALLY EXPOSE THEM TO JUST BASED ON OUR LIVED EXPERIENCE. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT DOING THAT TO OTHERS AND THINKING YOU CUT SOMEBODY, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.  THANK YOU. AFTER LISTENING TO ALL OF YOU I FEEL LIKE YOU BROUGHT SO MUCH HOPE BUT THEN ALSO YOUR UNDERSTANDING THAT WITH THAT HOPE AND YOUR GREAT IDEAS AND YOUR TRUE BELIEF THAT WE CAN DO MORE THAN JUST PUT A BAND-AID ON THIS EVER GROWING CRISIS THAT IT IS GOING TO TAKE POLITICAL WILL, IT IS GOING TO MAKE BOLD DECISIONS. AND I WAS THINKING OF ALL THE SCHOOL BUILDINGS.  YOU KNOW, I WAS A SCHOOL TEACHER FOR 24 YEARS AND YOU KNOW THE MURPHY SCHOOL WE HAVE TWO PARKING LOTS WHERE NEXT TO A PARK AND MY THOUGHTS WERE AROUND ALSO MANY TIMES THERE IS PUSHBACK THAT THE SCHOOLS ARE LIKE YOU NEED PERMISSION. SO IF I WAS TO TAKE MY CLASS TO THE PARK WHERE WE WOULDN'T EVEN HAVE TO CROSS THE STREET, IT WOULD BE LIKE WE NEEDED PERMISSION SLIPS AND WE WERE GOING ON A FIELD TRIP AND SO WE'RE NOT USING OUR YOU KNOW, WE'RE A CITY AND OUR SCHOOLS SHOULD HAVE KIDS WALKING AND TAKING THE BUS. I KNOW IN THE NORTH END NOW THEY WALK AROUND AND THEY USE THE OTHER CITY RESOURCES WHICH MANY PEOPLE WOULD THINK IS CRAZY. THEY PROBABLY DON'T EVEN REALIZE IT THAT WE AREN'T ABLE TO RIDE IN MANY CASES OR THERE'S THIS FEAR THAT MAYBE SO I THINK THAT'S A CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW DO WE OPEN UP OUR ALREADY EXISTING CITY PARKS AND RESOURCES. SO THE QUESTIONS AROUND WELL IF ARE YOU GOING TO TAKE THAT SIDE OF THE SCHOOL BUILDING AND YOU'RE GOING TO PUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WE AREN'T TAKING AWAY ,YOU KNOW, THE CHILDREN'S SPACE TO PLAY OR YOU KNOW, OUTDOOR CLASSROOMS AND THEN IT'S ALWAYS I MEAN YOU LOOKED AND YOU SAID FROM THAT 40 FEET AROUND ALL OF THE BUILD IT YOU MUST HAVE SEEN A LOT OF GREEN SPACE TO WRITE IN MANY TIMES THERE IS PUSHBACK. I MEAN WE ALMOST BUILT A LIBRARY A MUCH SMALLER SIZE BECAUSE OF ONE TREE BUT THAT ONE TREE MEANT SO MUCH TO A LOT OF PEOPLE. WE'VE HAD, YOU KNOW, PARKS THAT WEREN'T OPEN FOR YEARS BECAUSE OF FEAR OVER YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE VERY PASSIONATE AND FOR GOOD REASONS BUT SO THIS BALANCE WHY AREN'T WE ALSO LOOKING AT TAKING SOME OF OUR OPEN GREEN SPACE? I MEAN WE HAVE HOMELESS PEOPLE SLEEPING IN PARKS.  WOODY MAYBE LIKE WHEN WILL WE GET TO THAT CONVERSATION WHERE IT'S NOT AN AUTOMATIC WE CAN'T MOVE FORWARD AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING YOU HAVE ALL DONE A GOOD JOB AT. SO I THINK YOUR EXPERTISE ABOUT HOW DO WE FRAME IT AND HOW DO WE APPROACH MANY TIMES WHEN I'VE BEEN AT COMMUNITY MEETINGS AND IT'S A PROJECT THAT MAY NOT BE POPULAR IT USUALLY DIES IF THE FIRST FEW COMMENTS LIKE YOU CAN JUST SEE IT THAT THEY AND THEN THEY REALIZE MAYBE A FEW WEEKS LATER AND YOU DON'T ALWAYS GET A SECOND CHANCE TO COME BACK AND REALLY CONVINCE YOU KNOW, WITH THAT FIRST IMPRESSION OF WHAT'S THE INTENT AND MAYBE THERE WAS A MISUNDERSTANDING WHERE IT IF IT'S AROUND LOW THRESHOLD HOUSING OR YOU KNOW, HOUSING FOR OUR VETERANS OR SO I THINK GOING FORWARD LIKE DON'T GIVE UP THAT HOPE IN THOSE BOLD CONVERSATIONS BUT WE DEFINITELY NEED YOUR EXPERTISE ON THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT HAPPENS. AND COUNCILOR SANTANA TALKED JUST ABOUT A FEW EXAMPLES AND I THOUGHT OF SOME RIGHT AWAY LIKE YOU KNOW, THE PERKINS SCHOOL AND THE TIERNEY LEARNING CENTER IN SOUTH BOSTON YOU KNOW THE AND LYNCH HOMES WERE BUILT UP ALL AROUND IT AROUND THOSE SCHOOLS. WE ALSO HAVE THE HARVARD CAMP WHERE WE HAVE YOU KNOW, WE'RE TEARING DOWN THE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET AND THEN THE HEATH BROMLEY RIGHT NEXT TO THE YOU KNOW, THE HENNIGAN SCHOOL AND THERE'S OFTEN JUST ADVERSITY SO THERE'S OFTEN BIG PROJECTS RIGHT NEAR SCHOOLS ALL OF THE TIME RIGHT WHEN I WAS A TEACHER AT THE THE YOU KNOW PATRICK AHERN AND THE THE WE HAD THE EPIPHANY SCHOOL BEING BUILT RIGHT NEXT DOOR SO THAT WAS A MAJOR CONSTRUCTION. SO OFTENTIMES WE DO HAVE, YOU KNOW, MAJOR CONSTRUCTION AROUND SCHOOLS ESPECIALLY OUR DOWNTOWN SCHOOLS. SO HOW HOW DO YOU FEEL WHERE THAT IF THAT IS SOMETHING YOU'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK ON LIKE WHERE DOES THAT CONVERSATION START?  LIKE WHO DO WE FIRST TALK TO KIND OF GET THE BUY IN? I THINK THE FIRST THING IS TO HELP COMMUNITIES UNDERSTAND YES, THAT BELOVED TREE IS GOING AWAY. WE CAN NOW PLANT FIVE MORE. THEY'RE JUST IN A DIFFERENT PLACE AND I THINK IN THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING WORLD OF DEVELOPERS AND ADVOCATES THAT GROUP CARES DEEPLY ABOUT HOUSING. THEY ALSO CARE DEEPLY ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT THEY CARE ABOUT COMMUNITIES, THEY CARE ABOUT TREES AND SO BY AND LARGE ANYTHING WE DO WE WANT TO MAKE BETTER THAN WHAT WAS THERE.  I THINK THE KEY IN THE DISCUSSIONS AND I'VE DONE A LOT OF COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS WHERE I HAD TO SORT OF WORK WITH PEOPLE IS ONE BE OPEN TO LISTENING BUT TO REMEMBER THAT WE'RE ADVOCATES AND WE NEED TO HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE FUTURE AND I THINK IT'S REALLY HARD FOR A NEIGHBORHOOD OR A GROUP TO LOOK AT SOMETHING THEY'VE LOVED AND IT'S BEEN THERE FOR 50 YEARS AND THEN SAY THEY'RE GOING TO CHANGE IT AND WE NEED TO HELP THEM RE-IMAGINE IT.  PART OF THAT IS BUILDING TRUST AND I THINK DARLA WAS REALLY CLEAR THAT THE CITY HAS TOOK THE LEADERSHIP AND DID A LOT OF PRE-WORK AND SO WE CAN'T JUST SORT OF PASSIVELY DO COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS WHERE WE SAY TO THE NEIGHBORHOODS WE'RE DOING THIS WE NEED TO START BY LISTENING. WE NEED TO WHEN I WAS A YOUNG ARCHITECT I WORKED AT ONE OF THE PROJECTS AROUND JACKSON SQUARE ON AMORY STREET AND I REMEMBER OUR FIRST BIG MISTAKE WAS TO SHOW A DRAWING THAT WAS TOO REALISTIC, TOO SOON WHEN WE WENT BACK TO THE COMMUNITY WITH A HAND SKETCH NOT A COMPUTER MODEL AND THEN WE SAID THEY FELT LIKE WE STILL HAD A SAY IN CHANGES. YEAH, YEAH, YEAH. AND I THINK THAT SOMETHING LIKE THAT MENTAL BUYING PRESSURE AND TO ADD TO THAT PROFESSOR I THINK THAT THERE'S BEEN THIS MENTALITY FOR SOME REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT COMPANIES THAT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MAY BE DANGEROUS OR DETRIMENTAL TO A PROJECT. I THINK THE PLACE WHERE WE ARE NOW IN THE CITY IS THAT THAT HAS THAT HAS TO BE AN ESSENTIAL PART OF WHAT THE CITY IS DOING BEFORE THESE GO OUT. BUT IT ALSO NEEDS TO BE REQUIRED FROM DEVELOPERS. WE DVM HOUSING PARTNERS HAVE A ROBUST COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS. I THINK YOU CAN ASK OUR NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL SOMETIMES THEY TELL ME YOU CAME LAST MONTH WHY ARE YOU COMING AGAIN? AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT BUT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO BUILD THAT TRUST TO CONTINUE TO ENGAGE FOLKS NOT JUST TO GET PERMITTING APPROVED BUT ALSO AS YOUR DESIGN DEVELOPS AFTER YOU GO INTO CONSTRUCTION AND INTO RENTING UP UNITS. SO WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THIS ENGAGEMENT PROCESS AS A MORE ROBUST INITIATIVE AS REAL ESTATE DEVELOPERS IN GENERAL AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE CAN ALSO HELP. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I THINK IT'S MY TURN.  OKAY.  I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN THE COMMUNITY THE IMPORTANCE OF INTENTIONAL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. I REALLY HEAR YOU WHEN YOU SAY THAT IT IT ACTUALLY ACCELERATES THE PROCESS IF YOU DO IT ON THE FRONT END RATHER THAN TRYING TO THE COMMUNITY ENDS MAN ON THE BARRICADES AND FIGHTING AGAINST YOU IF YOU DON'T FEEL THAT THEY'RE LISTENED TO AND ENGAGED FROM RIGHT FROM THE GET GO. HAVE YOU ANY ANY SUGGESTIONS ON HOW HOW THAT'S BASED ON THE OTHER CONCERN I HAVE LIKE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SCHOOL BUILDINGS I THINK BIPS SCHOOL BUILDINGS WE HAVE A LOT OF SCHOOL BUILDINGS. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT WE HAVE TOO MANY WE NEED TO GET RID OF SCHOOL BUILDINGS, TAKE THEM OFF LINE.  I THINK ONE OF THE CHALLENGES FOR THE COMMUNITIES AROUND THE SCHOOL BUILDINGS, THE PARENTS AND FAMILIES AND THE FOLKS WHO'VE MAYBE ATTENDED THOSE SCHOOLS OVER A DECADES IS THE UNCERTAINTY, THE UNPREDICTABILITY AND THE LACK OF TRANSPARENCY BECAUSE WE TEND TO DRAW DECISIONS FROM ON HIGH WITHOUT A LOT OF COMMUNITY CONVERSATION. SO THEY'RE NOT GOOD AT THAT. I WOULD HONESTLY THAT'S MY ESTIMATION. SO IT'S LIKE YOU FOLKS ARE WORKING ON THIS THIS COMMUNITY PROCESS HUGELY IMPORTANT AND THEN THIS OTHER ENTITY THAT AS A WHOLE TO THE PROPERTIES ARE NOT ENGAGED IN THAT.  SO THIS IS LITTLE BIT OF A MISMATCH. SO ANY OF YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT WOULD BE REALLY GOOD.  LET'S FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE YOU KNOW PARTICULARLY WHEN WE DO PROJECTS THAT CHANGE THE PHYSICAL NATURE OF A PLACE STARTING EARLY CONVERSATIONS WITH THE RESIDENTS ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE GOALS DREAMS AND DESIRES ARE IT'S LIKE VERY IMPORTANT BEFORE WE EVEN PUT A PEN TO PAPER. YOU KNOW WHAT WHAT DO YOU WANT? WHAT DO YOU NEED? ARE YOU ARE YOU CONCERNED THAT YOUR CHILDREN WILL NOT BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO LIVE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD AGAIN? DO YOU NEED PLACES FOR SERVICES IN YOUR COMMUNITY? YOU KNOW IN MATTAPAN WE DELIVERED A GROCERY STORE IN A COMMUNITY THAT REALLY WANTED TO SEE A GROCERY STORE OR CHILDCARE. THAT'S ANOTHER THING AND PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE PEOPLE KNOW WHAT THEY WANT. THEY'LL TELL YOU EXACTLY WHAT THE PRIORITIES ARE. WE CAN'T ALWAYS DELIVER BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE UNLIMITED DEEP POCKETS BUT TO THE EXTENT THAT WE UNDERSTAND THOSE PRIOR DAYS AS WE THINK ABOUT HOW WE CHANGE THE PHYSICAL SPACE AND WHAT THE PROBLEM IS GOING TO BE HAVING THAT DIALOG WELL-ESTABLISHED GOES A LONG WAY BEFORE BEFORE WE'RE SHOWING ANY PICTURES JUST YEAH AND I THINK AS WELL I THINK YOUR IDEAS ABOUT MIXED INCOME SO YOU GET THE SPREAD OF A SPREAD OF AFFORDABILITY AND IT'S MIXED USE.  SO I THINK THAT'S WHERE IT'S REALLY A IT'S REALLY DYNAMIC AND COMMUNITY INPUT SO HUGELY IMPORTANT IN FRAMING IT ALL AND SETTING IT UP FROM THE GET GO. YEAH YEAH. SO SO MY COLLEAGUES AT WENTWORTH HAVE WORKED WITH AND HAVE ACTUALLY TRANSITIONED TO BECOME LEADERS AT YOUTHBUILD AND YOUTHBUILD AS AN ORGANIZATION REACHES OUT TO STUDENTS AND I FEEL LIKE ONE OF OUR KEY TOOLS IN THIS IS ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS THIS THE CHILDREN WHO GO TO THOSE SCHOOLS AND HAVE THEM AND WORK WITH THEM AS DEVELOPERS, ARCHITECTS, EDUCATORS, ADVOCATES AND BASICALLY HAVE THEM IMAGINE A DIFFERENT WORLD AND DIFFERENT WAYS THINGS COULD LOOK AND THAT'S AN EDUCATION PROCESS WITH CHILDREN.  IT'S ALSO THE WAYS WE CAN START ENGAGING BOTH WITH PARENTS AND CHILDREN'S AND FAMILIES IN THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS OF HOW THINGS CAN HAPPEN. IT BREAKS DOWN THE PROCESS AND SO IF KIDS UNDERSTAND HOW HOUSING HAPPENS AND KIDS SORT OF SAY OH, IF YOU WERE TO BUILD AN APARTMENT IN YOUR AT YOUR SCHOOL ANYWHERE, WHERE WOULD YOU PUT IT AND HAVE THEM START TO HELP CREATE A VISION WITH US? IT WILL I THINK OPEN THINGS UP AND I THINK IT'S PART OF THE TOOLKIT WE HAVE. WE ALSO HAVE GREAT NONPROFITS LIKE YOUTHBUILD THAT AND THERE'S OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT CAN WE CAN ENGAGE WITH AS PARTNERS AND I THINK PARTLY IT HAS TO THING IS WE'VE BEEN ENGAGED WITH BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS WE CAN COME INTO SCHOOLS AND EDUCATE AND WORK AND AND DO THIS WORK NOT AS WE'RE TAKING AWAY YOUR LAND BUT THERE'S AN EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY HERE. YEAH AND I THINK WE DID IT THERE WAS A COMMUNITY PROCESS AROUND THE FINAL GARDENS THAT'S GOING TO BE REDEVELOPED AND AND ONE YOUNG MAN WHO IS IN THE CONVERSATION ONE EVENING HE SAID YOU KNOW WHY ARE WE NOT BUILDING MORE FOR FOUR BEDROOM UNITS LIKE I'M WE FAMILIES OF SIX KIDS WE NEED FOUR BEDROOMS AND HE WAS GOING LIKE OH OKAY.  YOU KNOW BUT I THINK THEIR LIVED EXPERIENCE INFORMS THE PLANNING AS WELL. I THINK WE I THINK ONE CONCERN I HAVE IS REALLY THINKING ABOUT FAMILY OF THE FAMILY SUITABLE DEVELOPMENT THAT'S SUITABLE FOR FAMILIES AND THE AMENITIES THAT FAMILIES LEAVE BECAUSE I KNOW IN AUSTIN RIGHT WE'VE BEEN BUILDING A LOT OF STUDIOS ONE BEDROOMS YOU KNOW THAT'S THE SORT OF STUFF THAT'S GETTING BUILT AND THEN YOU'RE IDP UNITS ARE STUDIOS ONE BEDROOM G COUNTRY IS FAMILY THE STUDIO OR ONE BEDROOM. SO I THINK REALLY PUTTING A LOT OF EMPHASIS ON ON REALLY ENSURING THAT FAMILIES CAN STAY IN THE CITY. WE HAVE TO REALLY SERIOUSLY ADDRESS THE SIZE OF UNITS. YEAH AND I THINK THAT RESTRICTING SOME OF THESE CITY OWNED ASSETS TO BE AFFORDABLE BY DEFAULT CREATES THE NEED FOR A DEVELOPER TO MEET CERTAIN UNIT SIZE NECESSITIES. RIGHT? THEY'LL NEED TO HAVE AFFORDABLE THEY'LL NEED TO HAVE SUBSIDY FROM THE CITY IN ORDER TO BUILD THESE AFFORDABLE HOUSING HOMES. SO THAT IN ITSELF JUST DICTATES A CERTAIN NUMBER OF UNIT TYPES IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR THE HOUSING.  SO I THINK THAT IN ITSELF JUST MAKING THESE UNITS AFFORDABLE CREATES A SAFEGUARD FOR A DIVERSITY OF UNIT TYPES. MM HMM. THANK YOU.  I THINK THAT'S MY TIME UP. UM.  OKAY. UM, LEAD SPONSOR COMES DIVISION. ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS?  YEAH. I JUST WANTED TO SAY, UM WELL,  I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I'M NOT MISSING ANYTHING HERE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO MAKE SURE RIGHT NOW WE HAVE AN ADMINISTRATION AND IN THE PAST TO A CERTAIN DEGREE AS WELL THAT IS DEDICATED TO USING CITY ASSETS FOR HOUSING THINKING ABOUT WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE TO ENSHRINE THAT TO ENSURE THAT THAT HAPPENED AND EVEN WHAT WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT, DARIA, HOW DO WE ENSHRINE THAT?  IT'S FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING NOT SAYING THAT WE HAVE THESE STRICT RULES BUT MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE PLANNING FOR THE CITY THAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING RIGHT NOW WHEN THAT'S AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS. BUT I WAS GOING TO ASK ONE FINAL TAKEAWAY CLASSIC TAKEAWAY AND IT SEEMS LIKE FOLKS ARE GENERALLY ON BOARD WITH THAT IDEA TAKEAWAY QUESTION IT SEEMS AS THOUGH RICH AND PROFESSOR ARE BOTH CHAMPIONING THIS IDEA OF FURTHER CREATIVITY WITH HOW WE'RE USING OUR SCHOOL FOOTPRINT GENERALLY TALKED ABOUT HOW IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO MAKE SURE THAT DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS OF COLOR HAVE AN OWNERSHIP STAKE. ROGER I THINK YOU SPOKE A BIT THAT AT THE TIME IN ARIELLA AS WELL LIKE HOW DO WE HOW DO WE DO IT LIKE CASING UP THE PROCESS ALSO SO THAT YOU KNOW THE ROGERS FOR EXAMPLE THAT WAS LYING DORMANT FOR I THINK MORE THAN A DECADE BEFORE IT WAS TRANSFERRED AND TRANSFORMED INTO SENIOR HOUSING MISSING JUST JUST TRYING TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY OTHER TIDBITS IN TERMS OF LIKE WHAT WE CAN BE DOING AS WE THINK ABOUT THIS OR OUTSIDE TO MAKE YOUR JOBS EASIER.  I WOULD SAY THAT HAVING BEEN BROUGHT UP ACROSS YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT FORM IT WOULD TAKE BUT STARTING THE COMMUNITY PROCESS EVEN BEFORE YOU THINK ABOUT YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GOING TO GO IN THE PARKING LOT BUT EDUCATING I MEAN USING ANECDOTE ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE KIND OF PRE-DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES I WAS INVOLVED WITH WAS WITH EQUITY STREET FLAT NINE BECAUSE THE HOUSING AUTHORITY HIRED ARCHITECTS TO GO AND TRAIN THE RESIDENTS ABOUT DEVELOPMENT CONCEPTS LITERALLY USED IN BLOCKS AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A HIGH RISE AND MIDWIVES A SINGLE FAMILY? THEY DID A WHOLE SERIES OF TRAININGS LONG WE SHOWED UP SO WHEN WE SHOWED UP PEOPLE KNEW WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT AND WE COULD ENGAGE THEM IN THE SUBSTANCE AND WITHOUT THEM KIND OF BEING STUCK IN THEIR BUNKERS OR GETTING REALLY DEFENSIVE BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN ENGAGED IN A PROCESS EARLY ON BEFORE YOU KNOW, BEFORE THE VISION FOR KNOW FLAT NINE, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPED. SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE THAT KIND OF PROCESS WHEN YOU CAN, FOR EXAMPLE, IDENTIFY WHICH ASSETS YOU MAY BE GETTING TO, YOU MAY BE TOP ASSETS TO THINK ABOUT THEN ENGAGE THOSE COMMUNITIES RIGHT OFF THE BAT IN A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT THEY WANT THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD TO LOOK LIKE WELL AHEAD OF ANY DISPOSITION.  THANK YOU. THANK YOU AND THANK YOU TO YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. I THINK THAT THAT IT'S REALLY IS HELPFUL AND ONE OF THE LONGEST THINGS IN GENERAL IN THE CITY IS THE COMMUNITY PROCESS. IT HAS TO BE HONORED BUT I THINK WHAT YOU TALKED ABOUT IN TERMS OF DOING THE PRE-WORK IN THE ARCHITECTS REALLY HELPS TO UNDERGIRD THAT. YOU KNOW AND I THINK A CLUB AS A PARTNER MENTIONED THAT YOU KNOW, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME USES THAT THE CITY HAS DECIDED ON SOME MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS THAT THE COMMUNITY ACTUALLY WASN'T HAPPY OF WITH. AND I THINK THAT IF THAT WORK WAS DONE ON THE FRONT END WE WOULD HAVE PROBABLY SEEN A DIFFERENT RESULT. BUT THANK YOU AND I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR FOR BEING HERE AND FOR HELPING AND THE INDIVIDUAL AND COLLECTIVE WAYS THAT YOU ARE ADDRESSING OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS. THANK YOU.  CONSIDER MEJIA.  I'M NOT GOING TO HOLD YOU GUYS HOSTAGE. I KNOW WE'RE ALMOST DONE BUT I THINK I JUST WANT TO THANK THE SPONSORS FOR HOSTING THIS HEARING. I REMEMBER JUST HAVING MY OWN JOURNEY WITH HOUSING INSTABILITY AND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE CREATING AS MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO BE HOUSED HERE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT THAT IT HAS RIGHT ON ESPECIALLY ON YOUNG PEOPLE. WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT KIDS BEING INVOLVED IN THE IDEATION PROCESS RIGHT.  A LOT OF THESE KIDS, YOU KNOW, WHO ARE IN OUR BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS TODAY ARE BOUNCING FROM PLACE TO PLACE AND THEY HAVE TO START SCHOOL A NEW SCHOOL EVERY OTHER THREE MONTHS BECAUSE THEY CAN'T, YOU KNOW, FIND STABILITY AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS REALLY HELP INFORM WHAT THE THINKING COULD BE IN TERMS OF WHAT HOUSING DEVELOPMENT LOOKS LIKE FOR THEM. RIGHT. SO I THINK WHEN GOING BACK TO YOUR PROFOUND LIVED EXPERIENCE REALLY DOES MATTER. SO I REALLY DO LOVE THE IDEA OF LIFTING THEM UP AND CREATING SPACE AND ROGER THE WHOLE IDEA AROUND EDUCATION AND GOVERNMENT IS LIKE TRYING TO CRACK THE DA VINCI CODE . YOU JUST IT'S LIKE ONE OF THOSE SITUATIONS THAT YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW RIGHT?  AND HAVING WALKED INTO THIS CHAMBER WITH VERY LIMITED UNDERSTAND OF THE FUNCTIONS OF GOVERNMENT AND HOW SOMETHING BECOMES LAW AND ALL THAT SORT OF STUFF, IT LIKE WE TAKE FOR GRANTED THE PRIVILEGE THAT MANY FOLKS HAVE WHEN THEY HAVE ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND THERE ARE FOLKS WHO HAVE A LOT OF IT AND THERE ARE SOME WHO ARE DYING FOR IT LITERALLY. RIGHT. SO I THINK THIS WHOLE IDEA OF EDUCATING COMMUNITY IS DEAD ON AND I THINK THAT THE CITY AS PART OF ITS REQUIREMENT NEEDS TO DO A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THAT EDUCATION. AND WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EDUCATION IT'S ALSO ABOUT INFORMATION JUSTICE RIGHT. I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO UNDERSTAND THE PRIVILEGE OF UNDERSTANDING THE LANGUAGE AND THERE ARE A LOT OF FOLKS WHO DON'T SPEAK ENGLISH AS IF YOU KNOW THEIR FIRST LANGUAGE IS THAT ENGLISH AND?  MANY OF THEM DON'T SPEAK ENGLISH IN A LOT OF THE LETTER MEETINGS AND A LOT OF THE CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS YOU DON'T REALLY SEE FOLKS OF DIVERSE LANGUAGE CAPABILITIES AND I THINK THAT THAT IS ALSO ANOTHER AREA IN TERMS OF THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS BECAUSE SO MANY OF THESE FOLKS ARE BEING DISPLACED BECAUSE THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HAPPENING AROUND THEM. AND SO I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY AND A RESPONSIBLE BODY THAT THE CITY HAS AROUND THE RFP WITH THE DEVELOPMENT FOLKS WHO ARE GOING TO BE ENGAGING. WHAT DOES YOUR INFORMATION JUSTICE PLAN LOOK LIKE AND HOW ARE YOU GOING TO MEASURE SUCCESS WITH THAT? WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?  SO I THINK THAT'S A THAT'S AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE WORK THAT WE DO AT DBM HOUSING PARTNERS.  WE HAVE FANTASTIC PARTNERS THE COMMUNITY THAT ALSO HELP US DO THAT WE BELIEVE IN DEMYSTIFY EYEING THE REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS WE'VE HAD WORKSHOPS WITH LOCAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN DORCHESTER AND ROXBURY.  WE'VE HAD CHARRETTE WHERE COMMUNITY ACT LIKE DEVELOPERS AND MAKE DECISIONS ON BIG PROJECTS BASED ON HOW MUCH MONEY THEY HAVE AND WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS. SO THAT'S AT THE FOREFRONT OF WHAT WE DO. WE HAVE YOUTUBE SERIES THAT WE PUT TOGETHER. WE COVER THING REAL ESTATE FOR ALL THAT ALSO ALLOWS FOLKS TO SEE THE INFORMATION IN THEIR OWN TIME THAT'S THAT WAS A BIG PART OF GETTING ON THE FIRST CROWDFUNDING EFFORT IN BOSTON WHERE WE ACTUALLY HAVE LOCAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT ARE SMALL PERCENTAGE OWNERS OF INCOME RESTRICTED RENTAL BUILDING IN FIELDS CORNER AND I THINK THAT I'M MYSELF AS SOMEONE WHO ENTERED THE REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT FIELD FROM AN UNTRADITIONAL WAY ON WAS OFTEN WAS OFTEN BEWILDERED BY THE PROCESS, DIDN'T FULLY UNDERSTAND WHAT I WAS WORKING ON AND I THINK THAT THAT LEADS KIND OF HOW I DO REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT NOW ENSURING THAT WE'RE NOT USING BIG WORDS, THAT WE'RE JUST SIMPLIFYING THINGS,  THAT WE'RE GIVING THINGS IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGE NEEDS TO OUR COMMUNITY.  I THINK THAT I'D BE HAPPY TO HELP THE CITY THINK THROUGH THAT BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY AT THE FOREFRONT OF WHAT WE DO AND ONE OF THE MAJOR REASONS WHY I CHOSE TO GO OFF ON MY OWN BECAUSE I NO LONGER WANTED TO DEFEND WHY COMMUNITY NEEDED TO BE FIRST. THANK YOU.  THANK YOU CONSTABLE HERE CONSTABLE MURPHY ON CLOSING COMMENTS THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND TO FOLLOW UP ON THE EDUCATION PIECE IT'S SO IMPORTANT I'VE SAT IN THESE MEETINGS WHERE MOST PEOPLE NOT JUST THIS ASSUMPTION THAT YOU KNOW THE YOU KNOW THE COMMUNITY NEEDS IT BUT THESE ACRONYM CHEAT SHEETS, RIGHT? MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHAT AM I THEY SHOULD KNOW THEY'RE WORRYING AND KNOW A LOT OF OTHER THINGS BUT THEY DON'T KNOW THIS. SO THIS IDEA THAT YOU KNOW YOU'RE AN EXPERT IN WHAT YOU DO AND OFTENTIMES WE COME INTO A SPACE AND WE JUST MAKE THIS ASSUMPTION. SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT AND THAT GOES WITH BUILDING THE TRUST WITH LETTING THEM KNOW THAT WE DO WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND AND A LOT OF IT IS LIKE LEGAL ISSUES, RIGHT?  LIKE SOME THINGS WE DON'T HAVE A SAY IN SOME THINGS WE DO WANT TO BE VERY OPEN WITH PEOPLE SO THEY UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH THEY CAN INVEST AND HOW MUCH THEY CAN PUSH BACK OR YOU KNOW, ADD AN OPINION TO SO THAT THEY DON'T OFTEN FEEL AT THE END WHAT I HEAR OVER AND OVER AGAIN ACROSS THE CITY IS THEY CAME THEY WERE INVOLVED. THEY FELT LIKE THEY WERE LISTENED TO AND THEN THEY FIND OUT SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT WAS ACCEPTED OR YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THEY THINK IS A SLAM DUNK TO PASS AND THEN THEY'RE LIKE WHY DIDN'T IT PASS? AND SO I DO THINK THAT THAT EDUCATION PIECE SHOULDN'T BE A BURDEN FOR ALL OF YOU BUT THANK YOU FOR DOING IT. IT SHOULD BE SOMETHING WE DO A BETTER JOB AT ON OUR SIDE TOO. BUT THANK YOU CHAIR FOR HOLDING THIS HERE. THANK YOU. I'D JUST LIKE TO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. THIS HAS BEEN A VERY ROBUST CONVERSATION THIS MORNING BOTH FROM THE CITY ADMINISTRATION AND PANEL AND YOURSELVES. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THIS CONVERSATION. THIS IS NOT SOMETHING WE CAN JUST HAVE A HEARING AND THEN PUT IT AWAY AND SAY WELL, THAT'S DONE AND DUSTED. NO, WE NEED TO CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION.  SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. THIS HEARING ON DOCKET 0764 IS ADJOURNED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.  THANK YOU.  AND  KNO