Great News:
You can now directly support the transformation of the former Doyle Playground through the Doyle Patronicity Site!
Give to turn this dead site into a new park with seating, a beautiful new mural, and paths down to the Neponset River. We met our $6,000 goal, so we will get the $6,000 match from MassDevelopment! But let’s keep it going for Doyle! You can give through Wednesday at 11:45 pm. Click Here and donate today!
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Southwest Boston Community Development Corporation works to build and sustain a thriving, racially and economically equitable community in Hyde Park and Roslindale. We work to prevent displacement, create and preserve affordable housing, strengthen the commercial base of the neighborhoods, ensure access to good transit and green spaces, and develop local leaders whose voices are not otherwise heard.
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Our programs include:
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Affordable Housing
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Community Organizing
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Green Team
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The Resource Connection – jobs, housing & more
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Fairmount Indigo Transit Equity
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ACTION ITEMS
BY JUNE 12th: Call your Councilor — ask him or her to VOTE FOR the Short Term Rental Bill:
The City Council vote on the AirBNB/Short-Term Rental (STR) Ordinance has been delayed until Wednesday, June 13th. Some of the Councilors who were originally supportive of the regulation are wavering, likely due to the influence of lobbyists from AirBNB and front groups such as the Boston Host Alliance.
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The latest Ordinance is the result of detailed, data-driven analysis of solutions that have been effective in other cities; as well as many conversations with residents across Boston. It will rightly prohibit speculators from flipping entire buildings to short-term rentals, aggregating leases in multi-family housing, and generally utilizing online platforms to run untaxed and unregulated hotels out of residential neighborhoods. Many Boston residents have already been displaced due to the rapid influx of short-term rentals, and we are losing more housing to the STR industry every day.
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At the same time, this Ordinance preserves the right of individual homeowners to post extra rooms on STR platforms for as many as 365 days out of the year. Owner-occupants can rent their entire home or apartment unit while they are away, as long as they reside there for nine months out of the year.
WHAT YOU CAN SAY WHEN YOU CONTACT ELECTED OFFICIALS:
“I am writing in support of the proposed ordinance to regulate short term rentals in the City of Boston. The rapid influx of short-term rentals such as AirBnB has had an alarming impact, spurring the displacement of longtime Boston renters and encouraging the flipping of properties by speculative investors.
The short-term rental bill is a much needed step to protect homes for long-term residents. The City of Boston is working hard to increase the housing supply; we cannot allow the short-term rental industry to take away our homes with the other hand. The bill is a very reasonable measure which allows owner occupants the leeway to supplement income with limited short-term rental use while protecting Boston’s housing supply.
We urge you to act quickly and pass this bill. Thank you.”
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Here are some additional talking points with regard to why short-term rental regulation is an affordable housing issue, a neighborhood governance issue, and an issue of resident safety and security:
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Short-term rentals are restricting our already limited housing supply and driving up rents. Independent research from UMass Boston demonstrated that the presence of STRs across Boston has inflated rents by an overall average of $93. If trends continue, this will increase.
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Boston has three times the rate of investor-owned units on STR platforms as other cities. In addition, 10-20% of almost all new buildings that were permitted as housing are being used as STRs without the knowledge or consent of neighborhoods.
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These STR models are untaxed and therefore highly profitable. Their widespread presence is functioning to accelerate the forces of speculation, gentrification and displacement that are destroying our communities.
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The continuing displacement of long-term residents in favor of tourists and other transient populations is affecting the functionality and livability of our neighborhoods. In addition, the lack of oversight and/or regulation of these nightly rentals raises serious safety and quality-of-life concerns.
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Right now, both the City and the public are completely blind to where AirBNB and other STRs are happening. We need the City Council to pass the Ordinance in order to obtain this data and create a system for registration and enforcement.
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AirBNB and STRs have existed for more than 10 years. It is important that the City Council act now and VOTE YES in order to stop the bleeding of residential housing to short-term rentals, and to prevent further displacement of long-term residents.
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Contact the Mayor’s Office and Neighbohood Development/Housing Department
Mayor@Boston.gov, 617-635-4500
Joyce.Linehan@Boston.gov, 617-635-1414
Sheila.Dillon@Boston.gov, 617-635-4353
Christopher.English@boston.gov, 617-635-3827
Contact the At Large City Councilors and Your District City Councilor: (click here to figure out which councilor is yours; if you live in Hyde Park it’s Tim McCarthy; if you live in Roslindale it’s Tim McCarthy or Matt O’Malley):
At Large City Councilors:
Michael.F.Flaherty@Boston.gov, 617-635-4205
A.e.George@Boston.gov, 617-635-4376
Ayanna.Pressley@Boston.gov, 617-635-4217
Michelle.Wu@Boston.gov, 617-635-3115
District Councilors:
Andrea.Campbell@Boston.gov, 617-635-3131
Lydia.Edwards@Boston.gov, 617-635-3200
Ed.Flynn@Boston.gov , 617-635-3203
Frank.Baker@Boston.gov, 617-635-3455
Timothy.McCarthy@Boston.gov, 617-635-4210
Matthew.Omalley@Boston.gov, 617-635-4220
Kim.Janey@Boston.gov, 617-635-3510
Josh.Zakim@Boston.gov, 617-635-4225
Mark.Ciommo@Boston.gov, 617-635-3113
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The bill for better service on the Fairmount Line is in the Ways and Means Committee — and it needs YOUR help!
Next stop — a favorable vote by the Legislature — this has to happen by July 31st. But we need calls TODAY.
Bill H2723 that would finally give us the service we need and deserve on the Fairmount Line.
If it this bill passes:
Take Action!
Please pick at least 5 members of the Ways and Means committee. Send them a short email to ask them to move bill H2723 favorably out of Ways and Means. Let them know why you want to see better service on the Fairmount Line — the only rapid transit available for many Boston families!
Find the members of the committee, with links to their email addresses here.
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SWBCDC is a Proud member of:
We organize around local issues, including the preservation of affordable housing.
The Hyde Park Green Team – our youth jobs and environmental stewardship program – where youth learn teamwork and build confidence.
The Residences at Fairmount Station will be the first affordable rental housing developed in Hyde Park in nearly 25 years. It will revitalize a downtown lot — and bring more customers to local businesses!
We bring residents together to work on local issues…and have a good time!
Taking signage into our own hands to connect riders to the improved Fairmount Indigo Line
The Hyde Park Green Team has been providing youth employment and environmental stewardship operating in partnership with the City of Boston since 2009.
The Annual Sherrin Woods Community Meeting – Hyde Park Green Team youth lead tours and develop public speaking skills by educating neighbors, local law enforcement, and family members about their work to preserve urban wilds.
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