Housing

Councilor Louijeune is working hard to address the root causes of our city’s housing crisis, including a troubled legacy of racism and inequality that has prevented thousands from homeownership and access to fair housing rental opportunities. Whether residual impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic or historical maps redlining areas for investment, we still see the effects of these decades-old decisions today.

As part of her work in her first term on the Boston City Council, Councilor Louijeune has done the following:

  • In partnership with her colleagues, Councilor Louijeune co-sponsored a hearing order to review affirmative marketing practices for releasing existing affordable rental units generated by the inclusionary development policy. This would review current practices and the need for standardization regarding re-leasing and marketing of existing rental units toward increased accessibility and awareness for prospective tenants. LINK 0244

  • Councilor Louijeune held a hearing on the Boston’s Acquisition Opportunity Program. This program was designed to support the purchase of existing rental housing to prevent displacement and preserve affordability by supporting mission-driven housing developers, non-profits, and community land trusts to acquire properties.The councilor held the hearing to further investigate a lack of sufficient data tracking and explore the ways the City can leverage the program to protect housing affordability. The Councilor enthusiastically supports non-profit organizations and community land trusts taking housing off of the speculative market to protect tenants from displacement by providing them with further funding to purchase these properties before a private developer can.  There are ways to strengthen the program, do more outreach, and work closely with aging residents seeking alternatives to selling their home to private interest. LINK 0157

  • Supporting Black homeownership is a top priority of the Councilor’s office. Not only are housing demographic shifts accelerating the loss of Black and Brown residents looking to buy their first homes in Boston, but discrimination in lending and appraisals also account for both barriers to homeownership and wealth devaluation for Black and Latinx residents. She sponsored a hearing order to discuss the ways that the City can combat said discrimination. LINK 0164  

    1. Housing was a top priority during Councilor Louijeune’s first budget season. She worked to incorporate amendments to the City’s budget to include:

      1. $2,250,000 for the City of Boston’s Housing Voucher Program which assists low-income, homeless, and people near homelessness in securing stable housing.

      2. $800,000 to support formerly incarcerated residents in their search for transitional housing.

      3. $1.1 million to help new arrivals with temporary shelter.