City Council - Community Preservation Act Committee Hearing on Dockets #0569 and #0758

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For the record, my name is Enrique Pepén, District 5 City Councilor, and I'm the Chair of the Boston City Council Committee on Community Preservation Act. Today is April 21st, 2026. The exact time is 2.04 p.m. This hearing is being recorded. It is also being livestreamed at boston.gov slash city-council-tv and broadcast on Xfinity Channel 8, RCN Channel 82, and Files Channel 964. Writing comments may be sent to the committee email at ccc.cpa.boston.gov and will be made a part of the record and available to all counselors. Public testimony will be taken at the end of this hearing. Individuals will be called on in the order in which they signed up and will have two minutes to testify. If you're interested in testifying in person, Please add 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 Karishma at karishma.chouhan at boston.gov. for the link and your name will be added to the list. Today's hearing is on docket number 0569. Message and order approving an appropriation of $32,600,000 from fiscal year 2026 Community Preservation Fund revenues for community preservation projects at the recommendation of the City of Boston Community Preservation Committee. The upcoming projects will aim to improve the quality of life across Boston neighborhoods. Plans include renovating playgrounds and enhancing or creating recreational spaces such as parks, community gardens, and urban farms.

In addition, these projects will plant trees to grow the city's tree canopy, preserve historic buildings and artifacts, support program for affordable first-time homebuyers and construct new affordable housing units for residents. Together, these efforts are expected to deliver a meaningful and lasting positive impact on Boston's neighborhoods and Communities. Docket number 05758, Message in Order of Approval and Appropriation Order in the amount of $1,763,090. For the administrative and operating expenses of the City of Boston Community Preservation Committee for fiscal year 2027. And a further appropriation order in the amount of $39,587,700.

$98 from the Community Preservation Fund's estimated annual revenues for the fiscal year 2027 to be appropriated and reserved for future appropriation. These matters were sponsored by Mayor Michelle Wu and referred to the committee on March 18th, 2026, docket number 0569, and on April 8th, 2026 for docket number 0758. So far I've been joined by my colleagues in order of arrival. Councilor Flynn, Councilor Culpepper, Councilor Fitzgerald, and Council President Breadon. I would like to welcome everyone to my favorite hearing of the year. It's an honor for me to be the chair of this committee. Honestly, just being able to see the amazing applications and groups and organizations that applied for CPA funding and seeing some in person here fills me nothing but with joy.

The fact that we get to potentially fund so many great projects across the city and all of our neighborhoods It's always a feel-good project, and I know that the work they do does not go unnoticed, but I also just wanted to thank the community preservation team for the work that you do, because I know that It takes a lot of work and effort to make sure you're doing the proper outreach and making sure that as many people as possible are applying to this. So I just wanted to thank you. I'm very much a fan of this. So thank you also for providing this to all of our All of us here on the council. And what I would love to do is I'm going to pass it over to you. to do a quick introductions, to do your presentation. I'll kick it off to my colleagues for some Q&A, and then we will hear from our amazing community members later on. So, Thaydeen, the floor is yours.

Thank you. My name is Thadine Brown, and I'm the Director for the Community Preservation Office.

Good afternoon. My name is Christine O'Keefe. I'm the Director of the Neighborhood Housing Division at the Mayor's Office of Housing.

Thank you all for having me and the CPA team today. For the past eight years, I've been working with the CPA office and I've overseen all nine funding rounds and it has been a privilege and a pleasure to support the residents of Boston. I would like to express my gratitude to the dedicated Community Preservation Committee. Each funding round requires thoughtful deliberation, difficult decisions, and we deeply appreciate their unwavering commitment I also want to extend my appreciation to the CPA staff over here. Rekia Islam, Jillian Lang, Elizabeth Sanchez, Lauren Hahn, Liz Cook, and Simone Pope. The dedication and professionalism and care they bring to these roles every day are essential not only to the success of this year's funding round, but to how we run the CPA office on a daily basis. I'm grateful for the dedication they bring to this work.

I would also like to thank the CFO and the City Treasurer for their leadership along with all the city departments that continue to be valuable partners in this work. I will take the next 20 minutes to provide a detailed overview of the CPA process and the FY26 funding round, introduce the slate of 45 projects recommended for funding this year, and do a brief overview of the FY27 budget. and happy to address any questions. And Director O'Keefe will respond to any specific questions on the affordable housing projects. And so this first slide highlights the breakdown of funding allocations for FY26, which was a total of $32.6 million. There was no reverted funds reallocated to the FY26 funding round. The committee allocated 50% of funding to affordable housing, 25% to historic preservation, and 25% to open space and recreation.

For those who may not be familiar with Community Preservation Act, these next upcoming slides will give you a brief overview. So each year, 10% of funds must be allocated to each category, historic preservation, affordable housing, and open space and recreation. Additionally, up to 5% may be spent on administrative cost. CPA funds are strictly limited to capital projects CPA funds cannot support maintenance, operations, or programming. Eligible recipients include public agencies, private entities, nonprofit, and for-profit organizations. All proposed projects must meet the definitions and requirements outlined in Chapter 44B, which is listed here on the slide for reference. Understanding the allowable uses of CPA funds is essential for applicants to successfully complete their submissions.

To support them, we prioritize early and frequent engagement, educating applicants on these allowable uses so they are well prepared to begin the application process. To date, Community Preservation Fund has supported 396 projects, awarding more than $229 million in funding across Boston. CPA funds have helped preserve 150 historical buildings, sites, vessels, and artifacts protecting Boston's cultural and architectural heritage, rehabilitated and created more than 100 playgrounds and recreational spaces, expanding access to safe, vibrant outdoor areas, for residents of all ages, preserved and developed nearly 2,200 of units of affordable housing, and allocated over $28 million to programs supporting first-time home ownership and preventing displacement.

You can also see a breakdown of the previous funding rounds from 2018 to 2025. Since its creation, CPA funds has supported 151 open space and recreation projects, 60 affordable housing projects and 185 historic preservation projects. On this slide, there's a detailed breakdown of the total projects and funding amounts for each neighborhood. The top eight neighborhoods Each with 16 or more projects are Dorchester, Roxbury, Jamaica Plain, Back Bay, Charlestown, Mattapan, South End, and East Boston. I would like to highlight that the city-wide projects which encompass projects and programs that benefit all of Boston residents and have received the highest level of funding to date. I would also like to highlight our interactive map, which is on our website.

This map allows the public to explore the project descriptions, funding amounts, and every CPA projects awarded to date, offering a convenient way for folks to view the funded project pipeline and the CPA investments across the city. I would also like to highlight our new completed project guide on our website, which allows the public to explore the finished projects that CPA has funded. This chart highlights the funding percentage and project percentage for each category. in the last eight funding rounds. Affordable housing accounts for the highest percentage of funding at 51%, despite having the lowest percentage of projects at 15%. Historic preservation has the highest percentage of projects at 47%, yet a smaller share of funding at 24%.

Meanwhile, open space and recreation represents 38% of projects, and has received 25% of the total funding. For the last nine funding rounds, the committee has committed 50% of funds to affordable housing. To date, we have 19 projects that have withdrawn. Some projects have withdrawn because they did not meet the readiness to proceed, or they could not agree to the 15-year terms of our grant agreement. And the long-term site control agreements did not align with our grant requirements. I would also like to highlight in the next few slides The CPA office our daily operations and our community engagement efforts. We are a small but highly efficient team. Over the last six funding rounds, we can continue to reshape and strengthen our daily operations.

We are actively monitoring over 120 projects daily, conducting site visits, holding monthly check-ins and tracking construction timelines and compliance. Approximately 80% of our funds from 2018 to 2025 have been paid out. It does not mean that all projects are completed but that all funds have been distributed. Grant installment payments are moving quickly out the door, typically taking one to two weeks, ensuring that applicants are receiving the funds very quickly. Our rolling eligibility form allows applicants to apply early And we continue to expand our communication with potential applicants, which allows us more time to verify proposed projects before they are selected to go before the committee. Our annual community engagement and educational meetings are vital to the success of the grant program.

We prioritize connecting with as many residents as possible. We host information sessions in collaborations with city councilors. expanding our reach and ensuring residents across all neighborhoods can participate. We organize multiple virtual information sessions and workshops throughout the spring and summer. helping applicants understand eligibility, the readiness to proceed, and the CPA process. We provide language accessibility when needed. We continue to strengthen our engagement through City of Boston social media channels, and our monthly newsletter reaches over 1,500 residents, keeping the public informed about the funding round, project updates, and upcoming events. I would also like to highlight that we have launched the FY27 funding round, which we are promoting as a decade of impact.

The 2027 funding round will mark the 10th CPA funding round to come before the mayor and the city council. And on this slide, we'd like to highlight some key highlights from the funding round. Over 100 eligibility forms and requests for proposals were submitted for review. 84 applications were presented to the Community Preservation Committee, totaling over $45 million in funding requests. The CPC held nine public meetings from September to January, totaling 15 hours of public discussion. 45 projects are being considered for the FY26 funding round, totaling $32.6 million. 42 out of the 45 projects are recommended for full funding this year. When approved by the City Council, this funding round will bring Boston's total award under the Community Preservation Act

to more than 260 million supporting 441 projects across the city since the residents adopted the act in 2016. On this slide, this is an overview of the applications received from each neighborhood this funding round. Dorchester had the highest number of recommended projects, followed by Roxbury. Unfortunately, five neighborhoods, Bay Village, Beacon Hill, Boston Harbor, Fenway Kenmore, and North End do not have any projects recommended for funding this year. The Community Preservation Committee remains deeply committed to funding projects across all neighborhoods. The CPA staff will continue on working to identify projects that are ready to proceed and positioned for successful implementation.

On the next few slides, I just wanted to cover the data that's in our updated CPA plan, which guides the allocation of funding for FY23 to FY27. The plan now includes data from the eighth funding round and will continue to be updated in FY26. The plan's overall goals are listed on our website. We encourage the members of the public to please visit the plan on our website with detailed information on all of our goals. Our plan measures several key indicators, income, language access, demographics, and the poverty line. This slide shown here highlights how many CPA projects have reached the highest needed communities. 217 projects or 55.5% of projects in neighborhoods where over 65% of the households earn below the area median income.

162 projects or 39.5% are in neighborhoods with the highest language access needs. 157 projects or 40% are in neighborhoods where more than 65% identify as people of color. And 33 projects, or 8.3%, are in census tracts with elevated poverty levels, where over 40% or more of residents live below the poverty line. The CPA office continues to center equity in every funding round, ensuring that all neighborhoods and residents benefit from these investments. Here is the recommended slate of 45 projects for the FY26 funding round. This is once again a highly competitive cycle resulting in difficult decisions by the Community Preservation Committee.

And for my final slide, which is new, we're covering the FY27 budget highlights, and I'll just Read some of the highlights for the FY27 budget. The available projects funding for FY27. is $39.59 million, a $4.35 million increase from FY26. The increase is primarily due to $3 million increase and projected CPA surcharge. In FY26, the fund had $4.19 million in fund balance for FY27. The Community Preservation Fund is estimated to have a fund balance of $5.7 million. These reserves will be available to expand and carry forward future funding rounds. The administrative funding has been increased to $1.76 million, a $209,000 increase from FY26.

At recommended level, the administrative budget would account for 4.19% of the anticipated FY27 revenue from surcharge and the state match, which the city uses as a reference point for the 5% statutory cap. The budget reflects the increased personnel cost required to manage the CPA's growing project portfolio. Increases include permanent employee salary cost, FY27 budget reallocate some cost from the city's treasury department for staffing that support the CPA office. Increase in contractual services for the updated CPA master plan for FY28 to FY32. And so this wraps up my full presentation on an overview for the FY26 funding round.

and I'm happy to take any questions on historic preservation and open space projects and Director O'Keefe will be happy to answer any of the affordable housing questions.

Thank you all. Thank you so much for that presentation and for honestly all the work you did. to get to this point for this fiscal year's funding. I will now allow my colleagues to ask questions. I also want to acknowledge that we've been joined by Councilor Weber, so welcome. I'm going to give my colleagues five minutes for a first round of questions and then if you have any follow-up I'll give you some extra time. Councilor Flynn, floor is yours.

Thank you Mr. Chair and thank you to Thay Dean and to The CPA team for the outstanding work you do every year. I had the opportunity to attend every hearing over the last eight years. and was always impressed by the professionalism of Thaydeen and your team. So I wanted to highlight the important professional work you do every day. I also want to acknowledge two former colleagues that really played a critical role on CPA as well, getting it through. And that was Andrea Campbell and Michael Flaherty. Faye Dean, what I also like about the CPA program is, unfortunately, if you don't get selected and you apply,

What I do like is you talk to the applicant about their application and maybe make some recommendations on what they did well or how they could improve Thank you very much. And you learned from your previous application. Could you maybe talk a little about that, please?

Sure, absolutely. For applicants that are not recommended for funding, majority of the time it's not because their application is not good. It's just because it's a really competitive funding round. It's just not enough funding. But for those that do need more work, we have a detailed conversation regarding their budget, their scope of work, and we try to encourage them to come back in. Try to ensure that they have a good team, good estimates. But we're continuing to constantly have conversations. And we have some applicants that have come in once or twice and are not funded until the third time. And so applicants really understand the commitment and understand the competitive nature of the grant funds. But they also know that they can always reach out to our staff to have conversations. And we're happy to talk to their scope of work and what they might be coming in for.

Thank you, Faydeen, and I'll make one more final comment, and that is, I try to attend as many listening sessions in person or on Zoom as I can, whether they're in my district or not, but I do know that you always, when I ask for a listening session on Zoom or in person, your team is always there in a professional manner providing great Great feedback to residents. The CPA team but the CPA program in particular really brings the residents of Boston together. and there's something in there for everybody. And during difficult and challenging times, and when people are discouraged at city or state or federal government, one thing we can look at

and know that government is working as the CPA program and knowing that it provides critical support, critical services to the residents of Boston in such a professional manner. I'm so proud of this department and the outreach they provide. Mr. Chair, I have no further comment or questions.

Thank you so much, Councillor Flynn. Thank you for your support. Okay. Next up we have Councilor Culpepper. You have five minutes.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Good to see you again, Christine and Nadine. For me, I think... The Community Preservation Act program is probably, if not the most important program that the city has, one of the most important programs when it comes to assisting communities that are struggling and not able to meet the needs. I wanted to ask a couple of questions about the senior housing. And I see you have the Rogers Beaufort Senior Housing. And that's 62 and over, right? That's correct. What's the difference between Rogers Beaufort and 1198 Center Street, where it says it's just for older adults.

It's a similar model. It's both 62 years and older.

Okay.

Yeah.

So the income restricted, both of them?

Yes, they're both 100% affordable.

And so we understand that the 202.811 program from HUD is gone. And I see that you're making an effort to Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. for just senior housing for a certain amount every year, for just senior housing. Because at 202.811, once that went away, and I don't think most folks know what it was, but when Congress cut that money out, One of the problems that we have today is the baby boomers, as they age out, have no place to really live because we didn't keep up with the percentage of baby boomers that were aging As we used to with the senior housing.

And so my question is, is there a way to set aside a separate senior housing program under the Community Preservation Act that would have a certain amount of dollars dedicated to senior housing every year.

Yes, and under the request for proposal that we issue in August working with CPA, Mayor's Office of Housing Funds, as well as NHT funding. We actually hold aside $4 million of funding just for senior housing. You'll see in this funding round we well exceeded that amount. I think we're close to like $12 million. Senior housing is extremely important to us, so we do make sure that we're calling out separate funding for senior housing. This was a big round for senior housing for us. Sometimes we don't get any applications for it, I'm going to say the last three years we've seen quite a few senior housing projects come through.

When you say in the past you haven't gotten many applications, was it because they didn't know that there was specified money for senior housing? or is it just strictly affordable housing income restricted?

I'm going to say it's based on community needs. Some neighborhoods have several senior housing projects in the pipeline. So they didn't maybe apply this time around, but we always highlight when we're meeting with developers the need for senior housing.

And under the One Plus Boston Home Buyers Program, There was $16,300,000 this year for that program.

Five million. Five million.

5 million? I thought I saw 16. What was that 16,300,000 for? That's a total.

That's for the total housing. Right.

And so that's for down payment assistance?

Yes.

And for loans also?

It's for down payment assistance as well as it's mostly for buying down the interest rate. So buying down the interest rate along with other programs that the Boston Home Center has for down payment assistance there matched together to help make by more affordable.

So I saw one interest rate, the one that you had in the presentation was 2.5. Is that around the average of what most of those first-time homebuyers will get for the interest rate?

Most folks, since January, they're seeing a reduction by a 1% interest rate.

Okay, so let me go back to my question. The 2.5 that's in here on page, under one, there's not a page number, but it's under the One Plus Balls and Homebuyer Program. My question is, is that about the average Interest rate that they're going to get through the Boston Home Buyer Program? No. The 2.5?

No, I'm not sure I'm seeing the 2.5. Yeah, I'm not seeing a 2.5.

Go and look at number two. It says One Plus Home Buyer Program Citywide. You see that?

Yes. Are you looking at the photo?

I'm looking at the bottom of the photo where it says, What is One Plus Boston? and if you look, the writing is real small. The purchase price of this house was 306. The down payment was 15. And then it says the interest rate was 2.5. What was that, 3.5? It says 3.5. 3.5? Yes. Who said that? You got better eyes than I do. My question is, Is that the average of the interest rate that they're going to get under these programs? Or will it skyrocket? And based on this interest rate, The lower interest rate is based on how much that they got from the One Plus Boston Homebuyer Program.

So the average income interest rate right now is about 6%.

Right, right.

So that could bring it down 1%. So they get about a 5% interest rate on there.

Okay, so that's all they're getting for the interest rate is 1%.

Yes.

Okay, thank you.

On the interest rate. And plus there is additional possible down payment assistance. which they could receive up to $50,000. Mr.

Chair, I have other questions, but if there's going to be a second round, I'll respect your time. Thank you. Thank you, Christine. Thank you, Teddy.

Great.

I don't think people understand Fitzgerald, you have five minutes.

Thank you, Chair. And Dayton and Christine, thank you so much for being with us today. One, I just want to give kudos to the fact that I noticed there's a lot of internal measures you guys have taken to be more efficient That's always a sign of a tightly run shop, so great job. And you love to see if things are going right on the inside, you know the product coming out is always going to be better. So I appreciate you being a good steward of the department. A question around, in District 3, where I represent, not a ton, Thank you very much. and how CPA relates to anything state-run. I'm thinking about sort of Neponset Greenway, Morrissey Boulevard redesign, coastal resiliency projects that are coming. We have over seven miles of coastline along Dorchester.

in District 3, and thinking about future collaboration. So I'm more just thinking about what we can do. How does it work where the CPA could... Be coupled with state projects or is that something that's been done and how has it gone in the past if it has gone awry at all or what are the hurdles that we face that we can kind of talk about?

Sure. So we have done some projects with DCR. And it's usually been playgrounds. And so city and state departments can apply for CPA funds. as long as the scope of work that they're asking for falls within these three categories. So if they are looking to create, for example, new trailways or paths or plant trees, they want to use CPA funds or apply for CPA funds for that potential scope of work, that's where they can definitely tap in to use CPA funds. and we have been successful with doing, we did about maybe three or four DCR projects. We usually turn over a large amount of the funds that we can monitor and they receive the final 10% after the project is completed. But we have worked on some projects with state departments.

That's good. So is it better the state applies for the funding, not a 501 or something else that could then sort of Uh, add to it to the work if they were able to somehow get control over a certain piece of the development.

Right, so usually if an organization is applying and they have the fiscal responsibility to carry out construction work, they can, but they will need permission from that city or state department. and they must have an MOU that's 15 years or longer. If not, we would like the State Department to take on those funds to do the work. So as long as the state gives permission and they have an MOU, and that is part of our eligibility process, that's this key question in site control. And so we usually have applicants identify if they don't own the land and it's city-owned land, They have to get a letter of authorization from that city or state department in order to do work on that site.

Gotcha. Understood. No, that's helpful in thinking about how to set things up for the future and what might be the best way to go about things. So I would love to see, I got to admit, between affordable housing, historic preservation, and open space and recreation. Open space and recreation would be my favorite. I would love to see. Now, is that anything that's changed? Because I know there's the... How easy it is to amend that if you wanted to increase money for open space and recreation?

The committee would make that decision. Just the committee could decide that. Yeah, the committee could decide that each funding round. Because affordable housing has been the biggest need in the city, they've allocated the 50% to affordable housing, but they have the option every funding round. to make a decision on the percentage that they want to give towards each category.

No, and that makes sense. It's a sign of the times that the chunk of the money should go to affordable housing at the moment, for sure. But good to know that it can be just done within the committee. We don't have to go to anybody else, any other entity for approval of that.

Yes. As long as 10% is being met in each category, that is the requirement.

Understood. Well, I just want to say again, I echo my other colleagues in saying that this is always a fun hearing and get to see these sort of projects that are so necessary and so required. Kind of often overlooked, right? Especially the preservation side of things or open space. So it's really great to see a lot of these things get underway. And I have no further questions. Thank you guys. Christine, thank you so much.

Thank you so much, Councillor. I also want to recognize that we've been joined by Councillor Coletta Zapata. Thank you so much for being here. Next up, we have Councillor President Breadon, then followed by Councillor Weber, then Councillor Coletta Zapata.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Hi. Thank you so much for being here. Thanks to Thaddeen and this incredible CPA team. You said small but highly efficient. I'd say small but mighty. You do a great job and I think this CPA process has an incredible amount of community engagement and people dream up and scheme and come Thank you very much. Maybe fixing historic buildings or keeping spaces, multifunctional spaces, keeping them in good shape for the longer term. So thank you so much for your work. and Christine, as always, thank you for all the work you do about affordable housing.

I think I usually mention the whole issue about elders and how we need to make sure we have plenty of affordable housing for our elders and I think The CPA funding certainly goes some way to doing that. Maybe this is more of a forward-looking question for Christine and thinking about are we... What do you see as the most push-up pressing need, like if we have 50% of the CPA funds go towards affordable housing, is there a particular space where we need to have pretty keen attention on at this point? and just more looking forward to the next 10 years.

Yeah, I think elderly housing is key for us as well as supportive housing is very important for us. Family housing is something that we're hearing a lot from folks as well, that folks would like to see more two and three bedrooms. So those are things that we are looking at as well. So we continue to, you know, the need is great. So we continue just to push forward with trying to get all kinds of affordable housing. Whether it's home ownership, rental, we're even looking at cooperative housing as well that we've been doing.

And the family housing is something that's near and dear to my heart because we see that a lot in our neighbourhood where lots of single one bedrooms are built but you can't raise a family in a single studio or a one bedroom so they appreciate that as well. But there's a huge amount of need out there, so thank you for all your work. I think in terms of the next round, Theodine, are we started taking inquiries for the next round already? One round gets rolled up and you're ready to go for the next one?

Yes, because our eligibility form goes out in November, right after our application is submitted. So it's a rolling forum. We do have folks that are already calling and interested, and we're gearing up for our first information session will be on May 6, which is our kickoff meeting. We've also reached out to all the city councilors I really don't have any other questions

I remember door knocking and encouraging people to vote for this when it was a referendum. I think it's testament to the great work that you do that we're making such an impact and we're putting so much money in good places. So thank you and I'll be happy to vote in support of this. Thank you very much.

Again, you know, just to reiterate, this is on the, you know, and many more. thank you for the most positive for the sort of the great things you can help deliver in our communities. I guess just so there's two sort of senior housing, affordable housing Projects being supported in my district, the Rogerson House, and it's a 294 Hyde Park Ave. I guess in terms of in the future when people come to my office or other offices, what are things in applications for affordable housing that stick out for your office? Do we tell applicants to try to deliver?

I think, you know, again, we have such a great need for everything, but we are looking at family housing, especially in your district. We have some Senior Housing. We have some good senior housing projects, but I would say we'd love to see a mix of incomes, and I would think that we'd want to see some larger units as well.

Okay, and you largely just mean like three-bedroom?

Two and three bedrooms, yes.

Not just all one-bedroom studio kind of things. Okay, and then, oh, sorry.

I was just going to say, in CPA funds under the statute, We can support up to 100% AMI.

Okay. Okay. And then does it matter in terms of like the number of units or, you know, both of these are sort of 40, and so on. Do you care if it's going to be 230% AMI three bedroom units?

I would say on average anywhere between 25 and 100 units is a good size. Most projects that are doing affordable housing need to go to the state to seek Flynn.

I apologize. For folks whose applications didn't get accepted this year, do they just try again? Should they retool their proposals? If they reach out to my office, what should I tell those folks?

Sure. So for open space and recreation projects, definitely we be sure that we, one, we have a conversation with all applicants that do not move forward for funding. We will talk to them through if their applications had Any concerns? The majority of time it's not that the projects had any concerns, but we do encourage them to reapply. And so folks are welcome to reapply for the next funding round. Again, our eligibility form is a rolling form, and they can always reach out to the staff. if they have more questions about their scope of work, if they want to try a different scope of work. So we encourage them to reapply and they could definitely come out to our information sessions as well if they want to learn more.

Okay. Well, yeah, again, I just want to thank you for all your work. I just want to say we're Joined by an intern in our office, Cyrus Brunzel is over there. He's a high school student at a small high school, I don't know if the chair has heard of, called the O'Briant.

One of the best schools in the city.

Yeah. I just want to thank you and thanks for providing this and being so informative about it and being ready to answer so many questions. Thank you, Chair.

Thank you, Councilor Goldtigers.

Thank you so much, Chair, and thank you both so much for your work, really and truly. I just want to echo everything. Thaydeen, you have been on the phone with so many people in my district, just making yourself accessible and ensuring that They are eligible at the end of the day, giving grace and having patience for some of these projects too. So I appreciate you and Christine always do the best. And thank you for Austin Street. Building B. We appreciate that. McLean Playground. It's recommended here, and thank you for that, for I think $198,000, which we're really grateful for. We got that in the capital budget after years of advocacy, even before my predecessor and I think the predecessor before me. Folks were concerned that the capital budget funds wouldn't help with the retaining wall. So just curious to know, because their application, the Harborview Neighborhood Association, was so specific into this retaining wall, if that's what it's going to be.

Yes, these funds will support the retaining wall and work to support that and to fill that gap.

That's great news. Oh my goodness. Best news that I've heard. Amazing. I love that. Okay, do they know this yet?

Have you told them? They should be aware, but we have told folks not until there's a city council vote to formally approve it. But they should know that they were recommended for funding. Excellent.

Well, thank you so much. I appreciate that. And shout out to Barbara Gambale-Papalo, who led that effort. I have more general questions. Just on average, I see that we've collected or we've given out $38 million per year at about 55 projects for the last couple of years. Is this safe to say or is it safe to say that this will be the trend moving forward? I've seen past years we've given out A little less. When it comes to dollars allocated and projects funded, are there certain quotas that you have to meet instead of projects that you have to fund? Or is it just based on who is eligible and ready to go?

Yeah, it's definitely based on eligibility if they meet the requirements of the statute. Over the last few years, we have had around 38, 40 million. And I would say because we also had funds reallocated So projects that are completed under budget or projects that are withdrawn, those funds get reallocated to the new funding round. And last year, there was a cutoff and the reverted funds didn't make it over. and so that's why we had 32.6 million. And as you can see in the budget summary, there's 39 million available this funding round and we have funds that's going to be reallocated So that is going to increase that amount that's going to be available for the next funding round. And so it usually determines our match. There's a surcharge that comes from the city, but then there's the funds that come from the trust fund. and the surplus from the budget.

So depending on what the trust fund allocation is for the city of Boston and if there's a surplus, that will add to the additional number, the surcharge number. And so for next year, it's about 39. We do think it'll stay around that trend, but we also have a fund balance in case it does go a little bit lower and we can pull from that reserve in order to increase the funding pot. and any additional year.

Okay, and I apologize if this was mentioned earlier. I was late, but how much did we collect last year? Has there been any decrease or increase or any trends that are worthy of talking about?

on the surcharge for the city. I don't have that number in front of me, but can I get back to you with that?

Sure, of course. I guess I would, through the chair, I would like to know maybe like the past five years, because I think that's important to talk about, especially as we're discussing revenue. With the minute that I have left, I'll go to two specific, well, I won't talk about the organizations in particular, so more to the general problem. There are two food access organizations that I know that you all have been talking to that utilize, and this is in East Boston, they utilize non-denominational churches to distribute the food. And I'm talking about hundreds of people per week. thousands bi-weekly for one of them and so they're not they are not under any sort of sect and so they're not coming from the Archdiocese or anything like that like these churches don't have a lot of money But the problem is that they're rundown and they're not accessible to people in wheelchairs.

And so there was discussion about trying to utilize the historic preservation funds to try to make it more accessible or to try to at least make the building Thank you. Thank you. Do you even know what I'm talking about? Because they said that they had talked to you, but I think it's been a while.

Not too sure. We could have spoken, but I probably don't remember the name of the organization. CPA funds do support churches, and we have support We only can focus on the exterior of those buildings so if they have roof work or masonry work we have done ADA accessibility features outside of church buildings to allow folks access So it is not uncommon. A lot of our projects happen to be churches that provide a large social services and provide public access, whether They're having AA meetings in that building or food drives. or folks can use it for community meetings. So as long as they have a public access and it's available to the public and not just for the church members, The committee does consider those projects.

Okay, great. That's a change from even when we were discussing this and this was like a year back. So I appreciate that and just want to thank you and your team who was here. Thank you for the work that you do. and I noticed that the north end hasn't gotten anything in a while, so let's change that. I have some ideas, but we can talk about that later. Thank you so much. Thank you, Chair.

Thank you. I'm going to give myself five minutes. For me, it's really cool to look at this list because when I got into office in 2024, I was able to visit the Conley School Playground. And it is a very deteriorated playground. It's one of the older ones across the city. And the fact that it's going to get funding now for a new playground through the CPA because of the parents' advocacy, it's a full circle moment for me. and it's just happy to see how when a local group of parents speak up and they tag team with the school and they apply for the CPA funding things can happen and I know that the kids are going to really appreciate that so that's just Just seeing that here is like a feel-good story for that area of my district. So thank you. Which leads me to my first question is for a project like that, whether it's a playground renovation or

Any type of recreational space. When they submit their RFPs to you all, the application to you all, how long do they have in order to be able to put the shovels in the ground? What's the process like for a project like that?

Sure, so a lot of the projects that are recommended here for funding affordable housing, we give those projects five years, but all of the other projects in Open Space and RAC, they have 24-month timeline to complete their projects. So they'll need to be working on design and then going into construction, but we monitor the projects for 24 months. We do understand that projects run into some issues and concerns, and that is why we check in with projects on a monthly basis so we can understand If things are going well, and then we can decide if they may need a 12-month extension, if they may have had issues in construction, but usually it's a 24-month timeline.

Okay, 24 months, that's good to know. I appreciate that. Five years for the affordable housing project, which makes sense because of obviously permitting and how long it takes to get a project off the ground. Hey Dean, earlier you mentioned that CPA is Usually for the outside of a building for preservation. But I have a question. One of my projects that are on here, the Riverside Theater Building, which is amazing theater. If some of my colleagues remember is where we had the candidate forum where Councilor Fitzgerald was juggling and I was singing. It's the only theater, one of the oldest theaters in my district. They have a huge ADA accessibility issue where they don't have an elevator. And in order for you to go up, it's a quite steep set of stairs. And we've been impacted. back and forth conversation about how do we get funding for something like that.

Would a project like that qualify under CPA understanding that it is an indoor project but it is for ADA accessibility and for the historic preservation of the building?

So unfortunately, we don't support internal spaces. So because we're trying to keep everything balanced across all projects, we just want to focus on the exterior of buildings. The only time we may consider an internal space unless it's Thank you. Thank you. and historic preservation organizations that may not have the same guidelines that the CPA statute has and try to connect them to see if those other organizations can support that internal work. do try to just focus based on the legal guidance that we're given to focus on exterior spaces. It's safer and it's a balanced approach across all projects.

Okay. I appreciate that. Breakdown, I know, definitely ask you if you could share the other resources that exist. Absolutely. That I can share with the theater. Absolutely. Thank you so much for that. And then on a more general... Question for you all. When is the next round of CPA opening? When can people start applying? I literally already have people asking me, when's the next round?

Sure, so our eligibility form is up and running on our website. The deadline date, if they want to make the FY27 funding round, they will have to have an eligibility determination form, which is the first step into us by August 30th. by 5 p.m. And that is the cutoff. And so if they want to make the FY27 funding round, they would submit that eligibility form. We take the month of September to review eligibility forms and then invite folks in to do an application. and then the application is due the, we give them about four to five to six weeks to complete the application and then it goes over to the committee. Okay, but the eligibility form is open now on our website and folks can reach out to the CPA staff if they have any questions. And May 6 is our kickoff for our first meet and greet. I'll be there.

Thank you so much. I know that Councilor Culpepper definitely has a follow-up question. Do any of my other colleagues have follow-up questions? And then I want to make sure we go to the public testimony. No? Okay. Councilor Culpepper, would you ask your question?

and Christina Thading. I don't know which one of you can answer this, but under the JM Goldston equity analysis, how is that used?

How is that used?

How do you use that? Is that used in determining who gets funded and how they get funded?

Well, it actually allows the public to understand how CPA funds are being used. So this plan was designed to help the committee really decide on how to allocate funding each year for FY23 until FY27, keeping equity in mind and keeping the goals in mind. And after each funding round, we go back to JM Goldson and have them add the new data from the projects that are recommended each round. And so what they do is they capture that information and under the ordinance we're required to give that information to the city council and so part of them doing that equity analysis is to share with the council and share with everyone and members of the public how CPA funds are being used and how It's being spread across all neighborhoods.

And so I'm trying to get to how does JM Goldson do their equity analysis? How do they come to the conclusion of who gets funded?

Well, they don't make the decision of who gets funded. The nine-member community preservation committee does.

No, but they make recommendations, right?

No, they do not. The nine member community preservation committee makes the recommendation. J.M. Golson is just a consultant that works on our CPA plan.

No, I understand that, but the equity analysis, the analysis they do is of what?

They capture the neighborhoods that we have funded throughout the last eight years, and they just Pretty much put that information in together. What the committee does overall when they're making the recommendations on the projects that come before them, they factor in many things when they're thinking about the projects that are recommended So when they get the 84 applications and able to narrow it down to the 45, they're trying to think of being able to fund projects, two to three projects in every neighborhood. They are also looking at the readiness to proceed. They're looking at the scope of work. They're looking at the equity, the need in that particular neighborhood. So they factor in a majority of these things as well as the staff when we're talking to applicants and their eligibility. And so the committee Using the goals that are in the plan, they factor that in as well as they review the applications. They review the applications.

Staff does do a recommended list and the committee ultimately has a decision on the projects that they want to move forward for funding.

So the goals and analysis is after The decisions are made and they come back and they look at all the decisions that were made and the allocations and then they compile all that data and give it to you.

and they update our annual plan, yes.

And so the committee, you said they try and balance the equities. What goes into the balancing of the equities by the committee when they make their decisions?

So they look at, you know, the need of particular neighborhoods, ensuring that, you know, some folks may think like Beacon Hill and Back Bay are neighborhoods that are affluent and they don't, they may not need enough funds, but they do. As long as a project has a need and also needs has a historic preservation need or affordable housing need or a recreation space need, they factor that into their decision-making process, understanding that they do want to support Roxbury and Dorchester, but they also want to support Beacon Hill and Charlestown and Back Bay and also Mattapan and all the other neighborhoods. I would also say that there are projects that come in that have a more significant repairs that are needed. or a particular recreation space or playground that may have a bigger need. And so those projects may get a priority over particular projects because the need is just more bigger

in terms of the space may be in injury, harm, or destruction. Like without these funds, that space can't be saved. And they may factor in moving that project forward understanding that the project that was not recommended could reapply for CPA funds.

Do you have, and this is it, do you have the balancing of equity needs in writing so that we can look at Just how they reach your decisions and what they're considering?

Sure, we have an evaluation sheet and I can also share with you the detailed plans.

I'm going to run to another meeting, but I really want to make it clear how significant and important this is in the city of Boston. And we know that many of the churches that depend on these funds would be crumbling because the churches don't have the tithes and they don't have the offering. They just don't have the... I just want to thank you and I know how significant this is to the churches and I know they're excited. when they get funded, but just thank you for all that you do because in the city of Boston, this is, like I said, probably the most important program that funds community needs. So thank you. Thank you, Mr.

Chair, for letting me have that final question.

Thank you, Councillor. Okay. Now, without further ado, I would love to listen from our amazing public. So what we're going to do is I'm going to call the in-person testimonies first, and then I believe we have 11 virtual public testimonies, which is amazing. When I call your name, please feel free to come to one of the two podiums, and I will give you two minutes, or if you need an extra, that's fine, to provide your testimony. And the first one we have here is Toy Burton.

Good afternoon and I want to say thank you to the CPA team for the wonderful work that you They have done, I am a multi-applicant, so I have applied and My application didn't go through and they worked with me and another year went by and another year and we're here. So my name is Toye Burton, Founder and Executive Director of Dee Dee's Cry. I'm here today not just to support this funding, but to ask the city of Boston to make a clear and intentional decision. It is time for Boston to wrap its arms around the suicide loss community. Too often, suicide loss is invisible. Families grieve quietly. They carry shame that was never theirs to begin with.

They navigate loss without spaces that acknowledge their pain, without places to say we see you, you matter, and you are not alone. That has to change. When we talk about investing in parks and open space, we have an opportunity to do something deeper. We have an opportunity to create spaces of healing for remembrance and for community. Diddy's Cry is working to create the Donita Morris Memorial Hope Park, a space rooted in love, loss, and healing. A space for those who have lost someone to suicide and also a space for those who are struggling right now. To those who are struggling, we see you. This park is about breaking stigma. It is about making support visible, not in whispers, but out in the open where people know that they are not alone and they do not have to hide what they are going through.

Because right now there are not enough places in the city where suicide loss survivors or those struggling feel held. This park is not just a project, it is a statement. It says that Boston recognizes suicide loss. It says that Boston is willing to stand with families and those still fighting to stay here. Not just in crisis, but in healing. And let me be clear, healing requires space. It requires intention. It requires investment. We cannot continue to say that we care about mental health while overlooking the very people who are left behind after a suicide and those who are quietly struggling every day. This funding gives you a chance to lead, to ensure that projects like the Hope Park are not just an afterthought, but a priority. to make sure that communities like Roxbury are resource respected and centered in this work. It is time.

Time to acknowledge loss, time to support those who are struggling, time to break stigma publicly, not privately. Time to build spaces that reflect care, dignity, and belonging. I ask you to support this funding with an equity lens and a commitment to projects that hold our most impacted communities. because wrapping our arms around the suicide loss community and those still here fighting is not just the right thing to do, it is long overdue. Thank you.

Thank you, Toye. Next up, Deb Morse.

Good afternoon, my name is Deb Morris and I'm with Hebrew Senior Life. I'd like to thank the city for its support of our 78-unit affordable supportive housing community that we intend to develop on our flagship campus in Roslindale. Older adults who live here will benefit from our wraparound service package and all that Hebrew Senior Life has to offer. The investment of CPA funds is critical to the feasibility of this project. I'd like to thank you, Councilor Pepén, Councilor Weber, Council President Breen, and of course, the City of Boston CPA Committee and the Mayor's Office of Housing. Amazing staff support, staff advice, and technical assistance throughout the project's planning stage. So thank you so much.

Thank you. Next up, Jeffrey. Iconium,

Thank you very much. My name is Jeffrey Gagno. I'm a Dorchester resident with allergies. And I'm a member of the Boston Landmarks Commission and also, more importantly, the Vice President of the Dorchester Historical Society. So I'm here in my personal capacity as a preservation consultant who has worked with a number of Historic Preservation Grant recipients over the years to just offer a couple of general comments about the program. So first of all, of course, we have to thank the Dean Brown and all the CPA staff and for the amazing work they do. I work with a lot of other foundation funders and typically it's a sort of black box where you put your application in and then In three or four or five months, you get a response without any other further contact, and CPA staff is the opposite of that. They are very heavily involved with all aspects of your project throughout the preservation planning process, but also the application review process, and then the follow-up is amazing.

So I think we have to at least acknowledge how special that is and unusual it is in the world of preservation funding. This is also time for my annual pitch for historic preservation in general and to talk briefly about what a game changer CPA has been in funding high quality historic preservation projects in all of Boston's neighborhoods. And I think that the bottom line is that before CPA was adopted in Boston, there was precious little funding available to support preservation in Boston. meaning that there have been generations of deferred investment in our historic infrastructure in the city and that we're finally getting a little bit of a leg up through the contributions that CPA has made to preservation work. I always like to say that I could, prior to CP, I could count on one hand the number of reliable sources there were for historic preservation funding.

You know, some of them, the Brown Fund, which the city administers, the George B. Henderson Foundation, the Amelia Peabody Charitable Trust, Most notably, the Massachusetts Historic Commission's Preservation Projects Fund, which we were very excited this year when after about a decade of holding their funding at about $780,000 to $800,000 a year, They went up to a million dollars a year, which they have to share among all 351 communities in the state of Massachusetts. So 351 communities get to share a total of a million dollars. That was one of our big sources until CPA happened in Boston. So this work that CPA is allowing us to do really important, and it's occurring at a level that we've never had access to before. So I advocate keeping the historic preservation percentage of CPA funding at at least 25% and understanding that there simply are very few other sources for this work. So thank you very much.

Thank you, Thadine and all the CPA staff, and we really appreciate everything you do.

Thank you, Jeff. Yeah, I was glad to see the Hyde Park Historical Society on there as well to get the funding. Next up, Elizabeth King. And then after it'll be Jean Clark, so get ready.

Thank you very much. My name is Elizabeth King, 23 Gramer Road in Brighton. I'm talking about the Community Preservation Act funding for Brighton Alston Congregational Church. and Brighton. Honorable members, I would like to speak in favor of funding and thank you for funding the repairs and upgrades to this church, which sits in the middle of Brighton Center by the main crossroads. I have lived in Brighton in a house five blocks from BACC. Since 1983. I have walked by it four or five days a week all those years going to and from work and shopping. I didn't begin to attend and become a member until 2017, so my earlier observations were not biased by connection to the church. Brighton Center when I moved in had few stores and lots of boarded up storefronts. Over the years it has improved and now it has lots of foot traffic.

Brighton Main Streets, funded by the city, has had a lot to do with that. If I may, I would like to extend kudos to Ms. Rosie Hanlon for her tireless work. while she was director of Main Streets. She is now the director of the Jackson Man Community Center in Austin and is looking forward to doing a similar work Excellent job in a new constructed Alston Community Center. During my trips to Brighton Center, one of the bright spots was always the church. There were large inspirational banners in front and a lush row of flowers along the fence in the well-kept front yard and also the side yards. BSA was and is well known throughout Brighton. Even if you've never stepped foot into the sanctuary, you know about the church in the middle of the center. with the big steeple, the church where they have free meals every Wednesday, the church where the Historical Society and the Literary Club met.

Today's community involvement is as always driven by the congregation's Christian mission. We provide for those in need, both spiritual and physical needs. Current services are a continuation of participation in the life of Brighton since at least the 1940s when it provided services for the returning veterans. Over the years one part of the building has been used as a kindergarten for disabled children, the temporary library while another Brighton library was being rebuilt, and most recently a thrift store. The thrift store is beloved by community members as a social gathering place, as well as a store where you can buy very low items. The thrift store is also a boon to area students. Buildings, of course, are subject to wear and tear.

BAC needs repairs like all beloved well-used buildings for safety of the many people that engage in the programs and also for the enjoyment of those who are passing by. and for all these reasons I am thankful for BACC's that BACC was chosen for a CPA grant. Thank you all very much.

Thank you so much. Jean Clark.

Good afternoon. My name is Jean Clark, and I'm the clerk for the Brighton Austin Congregational Church. I'd like to extend our gratitude and grateful appreciation for the Community Preservation Act's grant in the restoration of the front of the church. The church is a landmark in the heart of Brighton Center where it can be seen by travelers passing through to Newton, Watertown, and back through to Boston. It serves a huge food pantry every week in addition to twice a month a food distribution which feeds anywhere from 100 to 200 families depending on the month and the year. In the Austin-Brighton area, a lot of foot traffic comes through to the church. It is important to restore this depot and the front of the church so it will continue to serve this very important mission in our neighborhood. Initially, it is the only place in the Brighton Center that has a green space, and restoring the front of the church will add beauty to this green space that people love to sit in.

Thank you again to the Community Preservation Act and the counselors.

Thank you, Gene. Next up, Gabriel Currier. And then after, it'll be Janice McManus.

Good afternoon, everyone. I stand here on behalf of the First Asian Baptist Church of Boston, accompanied by the chairman of the Deakins, Paul Destin. Our church is located at 297 Blue Hill Avenue in Boston, Mass. We are here to express our deepest gratitude. to the CPA team led by Tedine Brown, the city council, and the mayor's office for their unwavering support to this program. Our church was on the verge of losing its structures due to the imminent collapse of the West Wall.

We don't need financial resources to undertake the necessary repairs. The brakes were falling and our neighbors took the murders to 1010 Mass Ave, filing a complaint. Miraculously, our prayers were answered, and the CPA team stepped up. and to provide the assistance we desperately needed. Today, our congregation and our neighbors are safe and sound. So thank you so much. Thank you so much, Gabriel.

Next, we have Janice McManus? No comment? Okay, thank you. Thank you for being here. How about Bridget Wallace? and then after Bridget it'll be Robert, Robert.

Good afternoon. My name is Bridget Wallace. I am the founder and executive director of G-Code. And I just wanted to really give a heartfelt thank you to Thadine and her team. They are fantastic. I've never encountered A department in City Hall that is so thorough, but it's thorough with care. And they really exude that, so thank you. Again, as I said, my name is Bridget Wallace, founding and executive director of G-Code. I'm here today in strong support of G-Code and the full slate of organizations Seeking CPA funding. At a time when the job market is becoming increasingly competitive, especially in the world of AI, implications on technology. It's critical that we invest in pathways for those who have historically been left out.

At G-Code, we are building those pathways for women, particularly those from marginalized communities, to access careers in future In the future of work, we are already seeing what is possible. One of our alumni, Maria, is now an AI product manager at Microsoft. Another participant, Taylor, created a web development capstone project that was featured in a national black gamers newsletter reaching and over 10,000 people. CPA funding is not just about preserving space. It is about creating opportunity. The G Code House will be a place where women can live, learn, and build sustainable careers that strengthen our communities. If we want an equitable economic recovery and a resilient Boston, we must invest in both people and place. I urge you to support G-CODE and all the organizations represented here today Thank you.

Robert Palmer?

Hello, my name is Robert Foner. I live in Brighton. and for the last four years I've been working at the Brighton Church in the food pantry. I'm a greeter from 2 to 6 p.m. on Wednesdays and I just want to thank your organization for Funding the church restoration project, which will allow us to continue to serve hundreds of people for the benefit of our entire community. I also want to thank Councilor Breadon and Councilor Pepén, as well as the Spencer Preservation Group that helped with our application. As you know, we've applied three times and finally this time it's going to be funded. So thank you all very much for your consideration.

Thank you. Okay. I believe that is it for in-person testimony. And I'm going to ask Karishma for virtual public testimony, right? Okay, so for those testifying on Zoom, please accept the message asking you to be promoted to panelists when it appears. Then the first name on the list we have is Kyle Roberts. Then we'll be followed by Reggie Jean, Nancy Lowe, Reverend Jones, Jeremy Vieira, and Reverend John Adams. So Kyle Roberts is first. You would have two minutes.

Great, thank you so much. Councillors, I thank you and the staff at the Community Preservation Act for the opportunity to testify today. I'm sorry I couldn't be there in person. As the Executive Director of the Congregational Library and Archives here on Beacon Street, my pleasure to speak to the significance of our proposed archival project. We're requesting funding to process, digitize, and make accessible rare historical documentary resources from the City Mission Society and Seafarers Friends Society, two of Boston's oldest benevolent organizations. For two centuries, City Mission and Seafarer's Friends touched the lives of countless Bostonians, many of whom were forced to live on the city's margins because of their race, gender, sexuality, occupation, or economic status. City Mission and Siemens Friends Society were formed in the early 1800s in response to the rapid urbanization of Boston and the growth of the city's maritime industries.

These organizations provided employment, healthcare, and housing for the most disadvantaged children, single and widowed women, sailors, and immigrant laborers. Too often, the only historic trace of many such 19th and 20th century Bostonians is in the archival records of benevolent organizations, which offered support when no one else would. Bostonians today deserve access to learn about the stories of those who came before them. These records need to be freely accessible online and not behind a paywall like on so many commercial genealogy sites. We have a small staff here at the Congregational Library and we rely on external funding to undertake big projects like this. CPA funds will allow us to hire a processing archivist to process, digitize, and then make freely accessible all of this on our online digital archive.

As we all look forward to Boston's 400th anniversary in 2030, making the records of the City Mission Society and CPRS Friends Society freely accessible is going to be a cornerstone of the Congregational Library's contribution and we can only do that with the support of the CPA. It will ensure that the lives of the residents who lived on the margins are moved to the center of the story that we commemorate. So thank you all again for this opportunity to contribute to our ever-evolving understanding of Boston's rich history and the ways that you are all supporting that work.

Thank you, Kyle. And next up we have Reggie Jean.

Greetings, everyone. Good afternoon to the City Council and team on the CPA. Thank you for your continued support. I too am a John D. O'Brien alum. So again, thank you. I'm the executive director at Haley House. We've been around for 60 years as a nonprofit located in the south end focused on food justice, homelessness in the South, and economic opportunity. We were founded by Kathy and John McKenna. and our work is sustained over the last six decades by an amazing grassroots network of supporters allowing us to steadily grow our efforts in the South End and Roxbury. Haley House was the first homeless service organization in Boston to transition folks from homelessness to permanent housing. and today our organization has a portfolio of 110 units of permanent affordable housing. 26 of those are single room occupancy units.

Haley House also runs a soup kitchen that operates six days a week, an urban farm in Roxbury, and cooking, nutritional education programming. While many of you may also know our original Haley House Bakery Cafe, which is slated to reopen later again this summer. I share all of this to highlight the critical role that Haley House has come to hold, not just in the immediate neighborhoods, but throughout the city of Boston. Haley House is a mid-sized nonprofit that primarily relies on individual supporters, Volunteers, we've been grateful for past support of the city through CPA on the Community Preservations Act to undertake a lot of work that as an organization alone can't sustain. Our project is to support the deteriorating roof at our 23 Dartmouth location in Chimney, which has caused leaks, water damage, threatening residents and safety.

and our living community program continuity and the integrity of the historic building. Immediate repairs are essential to prevent further damage and disruption of the vital services have been unsuccessful in numerous past rounds of the CPA funding. We're excited for this opportunity and preserving 23 Dartmouth will protect a cornerstone community resource and sustain Haley House's mission of Hospitality, Justice, and Community for years to come. Thank you all for your time and your consideration.

Thank you so much, Reggie. Go Tigers. Next up we have Nancy Lo. Hey, Nancy, can you hear us?

Hi, can you hear me?

Oh, yes, we can hear you now.

Okay, thank you. Just a little technical difficulties.

Yeah, that's okay. We can hear you now and you have two minutes.

Okay, great. Thank you. I'm here to provide testimony on behalf of the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association for an open space grant that will allow us to make improvements to the former girls' entrance that lies on the side of the building. admitted into the National Registry in 2017. And we've been able to receive CPA funding in the past to make improvements to our facility, which is a community center. that provides programs to this immigrant community and where hundreds of people come to the facility each day. This grant will allow us to make a small park, a recreational area for people to enjoy the outdoors and also to escape the urban heat.

As you may know, Chinatown is one of the densest communities in the city where a lot of people, especially immigrants, come for the services that are culturally and linguistically appropriate. We've been fortunate to be able to receive previous CPA grants. We received one last year for historic preservation, which allowed us to make improvements to this girls' entrance. We were able to open up this area since we had stored HVAC equipment in the past and we moved it upstairs to the roof which allowed us to bring back the former girls entrance and restore The beauty of the exterior. The grant also that we received last year enabled us to do some structural repairs to the foundation, which has been decaying and This allowed us to also improve our accessibility.

So we are... Happy to be recommended for this. I want to thank the CPA staff and city council for their support, and we look forward in working with them in the future. Thank you.

Thank you, Nancy. Okay, next up we have Reverend Jones.

Hello, Mr. Chair and councillors and CPA team. I appreciate this opportunity to see if a preacher can actually speak for two minutes or less. I'm very excited for this exercise. My name is Courtney Jones. I am the very new lead pastor and teacher of Hope Central Church in Jamaica Plain. and it is such a joy to be with you on this extra special day. I'm also so honored to be among the many fantastic organizations doing inspirational projects in this time when so many people need support and more importantly hope. It's been really I feel humbled to be among your ranks. We are actually one of those churches recommended for making the exterior of our building ADA compliant to build a ramp for ADA accessibility.

I am speaking in favor of the acceptance of the recommended slate of projects for CPA funding including Hope Central Church. Before merging with Hope Church to create Hope Central, Central Congregational Church spent years feeling like the building was a weight around their necks, dragging them down and inhibiting their capacity for real ministry. The building was old, the furnace was unreliable, upkeep was expensive. Despite the best efforts of church members to increase their giving and keep spending to a minimum, They had given up their potential impact on the community for the sake of keeping the lights on. Since its founding, Hope Central Church has devoted itself to working for justice in the world and welcoming those on the margins. Those who need a spiritual community or a safe gathering space or a base from which to serve the needs of the neighborhood.

Both in our congregations programs, including our worship and our rental relationships, we have built significant connections with those organizations and with our sister congregation Iglesia Hispana de la Comunidad, as well as organizations that support LGBTQIA plus rights, equity work across race and class, Businesses that offer reduced tuition programs so that they are more accessible to people who might not otherwise be able to afford the education or services they offer. These are some of the places where we have put our resources. Each time we are able to find space for deserving organizations, we are so proud of what our building makes possible, which is such a beautiful change from how the building was once

We are so grateful that by using our building well, we are better able to care for the building itself without compromising our call to do justice in the world beyond our walls. and for every triumph there has always been a twinge. It's never far from my mind that a church building's design communicates something about who deserves to access sacred spaces and even who deserves to access the divine. Having friends with physical disabilities, I've witnessed firsthand the strange and undignified options that have been floated to try to help them into inaccessible spaces like our building. By proxy, I have only then the smallest insights into the kinds of barriers that exist for people with physical disabilities, as well as the kinds of conversations they have to endure just for their needs to be met.

For all the good our building facilitates, the impossible hurdle has been figuring out how to build an ADA-compliant ramp. There wasn't enough money, we couldn't figure out how to plan it with our limited knowledge, and this CPA gift would make the impossible possible. Physical accessibility opens a whole new world of opportunity for connection, for service, for dignity, for every person who wants to come through our doors. At the risk of being presumptuous, I'm really here today to say thank you for the heroic effort of the CPA and the support of the city. For all the organizations who are doing such good work and especially on behalf of my congregation, I'm grateful for the ways that you are supporting, I hope, the next chapter of Hope Central Church's story.

and many more. So I want to also extend an invitation. We hope that anyone who wants to will join us when the work is completed or, of course, before. And so thank you for your time and thank you for letting me speak.

Thank you for your testimony. Okay, we have two more left. Jeremy Vieira is next, and then Reverend John Odoms.

Hello, my name is Jeremy Vieira. I'm here on behalf of Rogerson Communities and Rogerson Beaufort Project, which has been awarded CPA I just want to speak in general about CPA funds. I think they are such an absolutely integral part of the funding required to make affordable housing in this city. It's never been more difficult to build affordable housing, and it's never been more crucial to our communities. At Rogerson, as a nonprofit, we focus on senior services and senior housing. And this particular project will provide both memory care and affordable housing in one location, utilizing our existing site and our existing land. The feasibility of this project is simply not there without CPA funds. So we thank you and we look forward to moving the project forward. Thank you.

Thank you, Jeremy. and last but not least, Reverend John Odoms.

Good afternoon. Thank you for correctly pronouncing my name. It's much appreciated. My name is the Reverend John Odoms. I'm the minister, the pastor at First Baptist Church of Boston, located at the corner of Commonwealth Avenue and Clarendon Streets in the Back Bay. And I think at one point we were described as Marking the Gateway to Copley Square. That was when ComEd was the major thoroughfare. First, I would like to thank Dadeen Brown and the rest of the CPA staff. for all of their diligent work and awesome assistance. Also the CPA committee and Mayor Wu for recommending all of our 2026 CPA Historic Preservation Grant recommendations. Glad that they have done that. Hope the City Council will do the same.

In this round, our proposed grant-funded work will include correcting some really dangerous masonry conditions on the Clarendon Street side of the church, of the building, including where areas of stone are literally held in place with wooden supports and metal netting. A couple of years ago, When that was being put in I could actually reach my hand in and get my fingers all the way into some of the cracks. They're stable at this point but we're looking forward to them being restored and renewed. The project will not only help repair and preserve the historic fabric of the building, but correct this public safety issue. Other funders, including the Henderson Foundation,

and hopefully the Amelia Peart Charitable Fund to whom we've submitted a proposal are supporting this project and we're incredibly grateful that CPA funds are being recommended. Once again, deeply appreciative that we are part of this recommendation and Hope and respectfully ask that the City Council vote to approve our grant as well as all the other incredibly worthy projects that are being recommended in this round of funding. Thank you again very much for your support and have a good evening.

Thank you so much, Reverend. Okay. I believe that is it for public testimony. I wanted to give you all the opportunity to do any closing remarks before we wrap up. If you have any.

Just want to say thank you to the city councillors. One, for your kind words to the CPA office and for the committee. We truly do appreciate the work that we do and thank you for taking the time to hear all about the great work that we're doing and the projects recommended this round.

Thank you. And I'd just like to say thank you for having us. We always love to talk about affordable housing with you, but Thank you both for the work that you do, for your

respected departments and your staff. It's very, it's just amazing to hear the feedback, not only from my colleagues, but also from the applicants and the residents that testified today that Just say how amazing working with your departments is. And I think that your staff deserves that kudos. It's very nice to just know that we have such great workers in the city of Boston, especially with such important projects like the CPA. So I personally want to thank you as the chair of this committee just because I know that There's a lot of great projects in here that are going to be such a huge benefit to our city. I look forward to introducing this at maybe next week's council meeting, so we'll make sure we wrap that up. But I wanted to thank you, thank the public testimony, thank you to the residents that were able to show up in person and virtually as well.

But with that, this hearing on dockets number 0569 and 0758 is officially adjourned.