Order for a hearing to utilize American Rescue Plan Act federal and state COVID recovery funds to create housing options for returning citizens. On motion of Councilor Louijeune moved for substitution On motion of Councilors Louijeune and Worrell, rule 12 was invoked to include Councilor Bok as a co-sponsor.
Thank you, Councilor Edwards. Mr. Clarke, please read docket 0547 Duncan m0547 Council's Louisianan. Worrell offered the following order for a hearing to utilize American Rescue Plan Act, Federal and State COVID Recovery Funds to create housing options for returning citizens. The Chair recognizes the Council of Illusion Constitution. You have the floor. Thank you, Mr. President. I'd like to ask to suspend Rule 12 to add as their co-sponsor, Councilor Bok. Seeing and hearing no objection. Counselor Bok is added as the original co-sponsor. Thank you. So this talk really grew out of hearing that we had a two weeks ago regarding returning citizens and had the office of returning citizens here and advocates here who themselves are formerly incarcerated folks who were talking about some of the hurdles and challenges they face upon reentry. This is also a national reentry week. And so thinking about how we can be use the ARPA money towards equitable recovery. We had a really great hearing that was really led by our advocates and the Office of Returning Citizens, and that was a hearing order co-sponsored by Castro and Councilor Fernandez Anderson, who will also hopefully be teaching me how to swim. But what we're trying to do here is really think about, you know, how we can be using our Opra money to help those who are often forgotten and who it is too easy to forget when we are talking about housing, you know, we are as a city council, a body that cares deeply about housing being a human right. But we also need to think about housing as being healing for populations who have not had the luxury of stability, of of having a place to call home. And there's already really great work that we heard from happening. Leslie Cradle Leads, an organization called Justice for Housing that celebrated a report that was issued last week called Far from Home that really detailed the the issues that formerly incarcerated and justice involved folks face when it comes to finding stable housing. She's been working very creatively with the Boston Housing Authority on getting vouchers for formerly incarcerated folks, and they've run a really successful pilot. So this is about supporting and creating that work that's already being done by those who are really centered in this issue. And so I want to thank my council colleagues who were there. I think, you know, council was someone who mentioned that we should roll this into this the discussion about ARPA money. So really happy to do that. I'm really happy to engage in conversations that, you know, Mr. President, you were involved in as well. So just grateful to for my colleague, council colleagues and the ideas that really came out of that hearing that were really led by the folks who know what it's like to be housing place, housing instability. So really grateful that we can have this conversation as part of that for recovery. Thank you. Thank you, counsel. Jan, the chair recognizes council, world council. Overall, you have the floor. Thank you, President Flynn. And thank you to my co-sponsor council. Council. And this is a continuation of the returning citizens hearing, which, if you haven't seen yet, is probably one of the most powerful hearings that I have been since on this council. And it's important that we create stability and help protect the focus of individuals while they're trying to reestablish themselves in society. How can we expect an individual to focus on workforce development, job hunting, or their job when they're worried about a place to stay? As we are making investments with ARPA dollars, providing stability and investing in people should be our top priorities. There are plenty of barriers when it comes to housing for returning citizens. Therefore, I believe that it's important that we explore what more can we do to make this transition back home smooth. Thank you. Thank you, counsel. We're all the chair recognizes counsel. You have the floor. Thank you so much, Councilor Flynn. And thank you to Councilors Lujan. And we're all for including me on this and for the hearing. That's Bonds as Counselor Allegiance and this conversation, as I've mentioned before. You know, our real hope on the ARPA side is we're going to have a hearing on Tuesday, the third next week at 2:00 to kind of do an initial intro of what the administration's proposing for the 350 million. And then my intention as the committee chair is to have a series of hearings focused on kind of like policy areas in which we might spend the ARPA dollars and really want to put council proposals alongside administration proposals and also really get into the weeds. And one of the things that came up in the in the returning citizens hearing is that we're all very excited about the idea of spending a bunch of money on housing. But it really matters that this population be able to access some of that housing, and that's not something that's going to happen by accident . There needs to be a real program design. And so I think that this is it's absolutely an appropriate conversation for us to have in the COVID Recovery Committee. And I want to make sure we're having it on the front end, not after we've already authorized housing funds. And then we find out that none of them are eligible for help in the folks. I will just say personally that I went and spoke with the with a whole group of returning citizens as part of the office's work last year. And everybody's questions were about housing. I mean, and it's just like with any population, we know it's the fundamental us. Stability. And that's really what we're seeking. So looking forward to this conversation and to putting it side by side in the larger housing conversation for all of us. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Counsel. Bork, the chair recognizes Counselor Baker. Counsel Baker, you have the floor. Thank you, Mr. Chair, for saying my name on. And I appreciate people thinking about ARPA money in the way that we should be building assets with ARPA money. I'm actually involved in a project that I think is in Brian's district itself, already a design building, which would be the first floor, would all be job training, and then the subsequent three floors would be set aside for returning citizens. I believe we need to build these projects. These projects. We have to be ready for them. There's a project. On on on that's being talked about that is ready with some city infusion we could get the thing built but we also have to think about it more than just housing because the returning citizen is going to need more than just that key into the door. They're going to need support where to go to find a job, how to how to do this. How to do that. Because you've been incarcerated, you come out, you have to almost relearn how to get on your bike again. So it's it's it's more than just a discussion around housing. But I'm thrilled that we're having the conversation about using ARPA money for real purposes that will be able to point to and I think we have to be urgent about this because it's all going to be gone soon. So. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Councilor Baker. Mr. Clarke, please add Councilor Baker, the chair recognizes Councilor Flaherty, council fire statement. You have the floor. Thank you, Mr. President. Please add my name. Thanks to the makers, the original sponsors. Quick housekeeping note the last. Whereas the Z typo says by providing through the makers, through the chair to the makers, it should say by not providing. And then lastly, when we have the hearing, just want to make sure that we're sensitive to obviously returning citizens, but we're sensitive to particularly residents in public housing. I'm more of alma residents, children and seniors, and that we're raising the issue of of sorry type offenses when we're thinking about placing individuals in housing and that we just give thought and concern to, again, those most vulnerable residents and be judicious around sort of the supportive housing, giving folks a second chance, but being cognizant of not putting a sort of a sorry situation next to a young family or an elderly. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Counsel. Clarity, please. That counsel filed his name. And before I continue, just want to ask. Consultation through with counsel for charities. Question about that. Probably an update that we might have to file at some at some point. So. But for the sake of. The last year has been that. By providing. I do think it should read through the chair to make as it should read. Um. By not providing I think if that's. I think that was the intention. So um, and if they would make that change and I in training on that thank you counsel clarity for bringing that to our attention and thank you. Counsel. So you will provide an update, I guess, an updated version. Thank you. Counsel again and thank you. Counsel. Clarity. Would anyone else like to speak on this matter? Please. Please let me know what anyone else like to add their name. Please. Mr. Grant. Pleased Councilor Braden. Councilor. Councilor me here. Councilor Murphy. And please add the chair. And talking 0547. What we refer to the Committee on Boston's COVID 19 recovery. Mr. Cork, please. RE Docket 0548, please. Duncan Number 0548.