The 15th Suffolk District state representative election is looking very competitive with four candidates, including Jamaica Plain resident Roxanne Longoria.
Roxanne Longoria
“I’m an experienced, progressive leader running for state representative because I want a more equitable, accessible, and compassionate government for all," said Longoria via press release. "After serving as the Director of Youth Homelessness Initiatives for the city of Boston, I became a caregiver to my 75-year-old mother and experienced housing instability at the height of the pandemic. I truly understood who is most impacted when systems aren’t working efficiently during these challenging times. They should be better and they can be better.”
Longoria said her priority issues are affordable housing, educational equity, and increasing transitional support services for young people who are currently in and aging out of foster care. Longoria provides more details about her views on key issues on her website, which is available in four different languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole.
As the Director of Youth Homelessness Initiatives for Boston, Longoria founded the Youth Experiencing Homelessness Training Institute, organized with more than 350 community service providers in the Boston area to distribute resources including $50,000 in life-saving direct aid to youth experiencing homelessness.
“Since her time as the Network Coordinator for the Boston Youth Service Network, Roxanne has been a fierce advocate for young people,'' said Marcella Raines, Chief Advocacy and Community Engagement Officer at More Than Words via press release. “From testifying at Boston Public School Committee hearings to hosting citywide convenings addressing the School to Prison Pipeline and Youth Homelessness, Roxanne gets things done while empowering others and intentionally building community.”
Longoria said she has more than the required 200 signatures to qualify for the September 6th, 2022 ballot.
Other candidates in the race include Richard Fierro, Sam Montaño, and Mary Ann Nelson.