Two Affordable Housing Developments and Church Recommended for Community Preservation Act Funding

Two affordable housing developments and a local church were among 52 projects that were recommended to receive Community Preservation Act funding. Mayor Michelle Wu and the city's Community Preservation Committee's recommendations totaled more than $27 million in grants. The two affordable housing projects recommended to receive funding are:

Stonley-Brookley -- $1,975,000 to partially fund the creation of 45 mixed income-restricted homeownership units in a new development. Community Preservation funds will support the 32 affordable units ranging from 80% to 100% Area Median Income (AMI). 127 Amory St.

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Watch: Councilor Lara Delivers Maiden Speech in Spanish & English About Voting Rights for Immigrants with Legal Status

District 6 City Council Kendra Lara delivered her maiden Boston City Council speech on Wednesday about providing immigrants with legal status to vote in municipal elections. Lara also introduced her first piece of legislation -- restoring municipal voting rights to immigrants with legal status. "Regardless of citizenship status, all our residents deserve control over issues that affect their lives by participating in the democratic process and electing their municipal leaders," wrote Lara in her weekly newsletter roundup of council meetings. "Immigrants represent 29% of our city’s population and serve as an integral part of Boston's social, political, economic, and cultural fabric. Excluding such a significant portion of our city’s population from full political participation threatens the health of our democracy.

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Elugardo on Running for State Senate, Rent Control, Redistricting of Jamaica Plain and More

State Rep. Nika Elugardo (D-15th Suffolk), who was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 2018, is running for the 2nd Suffolk District State Senate seat. Elugardo answered questions from Jamaica Plain News about her candidacy, bills she's sponsored to help incarcerated individuals, redistricting, and more. Q: Why did you decide to run for the 2nd Suffolk District State Senate seat? Elugardo: It's been exciting and fulfilling to represent the 15th Suffolk district as a State Representative. I play a hands-on role not only in shaping policy that affects my constituents and so many constituent groups that I care deeply about, but also in shepherding critical resources for community and economic development, for education, and so much more.

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Congressman Lynch on Russian Aggression Towards Ukraine

Congressman Stephen Lynch recently led a hearing to examine Russia's possible invasion of Ukraine. Russia recently brought 150,000 troops to Ukraine's borders, which President Joe Biden spoke about on Feb. 15. Lynch is the chairman of the Subcommittee on National Security, and led the hearing the same day. “By holding Ukraine hostage unless the United States and NATO surrender to his demands, President Putin threatens the fundamental principles of sovereignty, self-determination, and territorial integrity, that have helped to preserve global peace and security and that form the basis of the rules-based international order,” said Lynch.  “[It] is in our strategic and national security interests to help support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and President Biden has been absolutely clear that if Russian troops cross over the border, the United States will respond decisively and impose swift and severe consequences.”
The Committee heard testimony from Michael McFaul, Director of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University and former U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation; Lieutenant General (ret.) Ben Hodges, Pershing Chair in Strategic Studies at the Center for European Analysis and former Commanding General of U.S. Army Europe; Dr. Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Director of the Transatlantic Security Program at the Center for a New American Security; and the Richard Grenell, former Acting Director of National Intelligence.

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Jamaica Plain-Based Organizations Receive Arts and Cultural Grants

Numerous Jamaica Plain-based organizations recently received Boston Cultural Council and Reopen Creative Boston funding. In total, 192 arts and cultural organizations were award grants, totaling $3,422,000 in grants for general operations and COVID-19 relief, according to a press release. Jamaica Plain-based organizations receiving money included BalletRox, Boston Cyberarts, Chameleon Arts Ensemble, Circus Up, Eliot School of Fine & Applied Arts, Guy Mendilow Ensemble, Hoopla Productions, JP Music Festival, Little Uprisings, New Gallery Concert Series, OrigiNation Cultural Arts Center, and the Urbano Project. The Boston Cultural Council (BCC) distribute grants yearly for general operations to organizations with budgets less than $2 million that offer some type of arts or cultural programming in the city. For the third year in a row, BCC grant amounts were determined by budget size, and this year BCC made the decision this year to shift the funding structure to help organizations with the lowest budgets to receive the highest grant amounts. The complete list of organizations that received grants can be seen here.

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Sidewalk shoveling, Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2015.

Volunteers Wanted: Councilor Lara Creates D6 Snow Program to Help Neighbors Shovel

Many of us are able to shovel our walks, driveways, sidewalks, and so forth. There are also many people who need help. District 6 City Councilor Kendra Lara has created a program to offer shoveling help to those in need. "Our D6 Snow Collaborative Program, created in solidarity with our neighbors and in support of our Public Works Department, connects people in District 6 in need of shoveling assistance with neighbors who have volunteered their time," wrote Lara in an email blast. "We'll also reach out to our elderly neighbors to check on any support they might need during the storm."

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