The Boston Branch of the NAACP is taking a bold new step in addressing the issue of affordable housing, diverging from the traditional perspective held by much of the city’s Black leadership for decades.
This new strategy is both refreshing and illuminating, offering an alternative framework for understanding the housing challenges faced by Black residents in the city.
Historically, since at least the 1960s, Black leaders and community organizers have advocated for the construction of more affordable housing.
These calls for action have been echoed in various publications, including the Banner, which reported on these urgent demands during the early years of its operation.
Over the years, city officials have responded to the outcry for more affordable housing, though with varying levels of commitment and effectiveness.
As of 2021, Roxbury boasted the highest concentration of income-restricted housing units in the city, with 54% of its units falling under this category.
Citywide, income-restricted housing is typically designated for individuals earning less than half of the area’s median income, representing one method of defining affordable housing.
In contrast, neighborhoods like Dorchester and Mattapan saw a lower proportion of income-restricted units, totaling 19%, aligning with the citywide percentage.
The vast majority of Black residents in Boston reside within Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan.
This inventory of income-restricted units spans various forms of housing, including public housing and private units constructed with government subsidies as well as those built under the city’s inclusionary development policy.
Yet despite decades of advocacy and government action, there is still a pressing need for more affordable housing.
The city has been unable to keep pace with the rising demand, a sentiment echoed by city housing chief Sheila Dillon, who acknowledged over a decade ago that construction efforts were falling short.
The situation has only been worsened by the escalating costs of construction materials.
Realizing that merely increasing the supply of affordable housing is insufficient, the new leadership at the Boston NAACP is adopting a broader, more multi-faceted approach to housing issues in the community.
Rufus Faulk, vice president of the Boston branch, articulated the organization’s evolving stance in an interview with the Banner, emphasizing the importance of addressing income disparity as a critical factor in housing affordability.
Faulk stated, “I think, oftentimes, when we think about housing, we think about it strictly around this lens of affordable housing.
But a portion of this also has to be, how are we making sure that Boston’s Black residents, Black population, are able to earn a living wage or be able to increase their earning potential so that they can withstand any rises or dips in the housing market?”
The Boston NAACP plans to partner with existing initiatives aimed at integrating more residents of color into burgeoning sectors such as life sciences, climate tech, and hospitality, particularly as tourism rebounds from the impacts of the pandemic.
Faulk envisions a focus on elevating the representation of Black individuals in managerial and executive roles within the hospitality industry.
He acknowledged, “We’re not going to be able to be all things, but we want to make sure in our partnership spaces, we are partnering with organizations and individuals who are in the space of doing this work.”
While this redefined approach by the Boston NAACP marks a significant shift in the narrative surrounding housing, it is not entirely unprecedented.
There have been isolated voices calling for a more holistic view of the affordable housing crisis, notably from Curtis Jones during his tenure at the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative over a decade ago, who highlighted the necessity of raising incomes to enable people of color to afford market-rate housing.
In 2022, Tania Fernandes Anderson, then a city councilor, ignited discussions by proposing a moratorium on the construction of affordable housing in Roxbury, advocating instead for a more equitable distribution of affordable units across the city.
Faulk unveiled the Boston NAACP’s new income-centric approach shortly before the organization’s national convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, in July.
There is hope that Faulk and Royal Smith, president of the Boston branch, shared this innovative direction with other delegates, as it holds potential for wider adoption within other branches and the national organization itself.
The national convention also highlighted a noteworthy trend, as President Donald Trump was not invited for the first time in the NAACP’s history due to his perceived opposition to the NAACP’s civil rights agenda, which includes housing as a longstanding issue.
While the Boston branch is commended for broadening the conversation on affordable housing, vigilance is essential.
Securing better job opportunities for people of color in industries like life sciences and climate tech does not guarantee equitable pay compared to their white counterparts.
The 2010 report titled “The State of Black Boston” released by the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts contained alarming findings from James Jennings, a Tufts University professor emeritus, indicating that income disparities between Black and white workers actually widened with increased educational attainment, even up to the master’s degree level.
This is a critical concern that the Boston NAACP must monitor and evaluate as it endeavors to assist more Boston residents of color in achieving the ability to afford market-rate housing.
image source from：baystatebanner
