During his second inaugural address, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh recommitted himself to tackling Greater Boston’s housing shortage, vowing to “increase [Boston’s] targets for low-income homes, moderate-income homes, senior housing and overall units.” Now that we are over halfway through the year, we’ve pro...
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As we finish up our month-long endeavour to feature our outstanding Youth Development Program, we decided to sit down with Youth Coordinator Angel Lopez and star player Erik Ramirez to talk about their involvement with the OneHood Peace Basketball League. Angel coached for nine years before taking on responsibility of coordinating the entire league. Now in its ...
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The ability to afford housing is a daily struggle for thousands of American families and individuals. According to Bloomberg, approximately 900,000 renters received eviction notices in 2016 alone and more than 20 million households currently dedicate more than 30 percent of their income towards housing costs. Numerous factors, from federal budgeting to local development grants, ...
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When gentrification enters a community, it doesn’t just impact low-income individuals and families. Rather, the small retail businesses, or mom-and-pop storefronts, that contribute to the vibrancy of a local economy are often pushed to the peripheries. For instance, according to a recent WBUR s...
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As part of April's focus on IBA's history, we will hold a historical forum next week featuring prominent individuals who have contributed to the foundation of IBA. We interviewed Mario Small, who will be on of our esteemed guests. With a Ph.D. from Harvard University, he has published books and numerous articles on urban poverty, personal networks, and th...
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The month of March is deemed National Women’s History Month: a time to remember and appreciate the ways that women have contributed to the history of this country. In recognition of the celebration, we interviewed IBA CEO Vanessa Calderón-Rosado about her experience as a female leader in the field of government. Why do you think it’s important to have women represented in government? Vane...
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Although nearly six months have passed since Hurricane Maria made landfall, Puerto Rico still requires extensive aid. The storm, which caused approximately $37 billion in housing damages, has left more than ...
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The beginning of each new year offers an opportunity to reevaluate what’s needed and important in our communities. Throughout Greater Boston, preserving affordability has remained a crucial issue, as living costs and property values continue to skyrocket and burden low-income residents. As we embark on 2018, here are some of the affordable housing issues and initiatives that we will be tracking cl...
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Your vote matters. Voting in the upcoming special election is not only important because you decide the next mayor, but you also have the power to create and modify laws in our state and city. At IBA, it is our mission to improve our communities through high-quality programs and this starts with the individual. Your vote gives a voice to our community and by exercising your right to vote you are p...
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It’s been over a month since Hurricane Maria swept through Puerto Rico, leaving crippling devastation in its path. Yet, despite the time that has passed, one in four Puerto Ricans still don’t have access to clean water, while three-quarters of the islan...
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In the aftermath of Hurricane María, many of our community members have been struggling to contact loved ones as the entire island of Puerto Rico remains without power. Much of Boston has responded with an outpour of concern, reaching out with offers and ideas to organize relief efforts. We decided to host an open forum, giving individuals, both in physical and ...
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Within a period of two weeks, Hurricanes Harvey and Irma swept through the Caribbean, Puerto Rico, Texas and the Southeast, causing mass displacement, billions of dollars in damages, environmental contamination, the unfortunate loss of many lives and concern throughout our community, as many residents worried about the safety of their loved ones. Acco...
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On a warm afternoon this past Friday, the Blackstone Community Center came to life as the One Hood All-Stars trickled onto their home court. Hip-Hop music underscored the excitement as players greeted each other with high fives and began to warm up. It’s hard to believe there was a time when these kids didn’t get along. Members of the Boston Police Department (BPD) showed up shortly after, out of ...
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Integrating diversity in our classrooms means more than enrolling students from a variety of multicultural backgrounds; it means, including lessons about their heritages, languages, and customs. When teachers create an environment that not only acknowledges diversity but celebrates what makes all of these cultures unique, then students can grow socially and academically with a bet...
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As we discussed in a recent blog post, local and national policy stands to significantly shape the future of affordable housing in Greater Boston. The ability – or inability – to successfully lower living costs and preserve accessibility for all residents will largely determine the socioeconomic and cultural fabric of our city as it c...
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