Boston City Council Adopts Three COVID-19 Relief Resolutions at First Remote Session

Uncategorized 2026-07-22 clip6092 · Meeting of July 22, 2026

Boston City Council adopts three COVID-19 economic relief resolutions at its first-ever remote session. Meeting via Zoom on March 25, 2020, the full 13-member council unanimously passed resolutions urging the state to cover COVID-19 testing costs for uninsured undocumented immigrants, calling for small business financial relief and a moratorium on commercial rent evictions for Boston's more than 40,000 small businesses, and recommending expanded unemployment eligibility for self-employed workers, 1099 contractors, and tipped workers currently excluded under state law. A fourth resolution by Councilor Ricardo Arroyo — calling for an immediate citywide moratorium on rent, mortgages, evictions, and foreclosures — was blocked from a floor vote when Councilor Michael Baker invoked Rule 33, citing complexity and doubts about council authority; it was referred to the Committee on Housing and Community Development, with Arroyo requesting an expedited hearing ahead of the April 1 rent due date.

"The right thing to do for all of them, the just thing to do, is to immediately order a moratorium on rent, mortgage, evictions, and foreclosures," Arroyo said.

In the full story:

• Opening and Roll Call
• Minutes Approval
• Public Officers' Reports (Dockets 0554-0558)
• Consent Agenda and Late Files
• Announcements
• Who Was There
• The complete report — 3,155 words

Source: the Uncategorized 2026-07-22 clip6092 meeting of July 22, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.