Boston City Council approves $26 million in federal housing grants at June meeting

BOSTON — June 11, 2025 — Boston City Council approves more than $26 million in HUD housing grants and a $1.7 million youth violence prevention grant at its June 11 session. Council President Liz Breadon, chair of the Housing and Community Development Committee, reported that the four U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development grants — covering homelessness services, housing for people with AIDS, community development, and affordable housing production — came in below their not-to-exceed docket amounts, with the Community Development Block Grant at $16,948,744 and the HOME program at $4,943,764; Breadon cited "continuing uncertainty surrounding future federal support" as reason to act quickly. Councillor Henry Santana's committee passed the $1,735,107 Shannon Community Safety Initiative Grant following a three-hour hearing at which all 27 non-BPD recipient organizations testified. The council also unanimously passed a resolution denouncing the Pentagon's renaming of the USNS Harvey Milk and other Navy ships, and approved a late-filed $394,901 supplemental appropriation to fund a new collective bargaining agreement for 276 Boston Public Schools administrative guild workers earning starting salaries of approximately $48,000.