Boston City Council Approves $7.1 Million in Public Safety Grants in Unanimous Votes

BOSTON — October 27, 2021 — Boston City Council unanimously approved five public safety grants totaling more than $7.1 million and authorized pursuit of up to $45 million in federal homelessness housing funds at its October 27 meeting. Committee on Public Safety and Criminal Justice Chair Andrea Campbell reported out all five grants, which included a $4 million FY22 Public Safety Answering Point grant for 911 infrastructure, a $1.5 million Securing the Cities homeland security grant, a $1.15 million Safe and Successful Youth Initiative grant bringing that program's two-year total to $2.3 million, a $399,418.73 911 training grant, and a $239,254 DNA backlog reduction grant. Committee on Housing and Community Development Chair Lydia Edwards and Vice Chair Kenzie Bach recommended passage of the Continuum of Care authorization, with Bach noting roughly $4 million within the $45 million total represents new funding split between domestic violence housing and general homelessness programs. The council also passed a resolution by Councillor Julia M. Mejia supporting state legislation, H.1339 and S.829, to guarantee debt-free public higher education, and approved a preservation restriction agreement on the Vertulo Building at 7484 Fairmount Ave. in Hyde Park, which houses four Black-owned small businesses in the process of collectively purchasing the property.