Boston City Council unanimously codifies youth office in city law

BOSTON -- November 5, 2025, Boston City Council votes 12-0 to permanently enshrine youth agency in city code. The council unanimously passed an ordinance codifying the Office of Youth Engagement and Advancement, known as OYA, which employs 11 staff and coordinates a network of more than 1,900 youth-serving professionals running programs for residents aged 14 to 25. Lead sponsor Councilor-at-Large Henry Santana called the move "an essential and visionary step" in protecting long-term access to youth resources; Councilors John FitzGerald and Benjamin J. Weber were co-sponsors. The council also adopted a resolution by Councilor Edward M. Flynn urging the city to seek FEMA's Community Rating System certification, which could cut flood insurance premiums by up to 20 percent for residents in coastal neighborhoods including South Boston and Fort Point. Councilor Gabriela Coletta Zapata noted the city has hired its first floodplain administrator and anticipates completing the FEMA application in 2026, though a federal government shutdown has delayed review of Boston's pending submission. The council separately accepted a $99,476 federal pipeline safety grant for the Fire Department and referred a proposal for voluntary monthly property tax payments, aimed at easing the burden on seniors and fixed-income homeowners, to the Committee on Ways and Means.