Boston Plans Four Public Housing Sites for Summer Youth Events Amid Tight Budget

BOSTON — April 6, 2026 — Boston City Council scrutinizes summer youth safety plan as key programs expand and budget questions linger. The Committee on Human Services held an April 6 hearing on Docket 0290, with Chair Erin Murphy and lead sponsor Councillor Brian Worrell pressing administration officials on whether violence-prevention infrastructure will be ready before school lets out. Pedro Cruz, executive director of the Office of Youth Engagement and Advancement, announced Boston After Dark will expand to four Boston Housing Authority sites in 2026, up from a single pilot last year, and will host comedy and teen nights at City Hall and the Museum of Fine Arts for the 19-to-25 age group. Isaac Gabelow, director of the Office of Violence Prevention, said more than 35 city departments will contribute to this summer's safety plan and pledged to strengthen weekend coverage by the Community Healing Response Network, which has historically gone dark Friday through Sunday. The youth employment program YOU received 155 applications against 135 available slots, with officials promising every job-eligible applicant will be placed. The single public commenter, John Smith St. Cyr, founder of the JL Smith Suicide Prevention Center for Young Black Boys, told councillors he personally funds a Saturday program for boys in Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan, stating: "We have money for professional soccer teams, center bus lanes, millions upon millions for overtime police budgets — but for whatever reason, we can't find resources for young black boys."