Nobody wants to be in a homeless shelter. I remember the first day I walked through the shelter doors. It smelled like cleaning sprays, and when I stepped on the brown rug, a cloud of dust rose above my head. The supervisor of the shelter walked us to our apartment door. A million thoughts ran…
Report finds foreclosure rates decreased in Boston
A new report says foreclosures in Boston have decreased by 22 percent since 2016 due to the Boston Home Center’s efforts, bringing a positive light to Boston after ranking ninth in the rate of foreclosures in Massachusetts. The BHC helps residents purchase, improve and keep their homes, specifically providing counseling and resources to help residents…
Derek Zanetti: Homeless Gospel Choir Founder Talks Roots, Punk and Charities
Photo By Shannon O’Toole Derek Zanetti was never meant for a “normal” life. Growing up in a strictly conservative, born-again Christian household, Zanetti looked at mainstream music as forbidden fruit and as something so special and inviting, that the threat of eternal damnation as a result of listening to any sort of mainstream music- even his…
Multi-State Coalition to Fight Carbon Pollution
State lawmakers have launched a multi-state coalition to collaborate on legislation to combat carbon pollution. The Carbon Costs Coalition includes legislators from nine states, including Massachusetts. It will help those legislators design strategies to reduce carbon emissions and promote clean, renewable energy alternatives. Jeff Mauk is executive director of the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators,…
Mayor Walsh and hundreds of volunteers take to streets for 2018 point-in-time count
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, left, and Emergency Shelter Commission director Jim Greene, right, speak to a recently housed young woman. On Wednesday night, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh led the annual homeless census, joining hundreds of volunteers who combed through the city to tally the homeless population. It was his fifth point-in-time count as the mayor,…
Being About Something: Vanna’s Shawn Marquis Talks Progress, Money in Politics and Life Off the Road
Photo: Lance Donati Shawn Marquis went from playing bass on stages around the world, a profession that seems fairly quixotic, to the more practical world of brand awareness. But what might sound like a lopsided trade-off to some is almost equally as fun an exchange for the mustachioed musician. After Boston-bred hardcore legends Vanna announced…
Allston-Brighton City Council Candidates Discuss Housing Issues
At the Allston-Brighton District 9 Candidates Forum on Sept. 14, the dominating theme was affordable housing. Moderated by DigBoston Editor Chris Faraone, Councilor Mark Ciommo, Brandon Bowser and Alex Golonka faced off in a town hall meeting. While Ciommo’s positioning himself as the experienced candidate, Bowser’s running as a community-oriented educator and arts advocate and…
Cruz Companies Celebrates $300 Million Rehab with Elected Officials
The recently completed renovations to 83 affordable units at the Wayne at Columbia development on Blue Hill Avenue in Mattapan were celebrated by local and state officials on Wednesday, August 16. The development, rehabbed by Cruz Companies, the largest minority-owned construction and real estate development firm in the region, houses working families from Mattapan, Dorchester…
Boston City Council Discusses Action for Safe Needle Disposal
This past Wednesday, August 19, Boston City Council held a hearing calling for an ordinance that would force pharmacies and other retailers of “sharps”—or disposable needles—to also provide safe and free waste sites for buyers. If the ordinance is passed, retailers would effectively take on a burden that has almost solely been held by public…
Room in the inn: A dispatch from an Arizona center for asylum seekers
I parked my car in the dark, isolated lot on the edge of the University of Arizona campus between First United Methodist Church and a parking garage. As I walked through the alley, there were a few guys curled up with their sleeping bags and dogs. They seemed to be sharing a meal on a…