Category: Local
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Broken Records: Appeals Nonsense
Secretary of the Commonwealth Galvin Attempts to Rewrite Law in Order to Dodge It An update to the Massachusetts public records law is set to go into effect in January, and with it a new set of regulations drafted by Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin’s office. To those unfamiliar with the quagmire that is…
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Southeastern Mass. Nonprofit Fights Homelessness by Supporting Displaced Youth
As Massachusetts students settle into a new school year, one group south of Boston continues its decade-long work to support youth impacted by homelessness. Since 2004, School on Wheels of Massachusetts has logged more than 34,000 hours mentoring more than 2,200 students impacted by homelessness in 30 different locations across southeastern Massachusetts, according to its…
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What Does Massachusetts’ Low Unemployment Rate Mean for the State’s Homeless?
This past August, the Massachusetts unemployment rate hit a substantial low, dropping from 4.1 percent in July to 3.9 percent—the lowest it has been in 15 years. With 5,900 jobs added last month, the last time the state’s jobless rate was this low was August 2001. The added jobs were primarily in leisure and hospitality,…
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Renters Day of Action: Bostonians March Against Displacement and Gentrification
All photos: Anthony Williams As rents in Boston continue to increase, housing activists rallied and marched from City Hall to Chinatown demanding a freeze on rent increases and better eviction prevention for city residents. After a brief introduction at One Center Plaza, a giant prop fence reading “Eviction Free Zone” proceeded to lead the moving…
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Shadow Fund Organization Helps Low Income Pet Owners Pay for Medical Procedures
In 2007, Diane Sullivan was flipping through the Lawrence Eagle-Tribune when she came across a story about Robert Burke, an ex-marine who was having trouble paying for his dog Shadow’s $3,800 leg surgery. Shadow was in pain and could barely walk after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in his left leg. Sullivan wanted to help,…
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A Way to Support Homeless Veterans
My name is Gerald Harrell. I’ve been a Spare Change News vendor since 1992 and want to support organizations that help homeless veterans. I know people say that Mayor Walsh has eliminated veteran homelessness, but there is much more to be done. Too many people who served our country are still on the streets. I…
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State Reduces Number of Homeless Families Sheltered in Motels, but Concerns Remain
The state’s emergency assistance program is celebrating a decrease in families housed in hotels and motels—a problematic practice that Gov. Charlie Baker has pledged to eradicate—but critics say that the shift has its own set of flaws. Massachusetts is a right-to-shelter state, meaning it provides shelter to families, including pregnant women who have no other…
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Is time running out for the Curious George store?
The iconic Curious George store at the corner of Brattle Street and John F. Kennedy Street in Cambridge may move out of the neighborhood sometime in 2018. Adam Hirsch, owner of “The World’s Only Curious George Store,” a 20-year-old staple in Harvard Square, said he knew the move was coming but hasn’t thought much about…
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Boston’s 311 line can now connect citizens with addiction recovery services
Tuesday afternoon, the city of Boston announced that people looking for addiction recovery services can now call 311 for help. Officials hope this new integration will make it easier for Bostonians to find a recovery program for themselves or their loved ones. “A lot of families… don’t know who they should call or when they…
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Baker-Polito Administration to Help With Funding to Affordable Housing Development
Gov. Charlie Baker announced a plan to create or preserve 1,420 rental units, including 1,334 affordable units, across 16 Massachusetts communities on August 15. The Department of Housing and Community Development awarded $31 million in state and federal low-income housing tax credits, which are expected to generate more than $218 million in equity, for the…