Completed Campaigns
Since our founding, GBIO has achieved victories on a wide range of issue campaigns.
Some of our recent victories are described below.
Some of our recent victories are described below.
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Housing Justice
In late 2022, GBIO members voted to tackle housing justice as its next issue campaign after an intensive series of listening sessions. Budding relationships with public housing tenants and formerly incarcerated individuals helped uncover dire conditions that blocked many from accessing safe, decent and affordable housing. Over 2 years, GBIO shifted the state conversation around housing, propelling the issue to a top legislative priority resulting in an increased operating budget for housing authorities and over $2 billion in bond authorizations that can be used over the next five years for capital improvements to our aging housing stock. Read GBIO's 2022 and 2023 annual reports to learn more. NEW: Follow the key moments of the campaign with our visual timeline! |
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Criminal Justice Reform
In 2018, after a 3-year campaign to address long-overlooked inequities in the state’s criminal justice system, GBIO celebrated as Governor Charlie Baker signed landmark Criminal Justice Reform legislation which included GBIO’s platform: (a) Repeal of mandatory minimums for low level drug offenses, (b) Bail reform, (c) Reduction of post release fees and fines, and (d) Reduction of solitary confinement time. Read GBIO’s 2018 and 2017 annual reports to learn more. |
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Health Care
In 2018, GBIO’s Health Care team focused on the merger of Beth Israel, Lahey Health Systems, and 12 other hospitals. The result: Attorney General Healey announced unprecedented price caps on the merger that will save MA residents over $1 billion over the next 7 years, as well as improved access for low income/Medicaid customers and $72 million to support community health centers. Read GBIO’s 2018 annual report to learn more. |
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Affordable Homeownership
In 2018, GBIO joined Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance (MAHA) in a campaign to address Boston’s racial homeownership gap, leading to two victories: (a) new homeownership specific goals in Mayor Walsh’s updated 2030 plan, along with a financing mechanism which could enable 1000 new homeowners to purchase homes over 5 years, and (b) $3.8 million in CPA funds to assist low-to-moderate income first-time homebuyers through the ONE+Boston mortgage program. Read GBIO’s 2018 annual report to learn more. |
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Jeep Jones Park
Somali mothers from the Roxbury and ISBCC communities organized to improve the safety and equipment at nearby Jeep Jones Park. In response, City Councilor Kim Janey answered their call to champion the park, negotiating with the Mayor’s office to put $100,000 for improvements to the park into the city’s 2019 capital budget. Read GBIO’s 2018 annual report to learn more. |
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What a Difference a DA Makes
In 2018, GBIO, along with the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, ran a nonpartisan voter education and engagement campaign called What a Difference a DA Makes. District Attorneys (DAs) have powerful influence over legislators and have used that influence to block reform, negatively impacting the lives of people in our communities. During the campaign, GBIO held community education forums, participated in Court watches, and ran actions within two prominent District Attorney counties: Suffolk County, including Boston proper, and Middlesex County, successfully shifting the power dynamics of the DA race. |
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Act Relevant to Motor Vehicle License Suspension
For years, people in Massachusetts automatically lost their driver’s licenses when convicted of a drug offense, and were required to pay a reinstatement fee of $500 to get it back. After time served, many people struggled to find a job, pick up children from school or even find housing because they had no driver’s license. GBIO organized to repeal this 27-year-old law and in 2015 celebrated success with the passage of Senate Bill 2021. |
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Dearborn School
From 2009 to 2014, GBIO leaders, including then-GBIO President Rev. Hurmon Hamilton of Roxbury Presbyterian Church, fought and won a battle to replace the deteriorating Dearborn Middle School with a $73 million, state-of-the-art grade 6-12 STEAM academy for students in its under-served Roxbury neighborhood. |
