An Open Letter for Housing Justice

Dear House Speaker Mariano, Senate President Spilka, House Ways and Means Chair Michlewitz, Senate Ways and Means Chair Rodrigues, House Housing Chair Arciero, and Senate Housing Chair Edwards:

Our people are hurting, and we have a plan.

We write as 155 Massachusetts clergy, united with the people of the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization (GBIO) in our shared call to pursue justice and mercy. The combined membership of our various churches, synagogues, mosques and other institutions account for thousands of families across the Commonwealth. Our work is driven by the shared hopes, fears and needs of those we serve. Today, it is clear that the issue of housing has all but consumed the hearts and minds of our people.

Something must be done.

On March 3rd, we are gathering at the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center in Roxbury with 1,700 people of faith in hopes that the legislature will take significant action to slow the housing crisis during this legislative session.  

Our sacred texts repeatedly call for us to secure housing for all members of our communities, including the most vulnerable residents. The prophet Isaiah hears the Holy voice: “My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes in undisturbed places of rest!” (Isaiah 32:18-20). And the prophet Micah envisions the wellness and joy that can be ours when all members of society can “rest safely under our own vine and fig tree where none can make us afraid” (Micah 4:4). 

And yet, too many of our people live in neglected public housing that endangers their health due to pests, mold, and asbestos. Too many are unhoused, despite hundreds of unrepaired, vacant public housing units in the Commonwealth. Too many return from prison without housing or even identification. Too many, especially young people, renters, and families of color, are locked out of the opportunity to buy a home. Too many of us are unable to afford housing where we grew up. In a time and place of so much abundance, we are falling short of the sacred and achievable vision of our faiths.

For the health of the people we serve, the fabric of our communities, and a thriving and competitive Commonwealth, we ask you to ensure that the following concrete steps are taken by the end of this legislative session, impacting thousands of people in the next two years, and thousands more in the years to come.

We ask you to:

• Increase the public housing operating budget from $107 million to $189 million. According to data from the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, there are 1,131 units that spend an average of 209 days vacant simply because there is not enough money to hire maintenance staff to repair them. Increasing the budget would be a major step toward reducing the number of vacant units by several hundred. And it could spare thousands of families the extreme disruption of having to vacate their homes due to preventable emergencies, every single year.

• Guarantee IDs to people coming out of prison. Over 600 people came out from the Department of Corrections without an ID last year - meaning months without the ability to get a job, find an apartment, or even get into a homeless shelter.

• Increase funding for rental certificates for formerly incarcerated people receiving case management at proven anti-recidivism nonprofits. Data from the Boston Housing Authority and Justice 4 Housing show that a $6 million increase could pay a year’s rent for about 200 formerly incarcerated people.

• Keep at least $1.6 billion in capital repair funding for public housing in the Governor’s proposed housing bond bill (a step toward addressing an $8.5 billion need), to fix plumbing systems, heat, and renovate old buildings so public housing survives for decades to come.

• Give our communities the choice to locally pass real estate transfer fees to raise funding for local affordable housing, as is in the Governor’s bond bill, so that we may raise hundreds of millions of dollars a year through 0.5-2% fees on $1-2 million dollar property sales, and build thousands of homes for people to affordably own or rent.

We are aware that our state faces urgent budget and shelter crises. These actions will immediately impact many of our most at-risk neighbors and get people off waiting lists and shelters and into homes. In the long run, decisive action on affordable, secure housing will help avoid such crises as it saves money and helps solve housing problems that afflict us all. They are simple, urgent, and moral solutions that will make a concrete difference on the crisis we face.

When some among us suffer, our leadership, our faith, our integrity, our very lives are judged by whether we do what is within our power to make things better. We have a tremendous opportunity before us now to love our neighbors and to love ourselves by making it possible for more people to secure affordable, safe, quality housing in Massachusetts. We implore you to remember this and act accordingly.

Sincerely,

Rev. Steve Watson, Reservoir Church, Cambridge

Rev. Katie Cole, Hartford Street Presbyterian Church, Natick

Rabbi Toba Spitzer, Congregation Dorshei Tzedek, Newton

Rev. Carrington Moore, Bethel AME, Jamaica Plain; Common Cathedral 

Rev. Burns Stanfield, Fourth Presbyterian Church of South Boston

Rev. Ray Hammond and Rev. Gloria White-Hammond, Co-Pastors, Bethel AME, Jamaica Plain

Rev. Kent French, United Parish Brookline, Brookline

Imam Talib Mahdee, Masjid al Quran, Dorchester

Rev. Lydia Shiu, Reservoir Church, Cambridge

Fr. Oscar Pratt, St. Katharine Drexel Parish, Roxbury

Rev. Noah Brewer-Wallin, Southern New England Conference, United Church of Christ

Rev. Barbara Lemmel, Harvard-Epworth United Methodist Church, Cambridge

Rabbi Tiferet Berenbaum, TBZ Brookline

Rabbi Jay Perlman, Temple Beth Shalom (Needham)

Rabbi Rebecca Hornstein, Boston Workers Circle

Rev. Daniel Smith, First Church in Cambridge, Congregational, UCC

Rabbi Dr. Raysh Weiss, Temple Israel of Natick

Rabbi Elyse Pincus Abrahams, Temple Beth Shalom (Needham)

The Rev. Dr. Cynthia A. Good, Calvary Church, UM, Arlington

Rev. Kate Layzer, First Church in Cambridge

Executive Pastor, Trecia Reavis, Reservoir Church, Cambridge

Rabbi Karen Thomashow, Temple Isaiah, Lexington 

Rev. Dr. Willie Barnett, Great Road Church, Acton

Rabbi Serena Fujita, Member of Temple Israel, Boston

Pastor Ivy Anthony, Reservoir Church, Cambridge

Rabbi Jordana Schuster Battis, Temple Isaiah, Lexington

Rev. Dr. Deborah L. Clark, Edwards Church, Framingham

Rev. Gracious Moyo, University Lutheran Church, Cambridge

Rabbi Andrew Vogel, Temple Sinai, Brookline

Rev. Becky Binns, St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Natick

Rev. Dr. Stephanie May, First Church Boston

Rev. John Edgerton, Old South Church in Boston

Rev. Megan Berkowitz, Union Church in Waban, Newton

Rabbi Todd A Markley, Temple Beth Shalom (Needham)

Rev. Joanna Lubkin, Unitarian Universalist Area Church, Sherborn

Rev. Dr. Barbara Callaghan, Hancock United Church of Christ, Lexington 

Rabbi Leora Abelson, Nehar Shalom Community Synagogue, Jamaica Plain

Rabbi Talia Stein, Temple Sinai, Brookline

Rev. Dr. Ellis I. Washington, St. Paul A.M.E. Church, Cambridge

Rev. Dr. Ian Mevorach, Common Street Spiritual Center, Natick

Rev. Leanne Walt, United Church of Christ Congregational Norwell

Rev. Eno Mondésir, Haitian Baptist Church of Cambridge, Cambridge

Rabbi Suzie Jacobson, Temple Israel, Boston

Rabbi Dan Slipakoff, Temple Israel, Boston

The Rev. Gregory Morisse, Plymouth Church, Framingham

Rev. David C. Clark, Hancock Church UCC, Lexington

Rev. Dr. Sara Garrard, Union Combined Parish (United Methodist), Boston

Rev. Kyle Walden, Union Combined Parish (United Methodist), Boston

Rev. Dr. Jay Williams, Union Combined Parish (United Methodist), Boston

Rabbi Elaine Zecher, Temple Israel of Boston

Rev. Ashley Popperson, Old South Church, Boston

Rev. Nikki Renée, Union Combined Parish (United Methodist), Boston

Rev. Jane Lawrence, Union Combined Parish (United Methodist), Boston

Rev. Cindy Worthington-Berry, First Congregational Church of Natick

Rev. Rob Mark, Lead Pastor, Church of the Covenant, Boston

Rabbi Andrew Oberstein, Temple Israel of Boston

Presiding Elder Jocelyn Hart Lovelace, Boston Hartford District AME Church 

Rev. Ashley Renée, Union Combined Parish (United Methodist), Boston

Rabbi Rachel Gurevitz, Congregation B’nai Shalom, Westborough

Rabbi Neil P.G. Hirsch, Hevreh of Southern Berkshire, Great Barrington

The Rev. Kristian C. Kohler, University Lutheran Church, Cambridge

Rev. Kate Carlisle, Presbytery of Boston; Church of the Covenant, Boston

Imam Abdulqadir H. Farah, Islamic Society of Boston, Roxbury

Rabbi Jeremy Master, Sinai Temple, Springfield

Rev. Amy Norton, United Parish in Brookline, Brookline

Rabbi Leora Kling Perkins, Temple Emunah, Lexington

Cantor Rachel Reef-Simpson, Temple Emanuel of Andover, Andover

Rev. Brynn Harrington, Anchor Bay Church, Beverly

Rabbi David Lerner, Temple Emunah, Lexington

Rev. Dr. Donald A. Wells, Old South Church, Boston

Rev. Arrington Chambliss, St. Mary's Church, Dorchester

Rev. Kerry Maloney, Harvard Divinity School, Cambridge

Rev. Young Lee, The Korean Church of Boston

The Rev. Jean Southard, Presbytery of Boston

Rev. Jennifer McCracken, MANNA Community/Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Boston

Rev. Shelly Davis, East Congregational Church of Milton

Rev. Dr. R. Ward Holder, Presbytery of Boston

Rev. Kenneth Young, Calvary Baptist Church, Haverhill

Rev. Tom Reid, Newton Presbyterian Church, Newton

Rev. Catherine MacDonald, Presbytery of Boston

Rev. Sarah Hathaway, Chaplain and Teaching Elder in Presbytery of Boston

Rev. Shea Thompson, Trinity CME Church

The Very Rev. Amy McCreath, Cathedral Church of St. Paul (Episcopal)

Rev. Kenneth GY Grant, 4th Presbyterian Church South Boston

Rev. Dr. Charlene Zuill, United Methodist Clergywoman, Dorchester

Rev. Martha Schick, Congregational Church of Weston and Wellesley Village Church

Rev. Matthew Stewart, St. James's Episcopal Church, Cambridge

The Very Rev. Pamela Werntz, Emmanuel Church, Boston

Rev. Reebee Kavich Girash, Pilgrim Congregational Church, UCC, Lexington

Rev. Maeve Hammond, First Congregational Church, Winchester

The Rev. Nathan Ives, St. Peter's-San Pedro Episcopal, Salem

Mr. Jeffrey Bass, Executive Director, Emmanuel Gospel Center, Dorchester

Rabbi Eliana Jacobowitz, Temple B’nai Brith, Somerville 

Rev. Dr. Donnie Anderson, Pilgrim United Church of Christ, New Bedford

Rev. Robert M. Hardies, The First Parish in Cambridge

Rev. Dorie Goehring, St. John’s Episcopal Church, Jamaica Plain

The Rev. Robert Greiner, Emmanuel Church Boston

The Rev. Dr. Matthew Cadwell, Old North Church, Boston

Rev. Beth Spaulding, First Church in Cambridge

The Rev. Liz Steinhauser, The Crossing, Episopal Diocese of Massachusetts

The Rev. Edwin Johnson, Episcopal City Mission

Rev. George Clifford, Chair, Episcopal Peace Fellowship, Boston 

Rev. Dr. Michael Paul Melendez, St Peter’s-San Pedro Episcopal Church, Salem

Imam Abdullah Faaruuq, Mosque for Praising Allah, Roxbury

The Rev. Andrew Suitter, St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church, Sudbury 

Rev. Kari Jo Verhulst, Lutheran Church of the Newtons, Newton

Rabbi Ben Rosen

Rabbi Vanessa Harper

The Rev. Amy Whitcomb Slemmer, Faith and Democracy, Boston

Rev. Mary Martha Thiel, First Church Cambridge UCC, Cambridge

Rev. Clyde Elledge, Church of St Andrew, Marblehead

The Rev. Andrew Goldhor, Good Shepherd Church, Watertown

The Rev. Isaac Provencio Martinez, Trinity Episcopal Parish, Melrose and The Allston Abbey

Rev. Jeremi Colvin, St. Luke's, Hudson

Rev. Zenetta Armstrong, Church of the Holy Spirit, Mattapan

Sister Margaret Lanen, Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur

Rev. Natalie E. Thomas, Deacon, Diocese of Massachusetts

The Rev. Holly H. Hartman, Old North/Christ Church Boston

Rabbi Dr. Michael J Shire, Central Reform Temple of Boston

Rev. Richard R. Andre, C. S. P.

Rabbi Lior Nevo

Rev. Rospignac Ambroise, St John’s, St James Episcopal Church, Roxbury 

Rev. Joanne Hus, United Methodist Church of Martha's Vineyard, Oak Bluffs

Rev. Sharon Eckhardt, Martha's Vineyard Island Clergy Association, Martha's Vineyard

The Rev. Chip Seadale, St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, Edgartown

Rev. Matthew B. Splittgerber, Vineyard Assembly of God

Rev. Laura Everett, Massachusetts Council of Churches

Rabbi Joel Sisenwine

Cantor Josh Rosenberg

Rev. Roderick MacDonald, Presbytery of Boston

Rev. Armen Hanjian, First Congregational Church of West Tisbury

Rev. Vicky Hanjian, First Congregational Church of West Tisbury

Susan Waldroop, Interfaith Minister

Rabbi Lori Shaller, Independent Community Rabbi

The Rev. Stephen Harding, Rector, Grace Church Vineyard Haven

Rabbi Sam Blumberg, Temple Beth Am, Framingham

Rabbi Shani Rosenbaum, Hebrew College

Rev. Jane S. Lawrence, Union Combined Parish

Rev. Dieufort J. Fleurissaint, Total Health Christian Ministries

Rev. John Gibbons, Arlington Street Church, Boston

Rev. James W.S. Yansen Jr., Hyde Park Seventh Day Adventist Church, Hyde Park

​​Bishop Raymond Hall, Deliverance Temple Worship Center, Columbia Road, Dorchester

Rev. Dr. Arlene Hall, Deliverance Temple Worship Center, Columbia Road, Dorchester 

Cantor Jodi Sufrin

Cantor Roy Einhorn, Temple Israel, Boston

Rev. Cathlin Baker, First Congregational Church, West Tisbury

Cantor Shanna Zell

Rev. Colin Leitch, Church on the Hill, Boston

Rev. Malia Crawford, Church of Our Saviour, Arlington

The Rev. Greg Johnston, St. John's Episcopal Church, Charlestown

Rev. Cynthia Hubbard,  St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, Edgartown

Rev. Kim K. Crawford Harvie, Arlington Street Church (Unitarian Universalist), Boston

The Rev. John Beach, St. John's Episcopal Church, Saugus

Rev. Dr. George Walters-Sleyon, People's AME Church, Revere

Rabbi Jordy Callman

Rev. Bill Ragan, Old South Church, Boston