Copyright Boston.com
Housing affordability and public safety emerged as top reader concerns. As Mayor Michelle Wu prepares to begin her second term leading the city of Boston, readers have made it clear what they hope she’ll focus on first: making the city more affordable and keeping its residents safe. In an informal Boston.com poll asking readers what issues they want the mayor to prioritize, nearly 80 people responded. Housing affordability and public safety emerged as the top concerns, capturing a combined 49% of responses. Over a quarter of readers who voted “Other” shared woes that ran the gamut from stopping police corruption to getting rid of bike lanes and reversing academic decline. Many readers expressed frustration about the cost of living in Boston, urging Wu to focus on immediate, tangible solutions. “Promises about housing affordability are meaningless; we need lasting solutions immediately,” said Steph of South Boston. Some readers pointed to specific policy actions Wu could take to ease the pressure on renters and homebuyers alike. “There are many things we can do to lower rent like changing zoning laws, supporting affordable housing development, increasing rent assistance programs, etc. The people of Boston should not have to pay so much money to live here,” said Carol of Quincy. Public safety was another top priority, with several readers saying that despite Wu’s promises to make Boston a city where everyone feels secure, they don’t currently feel that way. “She says we should all feel safe. We don’t currently feel that way,” wrote Tom S. of Braintree. As Wu enters her second term, she faces high expectations from residents eager to see progress on both affordability and safety — two challenges that have defined her first years in office. Below, readers share more about the issues that matter most to them. Responses have been lightly edited for grammar and clarity. What issue should Michelle Wu prioritize first in her next term as mayor of Boston? Public safety “Drug addicts have been displaced but are still roaming the streets, congregating in places like Downtown Crossing. If less drugs find their way into the city and more treatment options available, these addicts may have a chance to survive. Work in this area has been ongoing, but still needs to be on the short list of priorities for Boston.” – Glenn P., Watertown “Like many Democratic politicians, this mayor is more focused on picking fights with Donald Trump than fixing the real problems facing Bostonians. That’s her party’s agenda — not the will of the people. Instead of attacking Trump to score political points, she should focus on the crisis here at home: homelessness, drug abuse, shoplifting, and crime … It’s time for her to put party politics aside and start working for the people of Boston — like the public servant she was elected to be.” – Shawn N., Dorchester “Since Wu has been soft on correcting on-going issues with Mass/Cass and the Common, it has been allowed to spread to other areas of the city. Residents who invested so much to be in Boston, don’t feel the city is on their side to make them feel safe.” – James, Quincy Housing affordability “To maintain Boston’s vibrancy, it needs to be a city for all, and the cost of housing is making that less likely. For years, the city and region have done a woeful job of building enough housing. Hoping things will change and not doing anything about restrictive zoning and red tape, while raising linkage fees is not the recipe to change our housing trajectory. Other cities that have been more proactive about building have seen declines in housing costs since their spike after the pandemic.” – Michael G., South End “[Wu] should focus on both attracting and retaining families in every neighborhood, so they become communities once again. Families desire affordable, modestly spacious homes, and great community schools(elementary and high school) that are close to their homes. … Boston’s neighborhoods are best served as communities, not areas to carelessly pillage for thoughtless development and real estate transactions.” – Phil C., Charlestown “Housing/rent prices in Boston and the surrounding area have gotten out of control. We need more housing to be built, ensuring it’s affordable and making sure that developers and landlords don’t get to keep increasing their rents outpacing the cost of living.” – H.S., South End “All that’s built are ‘luxury condos.’ It’s time to build housing for the middle and working classes.” – Joseph Z., Boston “Tearing down single family homes to build soul-less multiunit boxes of ‘luxury’ condos. The new zoning doesn’t encourage anyone to build anything affordable so the long time residents and workers are forced out.” – Jim, East Boston Infrastucture “The traffic patterns should be scrutinized by computers so that it is easier to get around the city and the lights are not unnecessarily short. There are some intersections which are bottlenecks because of the timing of the lights, and this could be easily taken care of. I live in Savin Hill and the parking has become very restrictive. People without permits should be allowed to park on the street after 4 p.m. rather than 6 p.m., as few people are parking here to take the T from outside the neighborhood and it is viewed by many as simply a way for the city to make free income. The parking is too restrictive and has gone overboard.” – Robert C., Dorchester “It’s no secret that housing is a crisis in Boston, so buildings are going up everywhere in East Boston. But what we’re forgetting about is the increase in traffic as a result of these new developments. You absolutely cannot travel anywhere in Boston within a reasonable timeframe anymore, and it’s significantly impacting the quality of life for all Bostonians. Please, stop throwing up buildings everywhere without considering the consequences.” – Carol, East Boston Boston.com occasionally interacts with readers by conducting informal polls and surveys. These results should be read as an unscientific gauge of readers’ opinion.
