[EXAMPLE] Boston Housing Stability Voucher System

Background and context (including, if applicable, where this idea came from):
Boston renters are being pushed into crisis by rising rents, stagnant wages, eviction risk, and long waits for housing support. People in the People’s Budget process have consistently named housing stability as a top priority, especially for families, seniors, and residents who are one emergency away from losing their homes. This proposal comes from the shared need to prevent displacement and homelessness by providing ongoing rental support that matches the real scale of the problem, while building a multi-year path toward fully meeting community need.

Proposal (including what specifically the money would be spent on):
Create a city-funded Housing Stability Voucher program to keep Boston residents housed and reduce shelter entry by covering the gap between what households can afford and actual rents.

Funding would be used for:

• Direct rental assistance (vouchers/subsidies): Monthly support for eligible households to reduce rent burden and prevent eviction/displacement.

• Lease-up and navigation support: Staff or contracted community partners to help households find units, complete paperwork, and successfully move in.

• Landlord participation supports: A small fund for risk mitigation (e.g., damages beyond security deposit) and incentives to increase landlord participation and unit access.

• Program administration and accountability: Intake systems, eligibility verification designed to be accessible, and public reporting on outcomes and equity.

Proposal cost:
5–10 year vision (meet the need at scale): $1.2B
Year 1 ask (next budget cycle): $120M

City Department that would implement it (if known):
If known: the City’s housing department/office (or relevant housing agency) would administer the program, with contracts to trusted community-based partners for navigation and lease-up support.

How does this proposal align with the People’s Budget values?
This proposal aligns strongly with the People’s Budget values because it is designed to prevent harm, meet needs at the scale communities actually face, and ensure that the people most impacted shape what success looks like.

• Self-determination: Residents facing displacement should be able to stay in their neighborhoods and make stable choices for their lives, rather than being forced into crisis systems.

• Transparency: The program should publish clear eligibility rules, simple application steps, and regular public reporting on who is served, outcomes, and where resources go.

• Care: This is a care-first intervention—keeping people housed by meeting needs, not punishing poverty or waiting until people become unhoused to qualify for help.

• Solidarity: Housing stability supports families, elders, and neighbors across communities, strengthening everyone’s ability to show up for each other and stay rooted.

• Community Wisdom: Program design and priority groups should be shaped by people directly impacted by eviction, displacement, rent burden, and shelter systems—through resident leadership and feedback loops.

• Well-being: Stable housing is a foundation for abundant, joyful lives—supporting health, school stability, employment, and community connection, not just survival.

Reminder: Residents will be asked to consider how proposals align with these values when you vote at the assembly on March 14 and to vote for proposals that align with the values.