Bostonist learned from today's Globe that Boston City Councilman Paul Scapicchio (about whom some unrelated, but interesting, news here) wants to change the rules regarding affordable housing lotteries to give priority to neighborhood residents. In the past, similar rules were rejected on the (probably correct, we suspect) theory that favoring neighborhood residents would perpetuate racial segregation (because new housing in, say, a mostly white neighborhood would end up going mostly to white people). But Scapicchio and others are backing the move now because, Scapicchio says, the problem of racial segregation in Boston has been supplanted by gentrification. To this, Bostonist can only say, unironically, "Really?"
We certainly cannot deny that gentrification is an issue, and that affordable housing is scarce and precious (Bostonist is currently vying for one of two available affordable units in a Somerville development; judging from the turnout at the required informational meeting this week, our chances are about 1 in 100). But we're not so sure that segregation is a problem of the past. The fact that Boston as a whole is more diverse now than it was twenty years ago doesn't mean it's more integrated, as Scapicchio's North End district demonstrates. The Councilor optimistically says that "there's a large enough percentage of people of all different races living in most of the neighborhoods that neighborhood preference wouldn't have to mean white preference." Color Bostonist unconvinced.
We also wonder whether preferences might be unfair to residents of neighborhoods where developers fear to tread, since they'd never get preference on new housing (since there's no profit to be made from luxury condos in Mattapan) (yet). Of course, this is all just idle speculation since the Boston Redevelopment Authority (whose acronym is second in our hearts only to the Mass. Organization of State Engineers and Scientists) has doubts about the legality of neighborhood preferences. In the mean time, Bostonist will keep hoping that the bottom falls out of the housing market so we can afford a two-bedroom apartment while our son is still young enough to live with us (we have some time).
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