Mayoral Candidate Conversations

The Mayoral Candidate Conversations brought together residents and local leaders to discuss three pressing community issues — public health and safety, education, and affordable housing. Community members shared personal stories highlighting challenges at Moakley Park, local school facilities, and the shortage of truly affordable housing.

Candidate Josh Kraft:

• Public Health & Safety: Kraft pledged to restore safety at Moakley Park and surrounding areas by reinstating a needle buyback program, creating a 24-hour recovery campus integrating treatment, mental health services, and housing, and fostering regional cooperation to address addiction and homelessness. He stressed compassion-first approaches while holding individuals accountable when public safety is at risk.

• Education: Kraft called for a full audit of Boston Public Schools’ properties and demographics to plan for the future of facilities like the Tynan, Perkins, and former Gavin schools. He proposed updating the school lottery system (unchanged since 2013), creating vocational hubs, splitting the superintendent’s role to improve operations and academics, and redirecting administrative funds back into classrooms to enhance early literacy and special education support.

• Affordable Housing: Kraft committed to holding developers accountable for promises to keep affordable units on-site, as in the 776 Summer Street project. He supported flexible inclusionary development policies to spur construction, explored surplus school sites for housing, and proposed tax incentives for landlords to keep rents stable. His focus: “availability equals affordability,” with an emphasis on community input in development decisions.

Mayor Michelle Wu:

·         Public Health & Safety – She emphasized the city’s progress in removing encampments, increasing enforcement, and coordinating public health responses. Her administration is working to end outdoor drug use through new partnerships, treatment access, and long-term recovery plans, including efforts to restore a public health recovery campus on Long Island.

·         Education – Wu outlined steps to stabilize enrollment, improve facilities, implement cohesive academic curricula, and expand high-quality programs. She addressed specific South Boston school concerns, including the Tynan, Perkins, and Gavin schools, and noted that future planning will prioritize transparency, community needs, and equitable access to quality education.

·         Affordable Housing – Wu highlighted record investments in affordable housing, creation of over 11,000 units in the past three and a half years, and the city’s strengthened inclusionary development requirements. She committed to maintaining affordability expectations, focusing on seniors and families, and continuing dialogue with the community about projects like 776 Summer Street to ensure on-site affordable units remain a priority.