The City of Boston announced Monday that it will launch a program to house families with students in Boston Public Schools at risk of becoming homeless during the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Mayor Marty Walsh said the city would issue 1,000 vouchers to families to help with their housing issues.
“We know that anxiety about housing goes beyond making payments,” Walsh said. “Homelessness creates barriers for our students to succeed [as well].”
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Of the vouchers, 500 will go to BPS families living in shelters with the remainder going to families who may lose housing.
The number of COVID-19 cases in Boston has risen to 825, according to Walsh. Fifty-five people have made a full recovery as of Monday, he added. As the number of cases rises in Boston, city officials say the virus is attacking people of all ages — not just the elderly and infirm.
“As of this point we’re not seeing a huge disproportionate impact [on a particular demographic group],” said Marty Martinez, Boston's chief of Health and Human Services. “That doesn’t mean we’re not looking at individual pockets in individual neighborhoods.
“Coronavirus is in each of our neighborhoods,” he continued. “I do think it’s important to note that close to 50% of cases are in people under the age of 39.”
Martinez said that looking at the virus’ effects on different populations within the city will be examined as data becomes available.
“The more data we get, the more we will be able to look at trends,” he said. “And also target interventions and services at particular areas."
Walsh also said that he is waiting on pending state legislation to address issues of tax relief during the crisis.
He said he hopes to delay property tax payment until June and forgive late fees for meal tax payments.
