City to funnel stimulus cash to housing
$33m Roslindale project expected to create 700 jobs
The city plans to put its first millions in federal stimulus cash to work as early as next month as part of the redevelopment of the Washington-Beech housing development in Roslindale, Mayor Thomas M. Menino said yesterday.
The Boston Housing Authority outlined plans yesterday to spend $33.3 million of the funds flowing to the city from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act over the next year on long-planned improvements to public housing and on the energy efficiency of some residences.
The mayor's office said yesterday that the spending plan will create about 700 jobs over the next few years, but there is no guarantee that all the jobs will go to Bostonians. Yesterday, two city councilors called on the mayor to monitor who is getting the construction jobs.
The first $10 million will be used to complete the first phase of the redevelopment of the Washington-Beech housing development, including the construction of 100 affordable apartments and improvements to the site. Future phases of the redevelopment, which already have received significant federal funding, will mean a total of 342 new affordable housing units at Washington-Beech and in the surrounding area.
Menino said yesterday that he believes the planned April 1 start date of construction on the Washington-Beech project made the city one of the first in the nation to use stimulus dollars aimed at housing. Other stimulus-funded projects slated to begin in 2009 include the installation of more energy-efficient lighting and heating at several housing developments ($5 million); upgrades to bathrooms in several of the housing authority's oldest developments ($10 million); heating and cooling system improvements ($5 million); and security camera installation ($1 million).
"Washington-Beech is just the beginning," Menino said.
City Councilors Michael Flaherty and Chuck Turner said yesterday that they wanted the city to ensure that at least half the construction jobs generated by the stimulus money went to Boston residents. Since the 1980s, the city has had a Boston Residents Jobs policy that strives to have at least half of the workers on city-funded projects be from Boston. City reviews have shown those goals often are not met.
"Compliance with respect to our Boston Jobs Residency Policy has been dismal," said Flaherty, who is running for mayor this fall. "That money needs to go to people who live in our city, not people from New Hampshire, not people from Rhode Island, not people from outside the neighborhoods of our city."
Menino agreed that the focus should be on hiring Boston residents, but he said it is not always possible, contending that there has to be enough trained workers.
"We want to make sure the stimulus money is going to Boston," Menino said in an interview after the Washington-Beech announcement. "On the big projects, we have met the goals."
Paul Lynch, an official with Ironworkers Local 7 who attended the announcement, said the stimulus money was a great boon for area workers.
"We'll always try to make the percentages," Lynch said of the residency goals.
John C. Drake can be reached at jdrake@globe.com. 
