As long as I’ve lived in Boston, I’ve lived in substandard housing. I am a full-time worker who pays 45 percent of my post-tax income for substandard housing. Despite this, I consider myself lucky: lucky to have a job, lucky to have an apartment I can afford, and lucky that my living conditions aren’t worse. This is where I’m coming from when I approach building proposals like the one at 3716 Washington Street. Similar projects are going through the Article 80 process in my own neighborhood of Brighton. I wasn’t present at the public meeting for 3716 Washington, but I watched the video on the City’s website.

Business owners were angry. Property owners were angry. Residents? Not so much. That’s not to say they didn’t have concerns, because they did—mainly regarding affordability, alleyway traffic, and the disruption that construction will cause. The longest and most impassioned comment of the night was Michael West’s vehement opposition. While I understand his desire to keep Brady and Fallon’s services “dignified and solemn,” I do question this as a legitimate reason to stop construction nearby. Should no work be permitted in the vicinity of the funeral home as long as it operates?

The developers and the city must minimize disruption to existing residents and businesses to the greatest possible extent. The concerns voiced on this subject at the meeting were sensible. It also remains true that high-density, affordable housing near public transit hubs is what the working people of Boston need, from Brighton to JP and beyond. Each project that moves forward allows people like me to access dignified living conditions.

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Sincerely,

Natasha Buckman

Brighton