Letter to the Mayor about Jackson Mann Funding

[Nikhil Dasgupta]

Hi All,

Yesterday, ABHC sent a letter to Mayor Michelle Wu and other local government leaders urging the administration to include full funding for a new community center at the Jackson Mann site in the FY27–FY31 Capital Plan. I'm writing to share that letter with you, copied below.

Dear Mayor Wu,

The Allston Brighton Health Collaborative (ABHC) is a neighborhood based public health nonprofit that convenes a network of organizations, advocates, elected officials, and residents to work to improve the systems that impact health and wellbeing in Boston's Allston-Brighton neighborhoods. ABHC works to push forward projects and campaigns based on the community’s needs and wants. For the past 10 years, residents have been advocating for a city-run community center and ABHC supports these efforts plus urges the administration to include full funding for a new community center at the Jackson Mann site in the FY27–FY31 Capital Plan.

Allston and Brighton are two vibrant, dynamic, diverse communities that have been deemed renter-only, transient, majority student neighborhoods, thus overlooking the thousands of residents who have planted deep roots in these communities for decades. Of the nearly 80,000 residents, about 33% of the population is under age 25 and approximately 12.5% are aged 60 or over. Over 40% identify as a race or ethnicity other than White alone and more than 20% of residents are below the poverty line, making up 11.7% of Boston's impoverished population, the third-highest share after Dorchester and Roxbury. Allston-Brighton experiences high rates of asthma, obesity, anxiety and depression. A third space, like a city-run community center, is imperative to not only fostering deep community connections but improving physical and mental health of residents.

We believe that building an equitable Boston means providing to Allston-Brighton the same access to amenities and services as other neighborhoods. The current Jackson-Mann facility does not meet these needs and, according to analysis by the City of Boston, is no longer a safe space for residents. ABHC requests investment in our community through the funding of the Jackson-Mann community center. We are ready to support and partner with this Administration to make this vision a reality.

Sincerely,
Priyanka Rangadass
Executive Director, Allston Brighton Health Collaborative
Allston Resident

Nikhil Dasgupta
Engagement and Operations Manager, Allston Brighton Health Collaborative
Allston Resident

Elaine McCauley Meehan
Grants and Partnerships Manager, Allston Brighton Health Collaborative
Brighton Resident

Jessi Rubin
Food Access Manager, Allston Brighton Health Collaborative
Former Brighton Resident

Jonathan Lee
Transportation and Mobility Manager, Allston Brighton Health Collaborative
Allston Resident