At-Large Councilor Louijeune Delivers Her Maiden Speech

“Believing in shared prosperity must mean that if this City is thriving financially, all of our residents are thriving financially. Shared prosperity means that if we have a construction industry that is booming, we have residents who are able to find housing and employment. Shared prosperity means that if we feel safe and free then all of our communities - including our migrant communities - should feel safe and free, whether here or at the border. Unfortunately, this isn’t happening,” said Councilor Louijeune.



During this week’s Council meeting, Councilor Louijeune offered two hearing orders and a resolution to show how Boston can achieve shared prosperity: Order for a hearing to explore municipal bonds and other fiscal options to increase affordable housing and community investments, Order for a hearing regarding biannual review of the Boston Employment Commission and Boston Residents Jobs Policy, and Resolution calling on the Biden Administration to cease deportations of Haitian migrants under Title 42.



“Behind each of these ideas, there is a way for us to do right by each other, for us to do right by our neighbors and for us to do right by our neighborhoods,” said Councilor Louijeune. She discussed her childhood, what it was like growing up in Mattapan and what she learned from a young age about shared prosperity and using one’s harvest to help others grow theirs.



Councilor Louijeune finds herself asking, “How are we looking out for each other? Who gets a share in this City’s wealth and prosperity?” “Certainly, right now, it’s not everyone,” she said. “One of the wealthiest cities in this country is one of the most unequal. [...] What can we do to make things better? Those are the hearing orders I filed today.”



Her hearing order to explore municipal bonds and other fiscal options to increase affordable housing and community investments was assigned to the Committee on Ways and Means. Her hearing order regarding biannual review of the Boston Employment Commission and Boston Residents Jobs Policy was assigned to the Committee on Labor, Workforce and Economic Development. The resolution calling on the Biden Administration to cease deportations of Haitian migrants under Title 42 was adopted.



Listen to Councilor Louijeune’s maiden speech.