Boston Mayor Marty Walsh on Tuesday delivered his inaugural State of the City address at Symphony Hall, where he touted the city’s successes and discussed Boston’s Olympic bid, housing and the Long Island Bridge closure.
"I’m pleased to report that the state of our city is strong, and getting stronger. Our economy is flourishing, and many more people are working." Walsh said in the statement. "I’m also here to recognize our challenges and offer a plan to meet them. For too many of our neighbors quality schools, affordable housing, and a living wage remain out of reach. As Boston approaches its 400th birthday, our goal is a thriving, healthy and innovative city for all; one community that is a global leader for the 21st century."
In his speech, Walsh called Boston’s Olympic ambitions a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" to host an "affordable, sustainable" games.
"I commit to you that we will hold transparent conversations on every impact in every neighborhood," Walsh said in the statement.
On the housing front, Walsh presented many of the goals put forth in his plan released last October, which commits to building 53,000 new housing units in Boston by 2030, including offering 250 city-owned parcels to create homes for low- and middle-income families, making $20 million available for affordable housing and asking colleges and university to create more on-campus housing.
Walsh, who has been open about his struggles with addiction and alcoholism, got personal when discussing the city’s issue with homelessness and the October 2013 closure of the Long Island Bridge and evacuation of its homeless shelter.
"The Long Island Bridge, after years of neglect, had to be shut down. That hit me hard," Walsh said in the statement. "Long Island has played an important role in my life. For years I drove out there, every other week, to share the message of recovery … the people and service providers who were disrupted by this move are not just statistics to me. I know them. I know their stories and their struggles. I have worked, in every way I know how, to help them."
Walsh continued: "That’s why we are building real solutions, right now: We are opening a safe shelter, this week; we are connecting the services and the housing that are bridges to a new life; and we are building the nation’s first Office of Recovery Services."
Walsh dedicated a large portion of his speech to discussing education, and paid tribute to the victims of the violence in Paris, two firefighters and a police officer who lost their lives serving the city and his late predecessor Thomas Menino.
