Boston housing and immigration officials warn FY27 budget will have fewer federal dollars

BOSTON — March 5, 2026 — Boston's Ways and Means Committee hears pre-budget warnings on housing and immigration funding gaps. Chair Ben Weber convened the March 5 hearing as an early look before the mayor's FY27 budget is released in April, with Chief of Housing Sheila Dillon and Director of Administration and Finance Rick Wilson warning that the expiration of roughly $240 million in one-time ARPA funds — nearly half the city's total ARPA allocation, all of which must be spent by the end of calendar year 2026 — will sharply reduce resources for housing development, acquisitions, and homebuyer assistance. Wilson said the office receives approximately $75 million annually from HUD and identified the continuum of care grant, which supports more than 1,000 Boston households in permanent supportive housing, as the office's gravest federal concern, citing active litigation and an injunction protecting current access. Director of the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Advancement Monique Wynn told the committee the city's $900,000 in immigrant legal access grant funding this fiscal year met only 39 percent of documented need, with 50 residents seeking legal help weekly. Weber closed by calculating that full legal services demand implies a $2.3 million annual target, to which Wynn replied: "That would be a dream come true."