A message from Councilor Sam Yoon

It never ceases to impress me when I meet a working, single-mom who, in the midst of struggling to make ends meet, is still actively involved in the community…attending crime watch meetings, volunteering at local events or holding campaign signs. With so much on their plate, it is amazing to see these women persevere through adversity, challenge difficult odds and survive among turmoil.

Recently, my wife and I invited a classmate of our son, Nathan, to our home for a Saturday play-date. The mother of Nathan’s classmate, whom I'll call "Mary", is a single-parent, raising three young sons whose fathers are incarcerated. As our children have gotten friendly (Nathan has become like a big brother to her son), I have been able to see Mary deal with various struggles. What is most impressive is her ever-present sense of confidence and unwavering cheerful spirit. Despite her difficulties, Mary smiles with such ease. My appreciation for women who endure under strenuous circumstances has been further reinforced after knowing her.

While my wife and I babysat for the afternoon, Mary was busy finalizing her move to a new residence. The moving process for her was quite challenging, especially with no transportation and living on moderate income. My role as a city legislator has made me even more mindful of the policies created that impact the people who live in the city, especially individuals like Mary.

As I have learned more about state and city housing programs, I am distressed to find that the system is quite convoluted and not very user friendly. I have come to realize that people, like Mary (and others posted on this blog), who have legitimate needs for resources related to finance or housing, become lost and frustrated in a maze of bureaucracy. Although the state and city programs are valuable and do important work, the people who need the programs most are often discouraged or lose motivation as the process to assistance proves to be lengthy and/or scattered.

As an elected official and Chairman of the City Council Housing Committee, I hope to develop ways to detangle the web of housing resources, making it easier for individuals to navigate the system. I want to ensure that those with the most urgent needs are attended to as timely and effectively as possible.

--Sam Yoon, Boston City Councilor At-Large

Comments

[Steve]

I think it's great that you are sharing your thoughts with us. I've been reading this blog and have been shocked to find the struggles that low income women go through to deal with the governmental services that are supposed to be helping them. I know that it's a difficult problem, and I'm glad to see that you looking at their stories and working to find a way to more effectively use our resources. I wish that more of our elected officials could get in touch with the people in this demographic and do more to help them.

[A Boston Resident]

Thank you for sharing your story and supporting low-income mothers. I know you will create change in the current housing system to support us better!