Community:

The primary market of The Partnership is the Blue Hill Avenue Corridor, which falls within the Boston neighborhoods of Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan. The statistics and research studies described below directly shape and guide The Partnership’s strategy and program activities. A growing body of evidence shows significant negative impacts result from an aged and poorly maintained housing stock; unsurprisingly, this disproportionately affects poorer members of the Boston community, particularly children. Market demand for weatherization as a process to improve health outcomes, lower utility costs, and reduce environmental impact has been expanding at a steady pace. While weatherization can yield significant improvements in all three areas, existing programs are insufficient because they are limited in socio-economic scope and fail to create long-term opportunities within the local community. As is highlighted below, demand for the services provided by The Partnership is significant, and meaningful improvements in public health and economic vitality are within reach.

The Partnership’s activities will help alleviate the hardships that low-income people in disadvantaged neighborhoods traditionally face. Our primary service areas of Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan are densely populated by immigrants and people of color: according to data from the 2000 Census, 52% of residents of these neighborhoods identify as Black or African-American, and 15.7% identify as Hispanic. These residents belong to a demographic facing a lengthy and difficult list of obstacles. African Americans in Boston earned a median household income of $30,447 in 2000, approximately 25% less than the city median income of $39,629. Latinos in Boston fared even worse, earning a median household income of $27,141. The 2000 Census reports that 21.4% of individuals in the neighborhoods of Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan live below the poverty line, as compared with the city average of 19.5%. To learn more about the communities serve by The Partnership for Greening Blue Hill Ave., please send an email to info@greeningbluehillave.org