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For kids in public housing, access to higher-income neighbors spurs future economic gains – The Boston Globe
Now, research shows the redesign substantially improved the lives of the children who grew up there. The main reason for these outcomes: increased interactions with people who live nearby, the higher income the better.
Compared to kids raised in similar but unchanged public housing, those raised in Hope VI sites are more likely to go to college and less likely to be incarcerated, and earn more money, according to the research from Harvard’s Opportunity Insights, an economic mobility nonprofit.
Researchers found little difference for adults, but for children, each year spent in these renovated spaces increased their adult household income by 2.8 percent. All told, those born and raised there earned 50 percent more over their lifetimes, compared to those who grew up in more isolated and impoverished surroundings.
The new Old Colony complex is fully integrated into the neighborhood around it, with updated architecture, landscaped grounds, and streets running through it. Outsiders regularly walk their dogs or jog through, sometimes even stopping to say hello, Moreta said, likely unaware they’re in the midst of public housing. There are fewer police sirens, fewer safety concerns — and a lot less stigma.
Moreta’s two older children were already grown by the time the project was completed last year. But her younger daughter, Brianny, who’s 14, is benefiting.
“My older children would feel like scum, because that’s how other people would make them feel,” Moreta said in Spanish, through an interpreter.
With the redevelopment, that sense of “otherness” has lifted, she said: “They don’t see us as criminals anymore.”
Public housing was started by the federal government in the 1930s as a way to get people out of overcrowded slums. The buildings were situated on “super blocks” closed off from the street grid to keep cars from driving through, and to keep children safe, said Alexander von Hoffman, a senior research fellow at Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies.
But eventually, these secluded spaces isolated residents and provided cover for criminal activity. In time, working-class families increasingly left public housing, prompting authorities to admit more single parents and welfare recipients, said von Hoffman, who has researched the history of public housing. Crime and disorder increased, maintenance faltered, and buildings fell into disrepair.
By the 1980s, public housing was in crisis.
Old Colony was no exception. Kevin Weeks, an associate of notorious gangster James “Whitey” Bulger grew up there, and their organized crime ring took over a liquor store across the street.
Moreta’s oldest child, Samuel, was a baby when they moved into Old Colony in 1999. Back then, the complex was row after row of identical brick buildings, encircled by streets that cordoned it off from the rest of the neighborhood. Inside, there were cockroaches and mold, peeling paint and crumbling walls. Homeless people came inside to sleep and do drugs in the stairwells. Gun shots and drunken fights broke out in the street.
At school, Samuel’s rowdy behavior was dismissed as him being a “project kid.” At home, he saw neighbors walking by with a “clutch of a purse,” and he avoided them as well.
“I think subconsciously what it did … is hold off me being able to make connections with certain people sometimes, because I don’t know what their intentions are,” said Samuel, who asked that his last name not be used to protect his privacy.
The government started revamping these deteriorating housing developments in 1993. In Boston, Old Colony was the last of five to undergo a transformation. Housing developments in Cambridge, Taunton, New Bedford, and Holyoke were also part of the Hope VI makeover.
Researchers at Opportunity Insights, led by famed economist Raj Chetty, began studying tax and housing data of people living in these resuscitated spaces. Earlier research by Chetty showed that families who move to higher-income neighborhoods improve their children’s future success, and he wanted to know if bringing opportunity to lower-income families would produce better outcomes, too.
It did — by breaking up the concentration of poverty and increasing social interactions between children of different income levels, said Matthew Staiger, coauthor of the Opportunity Insights study. Cellphone data, Facebook connections, and Census records showed that children who grew up in Hope VI developments were more likely to befriend and later live with peers from outside public housing.
The rate of violent crime in refurbished projects fell by 41 percent compared to untouched ones, national police records show.
Before, segregated public housing likely reinforced the idea that lower-income kids were different and better economic opportunities were not for them, Staiger said.
“Interacting with and befriending kids from higher-income families changes your aspirations and what you think is possible for yourself,” Staiger said. “It changes how you think you fit into the world.”
Occupants of reconfigured housing developments in disadvantaged areas, on the other hand, didn’t experience any economic gains during the same time period.
Not all Hope VI public housing residents are happy with how things have changed. Only about a fifth of residents came back after they moved out during construction, including some who had settled elsewhere in their years away. Others were screened out by criminal background checks and drug tests.
At Washington Beech in Roslindale, resident Meena Carr said the formerly close-knit community is no longer.
“There’s no togetherness,” said Carr, 84, a retired teacher originally from Trinidad and Tobago. “It looks nice, but inside is rotten.”
There are no more bingo nights, no coffee hours. Even the basketball court, formerly used by kids from around the neighborhood, is fenced off with a sign reading: “This is not a public playground.”
Regardless, the Boston Hope VI properties are better off than some because they are all located in or near wealthy, resource-rich areas, said Kenzie Bok, administrator of the Boston Housing Authority, and because the housing authority gets more grants from the city than from the federal government, which has been cutting funds for public housing.
The key, said Bok, is that these new apartments make children feel valued at an impressionable time in their lives.
“It’s going to embolden you in making those connections, feeling like those people and those resources are available to you, that they’re for you,” Bok said.
The economic gains weren’t due to the new mix of residents, noted Staiger, the Opportunity Insights study coauthor. The longer a child lived in a redeveloped property, the better he or she did later in life. Younger siblings who lived in these new spaces longer than an older brother or sister went on to outearn them, Staiger said, and this shows that the environment played a role in their outcomes.
Von Hoffman, at the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, questioned the implication that “poor people left to their own devices will just wallow in the slums.”
This criticism has been raised before. But the real takeaway, Staiger stressed, is that it’s harmful to wall people off from society.
Moreta, at Old Colony, can already feel the difference. She and her family moved to another public housing complex during the final phase of construction, and came back about a year ago. Her new apartment is spacious, with high ceilings and central air conditioning. Security cameras and key cards make the property more secure.
More than anything, she said, she finally feels like she belongs.
“Everything has changed because the appearance of the buildings has changed,” said Moreta, who works in a high school cafeteria.
Her daughter Brianny, who is finishing up her freshman year, gets straight A’s. Her friends sometimes joke about her being from “the projects,” her mother said, but, so far, she isn’t experiencing the discrimination and stress that Samuel did.
And she’s thinking big. Samuel, now 27, recently told Brianny, who loves to draw, she should think about art school.
“Art school?” she scoffed. “I’m aiming for Harvard.”
This story was produced by the Globe’s Money, Power, Inequality team, which covers the racial wealth gap in Greater Boston. You can sign up for the newsletter here.
Katie Johnston can be reached at katie.johnston@globe.com. Follow her @ktkjohnston.
Boston Celtics
“The respect for Joe Mazzulla, the way he might see that roster … I think it’s worth watching.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s trade rumors seem to evolve weekly, but two teams have been linked to the former NBA champion and league MVP more than any others: the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat.
Since trade rumors initially picked up early in the offseason, it’s believed that Antetokounmpo’s preferred trade destination is a title contender in the Eastern Conference. Outside of the obvious Knicks, who are up 2-0 in the NBA Finals, there are a handful of teams that fit that bill: Detroit, Cleveland, Philadelphia, and Orlando could be considered in that tier of Eastern Conference teams.
However, most teams that have the assets to trade for Antetokounmpo would need to gut the better parts of their lineup in order to make a legal trade happen, and that would make them less likely to be contenders.
That’s the advantage Boston seemingly possesses over just about every other team Antetokounmpo would be willing to play for: its roster would not be depleted in the process of acquiring the ‘Greek Freak’.
Speaking on the Dan Patrick Show, The Athletic’s Sam Amick said the rumors of Antetokounmpo to the Celtics have some serious traction, at least on Antetokounmpo’s end.
“Miami is the loudest noise, you continue to hear that … yes, it appears everybody you talk to says Miami at the deadline had a deal that was close,” Amick said. “So the noise is tied to Miami, but there’s also some understanding that Giannis has questions about what that Miami roster would look like on the other side of the deal.
“I think the Celtics are a pretty intriguing option in terms of being competitive,” Amick added. “This is something we’ve heard from Giannis’s side that the intrigue is real. The respect for Joe Mazzulla, the way that he might see that roster. Do I think it changes things? I don’t know yet. But I think it’s worth watching.”
The seemingly obvious piece for Boston to send back, whether to the Bucks or a third involved team, is Jaylen Brown. Brown has a similar contract to Antetokounmpo’s, and is a quality enough player that he could be the only player the Celtics trade away in the deal, giving them plenty of runway to compete for a championship in the aftermath.
So, from a salary cap-balancing perspective, the trade could be done easily. But Boston will have other factors to consider. Does the fit with Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum together make sense and will it lead to a better title shot? And, even if Brad Stevens thinks it is, does it make sense to trade away your longest tenured player who has already proven he can win a championship alongside Tatum.
Brown’s name has been dangled in a few different rumored trade scenarios over the last few offseasons, but no other occasion has had this much traction behind it.
And for the Bucks, trading Antetokounmpo appears to be a near-certainty at this juncture.
“It seems very likely … it’s not often you have an owner publicly framing the timeline, and that’s what Jimmy Haslem did. We just saw Jimmy Haslem do a blockbuster trade with Myles Garrett in the NFL, showing he’s certainly ready to pull that trigger if he needs to. I do expect it to happen.”
So the Heat and Celtics, who have built quite a fierce rivalry in the 21st century, and especially with their recent playoff clashes, will be pitted against each other once more. This time, Antetokounmpo is up for grabs.
Stevens entered the offseason saying he’d do everything in his power to make Boston a more competitive team and bring them another championship. He also said he’d take a dunk over a 3-pointer on every possession if he could. If he lands Antetokounmpo, he just might get both his wishes.
Getty
The Boston Red Sox are currently resisting becoming significant sellers in the trade market. At the moment, Boston sits last in the American League East at eight games under .500. Despite entering 2026 with high hopes, the club has struggled mightily during the first half of the season. Because of this, many believe that the Red Sox will make some significant moves this summer.
Nevertheless, WEEI’s Rob Bradford is now reporting that Boston officials are rebuffing outside interest in three key relief pitchers. According to Bradford, teams asking about the possible availability of Aroldis Chapman, Garrett Whitlock, and Justin Slaten are being turned away. The reporter, however, specifically claims that the club is rejecting potential offers as of right now.
The situation regarding the trio could certainly change in the near future. Assuming the Red Sox continue to falter, team officials may eventually opt to offload the standout relievers. So far this season, Chapman, Whitlock, and Slaten have been three of the team’s top pitchers in their bullpen. Chapman has allowed one earned run all season, while Whitlock and Slaten have provided stability working ahead of the closer.
Whitlock has been out of action since landing on the injured list on May 28 with knee inflammation. The reliever is expected to return to Boston’s bullpen in the coming days, though. Chapman is also dealing with an injury issue. Red Sox manager Chad Tracy confirmed on June 5 that the closer is enduring a “minor hamstring” problem. So far, Chapman has avoided the IL.
Boston Red Sox Eyeing Other Deals as Chapman, Whitlock, and Slaten are Off Limits
GettyAroldis Chapman would receive plenty of interest if the Boston Red Sox opt to trade him.
While the Boston Red Sox are holding on to their top relievers for now, they are willing to offload Connor Wong. According to The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey, team officials are gauging interest in the backup catcher. The veteran backstop is available for trade because Boston has three catchers on the roster. Along with Wong, the Red Sox also have Carlos Narvaez and Mickey Gasper at the position. McCaffrey believes that Boston prefers to keep Gasper over Wong.
The Red Sox, however, are also being linked with making a key addition to the roster. ESPN’s Buster Olney recently claimed that Boston is specifically looking to acquire a right-handed hitter. With Trevor Story and Caleb Durbin struggling, Willson Contreras and Ceddanne Rafaela are currently the club’s two most prominent righties in the lineup. Not only are the Red Sox eyeing a new bat, but they are willing to spend significant money to do so.
Boston Likely to Become Sellers if Struggles Continue
Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has admitted that the club is being patient in the trade market. According to Breslow, it is just too early in the season to really commit to being a buyer or seller. The exec also claimed that while he is having “a lot of conversations” with other teams, he still believes that his current roster can turn things around.
Nevertheless, the situation can change fairly rapidly if Boston does not start to improve quickly. The Red Sox are already 11 games back in the division and have to jump six other teams to be in a wild card place. Boston will try to get a win streak going when they face the New York Yankees on Saturday, June 6.
Christopher Moore Christopher Moore has been a Heavy.com contributor since 2025. With over a decade of experience in the industry, he has published thousands of articles reporting on multiple professional sports. He was previously a sports writer for World Soccer Talk, the Yahoo! Contributor Network, and the Maryland Sports Blog. More about Christopher Moore
There isn’t a whole lot of heat in this version of the rivalry, but this one felt — and mostly looked — good. The Sox started with a former Yankee, Gray, who matched his season-high with 6⅓ innings, and closed with a former Yankee, Aroldis Chapman, who worked around a pair of walks in the ninth inning to record the save.
Willson Contreras and Andruw Monasterio hit home runs off lefthander Ryan Weathers (six innings, five runs). Contreras added another hit and RBI, and Monasterio snared Anthony Volpe’s line drive up the middle for a rally-killing unassisted double play in the fourth.
“Just a great game all around,” said interim manager Chad Tracy, who visited the current Yankee Stadium for the first time in any capacity.
Gray said: “There was definitely some juice.”
Chapman limped around the mound a bit in pursuit of the save because he has been dealing with a minor hamstring issue for about a week, Tracy said. But he has managed it and was able to pitch in the series opener, albeit wildly.
“We’re keeping an eye on it, but he’s grinding,” Tracy said. “He did a nice job. He obviously didn’t have his command the first couple of hitters, but then, like he always does, bears down and got it done.”
In his return to Yankee Stadium, a personal house of horrors through the years, including his 2017-18 stint with the Yankees, Gray limited the damage to three runs and eight hits. Ben Rice and Trent Grisham tagged him for home runs, but Gray was relieved that they were solo shots — acceptable on a night when he had “not even close” to his sharpest repertoire, he said.
He lowered his ERA in the Bronx to 5.95.
Gray’s outing featured virtually no pushback from the announced crowd of 43,750 (not a sellout).
In December, upon joining the Red Sox via trade with the Cardinals, Gray said that he “never wanted to go [to the Yankees] in the first place” and that it “feels good to me to go to a place now where, you know what, it’s easy to hate the Yankees.” His comments triggered an outrage cycle in New York.
Six months later, New York fans seemed indifferent about it. Gray garnered only a smattering of boos during pregame introductions, when the stands were not even half-full, and no discernable crowd reaction during the game.
Gray wondered if heightened emotion on his side led to his not being in top form.
“I’ll learn from it and be able to control my emotions and my energy and be able to just make pitches,” he said. “Felt really good, but I felt like my stuff just stayed up … It was fun. I’ve been back here and pitched, but first time with the Red Sox. But I’m glad we came away with a win.”
The Sox (27-35) took the lead for good in the third, when Contreras’s two-out check swing resulted in a soft bouncer to the third-base side of the mound. He beat it out for a single.
In the fifth, after the Yankees (37-26) had cut the deficit back to one, Contreras opened it up again with a two-run shot into the second deck in left field.
Lefthander Danny Coulombe relieved Gray in the seventh and got the final two outs of the inning. The last one was harder, though, because Contreras and Monasterio collided and dropped a foul pop from Rice. Monasterio said neither called for it.
Coulombe struck Rice out swinging on the eighth pitch of the at-bat.
“Next time, I’m going to call it,” Monasterio said. “I promise.”
Tim Healey can be reached at timothy.healey@globe.com. Follow him @timbhealey.
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