City Agency

The Neighborhood Response Team (NRT), a cross-departmental group representing Public Works, Transportation, Inspectional Services, and the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services, seeks to address the local and specific issues affecting Boston's neighborhoods. Meeting with residents, community organizations, and numerous municipal bodies, the Team will focus on basic city services and improvements such as street lighting and sidewalk repairs, prioritizing trash and debris removal, and cracking down on problem properties and health and safety violations.

As of Nov. 2011, there are three regular NRT meetings, to address Mattapan, Codman Square, and Four Corners; Dudley Square and Blue Hill Ave.; and the Bowdoin-Geneva areas. The meetings are co-chaired, with one chair representing an official body (such as the Office of Health and Human Services) and other representing area residents. 

The Mattapan/Codman Square/Four Corners meeting covers city services, with (as of Nov. 2011) a noted emphasis on foreclosure/absenteeism.

Likewise, the Dudley/Blue Hill Ave. meeting covers city services. Prostitution is seen to be particularly bad problem in the area and many interdepartmental actions have worked to address this issue (as of Nov. 2011).

The Bowdoin-Geneva meeting incorporates human services in addition to city services, with an emphasis on youth development and violence prevention -- specifically, the Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative. See a release on the formation of the Bowdoin-Geneva NRT here.

The Violence Intervention & Prevention (VIP) Initiative aims to prevent violence and promote positive youth development in the City of Boston through a commitment to active and genuine collaboration between youth, residents, community organizations, and city agencies. VIP seeks to implement conflict resolution and peer mediation skills training in schools and community centers, develop a youth-driven social marketing campaign, support community mobilization efforts in five high-need neighborhoods, and ensure access to out-of-school time opportunities for youth.

The neighborhoods are: Bowdoin St. / Geneva Ave.; Grove Hall; Morton St. / Norfolk St.; Orchard Gardens and ----? 

The mission of PACT is to increase community safety in neighborhoods by developing a comprehensive strategy that improves collaboration and effectiveness among public safety agencies, city agencies, state agencies, social service

In July 2010, the City of Boston announced its new initiative to combat gang violence by working with the families and neighbors of the area’s most dangerous offenders. Partnerships Advancing Communities Together, also known as Boston PACT, arose out of the increase in random, senseless youth violence where more and younger innocent bystanders were being shot and killed in Boston. PACT has identified 200 to 300 of the city’s some 3,500 gang affiliates, and has distributed the list of high-risk individuals to law enforcement and social service agencies so that the groups can work together to support the individuals, their family members and neighborhoods. The hope is that, through social and financial support, the community along with city, state and federal officials can provide incentive to draw people out of gangs or keep them from joining in the first place. 

BCYF is committed to providing high-quality, outcome-driven programs that are responsive to neighborhood needs. To reach this goal, we have developed a comprehensive program framework known as ACES:Arts, Community & Civic engagement, Education, and Sports. Each of BCYF’s community centers offers a unique approach to ACES and opportunities vary from center to center.