To the Editor:
Like many of my neighbors, my family has lived on Culbert Street for close to 60 years. We all know each other, grew up together, and have built our lives here, preserving homes that represent both decades of care and generational wealth.
When the Zoning Board of Appeal chair stated in 2023 that “the rights of the many outweigh the rights of seven houses on Culbert Street,” the framing suggested that the long‑time Black homeowners of modest means who live on that street are somehow less entitled to the protection of their property rights than the low‑income renters who would occupy the proposed development at 1471 Blue Hill Ave.
Property rights are not contingent on wealth, political influence, or the size of the group asserting them. They are a protected trust and a moral boundary that public officials are obligated to uphold.
Individuals’ property cannot be taken or diminished without their willing consent. This principle applies with even greater force when the owners are long‑time residents of modest means who have maintained their homes through decades of disinvestment, redlining, and structural inequity. Their rights are no less important simply because they are few. The dignity and security of a small, historically marginalized group cannot be sacrificed for the convenience of others.
Mattapan’s Black homeowners on Culbert Street have lived through generations of discriminatory housing policy. There should be heightened protection for them, not diminished consideration. Their rights stand on equal footing with the rights of the low‑income renters who would live at 1471 Blue Hill Ave.
If the proposed development imposes traffic, safety risks, environmental burdens, or destabilization on a small residential street, our city should prevent that harm – even if the project promises broader benefits.
The modest‑means Black homeowners of Culbert Street are not an acceptable collateral cost. We expect our leaders to uphold justice even when it is politically inconvenient.
That includes the rights of low‑income renters and the rights of long‑time Black homeowners of modest means. One group’s need for housing does not nullify another group’s right to security, stability, and the quiet enjoyment of their home.
The long‑time Black homeowners on Culbert Street are entitled to full protection of their rights. Protecting these homes is also preserving the generational wealth that these families have struggled to secure, often in the face of systemic barriers. Public interest cannot be used to justify disproportionate harm to a small, historically marginalized community. Justice requires that the city safeguard these residents rather than treat them as expendable in the pursuit of broader goals.
-David Venter, Culbert Street, Mattapan
