State Representative Jay Livingstone paid a visit to his constituents at Rogerson Communities’ Beacon House on May 20. The representative brought doughnuts and coffee with him to the building’s community room and spent the next hour and a half meeting residents, telling them about his work at the State House just down the street, and fielding questions and concerns they brought up. The informal chat was attended by more than a dozen residents. 

Livingstone has represented much of Boston’s Beacon Hill neighborhood in the Massachusetts legislature for well over a decade, but not Beacon House specifically until a recent redistricting. He notes that it’s a priority for him to visit local affordable housing and speak to residents regularly. 

“I find that people are often having difficulty navigating the social safety net, and it’s my job to help them,” he says.  

During this visit, the concerns raised by residents were wide-ranging, including the contents of the state budget recently passed by the House of Representatives. Livingstone reviewed some high-profile line items, from cultural mainstays like the Boston Museum of Science and annual Independence Day fireworks to initiatives crucial to many tenants at Beacon House, like Medicaid and food distribution.  

Naturally, the topic of housing affordability in the state was top-of-mind for those in the room; several asked what lawmakers are doing to address the issue, particularly for older adults. A resident pointed out that affordable housing access often hinges on a specific legal definition of “affordable,” which in some cases can be as high as 70% of the area median income — in Boston, a threshold that’s still far out of reach for many on fixed incomes.  

“It’s the biggest problem in the state,” Livingstone agreed, pointing out the legislature’s efforts to address it by easing regulations on accessory dwelling units and promulgating the MBTA Communities Act. “But we need to do more.” 

By the time the session wrapped up, everyone who wanted a word with the representative had been heard. Livingstone reflects that he saw a clear theme in their comments and questions to him. 

“I think people are very concerned about what [the U.S. Congress] is doing,” he says, “how they’re trying to cut the social safety net for the benefit of wealthy people who don’t need the money. But almost the entire state budget is the social safety net — it’s the envy of the country in a lot of ways. I’ve spoken to my colleagues, and we’re all determined to continue to provide the robust social safety net that we have to the best of our ability.”