I lived in the Allston-Brighton neighborhood for three years, mostly during law school. During that time, I worked within the Housing Unit at Greater Boston Legal Services and the COVID Eviction Relief Clinic in partnership with WATCH CDC. Within the legal aid organizations, I assisted individuals and families facing eviction and worked on expanding affordable housing through the mayor’s home rule petition on Inclusionary Development Policy and the Linkage statute.

In an effort to continue that work, I joined the Affordable Housing Action Committee in my neighborhood. After listening to the voices of long-term community members, I learned that Allston-Brighton has seen a tremendous interest in development, resulting in rising rents and changing demographics. AHAC is unique in that it incorporates the voices of diverse members of the community to help ensure equity in the wake of new development. As I continue to learn from fellow community members and contribute to campaigns like the Western Avenue redevelopment project, affirmatively furthering fair housing and more, I hope to utilize my resources and knowledge to enhance equity for minorities and low-income individuals. As a Pakistani-American, public interest and first generation lawyer, that goal is reflective of my families’ experience and ethic and AHAC is one such mechanism to achieve that goal.