Garrison sworn in to City Council
Vows to help homeless vets, make housing affordable
Althea Garrison says she’s bringing a fresh voice to the progressive City Council and vows to tackle veteran homelessness and the issue of affordable housing with rent control.
“Affordable housing — not the housing that they’re calling affordable, but it’s not affordable,” the 78-year-old said when asked about her new office priorities. “… It’s the same thing with the seniors. A lot of the seniors are being priced out of their homes. So, I want to make sure that they can afford to stay in the city of Boston.”
Garrison was sworn in to the council Wednesday and will serve out the remaining term of former At-Large Councilor and current U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley.
But the newest councilor, Garrison, a Trump supporter whose political views widely oppose her predecessor and many of the other current members of the council, said she has plans beyond just filling out the remaining term.
“For those of you wondering if I will be running for reelection, the answer is yes,” Garrison said in a brief speech addressing her new colleagues and folks in attendance at City Hall.
The seat isn’t the first time Garrison, who has run for plenty of public offices, will have actually served. In 1992, she was a state representative, winning the nod after incumbent Democrat Nelson Merced filed his papers incorrectly and was kicked off the ballot.
Garrison sat quietly for most of Wednesday’s council meeting, taking notes and occasionally raising her hand for her name to be added to agenda items that were read.
She emphasized her advocacy of veterans and senior citizens both during her speech and to reporters after the ceremony, adding that the issue of homeless veterans is something she “dearly and compassionately” cares about. Her first move in office was to hire Mark Murphy, a political newcomer who spent 10 years in the National Guard, as her chief of staff.
Though Garrison’s political views on paper differ from his, Mayor Martin J. Walsh said he plans to work with the newest councilor.
“We all disagree on issues, and we all agree on certain things,” Walsh said. “I don’t look at it that way. I think that you have a body of government that’s made up very differently, and it’s important to have different perspectives and different understandings, and I look forward to working with the councilor.”
He added: “We need different voices to have different perspectives, because I don’t have all the answers and I’m not always right. And no councilor is always right, so I think it’s important for us to always work together.”