Affordable Housing
Breakout Session 2024

Develop a roadmap to help address the affordable housing crisis in Boston. This work is crucial to ensure that all residents have access to safe and stable living conditions.

Meet the Speakers!

Gabriele Geller

Gabriele is a seasoned affordable housing professional with
extensive experience across government, nonprofit, and
consulting sectors. Originally from Philadelphia, she has worked
for city government, a Methodist church-based development
group, and New York City’s housing agency. After moving to
Massachusetts, she spent a decade with the Women's Institute for Housing and Economic Development before launching her own consulting firm in 2022. Her clients include state organizations, nonprofits, and the Resettlement Partnership, which focuses on housing for displaced persons through faith-based and refugee organizations.

Kurt Lange

Kurt is the pastor of East Coast International Church in Lynn, which he founded 23 years ago. He also started The Haven Project, the only organization north of Boston focused on case managing homeless young adults aged 17-24. In response to the need for housing, the church is currently developing 48 affordable housing units, including 24 micro-units within their church building. They are also renovating a former "crack house" into 8 transitional units and are working to secure rapid rehousing options, potentially acting as landlords themselves. The church has been involved in affordable housing efforts for about 20 years.

Phil Jones

Phil is from First Church in Cambridge and is active with the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization (GBIO), a power-building group with around 60 member institutions, including churches, temples, mosques, and secular groups. GBIO focuses on organizing to address systemic issues, with past campaigns around the Affordable Care Act and mandatory minimum sentences. Recently, housing has become a key focus, and their latest campaign secured $2.2 billion for rehabilitating state-owned public housing. Phil met Devlin during a zoning battle in Newton, which, though unsuccessful, sparked their alliance.

Devlin Scott

Devlin is the Managing Director at Unite Boston and a pastor at

New City Church in Newton. He is a key organizer for Boston

Flourish and is leading the breakout session on affordable housing alongside Jason Adams. Devlin has been actively involved in affordable housing efforts, facilitating discussions and collaborations. His church aspires to follow in the footsteps of Kurt Lange's church by developing affordable housing on their

property, with guidance from Gabrielle Geller on financial planning. Devlin aims to use Boston Flourish to mobilize the Christian community in Boston to address housing challenges.

Jason Adams

Jason has been in residential real estate for nearly 11 years and is

in his third year co-leading Boston Flourish. He partners with the

Austin Brighton CDC to assist first-time homebuyers and works

with the Boston Housing Authority to help low-income residents