Henry Santana

At-Large Councilor

City Councilor At-Large Henry Santana focuses on expanding opportunities for young people and lowering housing costs for working families. As Chair of the Public Safety Committee, he balances advancing essential police grants with defending city investments in community programs like year-round youth jobs.

⚡ henry santana stance snapshot

Policy Priorities

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Youth Employment:Demanded the city restore $5.9 million in proposed budget cuts to year-round youth programs, making the preservation of 1,800 youth jobs his top priority during the 2026 budget cycle.

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Housing Affordability:Supported eliminating residential parking minimums to reduce construction costs and backed a 2% real estate transfer fee on luxury properties to fund affordable housing initiatives.

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Public Safety Funding:Guided state and federal safety funds through the council, including the Shannon Grant and World Cup preparedness funds, while questioning police leaders on overtime spending and surveillance technologies.

⚡ key discussions

Areas of Council Debate

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Budget Cuts and City Reserves:Strongly opposed the administration's proposed $5.9 million cut to youth jobs and discretionary grants, questioning why the city could not use its $601 million in cash reserves to prevent cuts to community services.

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Supplemental School Funding:Voted against a council resolution calling to restore Boston Public Schools employee funding through a supplemental budget (Docket #1348), parting ways with several colleagues on this specific fiscal mechanism.

Policy Deep-Dive

Policy Stances

Deep Dive on Issues Page →

Zoning & Land Use Modernization

August 5, 2026

Position Summary

Santana prioritizes increasing housing supply through the elimination of restrictive parking minimums for residential development and advocates for modern building code reforms, such as single-stair mid-rise construction. He favors a stakeholder-driven approach to development to reduce barriers and remains cautiously inquisitive regarding the optimal balance between citywide versus localized zoning adjustments.

Tenant Protections & Anti-Displacement

August 5, 2026

Position Summary

He is a strong proponent of rent stabilization ballot initiatives and seeks to build a more proactive housing enforcement system through strengthened enforcement and improved interdepartmental coordination. Furthermore, he emphasizes the critical need for regular, rigorous assessments of the city's Anti-Displacement Action Plan to evaluate its progress in protecting residents, businesses, and cultural assets.

Contact

Emailhenry.santana@boston.gov

Phone617-635-4205

OfficeBoston City Hall 5th Floor Boston , MA 02201 United States

First Elected2023

Official Boston.gov Profile ↗

Recent Council Activity

I also believe that this um deserves a nuance conversation. Um and I just wanted to rise to also just commit to um hosting a hearing if placed in the Public Safety Committee within the 60 days that um the lead sponsor requested.

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If we expect them to protect our communities, we must make sure they are prepared to do so. This is how we build safer workplaces, protect our workers, and create a safer Boston for everyone.

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As the Chair of the Committee on Public Safety and Criminal Justice, I intend to bring the order to accept and expend the FY26 Shannon Grant to the full council for discussion and a vote at our next council meeting next week.

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I support all of the um amendments being put here um specifically because um they're citywide initiatives.

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...are there ways to be able to separate the grant, right? To be able to pass, um, some of the things that we need, and I think, um, be able to, uh, talk more about, um, some of the areas where I think people have concerns.

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Contested Votes

August 26, 2026Voted No

Resolution in support of an investigation by the Massachusetts Secretary of State into incorrect ballots distributed during early voting in Boston and maintaining state receivership of Boston Election Department through the 2028 election

Docket #1616

July 8, 2026Voted Yes

Docket #1344

July 8, 2026Voted No

Docket #1348

Legislation They Sponsored

340 of 340 dockets sponsored or co-sponsored

Issue Area

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Role

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Status

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Docket	Title	Issue Area	Role	Status
#1617	Resolution declaring August 24th as Elizabeth Freeman Day	Arts and Culture	Sponsor	Passed
#1615	Resolution recognizing the City of Chelsea All-America City award	Governance & Oversight	Sponsor	Passed
#1614	Support South End alleyways working group	transportation_and_infrastructurepublic_services	Sponsor	Passed
#1613	Recognize Quality Homes for Humankind		Sponsor	Passed
#1612	Support Head Start and Early Head Start programs	Education	Sponsor	Passed
#1609	Resolution celebrating National Hotel Employee Day		Sponsor	Passed
#1608	Resolution calling for infrastructure solutions to protect waterways from sewer overflows	Transportation and Infrastructure	Sponsor	Passed
#1607	Resolution recognizing September as National Recovery Month		Sponsor	Passed
#1235	Petition for Special Law regarding firefighter pension benefits	Budget & Finance	Sponsor	Passed
#1588	Resolution opposing the leasing of city parking spaces to ICE	Public Services	Sponsor	Passed

Committee Involvement

Chair (2)

Vice Chair (2)

Member (9)