The City of Boston’s first “NeighborHUB” opened in June at the Tobin Community Center on Mission Hill, according to a press release.
The NeighborHUB program is designed to offer City Hall services to residents in their neighborhoods. The program was inspired by the City Hall to Go Truck, except NeighborborHUB will create physical, permanent sites in Boston Centers for Youths & Families community centers.
“Easy, convenient access to City Hall services is a cornerstone of connecting with residents, and I’m pleased that through the City Hall to Go program we have been able to reach more residents than ever before and provide them with access to City services at different locations across the city,” said Mayor Martin Walsh at the announcement at the Tobin, according to the press release. “We are excited to launch NeighborHUBs to build on the success of the program and offer even more access to the City’s great resources and services to people in their own neighborhoods.”
At each NeighborHUB, residents will be able to take care of their City-related business and learn about new programs and services offered in their neighborhoods.
“City Hall to Go is always looking for creative ways to engage with more residents and deliver the best customer service to them,” said Ben Vainer, director of City Hall to Go. “NeighborHUBs is taking the array of services and resources available through City Hall to Go and bringing them directly to residents in their own neighborhood, with a permanent location in their local community center. We’re excited to kick-off our first NeighborHUB at the Tobin Community Center and encourage everyone to use this great resource available to them.”
The NeighborHUB at the Tobin Community Center will be open three days a week, on Mondays from 2 to 8 p.m., Thursdays from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The premiere of this NeighborHUB is the first phase of a pilot program that by the end of the year will bring NeighborHUBs to different neighborhoods across the city. The other two locations will be identified through community engagement, as well as an effort to geographically reach residents in different parts of the city, and will be announced in the coming months.
The services provided expand upon those offered by the City Hall to Go truck, and include services such as:
- Applying for a resident parking permit
- Receiving recycling and trash stickers
- Downloading City apps
- Learning about Boston Public Schools (BPS) school registration
- Getting a dog license
- Attending office hours to speak with a liaison from the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services
- Getting connected with additional city resources.