Boston Mayor Michelle Wu responds to a letter from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi demanding that Boston lift its sanctuary city policies, at a press conference in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., August 19, 2025. A sanctuary city is a jurisdiction that has laws and policies that limit or prevent local law enforcement from assisting federal officers with civil immigration arrests. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
(Boston, MA) – As the New England city struggles to balance a budget, Boston is doling out funds to help give queer migrants money for yoga classes, haircuts and massages. They are called “wellness allowances” issued by a nonprofit called OUTnewcomers, which works alongside the Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Advancement. It is part of the group’s “Project: ‘Belonging Matters’” and they say it is an effort to alleviate trauma of LGBTQ+ migrants.
There is no verified data on the amount of migrants in Boston that identify as queer or trans. Vouchers provided by the group for the services range from $250 to $500, and can only be used in the city of Boston at local businesses. It is not clear how much in tax payer funds the mayor allocated to this specific program, but the MOIA announced it has awarded over $1 million in grants to local orgs for “community-led mental health and well-being programming”. Meanwhile the city did reveal there is a $48.4 million budget deficit.