City Councilor Felix G. Arroyo officially kicked off his mayoral campaign on Saturday in the South End.
Arroyo outlined a series of goals that included improving Boston’s public schools, and having safe and affordable neighborhoods.
“My family, like many families, needed a leg up and needed affordable housing and that was provided for them right here in Villa Victoria,” he said. “Everyone deserves to have a place to live, and that doesn’t happen by accident, and that doesn’t happen because you wish it so. That happens by intention.”
Arroyo also noted he plans to support small businesses in the city.
“Boston has over a billion dollars in deposits in various banks, yet we don’t know that these banks invest at all in any of our neighborhoods,” he said. “As Mayor I would implement legislation that will ensure that we only do business with banks that are lending to small businesses, to qualified homebuyers, to development projects, and that are helping solve our foreclosure crisis.”