Boston gets $10 million to help close life expectancy gap between neighborhoods

Last year, a Boston Public Health Commission analysis shared a startling data point: The life expectancy for those living in Back Bay was 23 years longer than residents in Roxbury's Nubian Square.

This week, the city announced the Atrius Health Equity Foundation is spending $10 million to help close the life expectancy gap across much of Boston.

“Being able to live a long and healthy life shouldn’t depend on your wallet or where you live,” said the foundation's president Dr. Ann Hwang.

Speaking at the announcement Wednesday, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu pointed to several factors that affect life expectancy: "It’s income, it’s parks and green spaces, it’s access to healthy and affordable food, education and opportunity. And so our health equity agenda is designed to take these gaps on directly."

Boston's effort will focus initially on reducing heart disease and diabetes. A report showed Black residents die from diabetes at a 220% greater rate compared to white residents, and have a 37% higher rate of death from heart disease. For residents classified as Latinx in the report, the death rate from diabetes is 80% higher than for white residents.

The $10 million program will support programs that improve financial well-being for residents in neighborhoods with some of the worst cardiometabolic disease rates.

The foundation, in partnership with the Boston Public Health Commission and the Boston Community Health Collaborative, will request proposals on how to achieve this goal from community groups in the fall. They expect to award funding starting in the first six months of next year.

Boston is seeking more private funders to address other diseases that contribute to shorter life expectancy: overdose deaths and cancer.

“We have to have a reality check,” said Boston Public Health Commissioner Dr. Bisola Ojikutu. “We know that this amount of money is wonderful, but it isn’t sufficient to address the gaps that are present in our city.”