Elijah Miller: A Solid Financial Foundation Leads to Innovation and Progress

Boston Building Resources members who attended the 2023 annual meeting, held May 9 at the Boston Nature Center in Mattapan, heard from Elijah Miller, the director of policy in the Mayor’s Office of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion. He commended BBR members for being part of a cooperative and promoting a more just society. In a complex world, problems have complex origins, so a shift in thinking may be needed to find the solutions that will make progress possible.

Illustrating his perspective with a “bad analogy,” Elijah posed the challenge of trying to go from Boston to Providence in one hour. “What is my problem? I can say my problem is speed, and if I run there fast enough I can do it,” he said. “I'll just train and become the next Usain Bolt.” But, eventually, “I'll realize that's an impossible task,” and could simply give up. “The system I'm working with is not going to allow me to live the life that I want to live.” Giving up, however, discounts the possibility of solutions such as cars or high-speed rail.

 “We all have a bias for what we deep down think is the problem and the needed solutions,” Elijah continued. “The underlying debate is how we get to the next world that we know we need to see.”

The pressures of daily life often prevent people from focusing on how to make the larger world a better place. “A lot of people, especially young people, say the system is rigged, it'll never work,” he said. “You need to take care of your child the next day; you have to take care of a parent or grandparent.” The American Revolution, like many events precipitating great societal change, were led by the middle class—people with enough resources to think beyond daily survival.

“You discussed sustainability in your building structure, because you want to live your values,” Elijah continued. “You're living new values that are not just about squeezing out every dime of profit, but you're creating value.” When BBR members improve their homes, “you’re ultimately giving them the wealth, or the opportunity to innovate the way we live our lives.”

When people have a solid financial foundation, they feel secure enough to take risks and try new ideas that can bring prosperity for everyone, Elijah said. Financial stability gives people “room to imagine innovations, for people to build new institutions, new ways of expression, new ways of solving problems, new ways to allow people to pursue happiness.”