Josh Kraft discussed policy and answered specific questions in front of a group of about 35 residents who belong to the Columbia-Savin Hill Civic Association on Monday, June 9. The gathering at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Dorchester’s McLaughlin Youth Center was also streamed online, where an additional 35 people watched and engaged via a chat.

Mayor Wu engaged in a virtual discussion with the same civic group in May.

After a brief introduction, Kraft was asked a series of questions prepared in advance by civic leaders.

“I do come from the Kraft family, but 35 years ago, I made a conscious decision not to join the family business, but instead to do community work,” Kraft said in his opening statement. “I worked my way up as CEO and president of the organization, and in those 12 years, I got to work with so many great people. We were able to double the number of kids we served from 7,000 to 14,000 and more than double our annual budget from $13 million to $27million.”

During the hour-long session, Kraft addressed topics such as the city’s budgeting process, Boston Public Schools, and public safety; however, concerns about housing took up the biggest portion of the discussion.

“Everywhere you go around the city, the number one issue for everybody in every neighborhood is the cost of living, driven by the cost of housing,” Kraft said. “We need more housing.”

Specifically, members of the civic group said they were concerned about the addition of thousands of new housing units in and around the Columbia-Savin Hill area, the Morrissey Boulevard corridor and Columbia Point area. While Kraft emphasized that “we need more housing in the city” and that “we have a housing emergency,” he committed to having a comprehensive plan for the area if elected.

“We’re never going to drop a plan on people that they just see because residents and small businesses will be part of the planning process and have a say,” said Kraft, adding that he intended to return to the policies used under former Mayor Martin Walsh’s administration, if elected.

Kraft, asked for his position on preserving historic structures in the neighborhood, said that he would only approve plans to take down a historic building if it is interfering with public safety. He also promised to join the civic association’s vice president Eileen Boyle on a walk around some areas of concern, including Pearl Street and Mayfield Street.

On public safety, Kraft said he planned to re-start a hotline used in past administrations to report disruptive after-hours parties.

“Summertime, we understand, is a little more active,” said Kraft. “I know a few years back, there was a party line where folks could call and deal with those quality of life disturbances separate from 911. So, we would reinstitute the party line,” Kraft said, a line that drew cheers from some in the audience.

Kraft also said that he would work closely with police to prioritize public safety, “which means no more turning a blind eye,” he said, to issues like speeding and reckless driving, as well as the Mass and Cass section of the city. He added that this does not mean “the normal adjudication process” but rather emphasizing “services over sentencing.”

Kraft said his plan for addressing public schools would focus on four key issues: educating every kid regardless of academic, emotional, and social standing; re-engaging parents; emphasizing the power of community partnerships, and demanding competent management from the administration. Kraft said he supports creating a “hybrid” school committee of both appointed and elected members.

Kraft mainly spoke about his own plans, if elected. But he also criticized the current administration's budget process. On Monday, Mayor Wu signed a $4.8 billion budget after approval by the city council the week before.

“As someone who managed multi-million dollar budgets, when you’re pushed or even when you’re not pushed, you can always find savings,” said Kraft. “For me, that was a hard thing to hear and somewhat disrespectful to people in the city that are making hard fiscal choices every day.”

Asked about what he might do about the loss of the Carney Hospital, which was shut down last August, Kraft said he was not “deep in the weeds of the details of the building,” but said: “Healthcare is the cornerstone of our communities and our neighborhoods. I will work as hard as possible to return healthcare services to the Carney.”

At one point, Kraft was asked for his thoughts on the escalating round-up of undocumented immigrants by federal agents— and the crisis unfolding in California in recent days involving the Trump administration.

Kraft said: “I spoke about all the folks I’ve gotten to work with, listen to, and learn from. Many of them are immigrant people and they’ve all been crucial to making our neighborhoods and our city work. I am completely against the president, the government, the federal government, and President Trump's mass deportation plan.”

With a preliminary election in September now just three months away, Kraft said he knows that the race against an incumbent mayor will continue to be “an uphill battle.”

“Beating an incumbent anywhere, but especially an incumbent here in the City of Boston, it might be a bit of a fool's errand,” he said. “But I believe passionately in the city because I believe passionately in the people in the city. I want to work with each and every one of you to help return the city in the right direction so all our residents can thrive.”