Boston is looking to invest $64.2 million in creating and preserving more than 600 income-restricted housing units in eight city neighborhoods.

“While many towns are trying to block the creation of housing, and gosh forbid, income-restricted housing, Mayor Wu and her team are working hard to make sure residents can afford to stay here,” Chief of Housing Sheila Dillon told a packed room of housing developers, officials and advocates.

The 12 projects –  affordable units for rent and purchase, affordable housing, senior housing, and supportive housing, built on public and private land – will be spread across Allston/Brighton, Chinatown, Dorchester, Fenway, Jamaica Plain, Mattapan, Mission Hill and Roxbury.

Dillon said the projects have secured city funding that developers will look to “leverage” in applications for state money and private resources. The housing chief added that all units will be carbon neutral, and developers are committed to ensuring local businesses benefit from the economic growth.

Dillon said both aspects of the endeavor will meet the city’s climate and economic equity goals.

Developers, officials and advocates gathered at the Harvard Ed Portal in Allston to celebrate the initiative on Wednesday. It came a week after the City Council approved a $110 million housing accelerator fund aimed at spurring housing production for projects that have already been greenlighted but lack the financing to begin construction.

“In the first three years of her term, the Wu administration has created more affordable housing and helped families become homeowners than during any preceding three-year period since 1998,” officials highlighted.