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MAYORAL AND CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES RESPOND TO HOUSING QUESTIONNAIRE, PART 5

The Somerville Fair Housing Commission compiled a Fair Housing questionnaire for mayoral and City Council candidates to respond to. The Somerville Wire will be publishing the completed questionnaire in a six part series. The fifth is included below.


(Somerville Wire) – If you are elected, what will you do on the following issues to address systemic housing discrimination against protected classes and to Affirmatively Further Fair Housing in Somerville? 

a. Policies and programs Somerville can use to diversify neighborhoods

b. Continuing to protect and enforce condominium conversion restrictions and other measures to ensure housing for families with children

c. Preventing discrimination against disabled individuals in need of housing that have emotional support animals

d. Preventing discrimination against households with Section 8 Vouchers or other rental subsidies 

Katjana Ballantyne, Candidate for Mayor:

a. Policies and programs Somerville can use to diversify neighborhoods 

  • I will be a leading advocate for more education about Fair Housing in the public schools  and I’ll advocate for funding for Fair Housing education initiatives.
  • I’ll broadcast on all available public media to publish affordable housing opportunities  and I’ll advocate for adequate funding for this effort.
  • I’ll continue my leadership in supporting programs like the 2000 Homes program, which  prioritizes purchases of housing in areas where affordable housing opportunities are not  available.
  • I’ll will lead in supporting and funding the Office of Housing Sustainability • I’ll increase funding for Affordable Housing, including City Bond funding against CPA  funding stream.
  • I’ll continue my leadership to establish the Institutional Master Planning (IMP)  Requirements, that I proposed, and to pass the home-rule petition that I sponsored, to  allow us to require IMPs in our zoning ordinance. These initiatives will improve our  PILOT agreements and encourage local residential schools to house their resident  students on campus in campus housing.
  • I will lead in supporting, promoting and funding the Community Land Trust.

b. Continuing to protect and enforce condominium conversion restrictions and other measures to ensure housing for families with children 

I will protect and enforce the Condo Conversion Ordinance.

c. Preventing discrimination against disabled individuals in need of housing that have emotional support animals 

I will work to protect the rights of disabled individuals in need of support animals. The presence  of an ESA is an accommodation that should not be prohibited by no-pet policies. I’ll work with the FHC, as mayor, to provide landlord outreach and education about the importance of  emotional support animals.

d. Preventing discrimination against households with Section 8 Vouchers or other rental subsidies 

I will use information and education to help landlords and tenants to understand and to maintain  their rights regarding Section 8. I’ll also push for the highest rent that the Section 8 authority can  pay in Somerville. I’ll support adequate funding for education about the Section 8 program. It is  a great resource for tenants and our landlords.

Mary Cassesso, Candidate for Mayor:

a. Policies and programs Somerville can use to diversify neighborhoods First, I would create new affordable housing stock across all neighborhoods, creating new  affordable housing through 20% Inclusionary Zoning and new publicly subsidized affordable  housing utilizing existing resources—Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), Section 8, the  Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP). I also will support city and non-profits’  programs that allow existing housing to be removed from the speculative real estate market and  have permanent affordability restrictions (100 Homes (and beyond), Community Land Trust).  Second, I also want to consider tax breaks for landlords who rent to households at below-market  rents so that affordable housing isn’t just in new buildings but also mixed into the existing  neighborhood. Third, I will fund programs coordinated by the Office of Housing Stability— education for tenants and landlords, enforcement for landlords who violate fair housing, and  incentives for landlords to fix up units so they are suitable for families.

b. Continuing to protect and enforce condominium conversion restrictions and other measures to ensure housing for families with children 

I would continue to enforce condominium restrictions and tenant “right of first refusal” rights,  which the current administration and City Council have done a great job strengthening. I would  explore rent stabilization legislation. I would actively protect all “community-owned” housing:  public housing, publicly subsidized housing, non-profit owned housing, affordable housing with  deed restrictions that are expiring. I would ensure that new residential construction includes  family-size units with 2- and 3-bedrooms, especially in the affordable and inclusionary units.

c. Preventing discrimination against disabled individuals in need of housing that have emotional support animals 

I am an advocate for mental health and therefore I am support of allowing community members  to get the services they need. I would work to create solutions with pet owners, and property  owners, and health care services, so that emotional support animals can be allowed.  Accessibility—both in retrofitting our existing buildings and ensuring best practices in new  buildings—is critical to a welcoming, inclusive, equitable community.

d. Preventing discrimination against households with Section 8 Vouchers or other rental subsidies 

I will work to increase the accountability of property owners, coordinated through the Office of  Housing Stability, and continue to advocate and educate renters to know their rights. Folks who report discrimination need to be supported throughout the process with resources that allow them  to fully exercise their right, for example providing translation services, legal guidance, and  housing search assistance when needed.

Will Mbah, Candidate for Mayor:

a. Policies and programs Somerville can use to diversify neighborhoods  

I will enact policies that create more affordable housing and units throughout Somerville, not just  concentrated in a few neighborhoods, specifically historically low income neighborhoods where  affordable housing has traditionally been placed. We can expand the 100 Homes program and buy  properties for affordable housing in areas like Ball Square and Teele Square. We can also improve the  affordable housing overlay and allow developers to build more densely so that there can be more  affordable housing on a structure’s physical footprint.

b. Continuing to protect and enforce condominium conversion restrictions and other measures to ensure housing for families with children 

I will fully fund and if necessary expand the Condo Review Board so that it has the tools  necessary to ensure property owners converting rental units to condos are following the law. We  should also increase the powers of the Condo Review Board and do more to penalize those who  do not follow the law. I am in favor of increasing the amount of relocation costs and extending  the relocation notification period for tenants impacted by condo conversion. I will also continue  the city’s lead abatement program so that there are more housing units that are safer for families  with young children. Finally, we should consider zoning ordinances that require more family  units in large developments.

c. Preventing discrimination against disabled individuals in need of housing that have emotional support animals 

We need to increase the purview and power of the Fair Housing Commission so it can actually  enforce penalties and issue fines against property owners that are discriminating against  individuals with emotional support animals. A rental licensure program that provides prospective  tenants with a landlord or property manager’s history will also incentivize landlords and property  managers to not discriminate.

d. Preventing discrimination against households with Section 8 Vouchers or other rental subsidies 

Again, we need to increase the purview and power of the Fair Housing Commission so it can  actually enforce penalties and issue fines against property owners that are discriminating against  individuals with Section 8 Vouchers and other rental subsidies. I would also try to get more  Section 8 voucher holders into the inclusionary housing units in the city by changing the tenant  selection policies for inclusionary housing to prioritize households that have an expiring Section  8 voucher.

Charlotte Kelly, Candidate for City Council At Large:

a. Policies and programs Somerville can use to diversify neighborhoods We must ensure 3+ story buildings are being built outside of our most diverse neighborhoods like Wards  1, Ward 2 and Ward 4. We have to increase density near the Green Line Extension that creates family  units and build ADA compliant units in neighborhoods like Ward 3, Ward 5 and Ward 6. We should work

with the Somerville Community Land Trust to acquire land that can be in the public’s hands for good and  that can provide affordable housing to low income and middle income families.

b. Continuing to protect and enforce condominium conversion restrictions and other measures to ensure housing for families with children 

We should create a process for the Zoning Board, the Office of Housing Stability, and the Fair  Housing Commission to update the public on the enforcement of ordinances passed to protect  housing for families with children. We should also regularly assess the frequency of condo  conversions in the city. If the Fair Housing Commission or City Councilors are notified about  violations to inform tenants of a condo being converted, we should add those instances to a  public registry of landlords who have been found to violate the ordinance. It’s important to note  that not every tenant who experiences a violation of their right knows that has happened, nor will  every person who does know be willing to come forward. We have to build a culture within the  City Council, commissions, departments, and in the city in general that ensures residents know  their rights, where people can feel safe to disclose violations, and where they will be met with  the necessary support in those situations.

c. Preventing discrimination against disabled individuals in need of housing that have emotional support animals 

We can create a registry of landlords who discriminate against tenants with emotional support  animals. In addition, we must ensure there is ample housing for disabled people. I would work to  make sure the Commission for Persons with Disabilities is centered in creating proposals to  ensure mobility and sensory accessibility as an inherent part of real estate development in  Somerville. We can push to eliminate the “2 feet elevation” requirement and incentivize more  universally designed units to be built in new development projects.

d.Preventing discrimination against households with Section 8 Vouchers or other rental subsidies 

Similarly to the previous question, we can create a registry of landlords who discriminate against  Section 8 Voucher holders. We can look into addressing how under the current Fair Housing  “screening” guidelines residents can still be asked for credit, income and employment details,  and so on and work with the Office of Housing Stability to provide alternative “screening.” In  addition, we can expand the pool of potential landlords and owner occupied units who can accept  section 8 vouchers by providing assistance and instructions on how to accept section 8 vouchers,  in the form of a webinar or a session with an SHA or OHS employee.

Justin Klekota, Candidate for City Council At Large:

a. Policies and programs Somerville can use to diversify neighborhoods  

Somerville needs to maintain balance in its housing stock accessible to all income levels.  Somerville should continue its practice of requiring 20% of units in new construction be  affordable. Increasing housing prices in Somerville are also pressuring middle class renters  and homeowners, and Somerville should adopt an expansive definition of affordability that  also includes middle income earners in addition to the 20% affordable units defined by  current law.

b. Continuing to protect and enforce condominium conversion restrictions and other  measures to ensure housing for families with children  

In addition to my support for zoning requiring construction of affordable units and units  accessible to middle class families, the City Council should fund the educational outreach  efforts of the Somerville Fair Housing Commission to include literature explaining our  ordinances and restrictions as well.

c. Preventing discrimination against disabled individuals in need of housing that have  emotional support animals  

It is not uncommon for landlords to have policies that prohibit pets: our educational outreach  efforts described above should inform landlords that exceptions exist for disabled individuals  that have support animals.

d. Preventing discrimination against households with Section 8 Vouchers or other rental  subsidies  

As noted above, City educational materials for landlords, property managers, real estate  agents, and owners should clearly define all of the above protected classes which include  “source of income” covering Section 8 Vouchers and other rental subsidies as well as  educating current and prospective residents to know their rights.

Kristen Strezo, Councilor At Large:

Generally, I would like the City of Somerville to perform quarterly testing on housing  discrimination with residents, landlords, and tenants, as has been done in the past in the Boston  area. I also want to listen to the experts; I would love to work alongside the Fair Housing  Committee, to learn what the Committee has observed and how I can best support as a City  Councilor.

a. Preventing discrimination against disabled individuals in need of housing that have  emotional support animals. The biggest barrier to this type of discrimination, I feel, is  public awareness of both tenants and landlords and management companies. Tenants may  not know they have rights and landlords/management companies may not know the rules  and may unintentionally not abide by them. Special needs families also have to be  brought into the conversation. I hear from some special needs families in apartment  buildings that they feel they constantly have to walk on eggshells, living in fear that they  will be kicked out of their unit if their special needs children are too loud or unable to  stabilize their behavior or outbursts.

b. Preventing discrimination against households with Section 8 Vouchers or other  rental subsidies. I am a proud supporter of the SomerVIP program. The SomerVIP  program creates incentives for small landlords and realtors to rent to Somerville residents  with a Section 8 voucher. SomerVIP expands our city’s very limited Section 8 stock,  reduces the potential biases of Section 8, keeps long-term Somerville residents in our  community, and secures the option for small landlords to have reliable and invested  tenants, many of which are households with children. This program is an initiative I have  continually supported and have pushed to the farthest extent in my capacity as a City Councilor. I was delighted to attend the SomerVIP community rollout meeting back in  2020, which happened a few weeks before the pandemic shutdown happened. But, now  that the pandemic is slowing down, I’m excited for the program to initiate more  community outreach and amp up again.

Tracey Pratt, Candidate for City Council At Large:

a. Policies and programs Somerville can use to diversify neighborhoods In order to diversify neighborhoods, each neighborhood must have a variety of fair housing  options. This includes homes for purchase and rentals of varied sizes and price ranges. The first  step to any type of improvement is education. Protected groups should be specifically targeted  for available classes on fair housing, rentals and home ownership. Massachusetts has several  programs but if people don’t know about them, they can’t take advantage of existing opportunities. On the other end of the spectrum, as a city counselor, I’d want to get creative with  training for landlords and incentive programs for them and for people selling their homes to  protected groups.

b. Continuing to protect and enforce condominium conversion restrictions and other  measures to ensure housing for families with children 

I believe families with children deserve fair and adequate housing. I would either develop or  support any policy that continues to protect this group from any form of housing discrimination.

c. Preventing discrimination against disabled individuals in need of housing that have  emotional support animals  

Again, this is an issue of renters and condo dwellers knowing their rights. There are some very  specific rules to follow when one has an emotional support animal. If an individual goes through  these very specific measures then they need to feel empowered to exercise this right. As a city  councilor, it’s important for me to make sure we have properly trained and adequate staff to  investigate and resolve housing discrimination cases.

d. Preventing discrimination against households with Section 8 Vouchers or other rental subsidies 

As with each of the above responses, education and knowing one’s rights with regard to section 8  is the key. I would support ongoing training for tenants and landlords with regard to section 8  vouchers. If we don’t have a hotline where people can call to report housing violations, we need  one and I would support its implementation.

Virginia Hussey, Candidate for City Council At Large:

a. Policies and programs Somerville can use to diversify neighborhoods We should continue to fund the 100 homes program to bring affordable apartments to every  neighborhood, and we should also not let developers out of affordable unit requirements. We  should explore bonuses for developers who provide above the required numbers of units.

b. Continuing to protect and enforce condominium conversion restrictions and other  measures to ensure housing for families with children 

I will support the existing condo conversion programs, deepen the affordability of inclusionary  units, push for more family-sized apartments, and explore other programs like described above.

c. Preventing discrimination against disabled individuals in need of housing that have  emotional support animals  

I have experienced this first hand, and will work with the Commission for People with  Disabilities and other groups to make sure the city is requiring ADA compliance on buildings  and that landlords are better educated about renting to people with disabilities. I also have an  emotional support dog, and he has been essential to wellbeing with my PTSD, and we should  make sure pet policies are acknowledging that these animals are more than pets they are essential  to health.

d. Preventing discrimination against households with Section 8 Vouchers or other rental  subsidies 

This is also something I have experienced and will educate city officials, landlords, and anyone  else about the impact of this discrimation on the wellbeing of families. We need to protect  residents who use vouchers and protect landlords from potential damages. I can bridge this gap  between other voucher holders and property owners with my life experience and the backing of  city officials as I work with them.

Willie Burnley, Jr., Candidate for City Council At Large:

a. Policies and programs Somerville can use to diversify neighborhoods As a member of Just Us Somerville, the only organization in Somerville exclusively for BIPOC  residents, I’ve spoken with some of my neighbors about how isolating our community can feel at  times for people of color. Part of this, to me, is the lack of celebration of our diverse history and  residents. Somerville was home to a Black pastor and abolitionist, Leonard Grimes, who was  directly related to the last use of the Fugitive Slave Act in Massachusetts. Our city’s seal relates  to the indigenous history of the land we occupy. Our immigrant history includes Brazilians,  Haitians, Tibetans, and many more people of color whose cultural histories have not been tied  into the larger story of Somerville. I believe by helping to tell a truly multiracial story of  Somerville, we can help inspire folks to feel more involved in our community and draw in more  BIPOC residents. I have spoken to some of the current city councilors about beginning this  process and have found partners who are bought into the project.

I am deeply committed to diversifying our community in a way that is equitable and eliminates  structural racism, including the segregation that still exists in Somerville. I look forward to  engaging with the Director of Racial and Social Justice, along with the Office of Housing  Stability, in regards to what changes to our zoning and ordinances can be made to help diversify  our neighborhoods. As I have mentioned, I am interested in increasing fair housing checks in order to ensure that we eliminate housing discrimination in our community and find appropriate  responses to property owners that have a pattern of discrimination.

We must recognize that one of the leading causes of the racial homogenization of our community  is its general unaffordability. The population of our public schools, for example, is majority  BIPOC students. However, as these students get older, their families often move out of  Somerville or they find less opportunities locally to keep them around. In the connectivity of our  community and the economic as well as cultural opportunities we can provide, we will find a  way to keep the diversity that Somerville so often loses to other municipalities.

b. Continuing to protect and enforce condominium conversion restrictions and other  measures to ensure housing for families with children 

Families with children, though a relatively small percentage of our overall population, make up a  crucial thread in the tapestry of our community. When I first moved to Somerville, I lived across  from Foss Park on Fellsway W. The sound of children playing and families enjoying themselves  day after day helped pull me into this community. Yet far too many families have felt compelled  to leave our city due to the high cost of homeownership and a lack of housing options that give

an appropriate amount of space for their children.

Having organized with other residents in the Somerville Community Land Trust (SCLT), I know  that the SCLT is interested in acquiring and constructing permanently affordable and accessible  housing that is both for renters and potential homeowners. By owning the land, the SCLT can  keep these homes more affordable than they would be within the market. However, as far as I am  aware, the SCLT has yet to create for itself any sort of prioritization of whom it wishes to house,  with the possible exception of those facing displacement. As a councilor, I would be willing to  engage the SCLT on prioritizing a certain segment of its future stock for families with children.  However, in general, I am in favor of building more densely and higher so that we have more  stock for families with children.

I am pleased that condo conversions have slowed significantly since the passage of our ordinance  and I am interested in other ways that we can preserve our housing and increase opportunities to  create social housing.

c. Preventing discrimination against disabled individuals in need of housing that have  emotional support animals  

As a City, we must ensure that those seeking reasonable accommodations such as emotional  support animals are treated fairly and not subject to arbitrary fees, including increased security  deposits. This is another area where the need to report ADA violations is crucial and we must  make that reporting as simple as possible, perhaps by providing assistance in the process.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention, in this response, that our community is severely lacking  physically accessible housing for those that need it most and that our sidewalks themselves are  not ADA compliant. Our City is not living up to its duty in this regard. As a councilor, I will  push development to be done with universal design and increase accessible housing in our  neighborhoods.

d. Preventing discrimination against households with Section 8 Vouchers or other rental  subsidies 

As I have mentioned before, I believe that we must identify these patterns of discrimination  through more thorough tracking – bolstered by an increase in residents’ knowledge around and  supported ability to report fair housing violations – and to hold the parties responsible  accountable. This problem is real and impacting residents and potential residents today. I want  our City to know how often it is happening and all parties involved. Although I have ideas about  how to implement such a system, I will wait until I better understand the legal landscape of  requirements that can be placed on property owners and rental agencies before I disclose them.

JT Scott, City Councilor, Ward 2:

a. Policies and programs Somerville can use to diversify neighborhoods While I am hopeful for the future of the Somerville Community Land Trust, I feel like it’s time to  direct our city’s bonding capacity (and federal aid through ARPA) to build public housing at the  municipal level, bypassing the restrictions of the Faircloth Amendment, providing affordable  housing for Somerville residents across the entire income spectrum, and taking a serious step  towards guaranteeing housing as a human right. I’m already working with partners in organized  labor who have proven success in building mixed-income, multi-generational, family-oriented  public housing projects in the region. I’m exploring strategies for securing both the land and the  funding to make this dream of stable, affordable housing a reality for more of our residents. We  can create hundreds (if not thousands) of new affordable, community-owned housing units in the  city – built by Somerville residents earning a truly living wage, trained in trades, and keeping our  tax dollars at home in our community.

b. Continuing to protect and enforce condominium conversion restrictions and other  measures to ensure housing for families with children 

The current Condo Review Board is not set up in a way that I feel enables them to pursue  rigorous and investigative review of the materials provided in condo conversion applications. I’d  like to see a dedicated staff member assigned to this Board to assist them in investigating  conversion applications and ensuring that recently displaced tenants are located and advised of  the rights which they may not have been aware of before vacating the unit.

c. Preventing discrimination against disabled individuals in need of housing that have  emotional support animals 

Whether the need for accommodations includes support animals or basic accessibility/ADA  compliance, we need to have city staff with extensive ADA and Fair Housing experience who  are available to assist people with disabilities, including providing information to landlords about  their responsibilities under the law and how to come into compliance. I proposed several new  positions in the FY21 budget for such positions in ISD, but they were not filled this year. I’ll  continue to advocate for them in the future.

d. Preventing discrimination against households with Section 8 Vouchers or other rental  subsidies 

The new SomerVIP program run by the Somerville Homeless Coalition in conjunction with the  Office of Housing Stability is an excellent step. I’m glad to see the OHS hosting seminars for  landlord education around the flexibility and benefits of accepting Section 8 vouchers; while it’s  mandated by law, programs like this can help Somerville be a place where more landlords are  actively seeking Section 8 tenants to provide local housing options to SHA voucher holders.

Ben Ewen-Campen, City Councilor, Ward 3:

a. Policies and programs Somerville can use to diversify neighborhoods 

First and foremost: create more affordable housing, and protect tenants from displacement. This  past year, as Chair of Land Use, I sponsored and led the passage of the Affordable Housing  Overlay District, which incentivizes new affordable housing, and removes some of the red tape  that can slow these projects down. And over the past two terms, with my colleauges on the  Council, we have updated Somerville’s Condo Conversion Ordinance to close the loopholes that  allowed developers to evict tenants without notice or relocation expenses, we have regulated  AirBNBs and other short-term rentals to protect existing housing stock, we passed the Housing  Notification Act, and home rule petitions to fund affordable housing via a Transfer Fee,  alongside a Tenants Right to Purchase and support for overturning the State-wide ban on rent  control.

I am also a co-founder of the Somerville Community Land Trust, which will work to create permanently  affordable home ownership opportunities across the city, under community control. And, as described  above, In the coming term, I will be working with a diverse task force to write a Somerville version of the  Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Act, to encode fair housing principles in our zoning and  development process. I will also continue working to create a mortgage subsidy program similar to  Boston’s One+ program, likely using funding from developer contributions and/or the Community  Preservation Act.

b. Continuing to protect and enforce condominium conversion restrictions and other  measures to ensure housing for families with children 

I worked closely with colleagues and the Office of Housing Stability to rewrite our Condo  Converstion Ordinance in 2019, for the first time since the mid-1980s. I am very thankful to Ms.  Hannah Carrillo and others in the Housing Division who have been carefully monitoring and  reporting on this critical legislation, committed to continuing to monitor and update this critical  legislation.

c. Preventing discrimination against disabled individuals in need of housing that have  emotional support animals 

We know that such discrimination is already illegal, yet remains commonplace, and it is  therefore primarily an issue of enforcement, and community education. I look forward to  working with the Fair Housing Commission and the Administration in finding ways to educate  property owners on this issue, and would gladly support initiatives to incentivize landlords to  rent to individuals with support animals.

d. Preventing discrimination against households with Section 8 Vouchers or other rental  subsidies 

We often hear from housing advocates that, in recent memory, many Somerville landlords were  eager to take Section 8 vouchers because they offered higher payments than “market value”  might otherwise dictate. This is clearly no longer the case. Today, Section 8 voucher holders find  it increasingly difficult to live in Somerville – in fact, my understanding is that Section 8 is most  often used now for tenants living in Inclusionary Zoning units, especially those targeting 80- 110% of area median income. More broadly, I believe this is an issue of enforcement and  community education, and would gladly work with advocates and the Administration to find  ways to [candidate’s statement ends here].

Beatriz Gómez Mouakad, City Council candidate, Ward 5:

a. Policies and programs Somerville can use to diversify neighborhoods Beyond current existing inclusionary zoning, set up a plan to target affordable housing  developments that are 100% affordable or offer a robust mix of mixed income units  developments in neighborhoods lacking affordable housing units or having a lower affordable  housing stock. This should include 30% below median units. Focus property acquisition for the  100 homes programs in these neighborhoods. For the 100 homes program consider acquisition of  two-family and three-family units as affordable homeownership units that would  include/preserve an affordable unit. The homeowner would commit to a certain level of  affordability for these rental units.

b. Continuing to protect and enforce condominium conversion restrictions and other  measures to ensure housing for families with children 

Somerville does have a robust condo conversion law. The condo conversion law is attempting to  prevent the displacement of rental units and renters, but the question is if it is actually preventing  condo conversions of multi-family homes into more units/smaller units which could potentially  increase property values drastically or increase the sale of multi-family units. Could these  dramatic property increases be making the once affordable Somerville two and three family  home inaccessible to families and only attainable to private developers? The City needs to assess  property value increases in these types of typologies due to condo conversions that usually target  a luxury market. If in effect these condo conversions are forcing an exaggerated inflation of  property values, then additional policies to prevent the division of existing two-family homes  into more dense multi-family homes should be explored through zoning restrictions beyond the  existing code.

c. Preventing discrimination against disabled individuals in need of housing that have  emotional support animals 

Create tenant protections for individuals in need of emotional support animals.

d. Preventing discrimination against households with Section 8 Vouchers or other rental  subsidies 

  • As per item 3 above, increase or make more available information regarding Fair Housing  Laws.
  • Increase education for property owners on Section 8 as often there is a biased stigma against  Section 8 vouchers holders.
  • Create property tax incentives for property owners who accept Section 8 vouchers and  provide low to zero interest loans for home improvements for energy efficiency or normal  upkeep as an additional potential incentive.

Tessa Bridge, City Council candidate, Ward 5:

a. Policies and programs Somerville can use to diversify neighborhoods I will advocate expanding housing stabilization services by increasing the operating budget of  the Office of Sustainable Housing, fully funding tenants’ right to counsel, and extending the  eviction moratorium. All housing policies must center BIPOC communities and those  historically impacted by housing injustice such as redlining, predatory lending, and housing bias  and discrimination. By providing affordable housing across the city, not only in specific pockets,  we can integrate neighborhoods and ensure that access to housing is not what maintains historic  segregation in our city and schools.

b. Continuing to protect and enforce condominium conversion restrictions and other  measures to ensure housing for families with children 

I will push to invest in building mixed-income social housing including housing for municipal  employees who work in Somerville and family-sized units. I will also prioritize efforts to  subsidize the cost of living including rental assistance, moving costs, and first-time home buyer  programs. We also need to ensure that the new housing stock that is being built isn’t only luxury  buildings with predominantly smaller units. We need to build housing that is accessible to more  residents.

c. Preventing discrimination against disabled individuals in need of housing that have  emotional support animals 

I will advocate removing the two-foot requirement currently included in zoning for residential  units. This requirement results in the majority of accessible units being within larger apartment  buildings with accessible entrances to the side or rear, which is inherently marginalizing. It also  makes residential neighborhoods inaccessible to people with mobility issues. Our city design  should be equitable by default. To make existing housing stock more accessible, I would  advocate establishing a city fund to support retrofitting existing units to be more accessible. It is  also important to acknowledge that accessibility doesn’t stop at the entrance to a building, it must  extend into the units themselves. I would work to increase the percentage of affordable units that  are accessible and affordable by requiring that 50% of affordable units in all new construction  are ADA compliant.

d. Preventing discrimination against households with Section 8 Vouchers or other rental  subsidies 

It is illegal to deny someone with a Section 8 Voucher or other rental subsidy housing, but  unfortunately, it still happens due to a lack of oversight and enforcement. There are several ways  I would suggest addressing this. One is to focus on encouraging and supporting reporting of  discrimination against applicants with Section 8 Vouchers or other rental subsidies. The Fair  Housing Commission put out a fair housing report that showed that very low numbers of reports  have been brought to the commission. This indicates a need to raise awareness of the illegality of  excluding potential tenants with vouchers and of the available avenues for reporting so that  people can file complaints. We also need to make the reporting process more accessible and  expand the representation of people who receive Section 8 Vouchers on the commission and  have a space on the commission for someone from the Office of Sustainable Housing. This will  better enable the Fair Housing Commission to meet the needs of residents facing housing  discrimination.

Furthermore, the market is not accessible for many tenants who qualify for Section 8 Vouchers  to use their vouchers in Somerville. Due to the high cost of housing in Somerville, Section 8  vouchers do not cover a significant portion of rent so people make the choice to go to more  affordable communities. We can address this by taking bold action to lower the overall cost of  housing and increase the availability of affordable housing across the city. Finally, the city must  enforce the law and ensure that landlords who reject applicants with Section 8 Vouchers or other  rental subsidies are held accountable and that landlords who do this serially are added to a  registry of landlords who engage in discriminatory practices that is publicly available so that  tenants (and their legal council) are aware.

Todd Easton, City Council candidate, Ward 5:

a. Policies and programs Somerville can use to diversify neighborhoods I would make sure housing programs and new large scale developments include inclusive  housing components that would guarantee that these developments don’t cater to one  particular demographic. These housing programs should reflect the population, recognizing  a range of socioeconomic needs and a diverse community. We should be exploring more  public/private partnership and new development opportunities in the downtown area.

b. Continuing to protect and enforce condominium conversion restrictions and other  measures to ensure housing for families with children 

New developments should be required to have family sized units. The City should consider a  moratorium on converting two- or three-family houses into multiple small unit condos that  increase the number of total units while eliminating family sized units.

c. Preventing discrimination against disabled individuals in need of housing that have  emotional support animals 

I believe the city has to do a better job establishing and proactively sharing regulations that  explain the protections provided to renters and to homeowners.

d. Preventing discrimination against households with Section 8 Vouchers or other rental  subsidies 

The city should have a clear and informative policy on what Section 8 is and how it benefits  the renter and owner. I believe there is a lot of misinformation out in the public about what  Section 8 is and who uses it. The people who use rental subsidies should not be treated any  differently than people who rent at market rate.

Alexander Anderson, City Council candidate, Ward 7:

As a City Councilor, I think it is important to recognize that I am not an expert in all things.  Instead, I bring a consistent evaluation and decision making process to make sure I’m making the  best decisions and advocating for the right things no matter what issue is at hand.

All of my evaluation and decision making process starts from my values of equity, affordability,  and sustainability. All decisions we make should take an intentional approach to making our  community more fair, more accessible, and more viable for the long run. From there, I think it is  important to understand the components of the systems we are trying to improve, understand the  important quantitative and qualitative data, work together to develop improvements with experts  and people with lived experience of the situations we’re trying to improve, and implement  changes while centering the human experience of our work.

For each of the items listed below, I would want to work with the experts who have dedicated  their time and careers to advancing fair housing to know what the best solutions are to this  challenge. I believe in applying evidence-based practice in all that we do. And, I believe we must  have meaningful relationship building with all of the important stakeholders – especially people  who experience the challenges of affordability and fair housing – to design changes and  improvements together.

a. Policies and programs Somerville can use to diversify neighborhoods We must support improve outreach and engagement for the wonderful diversity in our  community. We should engage with the great communities of people from different backgrounds  and work with community liasons to truly understand the challenges and concerns people care  most about in our community. And, based on the feedback of people directly, we can take  specific actions.

I believe the City should share information about the diversity of our community and  neighborhoods and establish specific goals and workplans to increase the diversity of our  neighborhoods.

b. Continuing to protect and enforce condominium conversion restrictions and other  measures to ensure housing for families with children 

When I talk to neighbors while campaigning, I hear a lot of confusion about what the  condominium conversion restrictions actually are. I think a first step is to do a better job  educating and communicating what the rules actually are. I also think the City Council should create positive incentives for renovations or rebuilds that  focus on building housing geared towards families living in our community for the long run. I  support streamlining and standardizing the permitting and licensing process for any renovation or  rebuild project that focuses on building family-friendly, affordable housing.

c. Preventing discrimination against disabled individuals in need of housing that have  emotional support animals 

In addition to approaches described above, I believe the city should subsidize the renovation and  improvement of housing units that home disabled individuals.

d. Preventing discrimination against households with Section 8 Vouchers or other rental  subsidies 

The city should extend the eviction moratorium and work directly with landlords renting to  individuals and families with Section 8 vouchers as well as the families themselves to ensure  long term stability of people living in their homes.

The city should [candidate’s statement ends here].

Becca Miller, City Council candidate, Ward 7:

a. Policies and programs Somerville can use to diversify neighborhoods 

I support developing and passing a fair housing ordinance similar to Boston’s that addresses  historic discrimination and diversifies neighborhoods through a range of options given to  developers to increase their housing project and providing more opportunities for everyone.  Enforcing fair housing law should also help in this regard. Expanding affordable housing options  in less diverse neighborhoods, including enhanced down payment assistance and low interest  loans for homebuyers, and equity insurance programs to help residents remain in their homes.  We should also increase amenities and services in majority diverse neighborhoods like  Clarendon Hill and East Somerville to enhance the quality of life and address the legacy of  disinvestment. Realistically, the diversity in our neighborhoods is linked closely to the  affordability of our neighborhoods. Somerville enforces many important Fair Housing practices,  but at the end of the day, if there aren’t enough affordable units for working class people to rent  or purchase, we will see Somerville’s diversity continue to slip away from us.

b. Continuing to protect and enforce condominium conversion restrictions and other  measures to ensure housing for families with children 

Per the city’s own fiscal year 2020 data, the condo conversion ordinance is working; there has  been a steep decline in the number of applications to convert apartments to condos. We need to  continue to build affordable home ownership opportunities by working with the Somerville  community land trust to identify land and housing that can be purchased and taken off the  market, and through the hundred homes program. These should include larger (3-4 bedroom)  units for families with children.

c. Preventing discrimination against disabled individuals in need of housing that have  emotional support animalsAs it is currently illegal to discriminate against individuals with disabilities and in need of  support animals, this is an ADA accommodations issue, and again requires increased  enforcement to ensure compliance. The fair housing commission should work to ensure that  persons with disabilities rights are respected and enforced, and share relevant rules with  landlords, real estate agents, and homeowners. Somerville also currently has limited accessible  housing stock, and we should look into rewriting parts of our zoning that make the majority of  housing inaccessible, and require a percentage of new development be accessible, just as we do  with the inclusionary affordable requirement. The city should also work to ensure there’s not an  additional security deposit for support animals as that can be a financial barrier for individuals  when looking for housing.

d. Preventing discrimination against households with Section 8 Vouchers or other rental  subsidies 

It’s illegal to deny someone who receives public assistance, including section 8, housing. We  need to do better at enforcing this. The housing market is not accessible for households with  section 8 vouchers in Somerville due to the high cost of housing and unaffordability. The city  could limit the amount of vouchers and increase the dollar amount per voucher, which would  mean we could have more people with section 8 living in Somerville, but obviously there are pros and cons with this that will need to be analyzed first. Increasing the representation of people  with section 8 on the fair housing commission could be one tactic to increase representation and  develop strategies to reach the population of residents with section 8 vouchers.

Judy Pineda Neufeld, City Council candidate, Ward 7:

a. Policies and programs Somerville can use to diversify neighborhoods 

The supply of affordable housing for our lowest-income and marginalized residents remains  deeply inadequate. My approach to housing aims to provide accessible and affordable housing  for all and prevent Somerville residents from being priced out of their homes. This should  involve creating greater density near our new Green Line stations with a more streamlined  inclusionary housing process which creates a supply of affordable units that is more accessible to  everyone. I will also work to pass a Fair Housing Amendment to stem displacement.  Additionally, I believe housing stability and keeping folks in their homes must be a part of our  strategy. I support increasing the capacity of the Office of Housing Stability and access to  flexible rental relief funds so they can meet the urgent needs of our neighbors who are struggling  to pay rent as a result of the pandemic.

b. Continuing to protect and enforce condominium conversion restrictions and other  measures to ensure housing for families with children 

I would again educate renters with materials in multiple languages and promoted through  multiple on and offline mediums, so that they are aware of their rights and landlords are aware of  their responsibilities to their existing tenants before undergoing a condominium conversion. To  do this as City Councilor I would provide adequate staffing to the Condominium Review Board  and increase resources to the Office of Housing Stability so that they are able to thoroughly review each conversion request and properly assist tenants, allowing them to seek recourse for  any violations of Fair Housing law.

c. Preventing discrimination against disabled individuals in need of housing that have  emotional support animals 

All new development in Somerville must be ADA compliant, and we must continue to fight for  accessibility at the new Green Line stations. I am a natural collaborator and would bring the  Commission for Persons with Disabilities to the table when there are discussions about  development to try to come up with creative solutions. I will also work with the Commission for  Persons with Disabilities and the Fair Housing Commission to ensure that tenants are aware of  their legal protections to request reasonable accommodations for their support animals.

d. Preventing discrimination against households with Section 8 Vouchers or other rental  subsidies 

As I have said above, the most essential step towards providing tenants receiving public  assistance with protections is ensuring they are aware of their rights under Fair Housing law and  landlords are aware of their responsibilities. This must include information available in multiple  languages and published both on and offline through multiple mediums. This can be done by  providing adequate staffing and resources to the Fair Housing Commission and the Office of  Housing Stability so they are able to spread this message to all tenants in the City.

Maria Koutsoubaris, City Council candidate, Ward 7:

To properly answer this I would appreciate feedback and access to some past case reviews to  compare the common practice in order to be able to determine if any changes need to be made to  adjust or to accommodate a particular classification as it is presented. I would then like to discuss  the common practice of the current employee group that handle these particular issues and cases  and obtain their particular concerns and feedback to determine my actions in each of the  individual topics you have listed.

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BINJ not only produces longform investigative stories that it syndicates for free to community news outlets around Massachusetts but also works with dozens of emerging journalists each year to help them learn their trade while providing quality reporting to the public at large.

Now in its 10th year, BINJ has produced hundreds of hard-hitting news articles—many of which have taken critical looks at corporations, government, and major nonprofits, shedding light where it’s needed most.

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Thanks for reading and please consider this:

If you appreciate the work we are doing, please keep us going strong by making a tax-deductible donation to our IRS 501(c)(3) nonprofit sponsor, the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism!

BINJ not only produces longform investigative stories that it syndicates for free to community news outlets around Massachusetts but also works with dozens of emerging journalists each year to help them learn their trade while providing quality reporting to the public at large.

Now in its 10th year, BINJ has produced hundreds of hard-hitting news articles—many of which have taken critical looks at corporations, government, and major nonprofits, shedding light where it’s needed most.

BINJ punches far above its weight on an undersized budget—managing to remain a player in local news through difficult times for journalism even as it continues to provide leadership at the regional and national levels of the nonprofit news industry.

With your help BINJ can grow to become a more stable operation for the long term and continue to provide Bay State residents more quality journalism for years to come.

Or you can send us a check at the following address:

Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism

519 Somerville Ave #206

Somerville, MA 02143

Want to make a stock or in-kind donation to BINJ? Drop us an email at info@binjonline.org and we can make that happen!

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