Office of Housing Stability

Referrals to OHS

The Office of Housing Stability (OHS) is open Monday-Wednesday, 8:30-4:30; Thursday, 8:30-7:30, and Friday, 8:30-12:30. OHS serves all Somerville residents, landlords, and property owners, regardless of income or language spoken. If you or a client you are working with have a question or need further assistance, please fill out the referral intake form completely.

Need special assistance?

Persons with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication (i.e., CART, ASL), written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures in order to access the programs, activities, and meetings of the City of Somerville should please contact Adrienne Pomeroy in advance at 617-625-6600 x 2059 or apomeroy@somervillema.gov

REQUEST ACCOMMODATIONS

 
About Us

Direct Services:

Currently, the Office of Housing Stability offers the following direct services:

• Help accessing financial assistance for rent, mortgage arrears, and start-up rental costs.
• Case management to help stabilize tenancies.
• Housing search services including applications for affordable housing and Section 8 vouchers.
• Support accessing emergency shelter.
• Advocacy and referrals for legal services and tenant organizing.
• Outreach and education about tenant rights.
• Advice, information, and workshops for Somerville tenants, landlords, and advocates.
• Anti-displacement policy advocacy.

Our Mission

To prevent the involuntary displacement of Somerville residents who are in the process of eviction or at other risk of losing their housing; to rehouse those without stable housing or who otherwise need to relocate; and to support the enactment of policies and the creation of programs to combat displacement and enhance tenants’ rights.
 

2024 Citywide Mailer: It takes a Somervillage to tackle the housing crisis! We sent this mailer to Somerville residents in July. Please connect with us! (Links in PDF are live) 

• Connect with the Office of Housing Stability (OHS) to help keep Somerville housed.
• Comuníquese con la Oficina de Estabilidad de Vivienda (OHS) para ayudar a mantener las viviendas en Somerville. 
• Entre em contato com o Escritório de Estabilidade Habitacional (OHS, em inglês) para ajudar a manter a comunidade de Somerville em suas casas. 
• Konekte ak Biwo Estabilite Lojman (OHS) pou ede kenbe moun Somerville gen lojman.
• समरभिललाई बासस्थान बनाउनका लागी सहयोग गर्न आवास स्थिरताको कार्यालय अफिस अफ हाउसिङ स्टेबिलिटी (OHS) सँग जोडिनु होस्। यसका लागी क्यु.आर. 
• 聯繫住房穩定辦事處，以獲取協助繼續住在薩默維爾。
• 联系住房稳定办事处，以获取协助继续住在萨默维尔。
   

Workshops

OHS workshops are in person unless otherwise noted. The City of Somerville can provide you with an interpreter in your language for free. To request an interpreter, please contact us at somervillema.gov/ContactSomerviva or call 311 (617-666-3311) at least 7 days in advance of this event.

October 10, 2024: OHS Workshop with Working Credit: Building Your Credit. 6PM, Somerville Housing Authority Mystic Activity Center, 530 Mystic Ave. Somerville, MA 02145. Registration link: https://bit.ly/OHSCreditBuilding

November 14, 2024: OHS Workshop: Federal Affordable Housing for Mixed Immigrant Status Households. 5PM, Somerville Public Library East Branch, 115 Broadway, Somerville, MA 02145. To register visit bit.ly/NovOHSworkshop 

 

Sign Up for OHS Alerts and Newsletter

 

 
Meet Our Team 
 

Ellen Shachter
Director
eshachter@somervillema.gov
(781) 307-3307 (work cell)
(617) 625-6600, ext. 2580
Yo hablo español

Fred Berman
Co-Deputy Director
fberman@somervillema.gov
(617) 335-2864 (work cell)
(617) 625-6600, ext. 2590

Susan Chimene
Co-Deputy Director
schimene@somervillema.gov
(781) 296-4002 (work cell)
(617) 625-6600, ext. 2591

Isabel Aguerrido
Housing Intake Supervisor
iaguerrido@somervillema.gov
(617) 702-6159 (work cell)
(617) 625-6600, ext. 2581
Yo hablo español

Sonia Conde
Senior Case Manager 
sconde@somervillema.gov
(617) 366-7531 (work cell)
Yo hablo español

Vartika Govil
Housing Case Manager/Special Initiatives 
vgovil@somervillema.gov
(781) 808-7239 (work cell)
मैं हिंदी बोलती हूँ। 

Ben Lappen
Housing Case Manager/Special Initiatives 
blappen@somervillema.gov
(617) 366-7341 (work cell)
Yo hablo español

Eben Forbes
Rental Assistance Advocate
eforbes@somervillema.gov
(781) 789-6575 (work cell)
Yo hablo español

Ana Ramalho
Rental Assistance Advocate
anagomesramalho@somervillema.gov
(781) 808-7102 (work cell)
Eu falo português

Pennie Taylor
Program Development, Policy, and Communications Coordinator
ptaylor@somervillema.gov
(617) 366-7416 (work cell)
Yo hablo español

 

Tenant Information

---

Information for Tenants

Tenants’ rights and responsibilities
For a summary of your tenancy rights in an eviction, read the HSNA. 


Housing Stability Notification Act (HSNA)
The City of Somerville Housing Stability Notification Act requires landlords to provide a notice of rights and resources to new tenants at the start of a tenancy, as well as a separate notice of rights and resources to tenants at the end of a tenancy. Please note that these are two separate notices containing different information.
 

REQUIRED NOTICE - New Tenancy

REQUIRED NOTICE - End of Tenancy

 

City of Somerville The Tenant's Helper: A Handbook for Renters: TenantHandbook 2018.pdf

City of Boston Eviction Guide

Attorney General’s Guide to Landlord and Tenant Rights

Tenancy 

Security Deposits and last month’s rent

Legal handbook that goes through Security Deposits and Last Month's Rent, including what repairs can be covered by your security deposit. 

Massachusetts General Laws about landlord's use of security deposit for repairs: Mass. Gen. Laws Chapter 186 § Section 15B

Template you can use to ask for a Security Deposit

Tenant screening – rights when you are applying for housing

Mass Legal Help Online page

Mass Legal Help “Pull Out Guide”

Chapter Two, Tenant Screening of “Legal Tactics: Tenants’ Right in Massachusetts”

Before you Move Out 

Moving Out: Checklist, Giving Notice and Protecting Yourself

Your Responsibilities When You leave, Giving Proper Notice, Subleasing and What to Do Before Moving out

Eviction Information

Eviction Timeline

Defending yourself Against an Eviction case: Answer Guide

Massachusetts Defense for Eviction (MADE): Self-Guided Eviction Help | Greater Boston Legal Services (gbls.org) 

Guide on How to file a Motion to Dismiss including a template

Preparing for Trial, guide to Discovery

Housing court forms in other languages

Fair Housing:
Fair housing laws protect all of us from discrimination based on: race, color, national origin, religion, gender identity, military status, age (except minors), sexual orientation, family status (e.g. have children), source of income (e.g. Section 8), disability, marital status, and ancestry.

If you believe you are being or have been discriminated against, you may file a Fair Housing Complaint with the City of Somerville’s Fair Housing Commission. To make a complaint, click here.

For more information on your rights and responsibilities, and tenant resources, visit the Housing Commission website here or call the Commission at 617-625-6600, x2584.

Mass Fair Housing: Get Help.
MassLegalHelp information on discrimination here. 
Reporting your own case can make change happen! See this case: Rental Applicants Using Housing Vouchers Settle Groundbreaking Discrimination Class Action Against SafeRent Solutions. 
 

Rental Assistance

Do you owe rent? Please reach out to our office for a referral. We may be able to assist an application to a local or state program.

• RAFT: The Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) program provides short-term emergency funding to help you with eviction, foreclosure, loss of utilities, and other housing emergencies. 
  • Let's see if you might be eligible for RAFT. (google.com)
    RAFT Application Portal: Home (mass.gov)
• Somerville Homeless Coalition (SHC) Rapid Response Program has Rental Support and Services including Rental Start Up Costs, Short-term Rental Subsidies, and Eviction Prevention. Visit here.
• The Community Action Agency of Somerville (CAAS) Housing Advocacy Program can help if you owe rent and are at risk of eviction. Learn more here. 
  
   

Somerville Guaranteed Basic Income Pilot Program

From March-June 2024, OHS joined the Somerville Family Learning Collaborative (SFLC)’s Office of Basic Needs and Housing Support to enroll 200 Somerville households in the Somerville Guaranteed Basic Income Pilot Program. 130 OHS clients who experienced housing instability in the past year were determined eligible and invited to enroll in the program. Participants will receive $750 per month for one year. This program is funded by the City of Somerville, using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and private charitable donations. We are working with the Collins Center and the Center for Social Policy at the University of Massachusetts Boston on evaluation of the program and look forward to sharing what we learn.

Basic Income programs have existed in the United States in various forms since the 1960s. They are gaining support and popularity in recent years, as studies show that these programs can change people's lives for the better. They were created to improve the financial health of people struggling to make ends meet, by giving monthly payments.

Participants can use the payments in whatever way they need to improve their lives and financial stability.

• Somerville Guaranteed Basic Income Pilot Program Press Release - March 20, 2024
• Boston Globe Op Ed - May 2, 2024
• Boston Globe Article - May 27, 2024
• Read About the National Coalition of Mayors for a Guaranteed Basic Income Here

Somerville Municipal Voucher Program

• Somerville Municipal Voucher Program (MVP) Press Release

The Municipal Voucher Program (MVP) is a new and innovative program using City funds to provide deeply affordable housing for some of Somerville’s most vulnerable residents. The MVP prioritizes vouchers for families that are ineligible for federal affordable housing resources, have children in the Somerville schools, and are facing significant housing instability. This enabled the City to target this resource to those in the community that were otherwise most likely to be displaced from Somerville.

The MVP program is now up and running with over twenty families already benefiting from the program and more to come. We expect to be able to house twenty-nine families with existing funding.

Some of the vouchers are project-based, so voucher holders could move into new apartments served by the program. Other vouchers were lease-in-place, so selected voucher holders can stay in their current apartments. Still others have been issued mobile vouchers so they can find housing of their choice on the open market.

OHS client and son are happy in their new MVP apartment, March 2024.

Property Owner Resources

The SomerVIP program offers incentives for renting to Section 8 voucher holders. 

• For more information visit: https://somervillehomelesscoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/SomerVIP-Flyer-new.pdf 
• To fill out a pre-application, click here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScOzUs3aqGVYXoo731Dw0X0DGviqqncZslvbhgdePdReSKEqg/viewform 

 

Housing Stability Notification Act (HSNA)

The City of Somerville Housing Stability Notification Act requires landlords to provide a notice of rights and resources to new tenants at the start of a tenancy, as well as a separate notice of rights and resources to tenants at the end of a tenancy. Please note that these are two separate notices containing different information.
 

REQUIRED NOTICE - New Tenancy

REQUIRED NOTICE - End of Tenancy

 

Full HSNA ordinance text
Fuel assistance
SOMERVIVA

• Need legal help? Volunteer Lawyers Project represents low-income landlords of 2-3 family homes statewide: https://vlpnet.org/get-help/ 
• Initiate a Landlord RAFT application: The Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) program provides up to $7,000 per 12-month period to help your tenants with back rent or with "startup costs" for a new unit. Examples of "startup costs" are first and last month’s rent and a security deposit. 
  To apply for RAFT, both a tenant and a landlord must complete corresponding applications. If the application is approved, payment will be submitted directly to you. Visit https://www.mass.gov/how-to/how-landlords-can-apply-for-raft 
• RAFT funding is also available to low-income homeowners who are at risk of foreclosure. Eligible homeowners may apply through the Emergency Housing Payment Assistance Portal.
• Know the Anti-Discrimination Laws on Housing Vouchers- see a guide for Property Owners and Landlords from the Fair Housing Alliance of Massachusetts here.

Housing Search

Searching for Market Rate Housing 
New OHS Housing Search guide includes: 

• How to prepare and what documentation you need for housing search.
• Basic steps on how to rent a unit or a room.
• Tools to use for market rate housing search.
• Resources for moving costs.

You can review the Housing Search guide in the following languages:

• English: Searching for rental housing 
• Spanish: Búsqueda de vivienda para alquilar
• Portuguese: Buscando imóveis para alugar
• Haitian Creole: Chèche kay pou lwe
• Nepali: भाडाको घर खोज्दै हुनुहुन्छ?
• Traditional Chinese: 尋找出租房
• Simplified Chinese: 寻找出租屋

 

Housing search resources 

• Affordable rental opportunities can be found on the Housing Navigator MA website. 
• Homeownership opportunities can be found on the MyMassHome website.

City of Somerville Inclusionary Housing Programs

• Get alerts about opportunities- sign up to receive notifications of affordable rental and homeownership units here. 
• The City of Somerville’s Inclusionary Housing Programs include units at various income minimums and maximums. If you apply with a voucher, the minimum income rules do not apply. 
• Each development has different income criteria for available units. Learn about Somerville’s Inclusionary Housing Program here.
  Inclusionary rental units have shallow subsidies, meaning the rents are below market but do not fluctuate when income increases or decreases.
• For homeownership you will need to get a mortgage pre-approval and attend a first-time homebuyers education program.
   

---

Public affordable housing
Are you eligible for public or subsidized housing? The Mass Law Reform Institute (MLRI) shares that being eligible means that: 

• your yearly income is below a certain limit, and
• you meet the definition of family, and 
• for some programs, at least one member of your family is either a U.S. citizen or an eligible immigrant. 

If you are not sure what the income eligibility is for any given program, be sure to review the application or contact the housing provider for more information. For affordable housing programs that use HOME income limits, please view the income guidelines here. For the Somerville Housing Authority income guidelines for state and federal public housing and the Section 8 program, please see the next section for guideline links.

Where can I apply for affordable housing in Somerville?

Somerville Housing Authority provides subsidized housing for eligible low and moderate-income families and elderly. There are different immigration eligibility criteria for state and federal housing programs:

• Certain federal housing programs require certain types of recognized immigration status. To determine if you are income eligible for the federal public housing program, view the guidelines here. 
• Eligibility for state public housing does not include any immigration restrictions; households may apply regardless of immigration status. To see if you are income eligible for state public housing, view the guidelines here.
• All applications can be found at https://sha-web.org/applications.aspx 
• For more information about Somerville Housing Authority, please visit the website here or contact SHA at:
  30 Memorial Road
  Somerville, MA 02145
  Phone: (617) 625-1152
   

Federal Public Housing

• To apply for Federal Family Public Housing (Mystic View) and/or Federal Elderly/Disabled Public Housing (Brady Towers, Ciampa Manor, Highland Garden, Properzi Manor, Weston Manor) complete the Family Federal Public Housing Application found here: https://sha-web.org/applications.aspx

State Public Housing

• To apply for State Family Public Housing (Mystic River) and/or State Elderly/Disabled Public Housing (Corbett Apartments) complete the following application or apply online at CHAMP (Common Housing Application for Massachusetts Public-Housing). 
• You can select all housing authorities you are interested in applying to, but we recommend that you only apply to towns and cities you are willing to live in. 

Project-Based Vouchers

SHA manages properties that have vouchers tied to their address. The properties below all use the same application: https://www.sha-web.org/documents/applications/universalPBVApplicationEnglish.pdf 

The state public housing application is now called the Common Housing Application for Massachusetts Public-Housing (CHAMP). You can now apply for state public housing through the CHAMP website. You can select all housing authorities you are interested in applying to but it is recommended that you only apply to towns and cities you are willing to live in. To apply for state public housing, you can visit the CHAMP website to apply online or download a hard copy of the application here.
 

Housing for the Elderly (62+ Year Old) & Non-elderly Disabled (One Bedroom)

Capen Court: Elderly (62+) and Non-Elderly Disabled. 1 Capen Court is located in West Somerville. This development offers parking, laundry facilities, and community room. Supportive and assisted living services are available at the adjacent Visiting Nurse Facility at 405 Alewife Brook Parkway.

Waterworks Apartments: Elderly (62+) and Non-Elderly Disabled. Waterworks is located at 485 Mystic Valley Parkway. Waterworks is adjacent to SHA’s Capen Court and the Visiting Nurse Facility. This development is located close to MBTA transportation and shopping.

Waterworks II Apartments: Elderly (62+) and Non-Elderly Disabled. Waterworks II is located at 485 Mystic Valley Parkway. Waterworks II is adjacent to Waterworks Apartments, SHA’s Capen Court and the Visiting Nurse Facility. This development is located close to MBTA transportation and shopping.

Housing With Supportive Services for Disabled (All Units for Single Person Needing Support)

Walnut Street: Housing with Supportive Services for the Disabled. Supportive service program provides medical, therapeutic, and behavioral services to adults with Intellectual Disabilities. Focuses include self-care, sensory/motor development, socialization, daily living skills, communication, community living, and social skills for individuals to maximize their functional independence.

CASCAP: Housing with Supportive Services for the Disabled. 57 Merriam Street. Services provided by CASCAP.

VINFEN: Housing with Supportive Services for the Disabled. 769 Broadway, Somerville, Services provided by Vinfen.

YMCA: Housing with Supportive Services for the Disabled. 101 Highland Avenue, Single Room Occupancy (SRO) Residents are provided their own room and share a kitchen and bathroom. Services provided by YMCA.

Sewall Street: Housing with Supportive Services for the Disabled. Sewall Place is a 13-unit, single-room occupancy development at 10 Sewall Street in the Winter Hill neighborhood. Formerly the Boys and Girls Club, the building houses formerly homeless individuals. Managed by Wingate.

Family (Two & Three Bedroom)

Linden Street: Family Housing (2 and 3-Bedroom units) Located off Somerville Avenue in Union Square, the development has seven buildings, on-site parking, a large, centralized play area, and green space. Service provided by Somerville Community Corporation. Managed by Wingate.

Next Step: Housing with Supportive Services for the Disabled. (2-bedroom units) 301 Medford Street.

Section 8 
The Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8) is the federal government's major program for assisting low-income families, elderly and the disabled to afford decent, safe and sanitary housing in the private housing market. 

• Apply for the Massachusetts Section 8 Centralized Waiting List here. 

Somerville Housing Authority offers emergency status for eligible households applying for public housing who are homeless or at risk of homelessness due to certain reasons. The eligibility criteria for emergency status slightly differ between state and federal public housing, please see below.

The conditions for emergency status are:

State Public Housing Emergency Priority	Federal Public Housing Emergency Preference
A – Displaced by Natural Forces, such as a fire, earthquake, or flood	1A – Displaced from federally subsidized units by Hurricane Katrina
	1B – Displaced by Fire or Natural Forces, such as a fire, earthquake, or flood
B – Displaced by Public Action, such as the building of a low rent public housing project, urban renewal project, or public sum clearance	2 – Displaced by Public Action/SHA Action
	3 – Displaced due to Code Enforcement
C – Displaced by Landlord Action, such as no-fault eviction	4A – Displaced due to No Fault Eviction **
D – Displaced by Acute Medical Emergency	4C – Displaced due to Medical Emergency
E – Displaced by Abusive Situation	4B – Displaced due to Domestic Violence

** For federal public housing, no-fault evictions can include some evictions for nonpayment of rent where there was a loss of income, marital separation, or other no-fault reason the tenant was unable to pay their rent. See the Somerville Housing Authority Admissions and Continued Occupancy Plan for the exact definition of no-fault eviction.

In order to apply with an emergency, fill out the Priority Packet here AND the Federal Public Housing application found here. Submit both to SHA. You will be asked to provide documentation to prove your emergency.  

Somerville Housing Authority (SHA)
30 Memorial Road
Somerville, MA 02145
Phone: (617) 625-1152

SHA website: https://sha-web.org/

Households can apply for State Public Housing with Emergency Priority through the online Common Housing Application for Massachusetts Public-Housing, found here.

 

Privately owned non-profit or for-profit multi-family housing:
There are privately owned non-profit and for-profit multi-family housing developments throughout the City of Somerville:

Clarendon Hill Towers 
Phone: 617- 625-7150
Management company: FHRC Management Corp
Mailing address: 1372 Broadway, Somerville, MA 02144
Details: “deep” subsidies; one, two, and three bedrooms
Application: Download here: Clarendon Hill Towers Application copy.pdf
Accepting applications for waitlist (8/23/24).

Cobble Hill Apartments
Phone: 617-625-8920
Management company: CMJ Management Company
Mailing address: 84 Washington Street, Somerville, MA 02143
Details: “deep” subsidies; one and two bedrooms
Application: Apply via website or find a fillable pdf here: Cobble Hill Apartments 2022 Application copy.pdf 
Note: The application form is updated every year; make sure you are using a current application.  
Tip: Visit the website for alerts about waitlist closures. Applicants must income qualify. 
Accepting waitlist applications for 1- and 2-bedroom apartments for applicants 62 years or older. Waitlist for 2-bedroom apartments for family applicants is presently closed (8/23/24).

Burton F. Faulkner Tower
Phone: 617-628-2119
Mailing address: 25 Highland Avenue, Somerville, MA 02143
Details: “deep” subsidies; elderly or disabled; one and two bedrooms
Application: Download here: Burton F. Faulkner Tower Application.pdf
Accepting applications to wait list. Wait times (as of 8/23/24): Senior 2-3 years; disabled 5-7 years.

Kent Street Apartments 
Phone: 617-628-0499
Management company: The Community Builders, Inc.
Mailing address: 32 Kent Street, Somerville, MA 02145
Details: “shallow” subsidies (flat rent); studio, one, two, and three bedrooms
Application: Apply via website or download application here
Please complete and return to be added to the list (can be emailed to kentstreet@tcbinc.org). Please note that while the waitlist is open, they do not currently have any homes available (8/23/24).

Mt. Pleasant Apartments 
Phone: 617-623-5810
Management company: Peabody Properties
Mailing address: 70 Perkins Street, Somerville, MA 02145
Details: elderly or disabled; one and two bedrooms
Application: Apply via website or download application here.
Currently accepting applications (8/23/24).

Mt. Vernon I, II, III 
Phone: 781-391-0700
Management company: High Street Property Management Corp.
Mailing address: 92 High Street, Suite 22 Medford, MA 02155
Details: “deep” subsidies; one bedroom
Application not available (8/23/24).

219-225 Pearl Street 
Phone: 781-395-1600
Management company: The 219 Pearl St. Realty Trust
Mailing address: 219 Pearl Street, Somerville, MA 02145
Details: “deep” subsidies and market rate; two and three bedrooms
Not currently accepting applications (8/23/24).

Pearl Street Park 
Phone: 617-625-8780
Management company: E.P. Management Corporation
Mailing address: 240 Pearl Street, Somerville, MA 02145
Details: “deep” subsidies; elderly or disabled; one bedroom
Application: Download here: Pearl Street Park Application copy.pdf 
Submit applications to Michele@epmanagement.com. *Please submit one-sided forms only. *
Currently accepting applications (8/23/24).

Somerville Community Corporation (SCC) Portfolio 
Phone: 617-591-0577
Management company: Wingate Companies
Mailing address: 7 Memorial Road, Somerville, MA 02145
To apply to the 100 Homes waitlist, fill out an application here: https://www.somervillecdc.org/100-homes-application/ 

Apply via SHA

• Linden Street Apartment – 42 affordable units; one, two and three bedrooms
• Sewall Place – 13 affordable units; single room occupancy (SRO); 13 for formerly homeless
• Walnut Street Apartments – 12 affordable units; one and two bedrooms

Contact Wingate regarding applying:

• 33 Bow Street—16 affordable and two market rate units; two, three, and four bedrooms
• 75 Cross Street—eight affordable units; for formerly homeless households; one and two bedrooms
• 109 Gilman Street – six affordable units; three bedrooms; two units for formerly homeless
• Saint Polycarp Village – 24 affordable units; one, two and three bedrooms; four units for Department of Mental Health (DMH) clients; two units for chronically homeless
• Saint Polycarp Village 2 — 29 affordable units; one, two, and three bedrooms
• Saint Polycarp Village 3 – 31 affordable units; one, two, and three bedrooms
• Union Square Apartments 181 Washington Street – 35 affordable units; one, two, and three bedrooms

OHS Policy Advocacy

Help lead Anti-Displacement Task Force rent stabilization home rule petition and new initiatives.
Passed Housing Stability Notification Act.
Passed strengthened Condo Conversion Ordinance.
Founded statewide “LOHA” Coalition to pass Real Estate Transfer Fee.
Serving on steering committees for statewide Access to Counsel, Eviction Record Sealing, and TOPA legislative coalitions.
Serving on steering committee for Senior Bridge Program (convened by Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless).
Serving on statewide steering committee to pass the Affordable Homes Act.
Somerville Housing Authority Residential Advisory Board policy advocacy.
 

Anti-Displacement In the News

The following articles and reports contain interesting information about housing, homelessness, gentrification and anti-displacement strategies. Posting of these articles and reports is NOT an indication that the City of Somerville or the Somerville Office of Housing Stability (OHS) endorse any particular strategy discussed. Articles appear here for informational and educational purposes.

Right to counsel in eviction cases

• Article from Curbed Boston about the Movement for Right to Counsel in Massachusetts:
  https://boston.curbed.com/2019/2/20/18232604/massachusetts-legal-aid-evictions
• Right to Counsel in Massachusetts website (fact sheets, legislative bills, campaign information)
  http://www.massrtc.org/

Tenants' Rights 

• Somerville's eviction moratorium, along with rental assistance, legal aid, and outreach, are key to housing stability during pandemic:
  https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/09/01/business/federal-eviction-moratorium-ends-can-cities-alone-stop-wave/
• Boston follows Somerville's lead, banning evictions:
  https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/08/31/metro/boston-announces-eviction-moratorium-effective-immediately
• HUD enforces tenant's right to organize:
  https://shelterforce.org/2019/07/24/after-19-years-hud-finally-puts-a-landlord-on-notice-for-interference-with-the-right-to-organize/?utm_source=sfweekly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=073019
• New York passes a rule to eliminate broker's fees: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/05/nyregion/nyc-landlord-rental-broker-fees.html
• Article on the increasing automatizing of evictions in major U.S. cities: https://www.citylab.com/equity/2020/02/tenant-rights-rent-eviction-landlords-management-systems/606868/

Rent Levels and Rent Controls

• Article from Curbed Boston about high rents in Greater Boston
  https://boston.curbed.com/2018/5/9/17332360/boston-rents-why-high-expensive
• Report on Rent Stabilization Initiatives nationwide
  https://www.policylink.org/resources-tools/our-homes-our-future
• Article from the New York Times covering the New York State Legislators support for stronger tenant protections
  https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/12/nyregion/landlord-rent-protection-regulation.html
• Huffington Post article on the unaffordability of housing nationwide
  https://www.huffpost.com/entry/rent-afford-state-salary-housing_n_5cb6e4aee4b098b9a2dc8297
• WBUR story on the 2019 "Out of Reach" report ranking Massachusetts as the fourth most expensive rental market
  https://www.wbur.org/bostonomix/2019/06/19/rent-affordable-housing-crisis-income-ranking
• City of Berlin in Germany freezes rents for 5 years: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/31/world/europe/berlin-gentrification-rent.html

Production of Affordable Housing

• Report on the needs and challenges around Middle Income Housing
  http://www.mapc.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/middleincomehousing.pdf
• Strategies for using Medicaid dollars to pay for housing
  https://shelterforce.org/2019/02/19/medicaid-dollars-for-housing/
• Aritcle on equity and inclusion in mixed income communities
  https://shelterforce.org/2019/07/12/prioritizing-inclusion-and-equity-in-the-next-generation-of-mixed-income-communities/?utm_source=sfweekly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=071519MovingBeyondPlace
• Boston Globe article on the lack of families living in multi-bedroom apartments: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/02/03/business/report-fewer-families-are-living-bostons-multi-bedroom-homes/

Homelessness / Homeless Prevention

• Report by the Interagency Council on Homelessness on Family Homelessness
  https://www.usich.gov/resources/uploads/asset_library/Homeslessness_in_America_Families_with_Children.pdf
• Report on evidence based solutions to homelessness prevention
  https://www.usich.gov/tools-for-action/homelessness-in-america-focus-on-families-with-children
• Study finds that Massachusetts is the top state for economic insecurity for elders: https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/11/19/massachusetts-tops-nation-new-index-economic-insecurity-for-elders-living-alone/y0K2iU60Nbi7xhcPncazeP/story.html
• How the City of Somerville fights Eviction with Information: https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/globelocal/2020/02/20/somerville-helps-tenants-fight-eviction-with-information/fJRSPRiC0zddOMXHBAM9KO/story.html

Fair Housing

• Study showing that black renter households pay more for rent in the same neighborhoods as others
  https://kinder.rice.edu/2018/09/14/study-black-renter-households-pay-rent-premium
• Strategies for closing the economic divide in housing – report from N.Y. regional roundtable on strategies for housing inclusion and affordability
  https://www.enterprisecommunity.org/resources/closing-divide-creating-equitable-inclusive-and-affordable-communities-8080
• How to overcome barriers to acceptance of Section 8 vouchers in Massachusetts
  https://www.chapa.org/research-and-reports/exercising-choice-with-housing-choice-vouchers-may-8-2014
• What drives landlord participation in the Section 8 voucher program
  https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10511482.2018.1502202 

Landlord Perspectives

• MassLandlord newsletters on a wide range of current Massachusetts housing policy issues
  https://masslandlords.net/resources/newsletters/
  “An Act promoting Housing Opportunity and mobility through eviction sealing”

Transfer Fee Act

• City of Boston proposes 2 percent tax to increase affordable housing stock: https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2019/12/09/compromise-plan-may-give-boston-tax-larger-real-estate-sales/HG3WAvvAk2Jq9R7myUyj1O/story.html

Homes Act Legislation (Sealing of Eviction Records)

• Text of bill: https://malegislature.gov/Bills/191/S824 

Housing issues related to Zoning

• The state of Zoning of multi-family housing in Boston
  https://ma-smartgrowth.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/03/FINAL_Multi-Family_Housing_Report.pdf

National Housing Data

• New report on national Housing trends broken down by state
  https://www.jchs.harvard.eduhttps://s3.amazonaws.com/somervillema.gov.if-us-east-1/s3fs-public/Harvard_JCHS_State_of_the_Nations_Housing_2019.pdf
• Joint Center for Housing Studies releases 2020 report on "America's Rental Housing": https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/americas-rental-housing-2020

LGBTQ+ Housing Issues

• New report on national Housing trends broken down by state
  https://blog.silvernest.com/affordable-housing-and-social-isolation-issues-in-the-lgbtq-elder-community

Condo Conversion Ordinance

• Local realtor Rona Fischman shares her views on the new condo ordinance
  https://4buyersre.com/welcome-condo-conversion-ordinance/