PUBLIC INVITED TO HOUSING ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION SERIES

SOMERVILLE
– As more families and individuals seek to remain in Somerville amid market
forces that are creating a crunch of affordable and moderate-priced housing
across the metro area and in Somerville, the City of Somerville, Somerville Community Corporation (SCC)
and Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC)
invite the community to three public forums starting the first week of February
to discuss housing issues in the city and to help inform and shape future housing
policy.

The
forums, titled Housing Roundtables: A
Discussion Series on Housing for Families and Individuals in Somerville, will
be held on Tuesday, Feb. 4; Tuesday, Feb. 11; and Tuesday, March 4, with each
forum starting with registration and refreshments at 5:30 and discussion running
from 6 to 8:30 p.m. All meetings will be held at the Argenziano School, 290
Washington St. in Somerville, and will include childcare and interpretation
services.

Community
members are encouraged to attend any or all of these forums to contribute their
thoughts and experiences around housing issues in Somerville and to share their
goals for future City housing policy. Staff members from the City, SCC and MAPC
will guide the strategy sessions, which will build upon the community’s vision for
housing diversity as laid out in SomerVision, the
city’s 20-year comprehensive plan.

“Housing costs are rising across
the metro area, but in Somerville we will not stand by and let our lower-income
families or our working middle class get pushed out. As Somerville’s appeal
grows and more people seek to live or stay here, we must protect those who
chose Somerville years ago while we also welcome new families who want to plant
roots in our community—and to make that happen, we need forward-thinking
housing policy,” said Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone.

“We’ve been addressing the
challenge of keeping housing affordable through a number of initiatives
including passage of the Community
Preservation Act, the establishment of our Affordable
Housing Trust Fund, and by setting our affordable
housing requirements far above the state’s benchmark. And currently, we are
also working on new initiatives to expand our affordable housing program to
working, middle-class families and to create artist and maker districts through
zoning that will protect affordable live/work spaces. But we need to do more,”
added Mayor Curtatone. “Through these forums, we will tap the wisdom of the
community to ensure we continue to pursue bold, effective strategies for addressing
the city’s housing needs. Somerville’s diversity is one of its greatest
strengths, and we will ensure that we retain that diversity and that Somerville
remains a home for all.”

The
first meeting on Feb. 4 will feature special guest Rachel Bratt, Professor in the Department of Urban and
Environmental Policy and Planning at Tufts University and Senior Fellow at the
Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. At this forum, the
community will discuss what exactly family friendly housing is; what kind of
housing does the community need to be able to raise a family in Somerville; how
the community can work together to meet those needs; and how to best ensure
affordable options for a range of incomes.

The
second meeting on Feb. 11 will feature special guest Tim Reardon, MAPC Assistant Director of Data Services and a newly
released MAPC report “The Dimensions of Displacement,” developed in partnership
with SCC and the City of Somerville over the past two years, which delves into
gentrification and displacement in Somerville, particularly along the Green Line
corridor. At this forum, the community will discuss what gentrification is and
why it happens; how displacement resulting from gentrification has shaped
Somerville’s history; and how the community can work together to ensure changes
coming to Somerville benefit all segments of the city’s population.

At
the third and final meeting on March 4, the analysis and discussion from the
first two forums will be used by participants to develop concrete strategies
and tools for moving forward with a strong and effective housing agenda for
Somerville.

Funding
for this project is provided in part by the U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development Sustainable Communities Program.

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Contact:

Denise Taylor 617-625-6600,
ext. 2103

Jackie Rossetti 617-625-6600,
ext. 2614