Somerville Releases Strategic Study to Help Small Businesses Avoid Commercial Displacement

Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and the City of Somerville’s Office of Strategic Planning & Community Development (OSPCD) are announcing the release of Mitigating Commercial Displacement in Somerville, MA, a study commissioned by Somerville’s Economic Development team, and authored by graduate students from the Rappaport Greater Boston Advanced Applied Field Lab and the Bloomberg-Harvard Cities Field Lab at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

Upon taking office, a priority for the Ballantyne administration was creating a comprehensive commercial displacement prevention program as part of an innovative, three-pronged approach to mitigate residential, commercial, and artist displacement in Somerville. The findings of Mitigating Commercial Displacement in Somerville, MA will help inform the City’s long-term planning to continue to help independent local businesses remain in Somerville.

“Our small businesses are the heartbeat of our neighborhoods and a driving force of our local economy. But they are facing multiple pressures including rising rents, so we are focused on finding the best solutions to help them stay and thrive here. This study offers useful insights to drive that work,” said Mayor Ballantyne. “I want to thank the student researchers for their thoughtful and collaborative work that will anchor our initiatives to keep small businesses here in Somerville.” 

Over the course of the study, the researchers spoke to Somerville business operators, developers, and other stakeholdersto gain a comprehensive understanding of the obstacles facing small business owners in Somerville. These interviews were analyzed in parallel with previous case study research, current zoning laws, geospatial analysis, and financial modeling to propose new strategies to assist small businesses as they work to remain in Somerville. 

These proposals include:

• Methods for using GIS (geographic information systems) and property data to predict potential areas where commercial displacement may occur.
• Programs to help businesses and nonprofits mitigate or avoid displacement based on national best practices. 
• Zoning and permitting policies to prevent displacement from large-scale commercial developments. 

This work builds on the ongoing efforts of the City’s Economic Development Division to support small local businesses. In addition to allocating a total of $3.5 million to local businesses to assist with pandemic impacts, other initiatives include: 

• Establishment of a new Small Business Liaison 
• Diversity catalog 
• Development of a Commercial Tenant Guidebook 
• Small business technical support 
• Business resource newsletter 

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 at 617-625-6600 x 2059 orapomeroy@somervillema.gov.