The Somerville Fair Housing Commission, a nonpartisan group of citizens serving the community, asked candidates for Mayor and School Committee a set of questions about Fair Housing in 2021 and again this year, in 2023.

Question 5: 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?

1. a) Policies and programs Somerville can use to diversify neighborhoods
2. b) Continuing to protect and enforce condominium conversion restrictions and other measures to ensure housing for families with children
3. c) Preventing discrimination against disabled individuals in need of housing that have emotional support animals
4. d) Preventing discrimination against households with Section 8 Vouchers or other rental subsidies

William Tauro, Candidate for Mayor

1. We have many policies and programs to aid diversification. The need to be acknowledged, enforced, and expanded. Diversification means community. Neighborhoods have been decimated rather than brought together. The power of economics has forced poorer families out. We need to focus on stability and maintaining the concept of strong connected neighborhoods. Policies must be made to encourage and support all who are here and those who come here. The term “Resident” cannot be applied if such a high number are constantly in flux. As our housing market prices continue to rise, the diversity we look for is forced out. Affirm means to make positive change that meets challenges we face. Diversification does not mean gentrification.
2. The urban sprawl has continued with the expansion of condominiums and other new housing. Working class families have been disenfranchised with condominium conversion. Many times the units are not feasible for those with children or multigenerational families. Housing discrimination takes many forms Condominiums and other housing not only are not feasible for families of many kinds but also not “affordable”. Affordability is a misused word. What high paid professionals can afford became out of sight for many families. Increased efforts need to be made to insure all can live and function as valuable residents. As with all development, we need to be vigilant in our awareness of what we have and what can be utilized. There is a lot of rhetoric about what we can do about climate control and energy consumption, taking land, our natural resources and native species of animals and plants contributes negative and unsustainable consequences.
3. Disabilities come in many forms. Once documented compliance should be enforced. We live in a fragile, judgmental world that is constantly in flux. Emotional Support Animals provide a much needed service for many who suffer from loneliness. anxiety, depression and other many times unseen issues. The stigma of mental health is still with us. Remedies and concrete alleviations must be recognized and accepted. Of course in reality owner occupied housing must be acknowledged if there are health related or other pertinent issues that might effect compliance. Working together we can find workable and compassionate solutions.
4. Rental subsidies of every kind contribute to a viable and vibrant community. Acceptance contributes to diversification of our neighborhoods. The laws of Section 8while being enforced must be encouraged and explained. Further expansion of programs and opportunities with widespread information that is coordinated and integrated will make all programs accessible and understood. Somerville needs to continue to be a welcoming city that recognizes all its residents and their needs.

Matthew Hunt, Candidate for City Council, Ward 1

When elected I will endeavor to prioritize a Somerville populated by a wide varied array of residents who are fully protected and secure in their place in our city. This would use all current enforcement avenues available as well as strengthening protections for underserved members of our community. Especially here in Ward 1, our neighbors are often less aware of the services available and their rights and I want to be a resource to bolster their protection in the city. Naima Sait, Candidate for City Council, Ward 5

1. The existing diversity in Somerville’s neighborhoods is threatened by rising rents and profit maximizing redevelopment, so I will support measures to expand affordable housing in the City and to distribute affordable apartments throughout every neighborhood, which will mitigate those threats and, if done at scale, even increase diversity and inclusion in the City. At the same time, OHS and ISD are, respectively, the municipal agencies that can aid tenants and pressure landlords in cases of discrimination, and I will push to give them the resources to do so.
2. Somerville already has the strongest Condominium Conversion Ordinance in the Commonwealth, but its enforcement is largely left to the community and its Tenants’ Right of First Refusal provision is useful only to tenants who can secure financing to exercise it. I will advocate to increase outreach efforts to inform all tenants in the City of their rights under the ordinance, advocate increased funding and staffing at OHS, ISD, and CAAS to ensure that tenants have avenues to enforce their rights. As well, I will advocate for the City to purchase and to build municipally-owned affordable and mixed income housing with greater proportions of apartments sized for families than in market-driven developments.
3. Our City should be accessible by default but our existing housing stock and public ways need extensive rework to get there. I’ll advocate for increased resources for OSH and the Fair Housing Commission so that they can meet all reports of discrimination against disabled applicants for any ostensible reason, including their service animal, in a timely manner.
4. While it is illegal to deny housing to an applicant who carries a Section 8 voucher, few if any consequences currently accrue to landlords who do so. The CIty should invest in the administrative capacity to change that. I will advocate to give the Fair Housing Commission and OHS the resources to respond in real time to respond to reports of discrimination with legal advice and advocacy. At least as large a problem in Somerville is that the prevailing price level of rents in the City puts many apartments out of reach for voucher holders; every measure to increase the number of affordable units in the City, and especially municipally- and state-owned affordable units in the City, will help to open to City to subsidized tenants.

Jack Connolly, Candidate for City Council, Ward 6

I would propose that we enforce strict penalties for anyone found discriminating against housing in the City of Somerville.

1. Somerville has a lot of great programs already we can use to diversify neighborhoods, we just have to offer them more support so they can be proactive and serve their purpose. When it comes to policies I am open to reviewing any standing policies to see what changes we can make that will lead to a positive impact and I will welcome and review proposals for initiatives that can assist diversity in any way.
2. Glad to do all possible to insure housing not just for families with children, but for all in need; The goal must be to increase more affordable housing for all in Somerville.
3. Discrimination of any kind is not something I tolerate, nor is it something that the City of Somerville should either. Individuals with emotional support animals need them for a reason and we should have options made available for this particular need.
4. Anyone with a housing voucher should be treated equally and never turned away. If they are able to submit a proper application for any kind of eligible housing their application should always be considered with a voucher or not and treated the same way as any other applicant. We need more housing vouchers and rental subsidies made available in this city and we need landlords to not discriminate against those with them.

Wilfred Mbah, Candidate for City Council At Large

1. I will work with my City Council colleagues to expand and add to the programs that create more affordable housing units and insure that these units are located throughout Somerville. Too often in the past these units have been concentrated in a few neighborhood. This requires a three-fold strategy to reach each of the types of neighborhoods that the Somer Vision plan has defined:

• In the transformation zones, where large-scale and T-station oriented development is being planning and built, we must insure that these do not become simply concentrations of luxury condo units and studio’s for fast-turnover young renters. Zoning provisions to increase unit mix and family-sized units in new buildings, as well as additional programs like overlay bonus provisions to achieve a higher than 20% inclusionary component will be needed.
• In the mid-rise zones of the corridors and squares, where Somer Vision foresees infill housing at incrementally large scale, similar strategies of housing overlay zoning have been defined already, but not yet put into place.
• In the low-density NR and UR zones, we must encourage and oversee the application of the permissive zoning regulations already in place – such as allowing fourth units and backyard cottages to increase housing stock and we need to look for more such incremental-infill methods to apply.

Throughout the city we must support and fund the programs, by which the city and non-profit developers can acquire housing units and buildings and re-organize them as deed restricted units or units available with subsidies. The opportunities to acquire such properties in foreclosures, estate sales, tax liens or similar circumstance arise sporadically and require quick intervention and fast organization of financing by the Housing Trust, the Community Land Trust, 100 Homes and other programs. As a council member, I will try to insure continual oversight and be ready to quickly act in support of these programs.

1. In 2019 as a member of the city council, I supported the amendments that gave the Condo Review Board stronger tools of enforcement, and in 2023, as a citizen, I have given support to the additional changes made in the Condo Conversion Ordinance. I would also consider going somewhat further, increasing the amount of relocation costs and extending the relocation notification period for tenants impacts 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.

1. We need to increase the purview of the Fair Housing Commission so it can actually enforce penalties and issue fines against property owners that discriminate against individuals with emotional support animals. A rental licensure program that provides prospective tenants with a history of each landlord or property manager will also incentivize landlords not to discriminate.
2. Answer: This is a timely problem as the city gets ready in fall 2023 to launch its local voucher program – directed at families not eligible for federal Section 8. Again, the role of council members will be to closely monitor and be ready to support and fund as necessary actions by the Fair Housing Commission and Housing Stabilization staff to make these voucher programs successful One related change I will try to address will be to up-date the tenant selection policies for inclusionary housing to prioritize the applications of households that have an expiring Section 8 voucher.

Question 6: What reforms do you see as feasible to ensure that older housing stock is maintained in a manner that supports the health and safety of all residents, including lowincome residents?

William Tauro, Candidate for Mayor

90% of Somerville’s housing stock was built from before 1939 to 1979. Some of these units have lead, asbestos, narrow steep stairs and, because we are a city of hills, they have many steps to enter them. The expense of addressing an issue such as de leading ($8,000 -$20,000) brings property owners pause, the same with asbestos removal ($7,500+). One priority is to keep elderly residents in their home and not have them taxed out because they now find themselves in a community desireable.to others. Another is to help moderate to low-income property owners with tax credits to help offset the cost of renovations needed for health and safety. Funding incentives for below market rent rates, money to supplement housing vouchers, and helping nonprofits working on fair housing issues are all things I will do when mayor to help both property owners and low-income renters.

Matthew Hunt, Candidate for City Council, Ward 1

Because of the age of much of Somerville’s housing stock, special care is needed to ensure that the health and safety of residents is being looked after. This disproportionately affects lowincome members of our community and those facing mobility challenges. Tenants and buyers should have robust support and advocates to inform them of their rights and protect their interests.

Naima Sait, Candidate for City Council, Ward 5

The Inspectional Services Department is responsible for ensuring the safety and habitability of all buildings in the City, but its current structure is inadequate to that task. ISD needs transformative levels of funding and staffing to move beyond its current, reactive posture and into proactive activity to guarantee that no landlord forgoes necessary maintenance. A public registry of all landlords in the City, with attached records of complaints and enforcement actions, would let tenants make informed decisions when renting (and let tenants know that they are not alone, a step toward organizing effective tenants’ unions); I will advocate for the creation of such a system. I will also advocate for the City to establish a dedicated fund to assist property owners with building updates not just for health and safety but for energy efficiency and fossil fuel removal (with strings attached, such as frozen rents).

Jack Connolly, Candidate for City Council, Ward 6

Better communication with the City of Somerville, housing authorities, landlords, and rental agencies is something we need much more of in order to maintain the health and safety of all residents. We need to do more as a community to prevent neglect of housing in our city in order to assure we can live here safely.

Wilfred Mbah, Candidate for City Council At Large

Many of the older housing stock apartments are in the public housing programs of the state and federal government. Thus, an important strategy will be to ensure that the flow of funds for maintenance and upgrades is sustained and that other grant monies that become available can be directed toward the improvement of these properties. Another strategy will involve building regional partnerships and working with our neighboring cities to pressure the state. For buildings and units that are not in the direct funding programs – such as the Mystic area buildings impacted by noise and air pollution for I-93, I would pursue a pilot program to provide low-income residents with a free HEPA indoor filter system. Similarly, we must also continue the programs of toxic paint and lead pipe removal.