Transition Policy Committee Summary of Findings

Committee Name

Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy Committee

Committee Members

Jenn Harrington, Emily Beattie, Ami Bennitt, Susan Berstler, Becky Donner, Ethan Dussault, David Jubinsky, David London, Annis Sengupta, Ajda Snyder

 

Key themes and trends:

Somerville’s Creative Future:
Make It or Break It

Somerville’s artists and cultural workers are being pushed out faster than new opportunities emerge. Rising rents, redevelopment pressures, and shrinking affordable spaces are not just threatening livelihoods—they are erasing our city’s cultural identity and weakening the local economy. The urgent, unifying crisis: Without affordable, stable opportunities, Somerville cannot sustain its creative life. Talent and ideas alone are not enough—urgent, coordinated action is required now to preserve and grow our vibrant arts ecosystem.

The economic stakes are clear. According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, in 2023 the arts and culture sector in Massachusetts contributed $29.7 billion to the state’s economy and supported 130,263 jobs. Protecting artists and cultural spaces is not solely about culture—it’s about igniting a dynamic, resilient local economy. 

Somerville must act decisively to ensure that creativity continues to evolve and flourish. The time to protect our artists—and our city—is now. 

This narrative provides an overview of the key problems and proposed solutions. See our appendices for a full picture of the Committee’s recommendations.

I. Arts in City Governance

• Arts are often treated as optional rather than foundational. Years of planning without execution have eroded public trust, and repeated studies have failed to produce visible, measurable outcomes for artists, organizations, or communities.

• Key Insight: The Somerville Arts Council (SAC) is widely trusted and effective within its limited scope, but it is structurally under-resourced and lacks the authority needed to drive cross-departmental action. Without clear decision-making power, mandatory collaboration with planning, zoning, and economic development, and enforceable timelines, arts policy remains aspirational rather than operational.

• Despite extensive research—including the Creative Displacement Report, Cultural Capacity Plan, and Community Spaces Report—there is no centralized system to track implementation, report progress publicly, or hold departments accountable for follow-through. Arts representation is inconsistent at city decision-making tables, and artists are often engaged only after plans are effectively finalized.

• Conclusion: Arts must be a core function of city governance, with clear authority, interdepartmental accountability, and transparent, measurable benchmarks. 

II. Arts and Economic Development

• Arts fuel Somerville’s economy but are underfunded and overlooked. When cultural infrastructure fails, so does the local economy.

• Key Insight: Zoning pressures and inconsistent enforcement threaten creative spaces. Artists need stability, not just project funding. 

• Conclusion: Treat the arts as essential infrastructure. Integrate cultural preservation, funding, and business support into economic development.

III. Cultural Infrastructure and Access

• The social structures that sustain creative labor remain fragile or absent. Festivals and public programming benefit the economy, but artists themselves face financial precarity, limited access to space, and few clear pathways into sustainable creative careers.

• Key Insight: 

• Cultural vitality depends on equal parts social structure and physical space. Without mentorship networks, paid opportunities, intergenerational pathways, and institutional partnerships, participation in the arts is limited to those with privilege.

• Public art, youth programs, and creative workforce initiatives are the connective tissue that links artists to resources. Dedicated galleries, residencies, and learning opportunities create shared platforms where artists can develop professionally, collaborate across disciplines, and remain rooted in Somerville’s evolving cultural landscape. 

• Conclusion: To ensure equitable and meaningful opportunities for the creative economy, the city must invest in social infrastructure by building pipelines and cross-sector partnerships to stabilize creative careers.

IV. Stabilizing the Arts Economy Through Ownership

• Short-term leases and project-based grants cannot offset ongoing displacement. 

• Key Insight: Ownership models and long-term leases are critical for resilience.

• Conclusion: Prioritize permanent, affordable, community-managed cultural assets to ensure autonomy, financial stability, and continuity.

V. Community Empowerment and Cultural Equity

• Effective cultural policy depends on treating artists as partners in shaping the city’s creative ecosystem. The City must recognize creative work as legitimate labor, enforce fair compensation, and embed equity into governance and public spaces.

• Key Insight: Equity ensures that historically marginalized communities, emerging artists, and underrepresented groups have access, voice, and agency within the cultural ecosystem. The arts cannot be a realm of privilege. Failing to actively pursue equity limits the potential of innovators, community leaders, and the role of the arts to foster diverse perspectives.

• Conclusion: By ensuring fair labor standards, expanding access, and advancing equity through city governance, Somerville can build a vibrant, inclusive arts ecosystem where diverse perspectives, innovation, and community leadership thrive.

• The Bottom Line: Somerville boasts remarkable creative talent and energy, but its creative economy faces mounting challenges in affordability, execution, and structural support. Addressing these issues requires decisive action grounded in stability, accountability, and equity. The city must choose between acting now or continuing to perpetuate a decline in its creative economy. 

 

Existing initiatives:

What Works

• Somerville has several successful models that support arts, culture, and the creative economy:

• Somerville Arts Council (SAC): Demonstrates that targeted investments generate important cultural, social, and economic returns. Programs, grants, and festivals are engines of cultural vitality.

• Fabrication District (FAB) and Arts-Supportive Zoning: Protects affordable creative spaces and resists profit-driven redevelopment. It serves as a model for how proactive city policy can safeguard creativity. 

• Artist-Run Buildings & DIY Spaces: Provide stability, peer support, and cultural continuity Community stewardship works and should be preserved.

• Signature, Accessible Festivals and Cultural Events: Build civic pride, energize local businesses, and reinforce Somerville’s creative identity.

• Planning and Policy Work: Strong foundations exist, but their value depends on implementation, transparency, and follow-through. Reports such as Somerville’s “Anti-Displacement Task Force - Creative Displacement Report,” “Cultural Capacity Plan,” and related research have clearly identified the issue. What’s missing is sustained action to turn recommendations into results.

• Regional Collaboration: Strengthens leadership and data-driven decision-making and ensures the city remains a leader in cultural and economic innovation.

• City-Supported Creative Space Initiatives: Projects like the Armory illustrate potential; the real challenge lies in executing efficiently and delivering on these plans.

• Independent Advocacy: Centers community voices, challenges gaps in city processes, and strengthens the creative ecosystem. When creatives are included early—before decisions are locked in—they surface risks, inequities, and missed opportunities while solutions are still possible. They also help move work forward efficiently instead of getting stalled in process. Welcoming independent advocacy shifts creative voices from late-stage public comment into the rooms where decisions are actually made.

• The Bottom Line:
  Effective initiatives are artist-led, community-focused, and resource-efficient. They should guide future investments in a thriving, resilient creative economy.

 

Gaps:

What’s Missing

• Affordable Studio Space and Permanence: Rising rents and redevelopment pressures outpace city efforts. Without permanent, affordable studio space, Somerville risks losing its creative core.

• Affordability Beyond Studio Space: High housing costs accelerate artist displacement.

• Arts Voice in Government: Planning, economic development, and capital decisions often overlook cultural priorities.

• Limited SAC Integration: SAC expertise rarely informs land use, policy, or capital planning. 

• Implementation Gaps: Strong plans exist but implementation lags, eroding trust.

• Armory Governance Issues: Opaque decision-making threatens confidence.

• Underfunded Arts Infrastructure: Limited resources create unnecessary friction, power struggles, and other vulnerabilities.

• Lack of Music & Performance Infrastructure: Affordable rehearsal and small performance spaces are scarce. 

• Permitting and Bureaucracy: Complex, inconsistent processes hinder cultural activity. 

• Equity & Representation: Marginalized artists face fewer opportunities.

• Accessibility Gaps: Many arts spaces are not ADA-compliant.

• Communication Failures: Lack of a centralized arts portal hinders participation, visibility, and equity.

• Underutilized City-Owned Assets: Empty City-owned buildings could host arts and cultural activities but remain unused, creating missed opportunities to maximize public assets for community benefit.

• Transparency and Data Gaps: Tracking, planning, and accountability are inconsistent.

• The Bottom Line: Talent and a multitude of ideas exist, but weak implementation, disappearing space, underfunding, and limited transparency threaten Somerville’s arts ecosystem. Addressing these gaps will allow Somerville to be a truly creative, inclusive, and equitable city, where artists thrive, cultural organizations endure, the creative economy drives real impact, and bold ideas can take our breath away. Stability, investment, and meaningful inclusion cannot wait.

 

Opportunities:

How City Leadership Can Act Now

• Nine strategic opportunities emerged from surveys, committee input, and recent research: 

• Integrate Arts into City Governance: Make arts foundational (rather than symbolic) in planning, economic development, communications, and capital investments.

• Monitor the Arts Ecosystem: Track studio space, cultural participation, and economic impact for data-driven planning.

• Support Arts via Zoning and Ordinances: Protect and expand affordable, permanent cultural spaces. 

• Enhance Arts Business Development: Provide operational support, entrepreneurial training, and business development resources. 

• Expand Funding Sources: Diversify and stabilize funding to encourage growth and creative risks.

• Annual Economic Summit: Center the arts in economic planning and public dialogue.

• Expand Public Art and Programming: Strengthen community engagement and accessibility.

• Cultivate Creative Space: Prioritize permanent, community-managed, and accessible creative spaces.

• Guarantee Artist Rights and Representation: Recognize creative labor, ensure fair compensation, and embed equity in governance.

Recommendations for action:

Delivering Results for Somerville’s Arts, Culture, and Creative Economy

Recommendation for Urgent Action

Awareness of Immediate Crises: Before outlining the recommendations, the Committee calls attention to several arts communities that are facing immediate uncertainty and risk. These losses would impact not just buildings, but decades of cultural investment, organizing, and creative labor. As the Wilson Administration develops its strategic plan, these communities—and the lessons they represent—must be kept firmly in view:

• Joy Street Studios: Facing imminent displacement.

• The Burren: Threatened by redevelopment.

• Washington Street Studios: Ongoing uncertainty even while in the Fabrication District.

• ArtFarm: A decade-long project that is losing promise.

• Central Street Studios: Requires continued city commitment.

• The Armory: Stability depends on forthright, transparent city leadership so this partnership can move forward collaboratively.

• Brickbottom: The City should not rely on Brickbottom as a long-term stronghold for the arts, as it remains a temporary placeholder that could be sold at any time.

Strategic Recommendations Overview

While this list of 40 recommendations may seem ambitious, it is necessary to catch up after decades of neglect. Preserving and growing arts, culture, and the creative economy isn’t optional—it requires bold, intentional action, commitment, and genuine partnerships with the communities who create and sustain our cultural lives.

In Appendix A, we provide a nuanced breakdown of the recommendations, including the urgency of each, sub-actions, and resources to guide next steps. Sub-actions should be carefully reviewed, even though they are not included in this narrative and are left in the appendix without specific timing for three reasons: 1) Implementation decisions and scheduling remain the responsibility of City leadership; 2) Determining timing could serve as a team-building exercise to encourage cross-department conversation and collaboration; and 3) Our committee only had three weeks—we need to call it a day. Appendix B provides a concise, easy-to-browse overview of all recommendations organized by timeline and urgency.

The following recommendations are designed to guide Mayor-Elect Jake Wilson and his Administration in strengthening Somerville’s creative ecosystem. Each recommendation is categorized by timeframe: ★ Immediate Action, ★★ First-Year Priority, ★★★ Multi-Year Commitment.

I. Incorporate the Arts into City Government

Somerville must embed arts and culture into core city systems, governance structures, and decision-making processes. This includes formal representation, transparent accountability, and consistent public leadership that treats the creative economy as essential civic infrastructure.

★ Immediate Action: 

• Adopt a Citywide Statement of Values for the Arts. 

• Leverage existing tools to assess and integrate arts and culture space inventory data into planning processes and share this information with the community.

★★ First-Year Priority:

• Build Arts Representation into Government. 

★★★ Multi-Year Commitment:

• Include Arts in City Communications. 

• Partner with the arts community to maintain and update an arts and culture space inventory, tracking changes over time with public transparency.

II. Prioritize Arts in Economic Development: Creative Economy First

Arts and culture are foundational to Somerville’s economy, shaping neighborhood identity, supporting small businesses, and fueling tourism. To protect and grow the city’s creative ecosystem, economic development strategies must treat cultural infrastructure as essential civic infrastructure, integrating zoning, city ordinances, and targeted funding to prevent displacement and strengthen organizational resilience.

★ Immediate Action:

• Refine Arts and Creative Enterprise (ACE) Zoning. 

• Implement an Agent of Change Policy to protect cultural spaces. 

• Pursue external grants and partnerships. 

★★ First-Year Priority:

• Preserve and expand the Fabrication District (FAB) and Arts and Creative Enterprise (ACE) compliance. 

• Reduce regulatory barriers to cultural activity. 

• Expand SAC Grant Programs in addition to Mass Cultural Council contributions. 

• Allocate 50% of the Short-Term Rental Community Impact Fee to arts and culture. 

• Convene artists, cultural organizations, developers, small businesses, city leadership, and experts to align economic development, cultural infrastructure, and community benefits. 

★★★ Multi-Year Commitment:

• Address ACE Set-Aside Affordability. 

• Establish Creative and Cultural Districts. 

• Establish a Somerville Arts and Culture Assistance Collective/Task Force. 

• Create Artist Entrepreneurship Programming. 

• Explore district-based financing mechanisms. 

• Launch a Patrons for the Arts program. 

• Explore a property tax surcharge dedicated to arts funding. 

• Implement a Percent for Art program. 

III. Build Cultural Infrastructure and Access

Somerville must invest in the physical and social infrastructure that enables meaningful cultural participation. Strengthening venues, youth pathways, public programming, and accessible resources ensures the city’s cultural ecosystem is equitable, sustainable, and resilient.

★★ First-Year Priority:

• Partner local industries with creative professionals to broaden arts engagement. 

• Advocate for local colleges, universities, public health organizations, and vocational programs to support the Somerville arts ecosystem. 

★★★ Multi-Year Commitment:

• Establish a Dedicated Municipal Gallery. 

• Connect artists and youth programs to expand creative opportunities. 

• Create Youth-to-Artist Career Pathways in collaboration with the School Board. 

• Launch Paid Visual Arts Residencies in City-Owned Buildings. 

• Establish a Creative Materials Reuse Center. 

• IV. Stabilize and Strengthen the Arts Economy for Long-Term Resilience Through Ownership

• Long-term stability for Somerville’s creative economy requires control over space and ownership models that protect artists and cultural organizations from market pressures. Temporary solutions and short-term leases cannot substitute for permanent, affordable, and community-managed cultural assets.

★ Immediate Action:

• Establish a Cultural Trust. 

• Expand Affordable Artist Housing. 

★★ First-Year Priority:

• Implement a First Right of Refusal Policy for Cultural Space. 

• Implement an Arts and Culture Property Tax Reduction Program. 

• Enable Temporary and Short-Term Artist Use of Vacant Spaces. 

★★★ Multi-Year Commitment:

• Build on the 2020 Somerville Community Spaces Report of City-owned and private spaces available for community use. 

V. Advance Community Empowerment and Cultural Equity

Somerville’s creative community consistently emphasizes that true cultural vitality depends on empowerment, equity, and representation. Artists seek partnership, not oversight, from the City, developers, and other stakeholders. Meaningful collaboration—where creative professionals are active decision-makers—strengthens the ecosystem, fosters trust, and ensures the city reflects the diverse voices of its residents.

★ Immediate Action:

• Advance advocacy and public education recognizing creative work as legitimate labor.

• Establish Safe and Equitable Community Space Standards, including anti-harassment policies and equity accountability measures. 

★★ First-Year Priority:

• Implement Minimum Pay Standards for all City-Funded Arts Work. 

• Amend the City Charter to establish the Arts and Culture Office as a permanent function of local government, with clearly defined authority, resources, and representation in City decision-making, reinforcing the City’s commitment to cultural life beyond aspirational language. 

★★★ Multi-Year Commitment:

• Create paid, department-wide contract opportunities for artists.

• Share policy wins and strategies with regional partners to strengthen the Greater Boston arts ecosystem. 

 

(We believe the following shouldn't require additional staffing/budget. —Ami Bennitt & Ethan Dussault)

 

Short term recommendations:

• Further integrate Somerville Arts Council with planning and economic development processes in the Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development

• Submit Arts & Creative Enterprise (ACE) in-lieu and in-kind policy via Zoning Text Amendment to City Council

• Track ACE space owed to the city; how current is space is being used (cost/square foot/discipline)

• Create ACE Fulfillment Enforcement policy

• Create Percent for Arts policy and funding stream for an Arts and Creative Economy Stabilization Fund to support arts needs including preserving current affordable artist workspaces, supplementing LCC grants (starting one for organizations), public art

• Establish "Somerville is an Arts City" branding/campaign: amplify this via LCC grantees, festivals, and all arts activities across the city

 

Medium term recommendations:

• Submit Brickbottom Arts Overlay District

• Establish Municipal Creative Space Cultural Trust (requires home rule petition)

• Increase stock of affordable artists housing

• Amplify artist opportunities and resources via SAC: MCC, ABCB, A4A, MAPC*

• Create new space for arts and culture when City-owned property is redeveloped

• Develop capacity-building programs for individuals and organizations to grow in Somerville as already recommended in the Cultural Capacity Plan

 

Long term recommendations:

• Work with SAC and Armory Advisory Board to transition Armory operations to an independent governance structure such as a non-profit or municipal trust

• Create arts space database; track losses/gains ongoing

• Continue projects with MAPC including commercial affordability

• Work with newly Activate Arts Somerville stakeholders on long-term arts policies

• Expand existing and develop new arts and culture spaces, especially ones that support nightlife as already recommended in the Cultural Capacity

• Consider expanding an increase of the ACE requirement from 5 to 10% and increase in FAB District zoning map to further incentivize the preservation of naturally occurring existing arts workspace and the creation of new workspace

 

*Massachusetts Cultural Council, Arts & Business Council of Greater Boston, Assets for Artists, Metropolitan Area Planning Council.

 

Appendix

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The following appendices provide essential context and support for the Committee’s recommendations. They include a detailed framework for implementing recommendations (Appendix A), an easy-to-browse overview of recommendations (Appendix B), a summary of invaluable community input and ideas (Appendix C), and a compilation of key resources (Appendix D) reflecting the considerable effort of individuals and organizations across Somerville and the Greater Boston area in stabilizing and supporting the arts.

Appendix A: Recommendation Matrix and Implementation Framework

Appendix A presents the Committee’s recommendation matrix. It includes implementation steps to operationalize the report’s recommendations and ensure accountability. The matrix highlights alignment with prior advocacy by city staff and the arts community, including:

Anti-Displacement Task Force – Creative Displacement Report

Cultural Capacity Plan

Making Space for Art

Arts Space Risk Assessment

Cultural Trust Strategy, Phase One Memo

Page references from the Creative Displacement Report support deeper exploration of next steps. This crosswalk demonstrates that the recommendations build on past work, emphasizing execution, follow-through, and measurable outcomes.

Appendix B: Recommendations Overview

Appendix B provides a quick overview of the Committee’s recommendations, organized by timeline and urgency. This appendix is intended for easy browsing and does not include detailed implementation steps.

Appendix C, Community Engagement Survey Responses

Appendix C summarizes community engagement survey responses, public comments, and qualitative feedback that may not be represented in the full report. It captures:

Recurring themes raised by artists, cultural workers, and residents

Specific policy suggestions and lived-experience insights

Emerging issues

These responses provide critical context and reinforce the urgency of the Committee’s recommendations.

Appendix D: Resources

Appendix D provides a list of key resources the Committee utilized in developing its recommendations. These resources reflect the extensive efforts of our community and supporting organizations in addressing the growing challenges facing arts, culture, and the creative economy.

 

Transition Policy Committee Summary of Findings

Committee Members

Ben Baldwin, Bonnie Bastian, Shannon Bennett, Fred Berman, Drew Colbert, Diane Cohen, Beatriz Gomez-Mouakad, David Gibbs, Daniel Jacobson, Todd Kaplan, Cory Mian, Adam Portney, Gonzalo Puigbo, Councilor Kristen Strezo, Joyce Tavon, Samantha Wolf

Key themes and trends:

Note: The 2025 Findings and Recommendations of the Residential Displacement Committee of the City of Somerville Anti-Displacement Task Force (ADTF) provides a comprehensive (but year-old) review of the initiatives in place in Somerville that this subcommittee recommends being maintained and, if feasible, strengthened, as well as efforts to enact and implement laws and programs that would enhance the housing stability of the City’s diverse renter households.  Where relevant in the following discussion, that document is cited for useful context. Contact OHS Director Ellen Shachter ([email protected], 617-417-7498) for up-to-date program specifics.

Probably the most significant actions the City can take with regard to home ownership is ensuring that residents are adequately informed about resources currently available to support and sustain homeownership. 

Potential Development Modalities: Housing development, and in particular, affordable housing development can come in a variety of modalities.  Different kinds of property owners and developers are inclined to take on different types of projects. The City must be flexible enough to support the different types of development that are appropriate to different types of sites and conditions, while at the same time, exercising leadership regarding the types of projects and project attributes we want to encourage.

• Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) – The new State law basically allows property owners a lot of flexibility as long as they are generally compliant with basic requirements.  

• Recommendation for City Action: Make sure that residents understand the State law.

• Acquisition and deed-restriction to preserve existing NOAH/BMR small properties – This was the model used to implement the 100 Homes effort.

• This model will not work in an upzoning environment, because properties will have a higher asking price if they are smaller than the upzoning allows. 

• This model works best when the property is mostly habitable as-is; if significant repairs or updating is needed, or if ongoing maintenance is likely to require extensive effort, it could be difficult to recoup those costs via rent in a deed-restricted unit, especially if property is more deeply affordable than 80% AMI

• City Role: (1) Make available Early Acquisition fund for downpayment and to write down the loan principal.  For a triple decker with three 2BR apartments, expect to pay $1.15-$1.35 million or more (if lucky…), so need upwards of $400,000-$600,000 (and more to deepen affordability beyond 80% AMI) downpayment + principal write-down to get monthly cost with insurance, taxes, management / maintenance reserve down to 3 x 80% AMI rent.  

• Acquisition and redevelopment of small property or 2-3 adjoining properties (presumably pursuant to upzoning) – 

• The bigger the parcel on which the property/properties sit, the more units can be created, and the better the payback.

• What’s the right mix of IZ units vs. deed-restricted units (depth of affordability, # of bedrooms) to compensate for demolition of pre-existing units?

• City Role: (1) administrative role only: ensure proper notice to tenants, relocation assistance, right of return, develop AHIP.

• Acquisition of vacant land or land that can be cleared; then development of primarily affordable housing 

• We’re probably talking about 4-8 story apartment buildings, because developers probably can’t generate enough tax credits or other subsidy funding to building anything much larger

• City Role: (1) work with developer to devise AHIP; (2) make AHTF funds available to cover acquisition costs and to leverage tax credits and other subsidy sources; (3) work with developer to clarify other obligations vis-à-vis greenspace / landscaping, infrastructure, mobility-related provisions, if any

• Acquisition of vacant land or land that can be cleared; then development of market rate housing with IZ units. 

• City Role: (1) work with developer to devise AHIP governing inclusionary units; (2) work with developer to clarify other obligations vis-à-vis greenspace / landscaping, infrastructure, mobility-related provisions, if any

To accommodate the demand for housing, in particular, affordable housing, we need to densify our neighborhoods, where possible. Upzoning is a strategy for encouraging denser development in neighborhoods where housing has primarily been limited to single family, duplex, or triple-decker structures. Upzoning encourages demolition of less dense structures and replacement with taller, bigger structures that increase the number of units per parcel. Displacement of the households that rented the apartments demolished to make room for the new denser housing is an unavoidable concomitant of the upzoning-related redevelopment effort.  

If we intend to upzone a neighborhood and trigger displacement to achieve denser development, we should do it in a controlled way so: 

(a) the redeveloped properties provide the community with an adequate benefit - more units of housing in a range of sizes (i.e., number of bedrooms), and including deed-restricted affordable units - counterbalancing the adverse impacts of the displacement; 

(b) the impact of tenant displacement is mitigated to the extent possible, that is, the households being displaced get reasonable time, logistical support, and the financial help they need to find and transition to suitable alternate housing;

(c) the displaced households have a right of return, that is, priority and a reasonable opportunity to return to a comparably (or appropriately) sized unit on the site of their prior apartment or in similarly redeveloped housing reasonably close to that neighborhood, with preference for a deed-restricted unit based on income eligibility; and 

(d) given that the older rental housing from which they were displaced was likely less costly than newer rental housing that was built in its place, make sure the redeveloped property contains a meaningful number of deed-restricted affordable apartments, at least proportional to the number of apartments that were demolished, but no fewer than the number of deed-restricted affordable units that would be provided under the inclusionary requirement, so that households displaced from the community can afford to return to it. We may also want to ensure that there is a reasonable match between the mix and types of housing that is developed (1BR, 2BR, 3BRs, etc.) and the types of apartments that were demolished. 

Importantly, rather than upzoning by amending the underlying NR and UR zoning districts, any such upzoning should be accomplished via an Overlay District, which:

• Allows for inclusion of the above-listed obligations, which are typically part of zoning: (a) sufficient notice and relocation help for displaced tenants; (b) development of deed-restricted units; and (c) provision of a right of return, that is, priority for tenanting a comparably- (or appropriately-) sized apartment developed on the site of the tenant’s former building, or a comparable or otherwise appropriate apartment in a property similarly redeveloped pursuant to the Upzoning Overlay District requirements.

• Allows upzoning to expand incrementally, particularly in areas where there is more support and less opposition.

• To what extent and how should the City guide development, as opposed to largely responding to developer interest and initiative?  What kind of housing is there an appetite for?  Do we need more 1BR and studios for people who want to live alone, or do we need more 2BR and 3BR units for people who want housing that has space for roommates or family?

• On the one hand, developers complain that the process of applying for permits is too protracted and has too many delays, adding to the cost of development.  On the other hand, the ZBA hearing process is dominated – I daresay monopolized - by the presentation team (owner / developer / lawyer) which can easily consume 30 minutes or even longer presenting narrative information, diagrams, etc.,   By comparison, abutters have two minutes to present their questions and concerns, without any assurance that they will get answers or any response at all.  Although the developer/owner/lawyer team can present charts, graphs, diagrams, and reems of paper, abutters are not allowed to provide exhibits that present an alternative perspective. Nor is there any assurance that the abutters and the party sponsoring the development will be encouraged to work out their disagreement; there may just be a winner and a loser.

• Finally, notification about hearings pertaining to zoning and proposed projects only go to abutting owners; abutting or interested tenants are not seen by the zoning as enfranchised parties.

• To what extent can City officials solicit proposals for the kind of development their planning teams have indicated is needed?  For example, advocates for development of new units of permanent supportive housing for formerly homeless persons would like to see the City announce such a solicitation; how could such an announcement come about? 

 

Existing initiatives:

1.01 Maintain, or as the Budget allows, expand assistance furnished by the Office of Housing Stability (OHS) and the non-profit partners with which OHS and the Affordable Housing Trust contract: 

• Individualized language-appropriate assistance for tenants facing the risk of displacement, emergency assistance to family households facing imminent unsheltered homelessness.

• Administration of various pools of rental assistance including municipally funded flexible rental assistance funds, that fill gaps which other funding sources cannot address.

• Legal services, especially full representation in court or in negotiations with an owner or management company seeking to evict a tenant, and legal representation at an administrative hearing 

• Individualized and workshopped housing search services, 

• Tenant outreach, education, and organizing support to assist groups of tenants at risk of displacement due to building sale, building renovation, condo conversion, a disproportionate rent increase, or other owner effort to encourage or force emptying of their building. 

• Implementation of the Municipal Voucher Program 

• Individualized and workshop assistance to tenants and property owners  

1.02 Continue to support the work of the Condominium Review Board, in particular, ensuring that tenants facing displacement due to condo conversion are accorded the rights guaranteed to them in Ordinance 2019-06, as amended by Ordinance 2025-18 on 8-28-2025, including the rights to (a) an appropriate notice period; (b) protection during the notice period against rent increases in excess of what is allowed by the Ordinance; (c) appropriate levels of assistance with relocation; and (d) purchase their unit at fair market value in as-is condition, pursuant to a timely and viable offer.

3.01 City Programs and Other Resources for Condo and Homebuyers and Homeowners

• Sources of Property Tax Relief for Somerville Owner-Occupants (as extensively listed on the Assessor website):    If not already done, insert 2-page flyer summarizing available exemptions, deferrals, and other property tax relief options with first quarter bill, annual property tax update mailer with third quarter bill, and Instructions and Application for the owner occupant residential exemption with the first and third quarter bills.

• Information about Homebuying Assistance: promote awareness of closing cost and downpayment assistance programs (see the bottom of Inclusionary Housing Page)

• First-Time Homebuyer Education: promote awareness of Somerville Community Corp. first time homebuyer class and financial literacy programs & free financial counseling, as well as other sources of first time homebuyer classes 

• Promote awareness of Somerville’s Homeownership Stabilization Program providing loans to help first time homebuyers  facing unexpected and significant increases in housing costs. 

• Promote awareness of the City of Somerville Home Improvement Program (HIP), which provides loans to owner-occupied or investor-owned buildings in Somerville with income-qualifying tenants to assist with addressing building code violations, health and safety-related problems (including addressing lead paint hazards), heating system replacement, work to support aging in place, etc. 

• Promote awareness of Foreclosure Prevention resources including 

HOPE Hotline: 1-888-995-HOPE or www.995hope.org

Homeowners Rehab, Inc: 617-868-4858 or www.homeownersrehab.org

Legal Help Line for Seniors: 800-342-5297 or www.mass.gov/legal-help-for-elders

Ensuring Stability Through Action in our Community: 617-524-4820 or www.esacboston.org

Cambridge Neighborhood Apartment Housing Services, Inc: 617-491-1545 or www.homeownersrehab.org/cnahs

Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America (NACA): 617-250-6222 or www.naca.com

At present, upzoning has not been initiated in Somerville. The recent upzoning in Cambridge did not include displacement protections, a requirement for extra deed-restricted units, or a right of return, and online postings and public comments in the local paper are raising concerns about displacement and properties for sale to developers who want to make big money building luxury accommodations.  That isn’t the outcome we want to see in Somerville.

 

Gaps:

1.03 Participate in and support advocacy for the following state legislative and budget initiatives:

• Passage of Somerville’s Home Rule Petition (initially S. 22) to establish rent control in the City (See p. 7, et seq. of the ADTF) and support for voter passage of a statewide ballot referendum creating a statewide rent control program. 

• State Legislative passage and enactment of Transfer Fee legislation, Tenant Opportunity to Purchase (TOPA) legislation, and Just Cause Eviction legislation (paralleling just cause eviction language in S.22).  

• State legislative funding for expansion of the Right to Counsel Pilot Program for Tenants Facing Eviction

• State legislative funding for rent, case management, and supportive services for permanent supportive housing for formerly homeless persons, in the event that federal funding ordinarily available for those purposes is withheld.

• State legislative funding to maintain, and as funds allow, expand the Bridge Housing Program for Older Adults, a City of Somerville pilot program helping older adults remain housed while they wait for their applications for public or subsidized housing to result in placement in a sustainable apartment.  

1.04 Draft a local ordinance requiring owners to provide early notice to tenants of their intention to sell, renovate, or demolish the building (or particular units therein) such that affected tenants are likely to face non-renewal of their lease or of their at-will tenancy, as the case may be.  

1.05 Assess the adequacy of policies and resources relative to assisting tenants of deed-restricted housing in annually documenting their eligibility to remain in that housing, and as needed, support the development of additional policies and/or resources ensuring the availability of such assistance for tenants unable to manage that process.

1.06 Support efforts to strengthen the partnership between the Office of Housing Stability (OHS) and the Inspectional Services Division (ISD) to ensure appropriate enforcement of City Ordinances and State Laws protecting tenants. 

• Ensure that pursuant to the Housing Stability Notification Act, policies and procedures and staff resources are in place to ensure that building owners or their designees provide appropriate, timely information to tenants regarding rights and resources at the start of a tenancy (see HSNA-2022) and on issuing of a Notice to Quit (see HSNA- 2019).  

• Ensure that policies, procedures, and appropriate and adequately trained ISD staff are available to timely respond to tenant complaints about unsafe or unhealthy housing conditions,

• Ensure that apartments are not illegally removed from the rental housing stock for use as short-term rentals, by proactively enforcing the City’s Short Term Rental (STR) ordinance 

• Ensure that pursuant to 105 CMR, § 410.900 (E), when a residence or portion thereof has been condemned and placarded as unfit for human habitation and the occupant of the condemned dwelling unit or rooming unit is not the owner of the residence, the owner shall provide comparable, suitable housing for the occupant until the soonest of: (1) the end of the lease term or rental period; (2) the unit is deemed suitable for habitation by the board of health; (3) the occupant finds alternate permanent housing and voluntarily terminates tenancy.

1.07 Broaden efforts to enhance diverse Somerville tenants’ knowledge and understanding: (a) about their rights as tenants, (b)about deed-restricted affordable housing options available in Somerville and beyond, (c) about relevant public benefits and local programs and resources, and (d) about sources of employment assistance, job coaching, career development, and workshops to enhance financial and digital literacy. 

3.02 Programs to Assist Elderly Homeowners in Maintaining Their Property

• Financing: Promote awareness of MA Home Modification Loan Program & MA Housing Home Improvement Loan Program

• Hands-On Help: Consider developing a program that might partner with SCES or the Council on Aging to help homeowners who, because of age or disability and insufficient income, cannot manage needed home repairs or routine maintenance.  For information about how it might work consider the Central Mass. Housing Authority’s Elder Home Repair Program & Elder Home Maintenance Programs: https://www.cmhaonline.org/ehrm or 508-752-5519

• How is the Inclusionary Zoning program working?  Are changes needed?

• The City needs additional affordable housing for households earning at or below 50% of AMI, many of whom cannot access IZ units. Survey participants asked whether it was possible to shift funding from middle-income housing to housing serving the most challenged population (earning at or below 50% AMI, or even 30% AMI.

• The City should increase the availability of subsidized and IZ units targeting households earning at or below 50% of the AMI, as this group faces the most dire housing challenges. Expanding the Inclusionary Zoning program requirements to generate more IZ units was also mentioned.

• The recent Housing Needs Assessment (HNA) and Financial Feasibility Analysis (FFA) raised a number of concerns about potential problems with the way compliance with the Inclusionary Zoning requirement is defined, and suggested some alternative approaches; some of the issues raised are discussed below:

• One issue that the HNA/FFA did not address is the threat to the Inclusionary Zoning program posed by the Pioneer Institute lawsuit against Cambridge’s Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance.  Would the IZ provisions be “safer” from legal challenge if they were embedded in an Overlay District, for example, trading off the reward of denser development with the obligation to provide affordable units?

• The HNA/FFA identified concerns about the difficulty in finding tenants to lease 110% AMI IZ rental units (since tenants with a qualifying income can afford to lease in the private market without having to annually income qualify), which developers on the Transition Team suggested could be remedied by better, broader-based marketing. However, Somerville’s IZ program is restricted to serving only City residents. Alternately, if the 110% AMI units were 2 or 3BR units that could be marketed to voucher-holding families on the waitlist, that might address the problem: the higher development cost of these units would be reliably compensated by voucher-assisted rents, and the difficulty finding local tenants for the units would be eased. If we still cannot find Somerville tenants for the 110% AMI IZ units, we should probably drop 110% AMI units from the IZ program, keeping the same sequence without 110% AMI units: 

Fractional Buyouts Under this Scenario: For a property with 24 units, create 4 IZ units and make a 40% payment for a 50% AMI unit.  For a property with 49 units, create 7 IZ units and make a 90% payment for an 80% AMI unit. 

• Locale-Specific IZ Rates: In its Financial Feasibility Analysis, RKG suggested considering lowering the IZ rate below 20% in more expensive parts of the City (i.e., where land costs are higher) to encourage development in those areas.

• Fee-in-lieu Recommendation: Developers on the Transition Team stated that the City’s fee-in-lieu (FIL) option to make payments to the Affordable Housing Trust in lieu of creating an on-site IZ unit is currently too expensive. In fact, making in lieu payments an unattractive alternative to creating an IZ unit was intentional, because deed-restricted units are so valuable. Although developers can avoid fractional payments by “rounding up” and creating an additional deed-restricted unit, another option would be to allow fractional payments to be paid on an installment basis, perhaps over a 5-year period, with annual adjustments for inflation, so as not to overwhelm the developer with the all-at-once cost. Fractional payments from different projects could be aggregated and used to deepen the affordability of (unoccupied or newly developed) deed restricted units, a strategy that is consistent with the FAF’s advice that Fee-in-Lieu and fractional payments be “reinvested in ways that meaningfully advance the City’s affordability objectives.”

• Basing Inclusionary Requirements on Rentable Square Feet (RSF) vs. Number of Units Produced: As noted in the FFA, the Inclusionary Zoning rules require that at least 20% of IZ units in properties with 30 or more units must be 3BR apartments.  Because 3BR units are larger than most of the other apartments, this means that in properties with 30 or more units, the inclusion of 3BR IZ units is likely to mean that IZ units take up more than 20% of the overall RSF, thereby reducing the property’s income-generating potential. (A large number of smaller apartments is more lucrative than a small number of larger apartments.)  To avoid this loss of revenue, developers on the Transition Team proposed defining the 20% inclusionary requirement in terms of RSF, rather than in terms of the number of IZ units. As long as the mix of subsidy levels remains as currently prescribed (or drops the 110% AMI units, as described  above, or even better, adds units targeted for lower income households), and as long as the IZ units include a mix of apartment sizes (studio, 1BR, 2BR, 3BR) in more or less comparable proportions to the overall mix of units in the property, basing the IZ requirement on 20% of RSF instead of 20% of the total number of units wouldn’t substantially change the number of deed restricted units.

• Temporary Inclusionary Relief, Project-Specific Property Tax Relief, and Other Measures Designed to Spark Progress in Stalled Development Projects: The FFA and developers on this Transition Team suggested that projects stalled due to expenses exceeding expectations (e.g., due to higher borrowing costs, higher material or labor costs, etc.) could benefit from property tax relief or implementation of a phased-in approach to affordability, that is, a delay in the effective date of the discounted rent levels promised for IZ units. However, without clear guidelines governing the parameters for negotiating such relief, that is, the basis for and extent and terms of financial or other relief, such individual arrangements could easily raise concerns about unequal treatment, and set a problematic precedent. That said, affordable housing projects are free to return to the City’s Affordable Housing Trust and argue their case for more help.

• The Challenge of Competing Priorities: Developers creating affordable housing in Somerville face expectations from different sectors of the community regarding use of union labor and paying prevailing wages, helping fund infrastructure improvements, providing ground floor retail, creating greenspace, providing bike racks, maximizing the energy efficiency of their buildings, and addressing other environmental concerns to improve the project’s “Green Score.” All of these aspects can increase development costs. Perhaps most contentious has been the topic of requiring prevailing wages or a project labor agreement. Different studies have variously calculated the added cost of paying prevailing (union) wages as 6% (Hinkel & Belman, 2022), 23% (NYC Independent Budget Office, 2016), 32% (Terner Center for Housing Innovation, 2024), or higher. The more diverse the projects included in these studies, the harder it is to isolate the impact of labor costs (as opposed to impacts related to regional differences in labor, land, and material costs; the cost of wood vs. steel construction and the related differences in costs of building higher vs. constructing the same number and types of units in buildings with fewer stories and a bigger footprint; the costs of underground parking, elevators, etc.). A Boston metro area project cited by a developer on this Transition Team estimated the added cost of prevailing wages at between 30% and 44%, which developers on the Team warned would result in creation of fewer units, given project financing challenges.

• Although EOHLC has delayed issuing revised development cost limits governing eligibility for Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) in hopes that the current cost environment will stabilize, they warn that “sponsors of extremely high-cost projects should anticipate that HLC is likely to deny their applications in favor of less expensive projects that are able to meet design criteria as well as other evaluation criteria.” (p.29-30 of 2025-26 Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP)) To the extent that the cost of union labor or costs linked to the other “priorities” listed in the paragraph above push development costs too high, they could put Somerville projects at a disadvantage in competing for LIHTC credits, which are essential to creating housing affordable to households with income below 50% or 60% AMI. The 2022-23 metro Boston cost ceiling – which, as noted above, was unchanged in the 2025-26 QAP – was $379,000 for small units and $399,000 for large units. Staying under that cap is harder for an LIHTC-assisted family housing project -- in which at least 65% of the units must have two or more bedrooms, and at least 10% of units must have three-bedrooms – than for a senior housing project or other project that primarily consists of studios and 1BR units, because the overall development cost can be apportioned among the larger number of small units occupying the same-size building envelope as the family housing project. 

• As noted above, affordable housing development has been bedeviled by tension between advocates for prevailing wages and advocates for keeping project labor costs as low as possible. One strategy nationally that has helped integrate the goals of supporting union wages and creating affordable housing has been investing pension funds in affordable housing development (see Quinnell, 6/14/2023 and p. 1012, et seq. of Blasi & Tucker, 2025 on union pension fund investment, and see Manware & West, 2024 and Crawford, Kivell & Recto, 2024 on investment by other types of pension funds and other instruments). Perhaps future LIHTC eligibility rules can bridge these two competing societal priorities by allowing access to LIHTC tax credits by projects with higher union construction costs that can document commitment of other sources of funding, like low or zero cost pension fund investments, that offset those higher costs, so that the impact of the LIHTC credits is undiminished by the higher costs, and those tax credits can have the targeted effect on unit affordability. 

• Remove Unnecessary and Counterproductive Delays in the Zoning Review and Permitting Process: 

Per feedback from developer interviews, there is consensus that the City’s policies and procedures unduly extend the development timeframe increasing costs and frustrating the developers with unanticipated delays. The HNA/FFA also identified unnecessarily protracted review process as a problem, and made the following recommendations:

Streamline Processes: Limit pre-submittal meetings; simplify smaller development project reviews

Scheduling: Expand staff capacity, enable virtual/concurrent sessions

Public Meetings: Standardize staff-led neighborhood meetings; reduce councilor dependence

Documentation: Eliminate dual note-taking; use summary templates to reduce workload

Design Review: Fewer design options; better align committee input & Board expectations, build capacity to review and make recommendations pertaining to prefabricated/modular construction utilizing Mass Timber

Coordination: Interdepartmental conflict-resolution to improve consistency, reduce confusion; clearer Planning Board guidance on common discretionary changes

Inspections: Adopt risk-based or sampling models to enhance compliance and process efficiency

IZ Leasing: Streamline and expedite approvals

Caution: Once a property’s value has been increased via upzoning, we can’t undo it and restore the property’s lower value; and once a property has been sold at a price that reflects its greater value, we can’t tell the buyer that we won’t allow the property to be developed to its new potential. If we are going to create guardrails to protect against massive displacement, requiring relocation assistance, and providing displaced tenants with a right of return, and if we are goiing to require property owners to replace a percentage of the demolished units with deed-restricted units, we must codify those guardrails in the zoning before we enact the upzoning changes.

Challenges:

Once a property’s value has been increased due to its new, higher development potential, we can’t undo it and restore the property’s lower value; and once a property has been sold at a price that reflects its greater value, we can’t retroactively add constraints that decrease the value of the property by limiting the type of development allowed or adding new requirements.  

If we are going to create guardrails to protect against massive displacement, we have to codify those guardrails in the zoning before we enact the upzoning changes. Of course, with the high demand for new housing, money to be made, and property to be redeveloped, there will be pressure on the Administration and the City Council to “get it done” as quickly as possible.

 

Opportunities:

The new Administration and City Council have an opportunity to learn from the experience of other communities and implement upzoning in a way that preserves as much of the fabric of the community as possible, even if the new physical landscape has a higher profile than the landscape that preceded the upzoning. As noted earlier, one of the best ways to implement upzoning in a controlled manner is to frame the rules in an Overlay District. That way, we can start the process in neighborhoods that are generally supportive of the idea, and avoid neighborhoods where the resistance will be more substantial.  And we can learn how conditions –infrastructure, geology, water table, etc. – might impact, and so, inform where and how we upzone.

 

Recommendations for action:

Short term recommendations:

Short term recommendations: easy early implementation (low hanging fruit)

• Maintain, or as the Budget allows, expand assistance furnished by the Office of Housing Stability (OHS) and the non-profit partners with which OHS and the Affordable Housing Trust contract

• Maintain and support the work of the Condo Review Board, in particular, the work ensuring that tenants facing displacement due to condominium conversion are accorded the rights guaranteed to them in City Ordinance

Short term recommendations: easy early implementation (low hanging fruit)  (see Request to Mayor Jake Wilson, above)

• Become familiar with the issues and challenges faced by the Somerville Homeless Coalition and its formerly chronically homeless clients whose permanent supportive housing is at risk due to threatened HUD funding cuts, and, if possible, provide the advocacy support requested by Joyce Tavon, CEO of MHSA and Somerville resident.

• Become familiar with the issues and challenges that the SHA and the clients it serves are facing

• Engage the OHS in working with the SHA to plan for likely scenarios with respect to crises which threaten clients’ ability to sustain their public housing or Section 8 tenancies.

• Short term recommendations: easy early implementation (low hanging fruit)

• Maintain and promote awareness of existing programs and update outdated web information

Recommendations for action: See themes and trends above.

Short term recommendations: (easy early implementation/low hanging fruit): Provide recommended framing and language for an Affordable Housing Overlay District zoning amendment that Mayor Wilson and key staff and the City Council Land Use Committee can review, verify the legality and feasibility of proposed zoning elements, and, hopefully enact.

 

Medium term recommendations:

Medium term recommendations: to be focused on during first year

• Participate in and support advocacy for the following state legislative and budget initiatives:

• Somerville’s Home Rule Petition (initially numbered S. 22) to establish rent control in the City 

• statewide rent control ballot referendum creating a statewide rent control program 

• Transfer Fee legislation, Tenant Opportunity to Purchase (TOPA) legislation, and Just Cause Eviction legislation (in addition to and paralleling the just cause language in Somerville Home Rule Petition for rent control  

• State legislative funding for expansion of the Right to Counsel Pilot Program for Tenants Facing Eviction

• State legislative funding for rent, case management, and supportive services for permanent supportive housing for formerly homeless persons, in the event that HUD funding is withheld or seriously cut

• State legislative funding to maintain, and as funds allow, expand the Bridge Housing Program for Older Adults, a Somerville pilot program helping older adults remain housed while they wait for public or subsidized housing  

• Draft a local ordinance requiring owners to provide early notice to tenants of their intention to sell, renovate, or demolish the building they live in or units therein.  

• Assess policies and resources RE assisting tenants of deed-restricted housing in annually recertifying their eligibility to remain in that housing and support creation of needed resources to assist tenants unable to manage that process 

• Support efforts to strengthen the partnership between OHS and ISD to ensure appropriate enforcement of State and  City laws protecting tenants: (a) Housing Stability Notification Act-required landlord notification of tenants about relevant rights and resources at the start of a tenancy and upon issuance of a Notice to Quit; (b) timely response to tenant complaints about unsafe or unhealthy housing conditions; (c) protection against illegal removal of Somerville apartments for use as short-term rentals; and (d) ensuring that owners timely provide suitable alternate housing for occupants of units condemned and placarded pursuant to 105 CMR, § 410.900 (E) as unfit for human habitation.

Medium term recommendations: to be focused on during first year

• Take a leadership role in prompting the OSPCD and, in particular, the Housing Division to initiate action on a strategy to create more Permanent Supportive Housing:

• Identify City or donated property that is available for redevelopment (e.g., vacant Allen St. properties)

• Issue a Request for Information to gauge interest among local affordable housing developers and to solicit ideas about the best approach to developing the identified properties.  In the meantime, identify potential program operators and supportive services providers.

• Based on preliminary data on target population, number of units, etc., estimate development and operating costs, and begin to assess potential sources of funding for development, operations, and supportive services.

• Solicit funder interest and developer/operator/service provider proposals

• Medium term recommendations: to be focused on during first year

• Promote awareness of programs available to help residents interested in exploring homebuying or needing help with an overwhelming mortgage or interested in programs that can help reduce their property tax bills.

Medium term recommendations: Implement the zoning in a few test locations and assess strengths and challenges: How were property sales affected?  How soon after properties were sold were tenants evicted? Were the tenant protections effective?  What kinds of building permit applications were received?  Amend, if needed.

 

Long term recommendations:

Long term recommendations: to be built into strategic planning over course of entire term

• Broaden efforts to enhance diverse Somerville tenants’ knowledge and understanding about: (a) their rights as tenants, (b) deed-restricted affordable housing options available to them in Somerville and beyond, (c) relevant public benefits and local programs and resources, and (d) sources of employment assistance, job coaching, career development, and workshops to enhance financial and digital literacy. 

2.01 Key Theme: The Potential Impact of HUD and Medicaid Rule Changes on Public and Subsidized Housing Programs:

Although threats by the Trump Administration to drastically cut funding for public housing and the Section 8 program have dissipated, a looming funding shortfall and several proposed rule changes will likely threaten the housing stability of public housing and voucher holding tenants in the coming year: 

• Although a threatened 43% HUD cut in the public housing and Section 8 program budgets was averted when the House and Senate Appropriations Committees both proposed substantially higher funding (NLIHC, 7/24/2025), the amounts proposed by those Committees could leave up to 243,000 existing tenants without vouchers 

• A July 2025 proposed rule prohibits households that include one or more members with ineligible immigration status from living in federal public housing or maintaining a voucher-assisted tenancy.  HUD has indicated that unless household members with ineligible immigration status are removed, these households will lose their eligibility for public or subsidized housing and be evicted. The rule could affect 20,000 mixed-status families [nationally] that receive housing assistance, according to a HUD analysis of the rule obtained by ProPublica; since 16,000 of those families include children, HUD expects virtually all of these families to relinquish their housing assistance out of “fear of the family being separated.” (ProPublica, 9/29/2025)   

• Since all members of each household will have to prove their citizenship or other eligible status, the proposed rule will not only jeopardize the targeted population, but also the “estimated 3.8 million adult US citizens who lack any form of documentation proving citizenship, and another 17.5 million [who] cannot readily access such documents” (Rothschild, Novey, and Hanmer; June 2024)

• Adding additional concern is a HUD plan to ask housing authorities (PHAs) “to report the immigration status of public housing residents and voucher holders within 30 days; if the housing authorities don’t - or can’t - comply, HUD has threatened to revoke their federal funding….” (Urban Institute, Sept. 2025) This initiative follows a March 2025 agreement between HUD and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to share data about the immigration status of HUD-assisted tenants, raising the risk of abduction, detention, and deportation for the 25,000 public housing and Section 8 tenant households with mixed immigration status 

• A Medicaid rule (in the “Big Beautiful Bill” signed into law in July 2025) required that adults age 19-64 receiving health coverage by virtue of a disabling condition recertify their disabling condition every six months or else be required to work (unless they are pregnant, postpartum, caregivers of young children, or “medically frail” individuals). Massachusetts officials “estimate that approximately 175,000 people could lose MassHealth coverage because of work requirements and six-month eligibility checks.” (Mass.gov, 11/26/2025) Losing disability status could also mean losing income benefits, and possibly even housing, if that housing was awarded, at least in part, based on the tenant’s disability status. A non-trivial percentage of these tenants will likely need help recertifying their disability, possibly including help accessing or using technology.

2.02 Advocacy Opposing the HUD Public Housing and Section 8 Funding Cuts and Rule Changes: 

Diane Cohen, Executive Director of the Somerville Housing Authority is a member of the Public Housing Authorities Directors Association (PHADA) and the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO). These organizations joined the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA) in a letter to the leaders of the House and Senate Appropriations Committee signed by multiple housing organizations expressing concern about proposed HUD budget cuts, and calling for fully funding the various housing programs that have been terminated or sharply reduced, including Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) renewals; increasing the HCV Shortfall Set-Aside Funding from $200 to $400 million; providing sufficient funds to transition remaining EHV-assisted households to other voucher programs; allowing Tenant Protection Vouchers to be used for EHV households; protecting Continuum of Care (CoC) funding; and requiring HUD to renew for 12 months all first-year CoC grants that expire in 2026. 

2.03 Key Theme: HUD Threat to Slash Funding for Permanent Supportive Housing and Other McKinney-Vento Programs: 

• A HUD-proposed revision to the McKinney-Vento Continuum of Care grant program would have dramatically cut funding for permanent supportive housing (PSH) in the second year of a two-year grant cycle, and reduced the overall amount of second-year grant awards by 70%, but for the threat of a judge’s injunction. Instead, HUD temporarily withdrew its proposed revision to the second-year funding guidelines. With the process of applying for and receiving second year funding already months behind schedule, providers will face – or may already be dealing with – significant shortfalls in their ability to pay for their clients’ housing, jeopardizing the willingness of private landlords to lease to PSH tenants. Also, PSH clients who fail to timely re-certify their disability status and lose their Medicaid funded supportive services might also be at risk of losing their McKinney-Vento housing assistance, if the loss of disability status ends their PSH eligibility.  

• HUD’s abandonment of a Congressionally sanctioned grantmaking process, abandonment of the housing first model, a proven approach to addressing homelessness, and abandonment of the plan to use the now-delayed process for applying for second year funding for projects that were previously awarded first-year funding jeopardizes the PSH of the some 170,000 formerly homeless persons with serious disabling conditions, leaving them vulnerable to becoming homeless again.     

• Implication for Somerville Programs: In the Somerville/Arlington partnering communities of the Massachusetts Balance of State Continuum, PSH for 55 formerly chronically homeless households (⅓ families, ⅔ individuals) has been placed in serious jeopardy due to HUD’s dramatic last-second federal policy shift, revising with complete disregard for Congress’ intent and instructions the statutorily defined Continuum of Care (CoC) grant program. If HUD’s revised rules are not withdrawn and the abandoned rules restored, and if a source of funding for the second-year housing subsidies that should have been routinely awarded is not found: 

• Most, if not all, of the 55 households will likely find themselves evicted and homeless, and 

• The Somerville Homeless Coalition, which uses grant funding to master-lease the apartments where program clients live, will face liability for the $1-2 million of rent due for the remaining lease period. 

• Request to Mayor Jake Wilson: Since Somerville is not a Continuum of Care and cannot sign on to the lawsuit as such (and since it is too late to join the lawsuit), Joyce Tavon, CEO of the Mass. Housing and Shelter Alliance and a Somerville resident, is requesting that Mayor Wilson (1) publicly affirm Somerville’s support for the objectives of the lawsuits; (2) voice concerns through the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) Metro Mayors Coalition, to the State EOHLC, and to the Legislature about the likely descent to homelessness many thousands of currently housed, formerly chronically homeless persons – including the 55 clients that the SHC helped stabilize in housing – due to HUD’s abandoning the federal commitment to PSH; and (3) urge a shared investment in saving PSH units including state resources as, for example, Connecticut’s Governor Lamont has proposed.

2.04 Advocacy Opposing Funding Cuts and Continuum of Care Program Rule Changes Jeopardizing the Permanent Supportive Housing that Ended the Homelessness of 170,000 Persons 

• As described in the Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief filed by plaintiffs including municipalities (e.g., City of Boston, City of Cambridge, Nashville/Davidson TN, MLK County WA, Santa Clara County CA, San Francisco CA, Tucson AZ), national organizations working to address homelessness (e.g., National Alliance to End Homelessness, National Low Income Housing Coalition, joined by the Mass. Housing and Shelter Alliance), and other organizations serving constituencies at heightened risk of homelessness (e.g., Crossroads Rhode Island, Youth Pride, Inc.), “HUD’s Continuum of Care (CoC) program is Congress’s primary response to homelessness, supporting housing and other essential services for hundreds of thousands of formerly unhoused people, including many disabled and older individuals, veterans, and families. 

• A second lawsuit filed on behalf of the states of Washington, New York, Rhode Island, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois,  Kentucky, Maine , Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia, likewise decries HUD’s hijacking of the Continuum of Care (CoC) program and the McKinney Vento statute which undergirds it. A call to sustain CoC funding for supportive housing and other services was also included in the aforementioned letter to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees filed by a coalition of organizations led by the CLPHA.

As documented by the Mass. Housing and Shelter Alliance (MHSA), HUD’s CoC program contributes $136 million in grant funding to address the housing and service needs of Mass. individuals and families who are currently homeless or recovering from homelessness, $91 million of which funds rent and supportive services that help sustain formerly homeless households in permanent supportive housing (PSH). HUD is proposing to cut 2/3 of that funding, which would mean a return to homelessness for a majority of the 3,800 Mass. households currently served by the CoC PSH program. Nationally, HUD’s proposed policy shift and budget cuts jeopardize $3.6 billion in CoC grants, threatening to deprive 170,000 formerly homeless households of the housing and stability the CoC PSH program has afforded them.

In addition to threats to the HUD funding (primarily for the cost of rent), households receiving Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) may also face obstacles related to recently adopted requirements (that go into effect at the start of 2027) that “disability” status be recertified as often as every six months, with some exceptions (e.g., for “medically frail” persons).  Failure to timely recertify “disability” status could jeopardize eligibility for PSH.

2.05 Other Challenges Faced by Housing Authorities and Their Tenants:  

• Timeliness of HUD Funding: The SHA has to make spending decisions long before it knows about the level of funding it will receive.  Reimbursement may come months after funds have been spent. Lack of certainty about spending capacity may adversely affect relationships with small landlords, multi-family property owners, etc., jeopardizing the ability to leverage or sustain voucher-assisted tenancies.

• Tenants with chronic money management challenges: Although Somerville Cambridge Elder Services is able to provide volunteers to help with money management/bill-paying services (and Representative Payees who can help with managing Social Security funds), there are few resources available to work with non-elder-headed households that have chronic money management-related challenges that lead to falling behind on rent payment.  If there is a decrease in the availability of rental assistance to assist tenants who repeatedly fall behind and require rental assistance, there will be little alternative but to evict these tenants, which is the last thing the SHA wants to do.

• Connecting with and supporting tenants concerned about being targeted by ICE: The SHA has tried to make Know Your Rights-type information available to tenants, but has not reached all who need or want that information. Given the aforementioned agreement between HUD and DHS to share tenant addresses and data their immigration status, the situation will only get more anxiety-ridden for tenants worried about being abducted, detained, and deported.

• Long term recommendations: to be built into strategic planning over course of entire term

• Explore development of a resource to assist homeowners who, because of age or disability and insufficient income, need with home repairs and routine maintenance in order to remain in their homes

Long term recommendations: to be built into strategic planning over course of entire term

Important Note: The fact that the Cambridge IZ Ordinance is being contested in court by the Pioneer Institute may be another reason to use the Overlay District concept to frame the requirements for relocation assistance, right of return, and creation of deed-restricted units in proportion to the number of rental units demolished to make way for the new building.

Transition Policy Committee Summary of Findings

Committee Name

Civic Engagement Committee

Committee Members

Elaine Almquist, Kenzie Ballard, Louisa Bissett, Chris Devers, Corey Donahue, Chris Dwan, Michèle Hansen, Ron Newman, Blair Read, Matthias Rudolf

 

Key themes and trends:

Current Situation

Somerville staff make efforts to foster active and sustained civic and community engagement with the aim to “include voices, ideas, and capacity of residents in the work of democratic governance” (CLGCE 6). Such meaningful civic engagement crucially depends on clarity about the goals and purpose of community processes that residents engage in, and on communication channels that are easy to find, navigate, and understand.

Somerville is doing a lot of things well, so we’re starting from a strong foundation that we should build upon. However, there is always room for improvement. In particular, residents complain about lack of information, transparency, and feedback, while City staff complain about “engagement fatigue” and that they are viewed as the ‘bad guy.’  

We believe that the reasons for this have mainly to do with (1) the difficulty of locating and understanding relevant information, and (2) that the City’s engagement efforts rarely rise above the “consult” level on the IAP2 Spectrum of Public Participation Scale (cf. appendix). The engagement thus appears to be ceremonial rather than meaningful, and residents too often see a disconnect between their input and the ultimate decisions and products developed by the City.  

Successes

The City is starting from a strong foundation for civic engagement. Residents have mentioned that they appreciate things like:

•  The City email newsletter.

• Opportunities for direct input such as participatory budgeting.

• There’s a tremendous amount of information on the City’s web sites, including a public calendar, information for new residents, and much more.

• Neighborhood council negotiations with major developers, etc. 

Equity efforts in particular are recognized and appreciated, including translating materials into multiple languages and outreach to different communities in various forms – hosting individual meetings, tabling at schools and public events, reaching out with leafleting, and striving to meet people where they are.

Frustrations

Overall, community outreach and civic engagement feel disorganized. Sometimes there’s a disconnect between the front-line work of City staff in their outreach to the public and confusion about what actually happens before and after meetings, as well as in decision making processes. 

The International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) describes five thresholds for public engagement: inform, consult, involve, collaborate, and empower. There is a concern that too much outreach in Somerville is at the “consult” level, where the public does not feel that their feedback leads to the outcomes they want to see. An effectively-run government should make use of all five of these according to the principle that the higher the impact on the community the higher the degree of public participation (US-Ignite Civic Trust Guide 74). Thus, “inform” is an appropriate level of community engagement for projects such as tree-work or side-walk repair, while major initiatives – e.g. zoning overlays and neighborhood plans – should aspire to “collaborate” and “empower” levels.

Residents report a trust deficit in engagement processes and development process dysfunction. 

Both residents and City staff have expressed frustration with the status quo approaches to community engagement. For example, processes are applied inconsistently; translations into other languages are not always available; and there are not always websites that people can refer to to get timely information about the status of particular projects. Additionally, there are unclear expectations and goals about community engagement for feedback, with too many “dog and pony shows” where information is presented to and feedback from the public is solicited, but there is no clear understanding about how resident feedback is taken into account. At times, City staff come across defensively in these community meetings.

For major projects, the City does things like hold community meetings, and post physical signage once the project has started. The Somervoice website is a step in the right direction, but should be available for all outreach projects, and maintained so that residents can readily access the information. Additionally, the signage posted at work sites is not adequate for explaining the full scope of these projects, and should link to a web page where people can get more real-time information. 

311 is the City’s official mechanism for resident feedback, but people have reported mixed results with getting feedback about such reports. It might be worth considering making such reports public, since many of us have the same questions, and doing more with the aggregate information on the City’s open data portal. Also, there is confusion about how to route submitted reports, such as illegally parked cars, rats, etc, and whether these should go to 311 or the police non-emergency number; there are also cases where the “correct” page in the 311 app doesn’t actually exist, such as referring broken flex posts to Mobility, which doesn’t have a 311 page.

Structural constraints on soliciting and using feedback:

The Somerville Zoning Ordinance (SZO) prescribes planning processes that disincentivize and minimize community engagement. Particularly for larger developments, Somerville requires that zoning be approved before the development of a master plan (where community input is most easily and profitably realized) and Master Plans are contingent only on compliance with zoning and on Planning Board approval. The public meetings held in these contexts serve as window dressing in a process where decisions are made behind closed doors and without any form or civic accountability. Cambridge and other cities require a master plan be developed before zoning. This makes it much easier to realize community engagement at the “involve,” “collaborate,” and “empower” levels, depending on the size and scope of the project. (Cf. the Binney Street, Cambridge Crossing, and Trolley Square processes in Cambridge.)

The City has had a series of projects with major impacts in recent years: Union Square, Assembly Square, Arts at the Armory, the Public Safety Building proposal for 90 Washington Street, the Winter Hill School, and so on. From a civic engagement perspective, all of these have been problematic. The community process for the Somernova vote in June 2025, although flawed and not universally popular with residents, feels like the most successful of these efforts, and should therefore be a case study for how future major projects might be conducted. With USQ (formerly US2) in particular, an effort was made to set up the Union Square Neighborhood Council, and to get public feedback about how the community wanted the square to evolve, but the result has not lived up to expectations.

Residents, as well as City staff, have pointed to the inequitable tendencies of civic engagement, in particular to how much community outreach favors residents who have the time and means to get involved, and how historically underrepresented groups are often left out or not reached. The City should continually strive to ensure that communication, outreach, and engagement efforts reach all residents. There is no single way to accomplish this, and while we acknowledge the ongoing efforts by City staff to determine appropriate target groups by project and “meet people where they are,” we believe the City should look to lower barriers for participation.

Recommendations for action:

Priority Key

In this section, we have used a star system for ranking our recommendations:

 

★★★ High priority recommendations

★★ Medium priority recommendations

★ Low priority recommendations

We would like to see:

★★★ Consider the IAP2 engagement spectrum when seeking resident feedback. In some cases, such as snow emergencies, “consult” is fine, but after soliciting input from the public, the City should provide rationales with “yes/no/why” levels of feedback so that residents feel a shared sense of ownership over outcomes, and there is more transparency in how decisions are reached.

★★★ Lower barriers for participation, including giving people physical spaces and/or access to technology to meet virtually. 

Physical community spaces: See “Long Term Recommendations,” item 1.

When considering lowering barriers, we also need to be mindful of the varying needs of different community members, including things like languages and accessibility. 

★★★ A centralized, up-to-date communication strategy. 

The City’s web presence is a critical measure that requires adequate funding. Somerville should secure funding to fully staff the Communications Department. See “Short-Term Recommendations,” item 4.

The City already has a comprehensive event calendar that includes state agency meetings (MassDOT et al) and allows community submissions with reasonable restrictions (no commercial, political, or illegal postings), but many residents are unaware this resource exists. It should be easily discoverable, and its community submission capability enhanced. These are comparatively easy fixes and should be implemented ASAP. See “Short-Term Recommendations,” item 1.

We believe that project signage should have a QR code that links to a webpage for that specific project where residents can get more information about that project, including timelines. Additionally, the pages linked to should include a mechanism for residents to submit feedback about these projects.

★★ Consider changing the format of community meetings (“Resistat”). Instead of having a series of department heads make a series of presentations, followed by a brief Q&A session, consider recording these department presentations in advance and making them available online, so that the in-person meeting can be a more dynamic interaction. 

For public meetings, consider the needs of parents in particular. Can childcare be made available? 

Community meetings should not be held in webinar mode since this does not allow residents to see who else is present or each other’s questions, making the meeting into a presentation instead of a community discussion.

★★ Consider offline ways to share information with the public.

Community bulletin boards are a great way to share flyers. Some already exist, in places like schools, libraries, public squares, coffee shops, and so on. We should consider expanding them to more places, such as installing them atop City-owned traffic control boxes, so that both the City and residents can share information.

The electronic e-ink boards that were formerly in areas including Union Square were an interesting experiment that should be revived, as this would provide a way to push out a message to many boards simultaneously — including in multiple languages.

The scrolling display board at the bank in Davis Square could be useful, too, but the information on this board is often outdated. If the City were to make use of electronic display boards, keeping them up to date is important. 

★★ Encourage the formation of Neighborhood Councils and partner with existing ones to facilitate outreach and engagement. Neighborhood Councils are a great and not fully developed resource, and the city should offer support for establishing new Neighborhood Councils. While these make apparent sense in neighborhoods targeted for major development, they can be invaluable resources and partners in and for the Citycity’s outreach efforts. The Citycity should partner with neighborhood councils – to share ideas, help facilitate conversations, publicize meetings, make sure that residents are being reached – part of their standard operating procedure.

★ Consider partnering with PTAs at schools to distribute information in electronic newsletters & printed flyers that go out to students weekly.

Short term recommendations:

Foundation building - easy implementation, low cost

1. Improve Event Calendar Discoverability

   • Make existing comprehensive calendar prominent on homepage

   • Consider the relationship of the general event calendarand City’s meeting calendar.

   • Promote community submission process

   • Fix search function to make calendar (and everything else) easier to find

   • Consider email notifications for calendar subscriptions, and ensure calendar works well on mobile devices

   • Resource: Minimal; search replacement already priority

2. Formalize Neighborhood Council Liaison System

   • Replicate Union Square success: assign dedicated OSPCD staff to each neighborhood council

   • Establish regular meeting schedules

   • Document liaison responsibilities

   • Resource: Staff time; no new positions needed

3. Establish Proactive Notification System

   • Alert residents about water main breaks, road closures, construction detours

   • Don't wait for 311 calls—push information out

   • Use email, text alerts, targeted door hangers

   • Resource: Integration with existing 311 system

4. Consolidate Web Presence

   • Inconsistent appearance of websites; consider using matching page headers to designate official City websites. Compare with how the state of Massachusetts puts a banner on all of their sites, saying “An official website of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Here's how you know…”

   • Merge or clearly sunset SomervilleByDesign and SomerVoice into main city website

   • Make newsletter signup prominent with neighborhood/topic filtering

   • Maintain multilingual access throughout redesign; ensure mobile-responsive design from the start

   • Create specific project webpages that Add QR codes on project signage linking to specific project pages

   • Resource: Communications Department coordination

5. Reform Ward Meeting Format

   • Pre-meeting video briefings (translated) so in-person time focuses on dialogue

   • Include positive metrics alongside problem reports

   • Pilot poster session format

   • Resource: Staff time for video production; facilitation training

Medium term recommendations:

Structural improvements - require planning and coordination

1. Secure Website Funding and Full Communications Staffing

   • Budget for 10-year-overdue website overhaul

   • Full staffing for Communications Department (currently 2-2.5 of 3.5 positions)

   • Foundation for all other digital engagement improvements

   • Resource: CRITICAL - Budget allocation required

2. Publish Development Process Framework (SZO Reform)

   • Create Standard Operating Procedures showing how community input is used

   • Define engagement levels for different decision types (IAP2 Spectrum)

   • Address zoning-before-planning issue: research Cambridge's planning-first approach and adapt so Somerville does planning before zoning.

   • Build in clear timelines so residents know when input is most influential

   • Resource: Staff time for procedure development; potential consultant

3. Empower City Commissions

   • Clear policy influence pathways: require City Council to seek commission input before votes

   • Staff support for meeting logistics and research

   • Communication tools (email addresses, Zoom accounts, meeting rooms)

   • Annual commission reporting to Council and public

   • Resource: Staff time for liaison support; modest budget for supplies

4. Launch "Somerville 101" Civic Education Program

   • Citizen academy explaining government structure, how decisions are made, how to participate

   • Multiple formats: in-person sessions, online modules, video series in multiple languages

   • Partner with libraries, community organizations, schools

   • Include in welcome kits for new residents

   • Resource: Curriculum development; staff time for presentations

5. Cross-Jurisdictional Coordination

   • Liaise with state agency PIOs (MassDOT, MBTA, DCR)

   • Proactively share information about state projects through city channels

   • Create resident guide explaining which agency has jurisdiction over what

   • This is a long-term goal, but most of the onus is on the state, not the city, so we do need to work to establish these points of contact at the state, but it may take time for this to come to fruition.

   • Resource: Staff time for coordination; existing communication channels

Long term recommendations:

Strategic infrastructure - require significant investment

1. Physical Community Spaces

   • Davis Square meeting center: grant to third-party facility for ADA-compliant space

   • Reopen former SCAT building in Union Square

   • Sponsor a series of citywide “third space” community centers that can be used for various purposes, including programming that encourages people to engage with these places.

     1. The libraries are great, but there are only three of them.

     2. Dojo at Somernova, and Triangle Coffee Bar at Brickbottom, are good examples of privately owned spaces that are available to the public.

   • Expand public use of Somerville High School facilities, particularly the gymnasium. Similarly, SHS could be used for things like adult continuing education classes, job training classes, etc.

   • Resource: Significant capital investment; operational costs

2. Dedicated Civic Engagement Coordinator

   • Coordinate engagement across departments

   • Train staff in best practices

   • Track initiatives and conduct evaluations (test-and-learn model)

   • Regular reporting to Mayor and public on engagement metrics

   • Resource: New position—salary and operations budget

3. Expand Participatory Budgeting Program

   • Increase dollar amount allocated through participatory process

   • Expand participation through marketing and accessibility improvements

   • Learn from existing program to identify barriers

   • Consider expanding beyond capital projects

   • Resource: Expanded budget allocation; staff time for facilitation

4. Enhanced Metrics Dashboard

   • Public-facing dashboard with engagement metrics AND positive city service data

   • Library checkouts, recreation enrollment, park usage, housing units created

   • Residents have expressed a desire to see a dashboard for the schools and other city properties as well, including status of the facilities such as schools, public pools, and libraries

   • Track task force recommendation implementation status

   • Regular updates and annual reporting

   • Resource: Data collection and visualization systems; ongoing maintenance

5. Comprehensive Mobile App (Phase 2)

   • Only after website modernization complete

   • Location-based features: nearby projects, meetings, permits

   • Event notifications with calendar integration

   • 311 integration, meeting videos on demand

   • Ensure doesn't create new digital divide

   • Resource: Significant IT investment; ongoing maintenance; 18-24 month timeline

Appendix

Conclusion

We want to make sure that this report doesn’t just die in a cabinet somewhere, but rather that the ideas summarized here get realized by the next administration. The City is starting from a strong foundation when it comes to civic engagement, but there is room to improve. Our committee has endeavoured to identify initiatives that we think would be beneficial to the community. We recognize that there are always obstacles to delivering. Implementing the ideas expressed in this document would be of benefit to the people who live, work, and play in Somerville. 

 

Research Methodology

Research Methodology

Community Input Sources:

• Community Engagement Surveys: 109 responses analyzed across all transition team policy committees

• December 9, 2025 Staff Meeting: Direct engagement with OSPCD (Mobility, Planning & Zoning, Public Space & Urban Forestry), SomerViva, Communications & Community Engagement, and 311 Constituent Services

• Committee Member Expertise: Frontline experience with neighborhood councils, community organizing, data analysis, and municipal operations

Committee Meetings:

• November 25, 2025: Kickoff meeting, scope identification

• December 2, 2025: Research review, recommendations framework development

• December 8, 2025: Draft report review, city staff meeting preparation

• December 9, 2025: Meeting with city staff

• December 11-18, 2025: Final report review and approval

IAP2 Spectrum of Public Participation

Source: International Association for Public Participation (IAP2)Website: https://www.iap2.org

The IAP2 Spectrum provides a widely-used framework for understanding different levels of engagement. City staff referenced this framework in the December 9 meeting. The spectrum includes five levels:

INFORM

• Goal: Provide information to help public understand problems, alternatives, and solutions

• Promise to Public: "We will keep you informed"

• Techniques: Newsletters, website, social media, public notices, flyers, presentations

• Appropriate When: Decision is made; gathering input won't change decision; legal notification requirements

CONSULT

• Goal: Obtain public feedback on analysis, alternatives, and/or decisions

• Promise to Public: "We will keep you informed, listen to your concerns, and provide feedback on how input influenced decisions"

• Techniques: Surveys, public hearings, focus groups, public meetings, comment periods

• Appropriate When: Want to understand community concerns; input will inform but not determine decision

INVOLVE

• Goal: Work directly with public throughout process to ensure concerns are understood and considered

• Promise to Public: "We will work with you to ensure your concerns are directly reflected in alternatives developed and provide feedback on how input influenced decisions"

• Techniques: Workshops, deliberative polling, citizen advisory committees, multiple rounds of feedback

• Appropriate When: Want to develop alternatives with community; process long enough for sustained engagement

COLLABORATE

• Goal: Partner with public in each aspect of decision-making including development of alternatives and identification of preferred solution

• Promise to Public: "We will look to you for advice and innovation in formulating solutions and incorporate your advice and recommendations into decisions to the maximum extent possible"

• Techniques: Citizen advisory committees with real authority, consensus-building, participatory decision-making, community-driven planning

• Appropriate When: Substantial time available; decision has major community impact; expertise exists in community

EMPOWER

• Goal: Place final decision-making in hands of public

• Promise to Public: "We will implement what you decide"

• Techniques: Citizen juries, ballots, delegated decisions, participatory budgeting

Appropriate When: Community has authority to make decision; decision appropriate for direct democracy

 

Transition Policy Committee Summary of Findings

Committee Name

Constituent Services

Committee Members

Bob McWatters, Austin Faison, Steven Craig

 

Key themes and trends:

Effective constituent services depend on coordinated systems, shared data, and proactive engagement where residents already are. Strengthening and expanding tools like 311 and adopting unified technology can improve responsiveness, transparency, and trust in City services.

Existing initiatives:

Somerville’s 311 program serves as a key touchpoint between residents and the City.

Gaps:

Today, different departments manage service requests, workflows, and communicate in different ways. This creates delays, data silos, and uneven service experiences.

Opportunities:

• The city should consider consolidating software across departments.

• Expanding 311’s role and function with certain departments/divisions would allow the City to deliver a more responsive, coordinated, and resident-centered service model. We could also explore a mobile 311 option that has been successfully launched in other parts of the country, where 311 is going out into the community to reach people where they already are. This could improve our “One Call to City Hall” model, reducing confusion for residents and internal administrative burdens for departments. It also gives City leadership a clearer line of sight into service performance and emerging issues.

• A modern, unified Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform would be one of the most transformative tool-based investments in customer service and internal operations the City could make. Having one system across many departments for all service requests creates transparency and reduces duplication. It can help to create more consistent service standards across departments through shared workflows, SLAs, and performance tracking, as well as setting up departments to more easily hand off, monitor, and collaborate on issues.

• For the past two years, the city has been working on a Municipal Voice of Customer (MVoC) program within Constituent Services, but there is a lot of room for growth. By having clear expectations related to how accurately, professionally, and easily departments respond to requests and other customer/constituent-focused issues, we can create more predictable, transparent service delivery across the organization and give customers a consistent experience regardless of where they enter the system, or what they need.

Recommendations for action:

• Review data on 311 calls daily and follow through with a visit to the constituents’ residence to ascertain if the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

• Meet residents citywide biweekly in coffee shops to discuss issues affecting their neighborhood and ward.

• Be active in the community. For example, attend high school sporting events, and/or plays.

• Consider riding along with plow drivers during a snow storm.

• There should be more follow up when 311 deals with different matters.

• Residents often interact with City staff when they face moments of urgency or frustration. Providing staff with standardized, high-quality training ensures these interactions are handled consistently and effectively. Employee development training is an ongoing effort that never really stops. Equipping all employees with active listening, empathy, communication, and de-escalation skills benefits everyone in the long run and reinforces a shared commitment to constituent/customer experience as a core value of the City.

Transition Policy Committee Summary of Findings

Committee Name

Education and School Relations

Committee Members

Sarah Phillips, Ryan Williams, Dayshawn Simmons, Julia Dahlin, Andre Green, Tom Bent, Ruth Santos, Amara Anosike

 

Key themes and trends:

Quality public schools are an essential public service, and we must ensure that a student's zip code does not determine the quality of education they receive or their outcomes later in life. Building on the transition memo submitted by the Somerville Public Schools and the work being led by the Superintendent and School Committee, the stakeholders on the Education and School Relations committee identified three shared priorities for the incoming Wilson administration: Our Buildings, What Happens Inside Them, and How We Pay for It. The through line between these buckets is that the incoming administration must prioritize shared school spaces—utilizing existing spaces, building new spaces where possible, making spaces more accessible and welcoming, improving programming within spaces, and working with the community to transparently make decisions about our spaces as community hubs. Our recommendations, listed below, focus on key initiatives that we believe the Mayor-elect can and should implement to substantially increase the quality of education and activities for our students.

Existing initiatives:

Somerville Public Schools (SPS)

Currently implementing the SPS 2025-2030 Strategic Plan, prioritizing:

• Academic Excellence - Implement high-quality curriculum, increase instructional rigor, provide targeted support for students, create “Portrait of an SPS Learner.”

• Equity & Access - Strengthen workforce diversity, increase access to out-of-school (OST) programs, increase access to CTE & Scale, ensure access to safe & welcoming communities.

• Wellness & Joy - Implement high-quality curriculum that promotes wellness; respond proactively to students' social-emotional needs; increase clubs, athletics, and OST offerings; and celebrate SPS educators & leaders.

• Family & Community Engagement - Streamline communication with families, partner with families to support students' success, and partner with local universities, businesses & community members.

School Committee

Current goals include:

• Whole Child Teaching & Learning - Prepare students to demonstrate strong literacy and math, provide a high-quality social-emotional learning curriculum, and expand access to real-world learning experiences through Early College, Advanced Placement, and CTE.

• Equitable access to programming - create and implement a strategy for school building development, school assignment, and programming that aligns with the district's equity policy and enrollment study.

• Workforce diversity - increase the percentage of support staff, teachers, counselors, and administrators of color.

• Equitable resource allocation - design, evaluate, and partially or fully implement student-based budgeting or identify alternate mechanisms to more equitably allocate district resources.

CTE

• 65.27% of Somerville High School students participate in CTE.

• Our CTE program operates 14 different shops.

• All programs participate in SkillsUSA leadership and technical skill competitions.

SEU

• Partnering with SPS to pilot a special education inclusion pilot, revise the district's enrollment policy, and maintain healthy and green buildings.

PTA

• School and city-wide PTAs.

• Essential fundraising for family emergency support, field trips, and special activities at schools.

Gaps:

Our Buildings

• There is a need for proactive maintenance and repair. As the district's transition memo details, several schools need new roofs, chillers, and continue to battle rodent infestations. Addressing these needs is critical, and there is not yet a transparent schedule of maintenance and repair needs based on date of install, age of equipment, or other important factors for roofs, chillers, gym equipment, CTE equipment and more.

• While the future of the Winter Hill school is being addressed through an active, structured process that is well underway, key stakeholders on the CAG and in the community remain confused about roles/responsibilities and desire more, clear communication about the vision for the Winter Hill (and possibly the Brown) and the process by which we will achieve it.

• While the relationship between SPS, DPW, and IAM has improved exponentially under the leadership of Chief of Staff Anosike in collaboration with Commissioner Lathan and Director Raiche, there is a need for the Mayor's Office to be transparent when facilities challenges arise, provide proactive updates, and respond to inquiry from stakeholders without defensiveness. Prioritizing students and families is our shared priority and it is important that this message is conveyed clearly.

• The 311 system does not work well for ongoing school maintenance. There is a need to update it for use in schools by incorporating technological solutions that allow for real-time, visible status updates and tracking trends over time.

• SPS maintains a list of building needs in collaboration with other city departments. Similarly, the citywide PTA has a list of quick wins (small building improvements needed at each school). Both will require time and money to address.

What Happens Inside Them

• It feels like SPS is managing everything for our students and families. For example, SPS runs much of the city's OST system and much of its basic needs support for families. While the district is very good at this, it will require continued attention and financial support from the City to achieve equitable access.

• We have limited civic space and underutilize the space we do have at schools, in part, because current systems and staffing structures make it difficult for entities outside of SPS to utilize school facilities.

• We have the space to support expanded programming outside of school hours, but we need the systems, structures, and staff to enable that to happen.

How We Pay for It

• SPS will need a 7% budget increase to “level fund” our schools for FY26. To see meaningful new investments, we will need an 8-10% budget increase.

• CTE is not a separate line item in the SPS budget and requires ongoing investments for capital equipment and tooling, and equipment maintenance.

Opportunities:

Our Buildings

• Utilize MSBA Accelerated Repair program funding.

• Be more transparent about the status of maintenance concerns.

• Improve communication around the administration's vision for school buildings, including the 1895 building, the Edgerly, and the Cummings School.

• Support the strong relationships being built between SPS, DPW, and IAM.

What Happens Inside Them

• Investing in multigenerational supports has been shown to close opportunity gaps within schools. (Parent education is the strongest predictor of student test scores.) Additional funding for SCALE and SFLC, and initiatives that connect these important programs to the city's broader workforce development and social service efforts are needed.

• There are empty spaces that can be renovated or repurposed– e.g., empty classrooms at the TAB which has grown significantly in the past two years or the Enrollment office which used to be centrally located at the Edgerly/Cummings and should be occupying one of the most family facing spaces in the city. The Cummings could be used for swing space.

• There is a recreation department and local community-based organizations interested in providing expanded programming using school facilities.

• The New York & San Francisco Beacons models demonstrate what it can look like for a community to open its schools up to the community for more of the day, and we are surrounded by national leaders in Full-Service Community Schools and Citywide OST.

• The By All Means Initiative wants to reinvigorate its collaboration with Somerville.

How We Pay for It

• The Children's Funding Project could help the administration use existing funds more strategically or leverage new funding streams.

• Making school buildings accessible to a wider population could improve support for the new Winter Hill and any future proposition 21/2 override.

• Special educators have ideas about how to reduce out-of-district placements, a major cost to the city.

Recommendations for action:

Our Buildings

• Ensure that the School Committee is engaged in long-term building planning and that all SPS infrastructure needs are included in the city's Capital Improvement Plan.

• Achieve district and PTA-identified quick wins, such as a quick-build playground at the Edgerly.

• In collaboration with SPS and the School Committee, establish a transparent, 10-year plan for SPS buildings no longer used for schools but still under the purview of the School Committee (e.g., Cummings, 1895, TAB).

• Make maintenance plans for all SPS buildings accessible to the public and provide regular updates to the School Committee and community.

• Redevelop an accessible 311 dashboard with live updates, including a 311 “express lane” for school facility service requests.

• Make sure decisions affecting school buildings and school playgrounds are student-friendly – e.g., ensure playground materials can be cleared of snow and used in winter.

What Happens Inside Them

• Consider ways to integrate school and city-services so that the district can focus more squarely on teaching and learning.

• Interview SFLC Director, Ruth Santos, about reorganization opportunities.

• Reinvigorate Somerville's relationship with the By All Means Coalition.

• Explore and consider the Full Service Community Schools models, the New York and San Francisco Beacons, and the way Cambridge has organized its Agenda for Children.

• Expand efforts to maximize community access to school facilities during non-school hours.

• In collaboration with SPS, clarify the programs and partnerships currently in place and additional opportunities highlighted by the Youth, Family, & Senior Services Transition Subcommittee.

• In collaboration with SPS and the School Committee, develop a joint vision, clarify roles/responsibilities of SPS vs. city staff during non-school hours, and secure the funds needed to bring this vision to life.

• Explore and consider partnerships with Boston Afterschool & Beyond.

• Roll CTE equipment purchasing and maintenance into larger city contracts for better pricing.

• Expand city partnerships with CTE and SCALE so that they are part of a comprehensive economic development and human resources strategy for the city.

• Update the city's purchasing system to improve efficiency.

How We Pay for It

• Secure as much MSBA funding as possible.

• Lobby for new state investments in CTE to be extended to comprehensive high school CTE programs like SHS.

• Communicate multi-year budget forecasts to SPS to improve multi-year budget planning.

• Communicate transparently with the community about the city's budgetary commitment to our schools and how the administration arrived at this number; to include funding allocations that are non-negotiables such as new roofs, and others that may allow for more flexibility.

• Explore and consider a partnership with The Children's Funding Project.

• Partner with SPS to leverage grant funding opportunities through Boston Foundation and other entities that can support expanded OST options.

Transition Policy Committee Summary of Findings

Committee Name

Environment and Sustainability Committee

Committee Members

Tori Antonino, Jacob Bloom, Jennifer Clifford, Meredith Elbaum, Laura Kiesel, Courtney Koslow, Leah McCarthy, Amy Mertl, Leigh Meunier, Stephen Moore, Claire O’Neill, Renee Scott, Kira Tipton, Mary Vriniotis, Brian Matthew Walsh, Larry Yu

 

Key themes and trends:

Preamble

The Environment and Sustainability committee is a large umbrella group covering everything from waste management to building envelopes to how we care for our natural spaces, and everything in between. Buzzwords like “Decarbonization” and “Electrification” have gotten the most attention, but addressing these impacts holistically is critical. Biodiversity and ecological health hold some of the greatest solutions to reducing climate change and managing its impacts while simultaneously supporting public health, yet these solutions have been largely under-utilized.

To adequately address all the facets of sustainability and the environment, we divided this section into seven topic buckets. They are all related in that they are critical to creating a healthy Somerville (for people, other animals, plants, land, air, and water), but they also have a wide-ranging variety of recommendations and actions. Many of these recommendations may address multiple buckets, so we have listed them where we think they are most appropriate with the understanding that they are all part of a larger systemic approach. 

The headings are Integrative Planning, Social Sustainability, Natural Environment, Buildings, Energy, Water, and Waste & Circularity. We introduce them along with the existing initiatives below.

• Equity & Justice Throughout: Rather than separating Equity and Justice as a separate section, it should be used as a lens through which all recommendations are addressed. 

 

• Who’s missing?: Somerville has many community organizations that are doing great work related to issues of sustainability, equity, and the environment. Some of those organizations were represented on the subcommittee who drafted the Sustainability and Environment section of this report, including Green & Open Somerville, Save Somerville Wildlife, Groundwork Somerville, and Carbon Free Somerville. Many of Somerville's community groups were not represented in the drafting of this report and whose contributions will be critical in moving Somerville forward. These include, but are not limited to: Native tribes and representative orgs (e.g. UAINE, NAICOB, Massachusett tribe, Pawtucket tribe); regional orgs with Somerville influence and impact (e.g. Mystic & Charles River Watershed Associations); grassroots organizations like MAMAS and Mothers Out Front; and less formal groups and individual residents, e.g. graduates of the City’s Climate Ambassadors program. 

 

It’s also important to note that this subcommittee was made up of community volunteers that are deeply invested in this work and who had the capacity, time, resources, and other life conditions that made participation and contribution to this hastily assembled transition process possible. This committee does not accurately represent the demographics of the city. The committee was gender diverse (50% F, 33% M, 17% NB), but predominantly White (92% White or Predominantly Caucasian, 8% Asian) and Non-Hispanic (92% Non-Hispanic, 8% Brezhoneg), in contrast with Somerville as a whole. This subcommittee was also mostly homeowners (75% Homeowners, 25% Renters), which is not representative of the general population of Somerville.

 

• Less Talk, More Action: Somerville has many great action plans to address sustainability and the environment, but implementation of those plans has been slow. We should prioritize taking action, trying things out, and adjusting accordingly to make progress, as we’ve seen with Vision Zero for pedestrian and cyclist safety. We encourage partnering with neighbors and community organizations such as Neighborways and Depave the Way to increase the speed of progress and engage the community as we move forward.

 

• Prioritize Ecological Health and Natural Systems: Plans like the Climate Forward Plan and Green Stormwater Infrastructure Master Plan address climate and resiliency impacts, but do not adequately include ecological health and natural systems in a holistic way. Green assets and ecology have been underprioritized and should be considered as integral and connected with the other actions that are being evaluated and taken in the city.

 

Existing initiatives:

• Integrative Planning - this is an opportunity to plan across departments to increase Somerville’s sustainability. This includes but is not limited to divestment, city purchasing and contracting, and capital projects.

  • The 2024 update to the climate forward plan lists actions to address five key categories: Buildings & Energy, Community Health & Resiliency, Natural Resources & Waste, Transportation & Mobility, and City Leadership. 

  • In 2021, SomerVision 2040 issued an update to their comprehensive plan envisioning a diverse and sustainable future for the city.

  • Somerville is included in the state’s “Green Communities” program, and recently became one of the first communities to join the statewide “Climate Leaders” program.

  • The Office of Sustainability and the Environment has dedicated staff to address environmental and sustainability initiatives.

• Social Sustainability - Social sustainability focuses on creating equitable, inclusive cities where people thrive alongside nature, emphasizing community well-being and social equity (fair access to resources/spaces).

  • MAMAS Collective and Community Fridges

  • The Somerville Community Growing Center Nature Programming

  • Groundwork Somerville South Street Farm

  • Somerville Mobile Market

  • Community Gardens - though expansion / wider access needed

  • Pocket Park 5-minute walkshed 

  • Offices of Basic Needs and Housing

• Natural Environment - Somerville puts a lot of effort into plans that address different environmental issues, however they tend to exist in silos, and overlook the fact that the environment is one connected system. By transitioning to ecological land care and strengthening current plans and ordinances, we can create spaces that fulfill the human need for nature, create habitat, support pollinators and other wildlife, clean the air, process stormwater, and cool our hot neighborhoods. 

  • Somerville zoning includes the Green Score that requires certain amounts of planting and permeable area for buildings.

  • The Native Planting Ordinance mandates a certain percentage of planting in city-owned properties are native species to support local habitats and ecosystems.

  • Somerville zoning includes a Green Roof Amendment that requires a certain percentage of available roof space to be allocated to green roofs or solar panels.

  • The Leaf Blower Ordinance limits the use of gas powered leaf blowers to reduce air and noise pollution.

  • The Somerville Pollinator Action Plan creates a comprehensive approach to support native pollinators that live and migrate through Somerville.

  • Some parks have a requirement for more ecologically-based maintenance, but not to the extent necessary for true ecological health, nor in all of the parks and other green spaces across the city.

  • There has been a significant increase in the number of trees planted.

  • The city has removed SGARs from many city properties, if not all (it’s unclear if remaining boxes contain poison or snap traps).

  • The city created an ecological planning position and a gardening position. 

• Buildings - Somerville’s built environment has a huge impact on the city’s climate and sustainability goals and commitments. The built environment’s impacts expand across all areas of this report, but have been categorized separately to focus on building-specific actions. 

  • Somerville’s greenhouse gas emissions index indicates that over 60% of Somerville’s GHG emissions come from buildings.

  • Somerville adopted the Specialized Opt-In Energy Code in early 2023 as one of the first communities to implement the new requirements.

  • Decarbonization studies are underway for the Brown, Edgerly, Kennedy, Cummings, and West Somerville Schools and the DPW. East, Healey, Argenziano, Capuano and the High School are part of a Mass School Works Initiative grant through the Mass CEC. 

  • Somerville has begun planning to decarbonize schools over time, although this may not include urgent mechanical upgrades that may prevent electrification and high performance envelope upgrades for the next 20-40 years. 

• Energy - For Somerville to meet its climate commitments, we will need to transition away from fossil fuel-based energy and shift towards clean, renewable energy production. This will require changes in systems, infrastructure, and general approach to sourcing and managing energy within the city.

  • Somerville has committed to being carbon net negative by 2050.

  • Somerville completed a greenhouse gas emissions index and consumption-based emissions index to identify the city’s leading contributors to GHGs.

  • Somerville hired a consultant to analyze multiple sites for future district geothermal heating loops. 

  • The new high school has solar panels on the roof.

• Water - Water management covers green infrastructure, depaving, and residential stormwater management. As climate change brings increasingly heavy storms and flooding, we need to work swiftly to remove as much of our unnecessary impervious surfaces as possible, process as much of the stormwater as we can through green infrastructure (that also cools, mitigates pollution, provides oxygen, and can provide habitat), and help residents to keep water on their property instead of going into the storm drains and contributing to Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) events. 

  • The city conducted a Green Stormwater Infrastructure Study in 2019 and issued a Drainage and Water Quality Master Plan in 2022.

  • The city has an ongoing sewer-stormwater separation project to help eliminate Combined Sewer Overflows.

  • The Combined Sewer Overflow plan is in draft form and will be submitted to the state on December 31st.

  • The City plans to implement a stormwater fee in early 2026, with fee amounts based on how much water a taxpayer’s property absorbs, i.e. the greater the amount of impervious surface and the less water the site absorbs, the higher the fee.

  • Street design improvements have created bioswales on some of our largest roads.  

• Waste & Circularity - Somerville can build on the success of developing a Zero Waste Program Plan by moving from theory to action when it comes to waste reduction. The recent curbside composting pilot in East Somerville is a great start, and we would like to see waste reduction be a focus for our city. 

  • In 2023, Somerville put forward a Zero Waste Program Plan, recognizing the importance of waste reduction and the reality that municipalities will be ‘burdened with progressively higher disposal and transportation costs as disposal options and capacity in Mass becomes more limited.’ The city initiated a targeted composting pilot program.

  • Somerville offers a municipal program for mattress recycling.

  • The community has shown strong engagement and desire for better waste management opportunities. 

  • The Climate Forward Plan includes proposed actions for building re-use and design for deconstruction to reduce construction and demolition waste.

 

Gaps:

• Integrative Planning

  • Somerville has a process of engaging the community in the planning process, and has lots of plans on how to move forward. Many of those plans don’t translate into action and tangible outcomes.

  • Avoid silos: There are many groups that want the same outcomes. Municipal departments should be encouraged to work in collaboration and partnership with local advocacy groups to achieve shared goals. 

  • Among Somerville’s many plans, there is a lack of cohesiveness and understanding of their relationships and impact on each other.

  • We need better and consistent communication, ways to share ideas, developing partnerships and collaborating on process, data collection, and findings reports so that we can have a good understanding of what is working, what isn’t, and where we need to focus.

  • There is a lack of broader community representation in the development of plans and regulations. We frequently see the same voices providing input, as is the case for this transition team.

  • The Climate Forward Dashboard is a laundry list of discrete tasks. It is hard to comprehend and implementation feels piecemeal. 

 

• Social Sustainability

  • Community garden spaces are few and have long waitlists, are inequitably distributed across the city, and have language and access barriers, including a lack of start-up costs for buying tools and seeds. 

  • Warming centers have unclear hours and opening conditions. They did not open early enough this fall even when temperatures dropped below 20 degrees. 

  • Air quality is a major health hazard and Somerville has dramatic inequities in pollution exposure. Adding noise/pollution barriers along I93 is the only idea that even seems to get brought up, and while important, there are other mitigation considerations as well. For example, when the Healey school playground was rebuilt there was no apparent consideration of air pollution mitigation. Additionally, gas powered leaf blowers are routinely used on school grounds despite the immense amount of toxins they produce at breathing level.  

  • Lack of quality community engagement. City feedback processes have again and again felt rushed and non-inclusive (we felt the forming of our transition committee followed this pattern). 

  • Somerville lacks green job training, especially for youth.

  • Planning lacks indigenous and youth voices and representation.

 

• Natural Environment

  • Somerville’s approach to open space and planting does not adequately address its relationship as part of a whole ecosystem.

  • The city is not actively using action plans such as the Pollinator Action Plan as a regulatory guideline in planning and design of public spaces. 

  • There is a lack of accountability and enforcement of the Green Score, Green Roof Ordinance, and Leaf Blower Ordinance.

  • Somerville does not have invasive plant species regulations or ordinances. This is foundational for supporting a healthy ecosystem.

  • Somerville doesn’t ban SGARs for rodent control.

  • The city has not committed to the open space goals in SOMERVISION 2040.

 

• Buildings

  • There is no comprehensive and regularly updated capital needs and improvement plan on every municipally owned building. As a result, when systems fail they are emergent and don’t allow for decarbonization over time.

  • Despite 2050 goals, there is no clear plan for decarbonization of existing buildings and is not explicit about net zero commitments for new buildings. 

  • The RFP for the new Winter Hill School had almost no mention of the city’s climate commitments or sustainability goals.

  • The city is not preparing for the increased electrical demand as it decarbonizes its existing buildings. 

 

• Energy

  • The city has not created a strategic plan to increase electrical distribution through the city to accommodate the increased demand from decarbonization.

  • The consumption-based emissions index provides insight into Somerville residents’ Scope 3 emissions, but no actions have been taken in response to this information.

 

• Water

  • The Green Infrastructure Feasibility study and Drainage Master Plan focused on areas prone to flooding, but did not emphasize retaining and infiltrating stormwater higher up the hills before it reaches the valleys where it can’t adequately be absorbed. It also did not adequately address co-benefits of green infrastructure including increased habitats for native species, supporting migratory pathways of wildlife, or the public health benefits of increased greenspace.

  • The GSI feasibility study and masterplan did not include support for residents to reduce stormwater run-off from private property.

  • The stormwater fee rollout does not currently have any toolkit for Somerville landowners to access and that can help them increase pervious surfaces and on-site water absorption.

  • The city-wide sewer separation is moving too slowly.

  • As a City, we are not activating many small pockets of streetspace and impervious surface for stormwater runoff and flood mitigation, areas that currently can’t be used otherwise, e.g. space in front of fire hydrants where cars cannot park or edges of parking lots. 

  • We lack a combination of skillset, capacity, and creativity within current staffing to adequately consider and incorporate green infrastructure for stormwater mitigation.

 

• Waste & Circularity

  • With the exception of the recent curbside composting pilot in East Somerville, there has not been adequate progress towards achieving the goals of this Zero Waste Program Plan.

  • The composting pilot roll-out has been slow as compared with citywide composting in neighboring towns and cities.

  • Recycling contamination reduces the effectiveness of residents’ recycling efforts.

 

Recommendations for action:

Note: we did not include short-, medium-, or long-term goal designations. We trust the administration to determine what is feasible when, but we are able to advise if that is helpful.

• Sustainable & Local Investment - Somerville's financial investments should align with the city’s goals

  • Somerville should divest from fossil fuel and weapons manufacturers to focus our investments to align with our climate goals and values. This should include intentional investment in renewable energy and green tech. 

  • Create a fund to invest in local startups and small businesses to support economic momentum and resilience within the Somerville community.

  • Improve the process by which small businesses can start and thrive in our city. 

• Become LEED for Cities Certified. The LEED for Cities framework could serve as a helpful organizing structure for all sustainability efforts underway and to make progress and to lead on the holes. 

• Staffing - The new administration needs to make sure they have the right people making decisions. The mayor is the manager of the city and needs to make managerial decisions about the staff working for them.

  • Some departments are being directed by staff that have been in their role for many years. Some of them are doing a great job, while others have fallen into habits that are not moving Somerville forward.

  • We need city staff who are excited for their roles and eager to help the city do better than it is currently.

  • Many of the issues identified in this report suggest potential new roles within the city, including an invasive plant species management position and gardeners and DPW workers trained in ecological land care.

  • Encourage or require city departments to hold open office hours for the public.

 

• Social Sustainability

  • Tap into young people in the area, looking to high school classes and clubs for ideas and feedback; form an official pipeline between the mayor's office and environmentally-oriented student groups for engagement. For example, the high school’s AP Environmental Science course and the food service CTE track. 

  • Start tool and seed libraries where people could obtain starting materials for gardens.

  • Create an environment where inclusive feedback processes become the norm, not the exception.

  • Increase community gardening: 

    • Find ways to use underutilized civic spaces to add raised bed gardens (think Victory Gardens in WWII). Spread them equitably across the city.

    • Consider collaborative farming spaces instead of individualized ‘ownership’ model plots. 

    • Consider a community food forest to provide nature and food access (Boston Food Forest Coalition is a good example).

    • Create a community gardener grant for individuals and organizations to start their own gardens (including container gardens). Include money for soil testing.

    • School gardens are a highly underutilized resource to connect kids with nature, learn about food justice, and grow your own food. Provide monetary support and increase programming so they become a hub for families interacting in nature during school time and out of school time.

    • Mystic Apartments is currently applying for CPA funding to rebuild their community garden. If they get this funding, collaboration with the city (perhaps OFAHC) and local leaders to support ongoing programs and management of the space could be very helpful.

  • Address air quality inequities in pollution exposure (mapped by CAFEH and Groundwork Somerville green team). Form a task force to develop recommendations for remediation and reduction of air pollution, at local level and at state level (in addition to barriers along I93). Air filters or other air quality mediation measures should be required of all buildings close to major roadways. Special attention should be focused along I-93, at schools, and in environmental justice communities.

  • Create more public nature programming options across the City, using the Community Growing Center as a model. 

  • Community engagement:

    • Programs need to be rolled out in an inclusive way, which is generally a slower, more work-intensive way. Inclusion should not be thought of as a check box.

    • Rushing based on pressures from part of the public, typically a more privileged part, rolls through programs without including everyone.

    • Inclusive community engagement requires foundational building of relationships and trust between the city staff and different communities - the stronger these relationships are the more easily connections can be made around particular programs.

    • Recognize that different communities will have different priorities at different times.

    • Center the voices of those most impacted and those most marginalized when collecting and utilizing feedback. 

    • When the city gathers feedback it is important to let people see their feedback has been incorporated or at least considered. Doing lots of work to gather/give feedback to have the city ignore or not give a transparent response leads to people feeling disengaged (“Resilient Community Center” at East Library as an example of a feedback effort that went nowhere).

    • Trust is built up by residents feeling like the city will respond to them; people need to feel as though they have a say in important community decisions in their lives. Trust comes from time and showing up and proving you will do what you say you will.

    • Go out and meet people where they are at, don’t expect they will always come to you. Staff should be given time and funding to do this properly!

    • Prioritize community voices specifically from previously redlined neighborhoods in discussion of environmental goals, and actually use their feedback!

    • Processes to establish resilience centers need to show clear indications that community input is informing locations for new centers and resources and programming offered by these centers. Build on the work that CREW and Groundwork Somerville have done, with funding and in partnership with the Sustainability Office. Create centers that are comprehensive and truly responsive to community desires (e.g. laundry services).

  • Revisit potential sites for planting parks and civic spaces to ensure that all residents have easy access (within 0.5 mi) to green space, including parks, the Community Path, community gardens, and also to playgrounds (see Five minute Walkshed to pocket park). 

  • Investigate heat islands in the city and target them for cooling centers/tree canopy growth. Groundwork Somerville teams have created maps that could be utilized. 

  • Investigate creative ways to incentivize landlords to plant/preserve trees. And/or when a tree is removed in a neighborhood, offer saplings to surrounding residents to replace canopy.

 

• Natural Environment

  • Ecological Land Care - Meet with the authors of the Ecological Land Care document (ELC) immediately to start the discussion on how to achieve the recommendations and goals within. Continue these meetings with appropriate city departments and staff to foster collaborative efforts for developing this administration’s strategy to improve our natural environment. Timeline of recommendations are in the ELC doc. Among the ELC recommendations are:

    • Adopt Ecological Land Care practices so we care for our land in a way that maximizes the health of all Somerville inhabitants (human, pollinator, and wildlife), and the plants, land, water, and air. 

    • Revisit existing plans and ordinances to maximize their effectiveness and ecological impact. Some, like the Pollinator Action Plan, need to be fully implemented. 

    • Hire more inspectors to ensure developers are following the Green Roof Ordinance, Green Score, and others. Hold developers accountable to create the green spaces that we need. 

    • Support the DPW in caring for our lands by providing training and support, instead of outsourcing this work to outside contractors; create necessary staff positions in support of this.

    • Create a position in the city to manage invasives on city property and assist and educate residents about invasive plant management on private property. Integrate a policy of invasive plant species management within all plans and ordinances involving planting of green spaces. 

    • Work to improve soil health and turf grass guidelines for city staff, homeowners, and developers as this will contribute to carbon sequestration.

    • Move forward with providing air pollution mitigation solutions for our vulnerable neighborhoods.

    • Strengthen rodenticide regulations, file a home rule petition to ban SGARs on private property, and move to adopt non-toxic controls methods across the city, including on development sites.

    • Enact Dark Sky measures.

    • Educate our youth on the importance of a healthy environment: 

      • Develop programming for our future leaders by creating an environmental Career and Technical Education (CTE) program; identify funding and partnership opportunities for educational programs related to gardening, forestry, landscapes, and ecology, as well as renewable energy and sustainability tracks. Potentially open private property to CTE projects (similar to the auto mechanic program working on private cars). 

      • Revamp the school garden programs.

    • Increase the percentage of green space in all civic space types especially with plazas and parks. Union Square plaza and Ken Kelley park are examples where this is needed (feedback from survey).

 

• Buildings

  • Winter Hill School Case Study - The upcoming construction to rebuild the Winter Hill Community Innovation School provides the opportunity for the city to show leadership in sustainable building design for both the built and natural environment. The design and construction of the new WHCIS should aspire to more than code-required energy efficiency measures.

    • The new WHCIS should set a precedent for what beautiful, sustainable architecture in Somerville should be.

    • The project should prioritize building reuse and design for deconstruction to reduce embodied carbon, waste, and other environmental impacts.

    • Net zero energy should be a starting point. The building should generate more energy than it consumes.

    • The project should incorporate ecological landscape design and support native plants, habitats, wildlife, and human health.

    • The site should manage 100% of stormwater on site and take significant steps to reduce potable water usage.

    • The building should be free of toxic and red list material. Design should prioritize bio-based and renewable materials and biophilic design that enhances students’ health and wellbeing.

    • The city should pursue Living Building Challenge certification to achieve this level of performance.

  • Retrofitting Existing Schools and City Owned Buildings - Somerville does not currently have a suitable plan to decarbonize existing municipal buildings to meet our climate commitments.

    • Create a full capital needs assessment and capital budget for all city-owned buildings to decarbonize.

    • Weatherize and air seal all city owned buildings to reduce heating and cooling demands.

    • Decarbonize and electrify all city-owned buildings starting with schools, which have the greatest impact on municipal energy.

    • Explore innovative retrofit systems that can be installed while buildings are occupied.

    • Consider adding funding for improving all schools including decarbonization and electrification in the Prop 2 1/2 Ballot Initiative question that will go before voters in 2027 for the new Winter HIll/Brown school.

  • Restoring the “doing” mindset that fostered the SolarizeSomerville and Heat Smart/Cool Smart (ASHPs) programs, starting with something like “Keep the Heat” Envelope Improvement Program (i.e. Air Sealing and Insulation).

 

• Energy

  • Grid Modernization - The city should work with the electric and gas utilities to create a comprehensive plan on how to modernize the electric grid.

    • Address the need for increased electrical capacity and the need for additional electric substations to support decarbonization efforts.

    • Plan to decommission existing gas infrastructure.

    • Somerville should continue to work with the local utilities, homeowners, developers, and municipal properties to initiate a district geothermal pilot and then expand it. This can also benefit from the federal incentives that were maintained for geothermal systems.

    • Consider new technologies such as distributed power generation through rooftop solar, battery storage, demand response, and Virtual Power Plant networks. 

    • The city should commit to integrating all new buildings into these systems and create a timeline to integrate existing buildings into these networks. 

    • Upgrade service to all school buildings now. 

  • Renewable Energy - Advancing clean electricity is critical to meeting the city’s emissions commitments.

    • The Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) for solar is lower than other sources of electricity generation. The city should install solar panels on 100% of available city-owned roofs now to offset as much of the city's energy use as possible. Doing this now will save money and reduce costs for the city.

    • Enhance zoning language to encourage solar panels over surface parking over a certain size. 

  • Urban Agriculture - The Consumption Based Emissions Index completed in 2023 shows food production as one of the leading contributors to consumption-based emissions. The city should encourage and expand urban agriculture and urban foraging to give residents the opportunity to reduce their food-based emissions while also supporting public health and social equity.

  • AI - The city should create a policy to limit the use of AI for city operations until it can be utilized without major environmental impacts, including energy and water use, and pollution.

• Water

  • Green Infrastructure - The city should expand use of green infrastructure as part of a comprehensive approach to addressing stormwater management, supporting native species, increasing greenspace, and supporting public health. 

    • Conduct a new GSI study that incorporates more focus on upstream/uphill GSI installation to mitigate flooding in most vulnerable neighborhoods, like Union Square.

    • Direct appropriate city departments to adopt GSI as their first option in stormwater management. 

    • In line with the new Ecological Land Care policy, the city should create a comprehensive plan on how to distribute green infrastructure through the city based on wildlife corridors, watersheds, and human needs with particular attention on enhancing greenspace within Environmental Justice communities. 

  • Water on Private Property - The expansion of Green Infrastructure on public land should be paired with residential stormwater assessment.

    • Create a Mass Save-style residential assessment program to support residents in implementing these approaches on their own properties including rainwater collection, diversion, and infiltration, native planting and rain gardens, soil health, and reduced pesticide and rodenticide contamination. This program should also support residents in reducing their municipal stormwater fees under the new separate stormwater billing program. We strongly recommend you speak to experts in this field for guidance on how to do this well.

    • Reestablish a robust discount and free rain barrel program, ensuring residents’ lack of funds are not a barrier to obtaining barrels; use all methods of city communication and city-sponsored events to educate and alert residents about rain barrels. Include options for housing complexes and developments, and for direct rain barrel delivery to residents’ homes, since many Somerville residents are living car-free. 

    • Engage community members and CRWA and MyRWA to build a resident-focused stormwater mitigation toolkit.

    • Provide funding to local Community Based Organizations who can help residents address site-specific and neighborhood stormwater issues, offsetting costs and building capacity within the Somerville community to address local flooding, CSOs, etc. (for example, the depaving program through Green & Open Somerville).

  • Sewer Separation acceleration and completion.

  • Review of storm water management plans in previously redlined areas. There could be rain garden opportunities that add in both green spaces and flooding reduction. This could be an opportunity to revive the rain barrel program and pay students to install them in these areas.

 

• Waste & Circularity

  • Grants - Utilize State Waste Reduction Funding

    • Utilize Recycling Dividend Program Funds from MassDEP to support waste reduction initiatives. Somerville has over $100,000 in unspent funds. 

    • Utilize other MassDEP Sustainable Materials Recovery Program Grants. Expand the number of points Somerville pursues. 

    • Consult with our DEP contact to address the above issues. 

      • Ron Cochran: [email protected], 617-519-0091

  • Expand Diversion Opportunities 

    • Expand composting citywide through a citywide curbside program and drop-off locations. We should look to the funding models and program structures of our neighbors with successful programs: Medford, Cambridge, Watertown.

    • Increase drop-off days for hard-to-recycle items, including styrofoam and lithium batteries, among others.

    • Bring back textile recycling. Confirm the status of our curbside program and expand drop-off sites to heavily trafficked locations in the city.

    • Support repair/fixit clinics (e.g., clinic at the Cambridge Hackspace in Somerville).

    • Support exchanges of goods among residents, particularly when moving out (swap shops, zero waste days, etc).

    • Incent wine/liquor stores to properly take back returns (particularly for glass). 

    • Increase awareness of items in the “Library of Things” and consider adding to it.

  • Waste Reduction in Schools

    • Implement front- and back-of-house food waste diversion in all Somerville schools. Utilize resources from MassDEP’s Green Sword School Waste Reduction group.

    • Design all new schools with dishwashers. We should aim to use reusable dishware for Somerville schools as it reduces waste, saves money, and protects our children from microplastic exposure. 

  • Education 

    • Increase education and outreach on reducing contamination and wishcycling. 

    • Audit the Waste Wizard. Consider switching over from Waste Wizard to recyclesmartma.org search feature (statewide so not specific to our MRF but also updated frequently).

  • Advocacy / Policy

    • Adopt a robust Environmentally Preferred Purchasing policy for City procurement to support circularity.

    • Advocate for statewide extended producer responsibility bill, including signing onto the municipal resolution letter in the link.

    • Advocate for Enhanced Bottle Bill.

  • Policy

    • Explore shifting trash collection to a Unit Based Trash Pricing/Pay As You Throw Model. In this model, residents pay for the amount of trash they generate, similar to how utilities operate. The MassDEP has identified this as one of the best waste reduction measures a municipality can take. Municipalities in Massachusetts that have Pay As You Throw programs generate 30% less waste compared to non-PAYT communities. MassDEP provides grant funding and technical assistance to adopt PAYT programming.

    • Investigate working with neighboring towns to coordinate on recycling efforts (Brookline and Newton worked together for a better contract, e.g.).

    • Adopt MCAN’s model language for municipal RFPs for architectural and engineering services.

    • Address embodied carbon in construction and development; write a Deconstruction of Building Materials ordinance for development projects.

    • Engage regularly with the Building Electrification Accelerator specifically on other embodied carbon reduction ordinances in coordination with other municipalities and the state.

    • Mandate opt-in single use items for take-out and delivery (i.e. condiments, utensils, napkins).

    • Require municipal property marked for disposal to be offered for donation first.

    • Food Waste Diversion (Curbside Collection & Drop Off Sites)

      • 20% of the MA waste stream is food waste; diverting this for all Somerville residents would have significant emission impacts. Neighbors such as Medford, Cambridge, and Watertown have adopted various models of city-wide composting access to all residents. 

    • Expand access to textile recycling whether it be through curbside service or more conveniently located drop off locations. Previous estimates have put this at 5% of the waste stream. 

    • Pass Comprehensive Recycling Regulations to require all generators, residential and business, to provide access to recycling. This will help keep banned recyclable materials and certain toxic materials out of the solid waste stream and ensure recycling access to all our residents, particularly to those in multi-family who likely currently lack recycling access. Consider something similar to this one from Attleboro.

  • Diversion Opportunities - Empower residents and businesses to divert hard-to-recycle items.

    • Targeted programs to shift restaurants away from black plastic takeaway containers.

    • Move to compostable materials for take-out and delivery packages; switch to white plastic; reusable containers.

    • Explore separated glass recycling (curbside, dropoff locations, etc.). 

    • Shift citywide recycling away from single stream.

Appendix

We urge the Administration to consider the above recommendations in a complete and integrated manner while considering its strategies for improving the natural environment and sustainability assets of Somerville.

 

• Ecological Land Care document

• LEED for Cities

Transition Policy Committee Summary of Findings

Committee Name

Finance

Committee Members

Joe Curtatone, Janice Delory, Councilor Ben Ewen-Campen, Douglas Foy, Andrew Maylor, Samantha Silverberg, Bill Valletta

Key themes and trends:

During the past several years, the city has benefitted from a strong regional economy, substantial public and private sector investment, and jobs expansion. These conditions have produced new growth in the property tax base, allowing the tax levy to grow beyond the 2 and a half percent statutory limit each year.

This steady growth in revenue has made it possible for the city to carry out an ambitious program of improvements to government operations; compassionate expansion of social services; large-scale infrastructure projects and school construction; and many open-space and neighborhood-scale improvements. In order to manage its revenue, spending and borrowing, the city has followed a strategy of budgeting and financing with three key elements:

First, the Operational Budgets have been formulated using methods of “level-service” budgeting. Each year, the budget analysis has started (i) by reviewing all existing agency lines; (ii) proposing additional funds to each line for expected salary and O&M cost increases; and then (iii) providing some new programs that can fit within the anticipated tax levy growth along with a cushion of surplus “free cash.”

Second, the Capital Improvements Plan has been organized as two lists of: (i) infrastructure projects and long-term system investments with funding, already approved for bonding or committed from established accounts; and (ii) a wish list of future projects with a five-year schedule of anticipated new bonding and commitments. The methodology has assumed that the combined total of the two lists will be kept well-below the statutory debt limitations. This prudent planning (along with disciplined spending and saving) has enabled the city to gain a Triple A bond rating.

Third, the city has been aggressive in seeking federal and state grants, and in requiring developers and investors to share the gains in asset value, which the city creates by its actions of zoning approval, permitting or license grants. These linkage payments and conditional contributions are put into the stabilization, trust and enterprise reserve accounts, with a goal of 30% aggregate total (of tax revenue) to meet the Triple A bonding standard.

In FY2026 and looking forward, the fundamental economic conditions have changed. Investment in the major sectors of the regional economy has declined and in Somerville, the planning/construction pipeline has no non-residential projects that will add growth to the tax base in coming years. The city may even face a decline in assessed values, if vacant commercial/lab buildings and unfinished construction sites persist. The trend of change in revenue can be seen in the following table:

Somerville: Yearly New Growth in the Property Tax Base and Tax Levy

[Table: Growth / 2019/20 / 2020/21 / 2021/22 / 2022/23 / 2023/24 / 2024/25 / 2025/26 / 2026/27 / 2027/28 | Tax Base / -- / $758 mill / $782 mill / $840 mill / / $917 mill / $532 mill / -- / -- | Tax levy / $8.4 / $10.3 / $10.7 / $12.3 / $17.7 / $14.1 / $7.8 / $5.0 / zero]

Compounding the pessimistic financial picture, the costs of government operations, supplies, capital construction, and debt service likely will continue to grow. In this context, the methods of budgeting, capital planning and financial/asset management will need revision. Methods of “performance-based budgeting,” more disciplined capital improvement planning and the use of other sources of funding to replace borrowing and plentiful free cash will be needed.

Guidance from the Mayor on these big-picture questions must also be accompanied by oversight and support for the operational improvements that the divisions of Finance have underway. These involve the up-grading of technical systems and clarification of protocols, intended to provide more robust data, better analyses, improved interagency communications and financial reporting, and more transparent and meaningful public information.

In the coming years, city leaders and the agencies will need to be frugal in their spending and investment and they will be seeking new revenues. The residents, property owners and taxpayers of the city, who will be asked to diminish their expectations and contribute more, will need to fully understand the financial choices and decisions and be confident that their added burden is balanced by efficiency and disciplined spending for all city activities.

Existing initiatives:

Each of the divisions of Finance and of Infrastructure and Asset Management are now carrying out projects of systems improvement, which are intended to increase efficiency and provide more accurate data and analyses:

The Finance Department is working with its contractor to complete the Gateway and Merchant Services system for electronic bill-paying. This databank receives and processes all small payments from taxpayers, service users, permit applicants, etc. It also processes the micro-payments from parking meters. The system has standardized and consolidated the separate payment methods of the different departments and it links into the MUNIS system of administrative data management for scheduling, performance management and reporting.

The Budget Division has introduced the methodology of performance based budgeting, making use of the Fiscal First Aid Framework developed by the Government Financial Officers Association. This guidance material is being used for staff training of all the agencies, as they are carrying forward the formulation of their FY2027 budget requests. Using these analytic methods, the budget will shift away from line-by-line calculations to more consolidated or cross-division reviews of programs to determine where spending will achieve the best outcomes with greatest efficiency.

The Accounting Division has been working with Human Resources to implement the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) Statement 101, which is a method for standardizing the calculations and reporting of employee compensated absences. This tool is needed because different categories of leave accrue in different ways and compensation can be by cash or non-cash (alternative time off) methods.

Procurement and Contracting has completed its Central Submission Portal and is making improvements to the public information databank of current and closed bids.

These are just some of the initiatives of technical systems and process improvements that will require careful oversight and, where appropriate, the endorsement and support of the Mayor in the coming months.

Gaps:

The primary problems for Finance in the coming months will be the need to track closely the economic trends and carefully measure the likely impacts on city revenue and costs. Several:

Tax levy projections – It appears certain that the years of strong new growth in the tax base and tax levy from commercial, industrial, and laboratory developments are over. However, the divisions of Assessing and Budgeting do not foresee losses of property value, strong enough to push the city into negative tax losses year to year. A few other sub-sectors of the real estate market appear to be holding steady – in particular the demand for housing units in one-to-four and small-scale multi-family projects. Additionally, investments appear to be continuing in areas of retail space and “tough tech” fabrication. The city's Economic Development Division is able to attract new companies with tax-increment financing (TIF) or similar mechanisms – this will avoid a precipitous drop in assessments for vacant lab buildings.

State Aid – Revenue from state aid will stay unchanged, given the budget constraints of the Commonwealth. The city's main sources of state aid are the annual transfer of unrestricted local government aid and school aid (based on student enrollment).

Local Option fees and taxes -- The state legislature may authorize cities to increase by small amounts several of the “local option” taxes and fees – such as hotel and restaurant sur-tax. If these proposals are passed and then adopted by Somerville Ordinances, then a modest increase of about $1 million in revenue a year could be expected.

City employee health coverage -- Significant increases are anticipated in the costs of health insurance coverage for city employees – which went up 11% last year ($3.3 million) and are expected to increase 12% ($3.8 million) in February 2026.

School operations – The increase in schools spending has been an average of 7.8% per year in the recent past, and the three-year forecast has been set at 6.6%; that would be a $7.5 million increase for FY2027.

City employee wage growth – Given that the significant re-adjustments of wages to accomplish equity among job classifications has already taken place, the coming year's anticipated wage increases are likely to be reasonable. In addition, any accumulated retroactive adjustments can be covered from the Wage Stabilization accounts, already reserved for this purpose.

Debt service – In general, the downward trend of interest rates and the city's favorable Triple A rating should help to keep the city's burden of debt at reasonable levels. However, three items of immediate borrowing needs – (i) financing a new elementary school in the range of $300 to $400 million; (ii) carrying the debt for 90 Washington Street; and (iii) the sewer/water improvement projects and MWRA capital projects – will likely push the borrowing needs above the statutory debt limit for the near term. The city will be making efforts to minimize the volume of these capital costs, such as working to maximize the state contribution to the elementary school construction, and disposing of the 90 Washington site to maximize recovery of its acquisition cost. Nevertheless, in order to undertake the school construction project, a debt-exclusion or Proposition 2 and1/2 override will be required.

Amid the work of up-grading data, management and inter-agency communication systems, the Finance Department divisions are still encountering some obstacles and deficiencies. For example, the Finance Department systems for employee wage, timekeeping, leave and absence, and compensation, do not yet interface fully with those of the Schools Department. One example of a resulting failure is that employees, who leave the schools, do not get automatically removed from the Finance lists and often the city has continued to pay insurance for them until the errors are later discovered.

Opportunities:

There appear to be some opportunities to find new revenues and savings to balance the expected revenue limitations and rising costs; however, these opportunities involve multiple small-scale activities.

For example, the city already has authority to increase the user fees that bring in routine revenue – parking meters, building permit and zoning application fees. Similarly, if the state legislature does authorize municipalities to increase local option taxes, Somerville should take advantage of these revenue enhancements.

More substantial savings should be sought in the Budget process by formulating and applying more clear criteria for priority-setting. Programs that have been developed as desirable services and amenities in the period of generous federal and state grants, but which have proven to have limited outcomes or have attracted only small numbers of participants will need to be removed in a period of limited funding. Thus, it will be important to support and enhance the work of the Finance department in incorporating the methodologies of program-analysis into the Budget process.

Recommendations for action:

Short-term:

In the short-term, the most pressing need for Mayoral attention must be the Budget and guidance to the agencies and Finance Department on priorities and the best methods to achieve restraint in spending. While it will not be possible to immediately change the methodology to “performance-based” budgeting, nevertheless, elements should be introduced at once in order to signal prudence and frugality in the coming fiscal year.

Medium term:

As decision-making for the re-construction of Winter Hill School and related school projects moves forward, preparation should be underway for a debt-exclusion. This will allow the city to add to the property tax levy an amount that will cover the excess debt service. This authorization must go on the ballot and be approved by the voters and the question must state the specific amount of taxes to be collected. Therefore, the action must be ready for placement on the ballot by the deadline date, and the campaign of public education must be well-underway in advance.

Revisions to the process of formulating and reviewing the Capital Improvement Plan should be undertaken. The changes in methodology should be similar to the “performance-based” budgeting. That is, they should emphasize priority projects and needs, rather than presenting a wish-list of visionary ideas. The procedures of CIP amendment and revision should take place more frequently, in order to keep the cost projections up to date with inflation. Each revision should involve re-calculation of the outcome/benefits of projects and clarify how they will fit within the statutory debt limitations (or give rise to a needed debt-exclusion).

Also in the medium term, there should be a review of the overall strategy for management and use of the stabilization, trust and reserve accounts. Over the years, the stabilization accounts alone have filled with a total of more than $135 million, money that is being held both for “rainy day” purposes and for a variety of ear-marked local amenities. If the city faces the need for a high-priority infrastructure and school project that cannot be funded without pushing far over its debt limitations; there should be a way to draw down and consolidate funds from these small and low-priority accounts to re-direct into the high-priority need. There is precedent for such actions (GLX Stabilization funds were transferred to cover some High School construction costs). But the city has not yet stated a policy, clearly researched the legal issues or impediments, or defined any method or criteria for how and when similar actions might be taken.

Transition Policy Committee Summary of Findings

Committee Name

Health, Human Services, and Homelessness

Committee Members

Serena Hollmeyer Taylor, Regina Bertholdo, Kate Byrne, Jordan Harris, Mike Libby, Melissa McWhinney, Hannah O'Halloran, Jay Nothoff

 

Key themes and trends:

All municipalities find themselves on a spectrum of direct-service provision. At one pole is a city that provides all direct social services to its constituents–a wholly public social service delivery system–and at the other lies a city that outsources all direct service to non-profit partners. Neither extreme optimizes efficiencies or positive impacts as each entity brings unique skills and capacities to bear. Cities, beyond the traditional addressing of collective-action failures, bring scale, cross-silo coordination, and legitimacy, while non-profit partners contribute cultural competency, subject matter expertise, and a nimbleness that allows them to pivot towards innovative solutions quickly. Rarely is this more applicable than in the areas of health, human services, and homelessness. Each of these alliterative terms contain multitudes and require a well-balanced public/non-profit partnership to address them, particularly in times of economic uncertainty. It is this group's view that Somerville has found success using these models in some aspects and is sorely lacking in others.

Key themes:

Homelessness has changed in both intensity and complexity over the past few years. Although the presence of unhoused neighbors has always been acknowledged, now a larger unhoused population is more visible and more impactful, which has resulted in greater awareness and tension with other city residents. Survey respondents share concerns about encampments and the safety and care of unhoused residents. They also share concerns about the safety of public spaces such as public parks where larger groups have gathered, and about their perception that when larger groups have gathered, other citizens are not able to use those public spaces.

While a subset of these larger groups may involve currently unhoused individuals, there is also a subset of individuals that are formerly homeless and who are now housed. Beyond these subsets there are also other individuals that may not be known to local residents, city representatives or nonprofit providers.

Official responses to these changes have included continuing and strengthening the ongoing partnership with The Somerville Homeless Coalition (SHC), helping them to access new sources of funding and including them in weekly inter-departmental meetings.

Given the recent radical policy changes on the federal level–shifting funding and support away from permanent housing towards shorter-term housing and treatment–formerly homeless residents currently in permanent supportive housing may be facing homelessness again in 2026. There could be an uptick in street homelessness from previously stably-housed families and individuals that will require a correlative increase in support from the City and service providers.

Inefficiencies and missed opportunities abound. Various departments in Somerville have direct-service staff whose remits often mirror what the staff of non-profit partner organizations do. Given the specialization of the partner organizations and their comprehensive service provision–things (appropriately) lacking in the City–staff in municipal roles often revert to simply acting as a referral service and redirecting people to the external organizations.

In this regard, Somerville's strengths lie in the unique ability to convene, support, coordinate, and liaise between service providers and funding opportunities, as well as creating synergies interdepartmentally as well as with external service providers and surrounding municipalities and statewide departments and groups. It is rare that an issue that was raised, both by the committee and the surveyed public, was simple and addressable by a singular entity within the City. Issues like substance use disorder (SUD), chronic homelessness, emergency management, and food security require intervention by myriad groups and departments. The incoming administration must encourage and create cross-departmental coordination as well as cross-sector partnerships (CSPs) to support these complex issues.

Somerville should look to its neighbors to collaborate on solutions. Regional cooperation and coordination will enable the sharing of best practices, services, and create solutions to issues that expand beyond municipal boundaries.

Disability: One quarter of Somerville's population has at least one disability, assuming it tracks our nation as a whole. An awareness and understanding of the needs and concerns of the disabled members of our community must be woven throughout any policies and practices relating to Health, Human Services, and Homelessness, and indeed throughout any of the Mayoral Administration's efforts.

Existing initiatives:

Partnerships with direct service providers–SHC, Housing Families, Youth Harbors, Community Action Agency of Somerville (CAAS) are working well, especially where the City is leveraging its strengths. These local providers have built decades of community trust and subject matter expertise which can be buttressed by the scale and reach of the City's capacities.

Some examples:

• When SHC sought funding for its healthcare programming, the Prevention Team within HHS wrote the grant to access Mosaic Opioid Recovery Partnership funds.

• The Emergency Management System provides essential cross-program support for residents affected by emergencies to minimize disruption from emergencies like house fires.

• The addition of a social worker to the library staff, as well as the partnership between SHC and the Libraries leadership and staff has created a positive response to the use of library spaces by the unsheltered population.

The Office of Housing Stability has innovative solutions to housing insecurity including the Municipal Voucher Program (MVP) - a Somerville subsidized housing program where eligible families pay 30% of their earnings towards rent. This program allows the city to support a more diverse group of residents than by using more traditional funding sources. A mix of funding including the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) has subsidized 27 units for ~4-5 years. We are heading into year 3. Additionally, OHS runs the Emergency Hotel Program supporting families/individuals with no place to live while transitioning to a shelter or permanent housing.

Community Health Workers (CHW) work across the city in areas where other services are being offered (eg: SHC and Connexion) to share information about available resources (eg. SNAP and MassHealth) and support in enrolling/accessing services.

A Seasonal Warming Center operated by Housing Families at the Cummings School provides a critical sheltering resource during cold weather.

The Prevention Team within HHS utilizes harm reduction strategies to support residents with SUD (Narcan and test strip distribution, overdose prevention training, and public health vending machines) while addressing public health and safety issues through sharps disposal kiosks and partnering with the Department of Public Works (DPW) who collect any needles found in public.

Cross-sector partnerships, like the Office of Food Access and Healthy Communities amplify the work of partner service providers. Their convening power, including collaboration with the Somerville Food Security Coalition, is used to gather data on what needs are unmet, and they respond with direct and indirect funding opportunities and participation in regional conversations. Additionally, they serve as a central source of information for residents who are seeking support, not by providing direct services but rather by directing them to the appropriate resources.

Community Conditions and Response. Continue hosting weekly interdepartmental huddles focused on community conditions and response, convened by the Mayor's Chief of Staff, bringing together DPW, SHC, HHS, SPD, 911/311 leadership, and outreach teams as needed to review citywide conditions related to homelessness, SUD, public disorder, public health hazards, and crime. The group identifies emerging hotspots and coordinates cross-departmental responses to the issues raised. Over time, this forum could be broadened to incorporate structured community feedback, particularly in situations where 311 or 911 calls may not be warranted. In the future, the group could also make its findings and coordinated responses publicly available through a brief weekly summary (see resources - Community Conditions and Response).

Gaps:

Overlap between City and Partner organizations leads to inefficiencies:

When the City adds roles to its departments that overlap with community partners there is often a wage differential, with the City often able to pay more than the partner agencies. This has resulted in both a talent drain on the agencies and lost hiring opportunities. In some cases, when the City attempts to provide direct services to constituents they end up redirecting them to the direct service providers.

Lack of facilities and services for unhoused residents: While the addition of a portable toilet in Seven Hills Park has made a difference for both housed and unhoused residents, it is removed seasonally. The delay in construction of Portland Loos has left Somerville without a year-round solution to an everyday need.

A Cooling Center: A warm weather corollary to the Warming Center is necessary. Unhoused residents can use public spaces like the libraries to cool themselves in the summer but this is neither a sustainable nor an overnight solution.

Specialized Courts: The City lacks specialized court initiatives including a mental health court and a community court. Cambridge has a very successful model that aims to address barriers to greater stability experienced by defendants who are homeless or at the risk of becoming homeless. Members of the SPD and staff of partner agencies have spoken in support of similar courts being created in Somerville.

Substance Use Disorder (SUD): This continues to be a huge problem in Somerville. Survey respondents spoke favorably of reinvigorating the implementation of plans for a safe consumption site as well as expanded treatment options. There is an ongoing lack of SUD treatment beds and delays in getting people to treatment when they are ready. Depending on the partner organization, residents entering treatment are offered transportation in a variety of ways: SHC, CHA, and others have limited transportation resources and the next administration should ensure that there is consistent and adequate funding.

The Board of Health: The Board of Health (BOH) is an underutilized resource in the City. The services and programs it operates range from Emergency Preparedness to restaurant inspections, and the promotion of public health through the creation and enforcement of regulations and policies. The BOH carries a lot of power in the city, and it works closely with the leader of the HHS department to determine the direction of public health in Somerville.

The Board of Health needs a strategic plan in order to be proactive and not merely responsive. The BOH should be expanded from its three members to a five-member Board, in order to cover more ground in the City. The BOH receives no funding from the state, rather, it is funded through tobacco dollars, opioid dollars, and other sources.

Geographic inequity in health and human services distribution: Health and human services resources are not equitably distributed across Somerville's neighborhoods. East Somerville, in particular, experiences significantly reduced access to critical services compared to other parts of the city. Vaccine clinics and other public health interventions are less frequently offered in East Somerville, creating barriers to preventive care for residents. The Community Health Worker (CHW) presence, while effective where deployed, has been inconsistent and inadequately funded in East Somerville–exemplified by the forced cessation of CHW services partway through 2025 due to ARPA funding sunset. Residents facing homelessness, mental health crises, and SUD in East Somerville encounter fewer accessible resources and longer response times compared to residents in more centrally-located neighborhoods. This geographic disparity in service provision undermines the City's stated commitment to equity and leaves vulnerable residents in underserved neighborhoods without adequate support systems.

Mental Health Services: The combination of substance use disorder, homelessness and mental health issues are intricately entwined. This makes treatment difficult to access. One of the reasons the Housing First model works so well is that it takes one major problem out of the picture, leaving potential for service providers to assist with options for treatment. While there may be adequate beds for mental health treatment in the city/region there need to be corollary resources dedicated to outreach and referrals. Not all people with mental health issues need to be hospitalized. Adding psychiatry and social work to street outreach and home visits may actually prevent the need for hospitalization.

Rats: These continue to be an endemic problem. The city needs to get residents and businesses involved in all attempts to contain rats. While this is a constant in urban areas there needs to be proactive work. When residents feel that they can not use their yards due to rats, it is an untenable situation. This is reality in areas of the city where development is rampant.

Lack of Consistently-staffed City Leadership on Systemic Causes of Homelessness: Currently, there is no single city office or designated staff person working directly and comprehensively on the topic of homelessness in Somerville. When it comes to addressing homelessness, multiple city departments and community partners must coordinate to have conversations regionally and respond to the systemic issues that are making homelessness worse in the city. This fragmented approach creates inefficiencies, gaps in coordination, and unclear lines of responsibility. While Somerville has strong partnerships with local service providers that are already providing excellent direct services, the lack of a centralized city presence means there is no consistent municipal voice for strategic planning, regional coordination, policy development, or cross-departmental alignment on homelessness issues.

Opportunities:

A Department of Community Partnerships with a focus on homelessness would serve as a single initial point of contact for direct service partners. Rather than reaching out to many different departments to coordinate a new project or solve complex issues, a non-profit leader could contact the Director who would then liaise with the city departments, saving time and resources. This office would not provide direct services–which are more effectively delivered by specialized non-profit partners–but would instead operate similarly to the Office of Food Access and Healthy Communities, serving as a convener, coordinator, and strategic partner. Just as the Office of Food Access and Healthy Communities addresses the complex intersection of food systems, safe neighborhoods, green spaces, healthcare access, and affordable housing through cross-sector partnerships and strategic coordination, a Department of Community Partnerships focussing on homelessness would work on:

• Convening city departments, non-profit partners, regional stakeholders, and community members to ensure alignment and collaboration

• Developing long-term strategic plans to address homelessness, including prevention, response, and systems-level solutions

• Serving as Somerville's primary liaison for regional homelessness initiatives, ensuring the city participates in coordinated regional responses and accesses regional resources and best practices

• Facilitating cross-departmental coordination between HHS, DPW, Police, Office of Housing Stability, and other city departments

• Gathering and analyzing data on homelessness trends, service gaps, and outcomes to inform policy and practice

• Identifying funding opportunities and supporting access to grants and resources for both the city and partner organizations

• Advocating for Somerville's interests and needs at the county, state, and federal levels

 

This role would enhance rather than replace the expertise and relationships that community-based providers have built over decades. By serving as a single point of municipal contact, it would streamline communication and reduce the burden on non-profits that currently must navigate multiple city departments. Establishing clear municipal leadership on homelessness would position Somerville to address this complex issue through coordinated, strategic, and sustainable approaches that complement and support the vital work of community partners.

The City should support the continued work of interdisciplinary/interdepartmental efforts like the development of a “Belongings Protocol.” The Department of Public Works and the Inspectional Services Department are working with HHS Community Health Workers and Somerville Homeless Coalition to ensure that personal belongings that are found in public spaces are tagged, stored (when appropriate) and disposed of when necessary.

Another example of this partnership is the nascent Community Outreach Help and Recovery (COHR) team, currently embedded within the Somerville Police Department. The team consists of clinicians and case managers that work alongside the police and other mental health stakeholders to identify individuals in crisis and support them. Through expansion the COHR team can be formalized into a co-response model. COHR staff respond to behavioral-health, substance use, and homelessness-related crises, in addition to coordinating with nonprofit providers, tracking service gaps, and case coordination. Ideally this team would have clearer guidelines and closer partnership with the Somerville Police Department and the Community Health Workers.

The City should support the development of a Regional Board of Health. A multi-municipality group can gather and create more complete data sets, collaborate to reduce overhead costs, and align on common priorities. A Regional Board would also speak with a more powerful voice when addressing state-level opportunities and leaders, coordinating efforts on issues like better access to substance use treatment resources.

In addition, the Somerville Board of Health needs a strategic plan in order to be proactive and not merely responsive. The BOH should be expanded from its three members to a five-member Board, in order to cover more ground in the City. The BOH receives no funding from the state. Instead, it is funded through tobacco dollars, opioid dollars, and other sources.

In parallel, the administration must prioritize coordination with regional partners addressing homelessness, health, and human services across municipal boundaries. Identifying and working in alignment with regional, state, and federal agencies and peer municipalities will help minimize duplication of effort, strengthen service delivery, and ensure Somerville is part of a unified, credible voice advocating for resources, policy alignment, and long-term solutions.

Leverage Somerville's State Delegation and advocacy resources. The City can serve as a conduit between service providers and the delegation to ensure needs are clearly understood, effectively advocated for, and connected to opportunities for additional funding.

Offer centralized training programs for non-profit partner agencies within Somerville. Many partners, following best practices, provide staff training in de-escalation, trauma-informed care, motivational interviewing, emergency preparedness, and more. Rather than each provider paying for one-off training for each new staff member as they join, the City can take advantage of economies of scale by coordinating growing knowledge by offering training and technical assistance to multiple service providers on a regular basis. Additionally, the City should provide support services for frontline staff from partner groups and hold appreciation events.

Commit to sustained, structured engagement with Somerville's community institutions. This engagement should include faith-based organizations; neighborhood councils such as the Davis Square(DSNC) and Union Square Neighborhood Councils (USNC); Gilman Square Neighborhood Council (GSNC); merchant and business associations; neighborhood organizations and associations including the Somerville Community Action Network (CAN), East Somerville Main Streets, Union Square Main Streets, and the Somerville Community Corporation (SCC); and issue-focused bodies such as the Davis Square Public Safety Working Group. The City should also actively encourage and foster the formation of comparable groups in neighborhoods where such organizing capacity is lacking, as a core strategy for radical transparency, public trust, and policies grounded in neighborhood-level lived experience.

The City should offer salary differentiation resources to partner agencies to help them “level up” their salary offerings to attract top-level talent and ensure longer-term employee retention. This would further bolster the effect of the inclusionary housing programs that prioritize residents who work within Somerville, perhaps by creating a specific carve-out for people working with non-profit partner agencies.

Expand the Guaranteed Basic Income Program–a 1 year pilot program that supported low income families and a few youth experiencing or at risk of being homeless with a $750 monthly income for a whole year. UMASS interviewed and followed participants. A report of the program will be released next year. That provided a safety net to all participants in the program. There is a network of other municipalities meeting about a universal income model and Somerville should be part of it.

There is a great deal of new learning about the role of innovative housing models, including Social Housing, and Single Room Occupancy. The City should dedicate staff time to the investigation and implementation of these and other models.

Lastly, we have appreciated the opportunity to gather to talk and create recommendations for the City to move forward. We believe it would be a benefit to the City and the community for these groups to continue to convene, perhaps quarterly, to continue to reflect on these topics, assess the status of these issues, and offer recommendations for mid-course corrections where necessary.

Recommendations for action:

Short term recommendations: easy early implementation (low hanging fruit)

• Implement the Belongings Protocol currently in the final stages of development

• Re-fund the CHWs working in East Somerville who were forced to stop work partway through 2025 due to the sunsetting of ARPA. This is an effective and established program that will require little to no set-up.

• Bring staff back to the Board of Health offices, work will proceed with much more efficiency

Medium term recommendations: to be focused on during first year

• Appoint a Community Partnerships Director who is a central source of information and support for CSPs.

• Proactively allocate funding for the continuation of the Municipal Voucher Program.

• Develop a strategic plan with the Board of Health, including potential expansion and researching regional options

• Accelerate installation of Portland Loos

• Open a Cooling Center for the summer months

• Implement a regular cadence of training programs (as detailed above) available to non-profit staff in Somerville.

• Allocate a pool of funds to be used to transport residents seeking SUD/MH treatment to facilities.

Long term recommendations: to be built into strategic planning over course of entire term

• Expand Guaranteed Basic Income programming

• Develop a city wide volunteer program that uses the talents of residents to meet some of the needs in different arenas of city work

• The city, along with non-profit partners, needs to develop other streams of funding given the current cut backs by the federal government. This should be a collaborative process, not a competitive one.

• We believe it would be a benefit to the City and the community for the transition advisory groups to continue to convene, perhaps quarterly, to continue to reflect on these topics, assess the status of these issues, and offer recommendations for mid-course corrections where necessary.

 

Transition Policy Committee Summary of Findings

Committee Name

Immigrant and Multicultural Affairs Committee

Committee Members

Ivan Abarca-Torres, Sonia Conde, Pilar Galvez, Sara Kirubi, Father Alejandro Lopez, Paula Magnelli, Alex Pirie, and Aaron Soroa

 

Key themes and trends:

• Values–Implementation Gap: Strong pro-immigrant values exist, but systems are fragmented and ineffective.

• Insufficient Communication with Immigrants: Low trust in official channels; immigrant residents rely on WhatsApp, schools, nonprofits, and faith institutions for information.

• Crisis Response Deficit: Lack of emergency response, rapid legal access, and coordinated detention support.

• Lack of Open-Door Policy for Immigrant Support Services: Limited alignment among city departments, nonprofits, schools, and community partners.

• Shift Toward Operational Sanctuary: Clear opportunity to move from symbolic commitment to coordinated, 24/7 protection and support.

Existing initiatives:

N/A - Despite having asked the explicit question to this group about existing Somerville Office of Immigrant Affairs (SOIA) initiatives, no members of the group shared current programs that are working well.

Gaps:

1. Communication

• No centralized, trusted communication system for immigrants.

• City information is not received by many immigrants when posted on official websites or social media alone.

• The information needs to get where people receive trusted information, like WhatsApp. WhatsApp is the dominant communication tool among immigrants, yet the city does not actively use it.

• Misinformation spreads faster than official guidance (e.g., vaccines, ICE activity).

• Outreach fails to reach most immigrant communities, especially new immigrants.

• Dissemination of information is fragmented across nonprofits, schools, and faith institutions.

Impact: Families do not receive time-sensitive information during times of crises, which undermines safety, trust, and access to services.

2. Crisis & Detention Response Gaps

• No immigration emergency hotline despite ICE detentions occurring after office hours or on the weekends.

• 2–3 hour window after detention to get legal support is consistently missed.

• Walk-in immigrant support services available at office or on phone even without appointment.

• Families experience panic, isolation, and fear immediately after arrests without any city support.

• Lack of visible city action post-arrest increases community anxiety.

Impact: Detention outcomes worsen due to delayed legal intervention; families face cascading harm (housing, childcare, income).

3. Legal & Post-Arrest Support Gaps

• Legal representation costs ($10–20k) are prohibitive and most immigrants don't know the city could help with legal representation.

• City attorneys are underutilized as public legal educators.

• Individual arrest cases are not made visible (even in anonymized form), reducing advocacy leverage.

• Limited coordination with: State Representatives, Regional bodies (e.g., Metropolitan Area Planning Council aka MAPC) and Neighboring cities.

4. Service Fragmentation & Structural Gaps

• Services are offered by appointment only

• No Office of Immigrant Affairs to coordinate wraparound services for immigrants

• Collapse of immigrant-serving infrastructure (from 7 nonprofits in past years to 1 major hub, SOIA, that is not effective). Multiple immigrant non-profits have left the City of Somerville.

• Risk of duplication among current nonprofits due to lack of coordination.

• Major gap between available services and services actually accessed.

• No holistic, family-centered case management system.

• With support from the city, non-profits could help to alleviate the work with immigrants.

Opportunities:

1. Trusted Networks Already Exist

• Capitalize on trusted networks such as faith institutions, school liaisons, PTAs, and community-based organizations (Padres Latinos, The Welcome Project), all of which are consistent, reliable access points.

• Hire more social workers in libraries (such as dynamic community members like Jake Savage)

2. Somerville's Identity as an Immigrant City

• Take advantage of our Sanctuary city status + historical immigrant narrative to more fully support immigrants

• Leverage strong public values to shift actions from symbolic inclusion to functional protection.

3. City as Convener

• The City's Office of Immigrant Affairs can unify nonprofits, schools, faith groups, and other groups to support immigrant communities.

• Regional collaboration with surrounding city governments, Massachusetts Office of Refugees and Immigrants (ORI), Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Coalition (MIRA), American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and MAPC can help pool legal and financial resources.

• Fundraisers can serve dual purposes: legal aid + community bonding.

4. Cultural Visibility as Protection

• Organize public events, storytelling, and celebration to increase belonging and reduce fear.

• Partner with Somerville Museum, Tufts University, Somerville Arts Council and other groups to share immigrant stories and celebrate other cultures.

• Host multicultural events, which can be a platform for education as well as to promote rights and solidarity.

Recommendations for action:

Short term recommendations:

1. Launch a Trusted Communications System

• City-coordinated WhatsApp or other city-wide system

• Messaging delivered by trusted messengers, not only city branding. For example, schools, religious institutions, community advocates, non-profits, etc.

• Disseminate city-wide information such as: city emergencies, Know Your Rights sessions, ICE response guidance, public health updates

2. Establish an Immigration Crisis Response System

• 24/7 immigration hotline

• Clear rapid-response protocol for detentions; Legal triage within 2–3 hours

• Create a fund for family stabilization support while a family member is in detention (groceries, rent assistance, emotional and legal support, etc.)

3. Expand School-Based and Family-Centered Outreach

• Ensure immigrants are aware of how city can help them

• Offer one-stop services (health navigation, school enrollment, etc)

• Use schools to counter misinformation and build trust.

Medium term recommendations:

1. Create a full-service Office of Immigrant Affairs

• Central coordination hub for: legal services, Know your Rights, workers' rights, housing stabilization, education and health enrollment, etc.

• Create an Immigrant Advisory Council of community advocates with representation from the largest ethnic groups in the city.

• Connect immigrants with different services offered by the city and outside of the city (ORI, MIRA, etc)

 

2. Build a Legal Defense & Rapid Legal Access System

• City-backed legal defense fund for emergency cases.

• Standing partnerships with pro bono law firms to cover cases not included in what is covered with current partnerships with law firms

• City attorneys provide plain-language legal education about what the city stands for.

3. Convene a City-wide Immigrant Services Coalition

• Regular coordination between: nonprofits, community groups, schools, faith institutions, etc

• Create a system for referral pathways for immigrants to access city services.

• Real-time updates on policy and enforcement changes.

Long term recommendations:

1. Integrate Housing Stability into Immigration Support

• The Office of Immigrant Affairs must be a one stop service to support immigrants (for families in particular so they are taken care of in a holistic way (education, health, economic development, immigration protection and rights, worker rights, community, etc).

• Align Office of Housing Stability with immigrant crisis protocols.

• Prioritize mixed-status families for stabilization resources.

• Explore municipal vouchers and rent protections.

2. Increase Immigrant Visibility through Celebrations and Public Narrative Shift

• Organize immigrant-centered citywide events annually.

• Celebrate immigrant histories past and present.

• Publicly affirm Somerville as an immigrant city–vocally and consistently.

3. Make the Office of Immigrant Affairs the city's official lead office responsible for aligning immigrant-related policy, crisis response, and interdepartmental action across housing, schools, health, and public safety.

Transition Policy Committee Summary of Findings

Committee Name

Labor and Workforce Transition Subcommittee

Committee Members

Rod Badaro, Tom Bent, Payton Corbett, Alex Galimberti, Marcy Goldstein-Gelb, Kristen McKenna, Guy Rossman, Korynn Stoyanoff, Marianne Walles, Rand Wilson

Recommendations for action:

Short term recommendations:

1. Strengthen Worker Protections and Enforcement
Commit city resources to make labor standards real and enforceable.

• Fully fund and staff enforcement Somerville’s wage theft, living wage, responsible employer, and construction safety laws. Undertake an audit of the past utilization and enforcement of these ordinances.

• Hire a dedicated Worker Protections Coordinator to support coordination, policy development, and implementation.

• Strengthen accountability for violations, including meaningful penalties such as permit or license denial or revocation.

• Support and empower the Wage Theft Advisory Committee to oversee implementation and enforcement.

• Revisit and strengthen the Responsible Employer Ordinance, including assessing its effectiveness and adding a clear enforcement mechanism.

2. Build Strong, Forward-Looking Labor Policy
Create city infrastructure to proactively shape fair labor standards.

• Establish a Labor Policy Advisory Committee within the first 100 days to develop, evaluate, and recommend labor and worker protection policies for both private-sector and municipal workers.

• Hire a dedicated senior labor advisor to liaise with municipal and school unions and to staff the labor policy advisory committee

• Ensure the committee serves as a long-term body advising the Mayor and City Council on emerging workforce issues, research, and policy reform.

• Work with the City’s Purchasing Department to adopt responsible purchasing practices that prioritize fair wages and strong labor standards, including preference for union, fair-trade, high-road vendors and worker ownership in city procurement.

• Determine (as allowed by the LEADS Act) that the use of Project Labor Agreements on public construction is beneficial to our community. This will ensure that major public construction projects are completed on time, on budget, and safely, while also expanding access to good-paying jobs for a diverse workforce (including veterans, women, and minorities) and local residents.

• As permissible by law, when the city gives tax breaks (including to employers exempt from taxes), or provides other financial incentives to a developer then Project Labor Agreements should be required. Similarly, when the city gives tax breaks or provides other financial incentives to employers, then “labor peace” or union neutrality agreements should be required to secure a free and fair process for workers to organize.

• Establish a public funding threshold that triggers a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) with local hire targets, and to ensure fair wages, strong labor standards, and high-quality jobs on publicly supported projects.

• Adopt a youth labor protections and education policy that enforces child labor standards while ensuring young workers learn their workplace rights and the role of the labor movement through city programs, schools, and youth employment initiatives.

3. Lead by Example as a Model Employer
Ensure the City of Somerville sets the standard for fair, inclusive, and safe work.

• Encourage hiring local residents by making meaningful, good-quality work accessible to all Somervillians by promoting workforce development and diverse leadership in both public and private sectors.

• Ensure the city’s workforce reflects the diversity of Somerville’s communities, including immigrant and LGBTQ workers, at all levels of employment.

• Guarantee safe and healthy working conditions for city employees through clear protocols, training, and investment in workplace safety.

4. Broaden and Strengthen Funding Sources for Workforce Development
Explore other funding opportunities to advance workforce development initiatives even with limited JCRT funds available.

• Ensure Somerville residents are aware of and can take advantage of the Workforce Pell funding available starting in July. This only funds coursework and the City and JCRT should consider how to support the additional wrap-around supports needed for success.

• Look at other sources within the city budget and the state budget to offer continued support of long-standing non-profit partnerships (ex. Collaborations with Economic Development Department, funding resources across cities)

• Identify opportunities for employers to fund workforce development pipelines using state subsidies like Workforce Competitiveness Fund, MLSC tax incentives for biotech, etc.

5. Build on JCRT Best Practices
Review and refine the work of the JCRT committee.

• Small amounts of money have been set aside to help move some programs along with no new fees coming in. Explore ways to fast track upcoming funds so they’re available for use ASAP.

• Drawing on the experience of the JCRT grant making since 2019, update the city’s Talent Equity Playbook, ensuring that the worker protections and workforce development recommendations here are incorporated into the Playbook

• Survey training providers on successes and challenges of previous rounds of JCRT funding including contract execution timelines, stipend distribution, grant timelines, and committee autonomy. Make adjustments where possible.

6. Utilize the High School for Training Space and Student/Community Connection
Connect programs and community members in well equipped and easily accessible spaces.

• Promote a strong pathway from high school to apprenticeship programs, strengthening collaborations with organizations like Building Pathways and resources from JCRT.

• Utilize the high school to house adult and other education programs, including new programs and existing programs that may currently be offered in locations outside of Somerville to increase access. Chelsea and Malden have good examples of partnerships with BHCC and others.

7. Build Pipelines Connecting Community Members, Training Programs, and Employers
Ensure employers invest in local talent and the needed training to meet workforce demands.

• Review Somerville labor market data including top employers and jobs types. Ensure alignment amongst employer needs, available workforce, and training providers.

• Encourage employers to be transparent about workforce composition, invest in Somerville residents, build pipelines with local training partners, etc. Investment should include needed training opportunities to ensure residents have the skills needed to fill employer gaps.

• Expand workforce pathways connecting city high school vocational and other community workforce programs with high-quality, safe, living-wage union or union-track jobs, targeting youth, immigrants, and other historically underserved or highly impacted populations through coordinated training, supports, and city-backed placement opportunities.

• Close gaps between community needs and economic opportunity—connecting people experiencing housing instability or working in highly exploited jobs (such as day labor) to pathways like hiring halls, cooperatives, and worker-owned businesses.

Transition Policy Committee Summary of Findings

Committee Name

Mobility & Transportation Policy Committee

Committee Members

Jarred Johnson, Chair, Alex Epstein, Chair, Anand Patil, Intern, Alessandra Seiter, Brendan Kearney, Karen Molloy, Mark Chase, Maha Aslam, Samantha Silverberg

 

Key themes and trends:

1. Safety is the overarching priority.

• Residents repeatedly cited unsafe crossings, speeding, and inconsistent winter clearance.

• Seniors and people with disabilities emphasized missing curb ramps, sidewalk heaves, and snow/ice hazards.

• Advocacy groups urged a renewed, citywide Vision Zero commitment and faster action on high-risk corridors such as Highland Avenue and McGrath Highway.

1. Residents want faster, more predictable project delivery—without weaker engagement.

• Community members asked for quicker rollout of known solutions (traffic calming, bus lanes, protected bike lanes, ADA upgrades).

• Parents, seniors, immigrants, and residents with disabilities emphasized the need for more in-person, multilingual, offline engagement.

• Advocates expressed frustration with projects “stalling without explanation” and called for clearer communication about timelines and constraints.

Equity and accessibility gaps remain significant across all modes.

• Routine barriers include heaved sidewalks, missing curb ramps, blocked walkways on trash days, and inconsistent snow removal.

• Residents of Winter Hill and East Somerville highlighted inequitable transit access and unsafe pedestrian environments.

• Community voices stressed prioritizing historically underserved neighborhoods in future investments.

1. Transit reliability is a major and persistent concern.

• Residents noted GLX shutdowns, inconsistent service levels, and station-area safety and access issues.

• Feedback indicated misalignment between the MBTA Bus Network Redesign and neighborhood travel patterns.

• Riders want better lighting, wayfinding, snow clearance, and safer crossings near transit stops and stations.

1. Public conversation around mobility has become increasingly polarized.

• Staff and residents described rising tension among people driving, walking, cycling, and using e-bikes, e-motos, and scooters.

• Community members want clearer norms and expectations for micromobility behavior and facility use.

• Advocacy groups encouraged the City to proactively lead on messaging to reduce conflict and build shared understanding.

1. Somerville’s strengths provide a strong foundation for progress.

• High walking and biking rates, a skilled and respected Mobility Division, and strong advisory committees (PTAC, SBAC) support continued progress.

• Advocacy groups such as SASS contribute technical expertise, accountability, and community mobilization.

• Residents consistently expressed pride in Somerville’s culture of civic engagement and its commitment to multimodal transportation.

Existing initiatives:

A technically strong Mobility Division and trusted public servants

The Mobility Division is widely respected for its technical rigor, data-driven approach, and commitment to transparency, regularly grounding decisions in crash analysis, ATR data, community feedback, and national best practices—an approach that has earned them credibility with residents and peer cities alike.

Despite limited staffing and a large project pipeline, the team consistently delivers high volumes of multimodal improvements—ranging from quick-build safety fixes to major corridor redesigns—while maintaining steady public communication through newsletters, dashboards, SomerVoice updates, and in-person engagement that helps residents understand both progress and constraints.

Supported by highly engaged advisory bodies and advocacy groups such as PTAC, SBAC, and SASS, the Division benefits from partners who conduct ongoing project review, elevate corridor-specific concerns, and advocate for evidence-based investment in safety and transit. Their sustained involvement allows City staff to test ideas with informed collaborators, and their credibility strengthens broader engagement by reinforcing the value and necessity of Mobility’s work.

Robust, community-shaped plans that offer clear implementation pathways

Somerville’s Bicycle Network Plan—bolstered by the Safe Streets Ordinance—establishes a detailed, time-bound roadmap for a connected, citywide network of protected facilities, providing clarity about priorities and a shared expectation for annual progress that is both ambitious and achievable.

The Vision Zero Action Plan similarly offers a structured, data-informed framework that guides cross-departmental safety work, shaping where the City deploys traffic-calming interventions, evaluates intersections, and coordinates with Police, DPW, and Schools to reduce severe crashes and create safer routes for all ages and abilities.

The Parking & Curb Use Study, along with multiple neighborhood-specific streetscape plans, provides actionable strategies for curb reform, pedestrian improvements, public realm investments, and mode-shift support.

These plans reflect years of multilingual, multi-format engagement and give the new administration a set of ready-made blueprints grounded in community priorities.

Major mobility, safety, and transit projects already delivering impact

Recent and ongoing capital projects—including Western Washington Street, Pearl Street, and multiple redesign efforts around Union and Davis Squares—are modernizing the transportation network with upgraded crossings, protected bike facilities, improved sidewalks, and new transit-supportive street configurations that reflect Somerville’s commitment to multimodal mobility.

The City’s rapidly expanding traffic-calming program has installed raised crosswalks, speed humps, daylighting treatments, and signal improvements across dozens of neighborhoods, producing measurable reductions in speeding and improving safety outcomes that residents can see and experience directly.

The Green Line Extension has reshaped travel patterns and spurred pedestrian upgrades around stations, while new bus priority lanes—particularly on Broadway—have demonstrated the tangible benefits of reallocating road space, increasing reliability, and boosting ridership in ways that reinforce the value of continued investment in transit.

A citywide culture of support for walking, biking, and transit

Residents consistently express strong support for safer crossings, better winter sidewalk maintenance, more protected bike facilities, and more reliable bus service, viewing these improvements not as niche interests but as central to quality of life in a dense, walkable city.

Surveys, office hours, and advisory-body feedback point to a public that increasingly understands the benefits of mode shift—from environmental and safety outcomes to affordability and health—and sees these investments as essential to Somerville’s identity and future.

Advocacy groups amplify and sustain this momentum, helping translate technical concepts into community conversations, mobilizing residents, and broadening the coalition that supports redesigning streets for safety and multimodal mobility.

Momentum toward climate-forward transportation policy

Somerville’s Climate Forward implementation efforts create a strong alignment between emissions reduction goals and transportation investments, enabling the City to frame street redesigns, bus priority, sidewalk improvements, and curb reforms as essential strategies for reducing vehicle miles traveled and creating resilient, low-carbon mobility options.

This alignment also strengthens grant competitiveness, as many federal and state programs now explicitly reward climate-aligned projects, positioning Somerville to secure funding for major corridor reconstructions, stormwater-resilient streets, and expanded active transportation infrastructure.

Solid record of regional coordination and successful funding applications

Over the past decade, Somerville has leveraged federal and state funding to advance safety, transit, and climate-aligned projects, supported by strong applications and the ability to move work from planning into construction. This track record has made the City a competitive applicant and a reliable steward of multi-source funding, even as State funding from the Millionaire’s tax  appears more likely than federal funding over the next few years. There is also opportunity to leverage parking reform and using parking pricing for either meters or permits to help fund local projects

Somerville has partnered with neighboring municipalities and regional agencies on projects that cross city boundaries, including joint planning with Medford, shared funding and advocacy with Cambridge to advance the Green Line Extension, and long-standing participation in regional programs such as Bluebikes. Continued coordination with the MBTA and MassDOT on corridor and station-area improvements underscores the City’s role as a credible regional partner.

Gaps:

Slow project delivery and limited City capacity

Many safety and multimodal projects take years to move from planning to implementation, even when community support is strong.
Residents and advocates expressed frustration that familiar, proven interventions such as raised crossings, protected bike lanes, and bus lanes often face long timelines due to design reviews, procurement, utility coordination, and staffing constraints.

Capacity limitations across the Mobility Division and Public Works constrain responsiveness.
A relatively small staff is responsible for planning, engagement, design, construction oversight, maintenance coordination, and seasonal operations, making it difficult to scale up implementation or quickly respond to emerging safety issues.

Internal coordination challenges slow delivery further.
Transportation responsibilities are spread across multiple departments, creating handoffs and unclear ownership that can delay decisions and stretch timelines, particularly for quick-build projects intended to be fast and iterative.

Jurisdictional challenges and state/federal capacity

Major thoroughfares not under city control.
Somerville’s neighborhoods are divided by four state and federal highways: Interstate 93, State Route 28 (McGrath Highway), State Route 38 (Mystic Avenue), and State Route 16 (Mystic Valley Parkway / Alewife Brook Parkway). While the City and State have led and are leading critical projects to improve corridor safety and reconnect communities, these high-speed roads remain the most dangerous in Somerville and the most challenging to transform.

An uncertain and constrained state and federal funding environment complicates long-term planning.
State transportation funding remains limited and highly competitive, with no clear consensus on sustainable long-term funding for transit or active transportation. At the federal level, policy shifts, including opposition to transit, active transportation, and equity-focused programs under the Trump administration, add uncertainty, particularly for progressive jurisdictions like Somerville, making careful prioritization and realistic sequencing essential.

Insufficient tools to address dangerous driving and curb misuse

The City lacks full authority to use automated enforcement for speeding, red-light running, and other moving violations – but hasn’t used existing authority to the fullest.
Residents consistently cited speeding, failure to yield, and red-light violations as major safety concerns, yet state restrictions and limited police capacity constrain Somerville’s ability to address these behaviors at scale. Camera-based, non-automated enforcement for moving violations has remained an untapped opportunity, even after the City Solicitor indicated the City can legally use this tool.

Manual enforcement alone is not meeting safety needs.
Police staffing limitations and competing demands make it difficult to sustain high-visibility enforcement in school zones, senior areas, and high-injury corridors, leaving many dangerous behaviors unaddressed. There is also evidence suggesting this style of enforcement does not result in fewer crashes or less dangerous driving behavior.

Curb violations remain widespread and undermine safety and transit reliability.
Double parking, blocking bike lanes and bus stops, and “blocking the box” were frequently mentioned as daily problems that create unsafe conditions and slow buses, particularly in commercial districts and near transit hubs.

Transit reliability and access gaps

Green Line Extension reliability issues have weakened public confidence.
While GLX expanded access dramatically, riders expressed disappointment with shutdowns, inconsistent headways, and poor communication, especially for daily commuting and school trips.

Station-area access and maintenance remain inconsistent.
Residents noted missing lighting, long or uncomfortable crossings, poor winter maintenance, and unclear wayfinding around several GLX stations, limiting the benefits of the investment.

Bus service does not fully align with neighborhood travel needs.
Despite improvements through the Bus Network Redesign, residents, particularly in Winter Hill and East Somerville, described remaining gaps in north–south connectivity, frequency, and reliability.

Persistent accessibility barriers

Sidewalk conditions remain uneven across the city.
People with disabilities, seniors, and parents described routine barriers including heaved panels, missing or misaligned curb ramps, cross-sloped driveway aprons, and narrow sidewalks that become impassable.

Trash day and winter conditions exacerbate access challenges.
Residents frequently mentioned sidewalks blocked by trash bins or rendered unusable by snow and ice, particularly affecting those who rely on mobility devices or strollers.

Key destinations remain difficult to reach safely.
Access to GLX stations, schools, senior housing, and bus stops was repeatedly cited as inconsistent, undermining the City’s equity goals and discouraging walking and transit use.

Growing conflict between modes and unclear norms

The rise of high-speed micromobility devices has introduced new safety concerns.
Residents expressed uncertainty and frustration about where e-bikes, e-motos, and scooters should operate, especially on the Community Path and in dense commercial areas.

Speed mismatches create tension and perceived danger.
People walking and biking reported feeling unsafe due to fast-moving devices on shared facilities, while others noted inconsistent behavior by cyclists on sidewalks and crosswalks.

Lack of education and clear guidance contributes to conflict.
Several residents suggested that clearer rules, signage, and youth education could reduce friction and improve safety for all users.

Outdated parking policy and unmanaged cut-through traffic

Parking management has not kept pace with safety and climate goals.
Residents and advocates noted that recommendations from the Parking & Curb Use Study remain largely unimplemented, limiting the City’s ability to manage demand, reduce conflicts, and reclaim curb space for safer uses.

Oversized vehicles create visibility and safety risks.
Large SUVs and pickup trucks were cited as blocking sightlines at intersections, encroaching into bike lanes, and increasing the severity of crashes when they occur.

Cut-through traffic degrades neighborhood safety.
Navigation apps and congestion on arterials push drivers onto residential streets, contributing to speeding, noise, and unsafe conditions near schools and parks.

Polarization and communication challenges

Public discourse around mobility and parking has become increasingly polarized.
Residents and staff described debates framed as drivers versus cyclists versus pedestrians, which can slow projects and heighten tensions even when safety benefits are clear.

Misinformation and uneven communication compound mistrust.
When project timelines or decisions are not clearly explained, small but vocal opposition can dominate public narratives, creating confusion and frustration among residents who support change.

Opportunities:

Clear mayoral and community momentum for safer streets and better transit

The Mayor-elect enters office with a strong public mandate to improve safety, accessibility, and transit reliability, reinforced by Transition Team survey results, Policy Committee Office Hours, and advocacy group input. Many residents expressed readiness for faster action and clearer leadership on mobility, creating a political window to advance projects that may have stalled in the past.

Engagement revealed broad agreement across demographic groups that safer crossings, calmer streets, and more reliable transit are essential to quality of life in Somerville. This alignment creates an opportunity for the administration to move decisively while maintaining trust through transparent communication.

A renewed Vision Zero framework to unify policy, staffing, and capital investment

Updating and relaunching Vision Zero as a core administrative priority presents an opportunity to better align Mobility, Public Works, Police, ISD, and Schools around shared safety goals. Residents and advocates consistently called for clearer accountability, annual targets, and visible leadership on traffic safety.

Somerville can and should lead the Commonwealth in rolling out non-automated camera enforcement as a new and more equitable safety tool, in which sworn officers verify video recordings of dangerous incidents such as distracted driving or speeding and then mail the violations to registered vehicle owners.

A refreshed Vision Zero strategy could also better integrate equity, accessibility, and climate considerations, ensuring that investments prioritize high-injury corridors, underserved neighborhoods, and routes to schools, senior housing, and transit. There is additional opportunity to regionally align the City’s action plan with  the Boston MPO’s Vision Zero action plan.

Transit-oriented development and public-realm improvements around GLX stations

The Green Line Extension has unlocked significant potential to reshape travel behavior and land use, particularly in Union Square, East Somerville, Magoun Square, and Ball Square. Engagement highlighted opportunities to improve station access through better sidewalks, crossings, lighting, snow removal, and bike connections.

Coordinating TOD, mobility hubs, and public-realm upgrades around GLX stations can strengthen ridership, support local businesses, and ensure that growth translates into safer, more walkable neighborhoods rather than increased traffic.

Expansion of bus priority and reliability improvements

Successful bus priority pilots have demonstrated measurable gains in ridership and travel time, creating a strong foundation for expansion to additional corridors. Residents repeatedly emphasized the importance of reliable bus service for daily commuting, school trips, and access to services.

There is an opportunity to pair bus lanes with transit signal priority, improved stops, State-authorized automated enforcement, and clearer curb management, ensuring that bus investments deliver visible and consistent benefits.

Modernizing curb management and parking policy as safety and climate tools

The Citywide Parking & Curb Use Study and advocacy proposals from SASS provide a ready roadmap for reforming curb use, pricing, loading, and permit systems. Engagement showed growing public openness to changes that improve safety, reduce double parking, and better manage oversized vehicles.

Treating parking policy as a safety, accessibility, and climate strategy, rather than solely a convenience issue, creates opportunities to reclaim curb space for bus boarding, micromobility, freight loading, greening, and safer intersections.

Leveraging climate goals to accelerate street redesigns

Somerville’s climate commitments provide a powerful framework for advancing walking, biking, and transit investments as emissions-reduction strategies. Residents increasingly recognize the connection between street design, vehicle dependence, and climate resilience.

Aligning mobility projects with climate funding and resilience goals can unlock new resources and justify bolder design choices, such as shaded corridors, permeable surfaces, and low-stress networks that support mode shift.

Strengthening coordination with the MBTA and MassDOT

Improving relationships and alignment with the MBTA presents opportunities to address GLX reliability, station access, and bus network performance more holistically. Engagement highlighted the need for clearer communication and shared accountability for rider experience.

Similarly, advancing coordination with MassDOT is essential for progress on corridors like McGrath Boulevard, where state partnership is required to unlock safety, reconnection, and redevelopment opportunities.

Scaling project delivery through staffing and process improvements

Engagement and staff feedback pointed to clear opportunities to increase delivery capacity by adding planning, engineering, and community-engagement staff, as well as streamlining internal processes. Even modest investments in capacity could yield outsized improvements in speed and responsiveness.

Expanding the use of quick-builds, pilots, and phased implementation can allow the City to show benefits sooner while continuing to plan permanent capital projects in parallel.

Education, communication, and culture-building around mobility

Rising micromobility use and growing tensions between modes highlight an opportunity to lead on education, norms, and shared expectations. Residents expressed interest in clearer rules, signage, and youth-focused education to improve safety on streets and shared paths.

A proactive communication strategy, grounded in data, safety outcomes, and community benefits, can reduce polarization and help residents see mobility investments as shared wins rather than tradeoffs.

Potential state action on automated enforcement

Pending or future state legislation authorizing automated enforcement for speeding, red-light running, and blocking intersections could significantly expand Somerville’s ability to improve safety and transit reliability. Engagement revealed strong support for these tools as complements to street design.

Representative Connolly has, as part of the speed management program for the planned McGrath Boulevard, asked that MassDOT consider using McGrath as a pilot corridor for urban arterial traffic calming. The City can actively encourage this proposal.

Preparing now, through policy development, equity frameworks, and pilot planning, positions the City to move quickly if and when additional authority is granted.

Recommendations for action:

These recommendations are designed to deliver visible progress early, build momentum during the first year, and embed longer-term change within Mayor-elect Wilson’s two year term in office. They reflect community input, advisory committee guidance, and realistic constraints on staffing, procurement, and regional coordination.

Short term recommendations:

Low-hanging fruit that can be initiated quickly with existing authority, modest resources, or executive direction.

Publicly recommit to Vision Zero as a top Administration priority.
Relaunch Vision Zero with a clear mayoral statement, updated safety goals, and a short list of Year-1 focus corridors and intersections to signal urgency and accountability.

Launch a Vision Zero rapid response program working group.
Establish a formal rapid response protocol for when severe and fatal crashes occur. This was identified in the Vision Zero Action Plan. Convene an interdepartmental working group to have this be a priority for the new administration going into 2026.

Improve transparency around project timelines and constraints.
Establish a simple public dashboard or quarterly update that clearly explains what projects – including quick-build improvements – are advancing, which are delayed, and why, addressing widespread frustration about “projects stalling without explanation.”

Focus existing traffic enforcement where automated tools are not yet available.
Coordinate with Police to focus enforcement on most-likely-to-kill behaviors, like speeding, failure to yield, and distracted driving at school zones, near senior centers, and on high-injury corridors.

Announce and expand internal safety tools for City vehicles.
Publicly launch the previously initiated Intelligent Speed Assistance pilot and begin phased rollout of telematics and other key safety tools across City fleets to improve accountability, safety culture, and cost control.

Begin targeted winter and sidewalk accessibility pilots.
Identify priority pedestrian routes—near schools, senior housing, GLX stations, and bus stops—for enhanced snow clearance and sidewalk maintenance, acknowledging capacity limits while demonstrating responsiveness. Streamline and pilot an expansion of the teen shoveling program to all residents who may need assistance. Proactively conduct outreach to repeat offender property owners in advance of the snow season to increase compliance (as modeled by Cambridge).

Medium term recommendations:

Actions to prioritize during the first year that require planning, staffing, or procurement but can deliver measurable results.

Update and operationalize the Vision Zero Action Plan.
Refresh the plan to incorporate equity, accessibility, and micromobility considerations, and align capital planning, enforcement, and engagement around a small set of measurable annual targets.

Pilot red-light, speed, distracted driving, crosswalk failure-to-yield, and “blocking the box” safety cameras, and use existing authority to mail officer-issued moving violations
Create and use a new toolbox of camera-based enforcement in coordination with SPD to address the highest-risk behaviors of cut-through motorists and to help keep buses moving through intersections.

Expand bus priority and reliability improvements.
Build on successful pilots by adding bus lanes, transit signal priority, and upgraded bus stops on additional corridors, paired with automated curb enforcement to protect bus operations.

Advance key corridor projects with clear timelines.
Advance Union Square Plaza and Streetscapes through final design and into construction readiness and start overdue projects such as Highland Avenue with defined milestones that the public can track.

Implement priority recommendations from the Parking & Curb Use Study and 2024 SASS proposal.
Begin citywide permit system modernization, pilot loading zones in commercial areas, and introduce citywide pricing or management tools that increase vehicle safety, intersection/crosswalk visibility, and curb turnover. Prioritize public parking spaces for those who need it most, such as seniors and those with mobility impairments. Consider a pilot program for a parking benefit district or “neighborhood imagination fund,” to empower neighborhood-level buy-in for which residents and/or businesses could vote on how to spend raised funds.

Pilot School Streets and school-area safety programs.
Launch 1–2 School Streets pilots with close coordination with SPS, parents, and disability advocates, prioritizing safety, health, and access.

Increase delivery and engagement capacity.
Add or reallocate staff roles focused on project delivery, interdepartmental coordination, and in-person, multilingual community engagement to address persistent bottlenecks.

Long term recommendations:

Initiatives to embed into strategic planning and deliver within the first term.

Advance the McGrath Boulevard project through coordinated state partnership.
Use the Mayor’s convening power to strengthen coordination with MassDOT, align City priorities, and move the project through planning and environmental review milestones within the term. Advocate for using McGrath as a pilot corridor for urban arterial traffic calming, including with automated enforcement.

Implement and enforce clear corners at every feasible intersection.
Establish and deliver on a 2–3 year implementation plan for clearing the approach side of every intersection corner and crosswalk.

Complete a connected bike network build-out of highest-priority gaps.
Focus on Winter Hill, east–west connections, and links to GLX stations to create a more continuous, all-ages network.

Scale curb management and parking reforms citywide.
Expand pricing, loading management, and parking benefit districts based on pilot results, with explicit reinvestment in neighborhood safety and public realm improvements.

Develop GLX station-area mobility and public-realm frameworks.
Coordinate TOD, access improvements, and public space upgrades around stations to maximize the benefits of the GLX investment.

Prepare for automated enforcement if state authority expands.
Develop equity frameworks, site selection criteria, and implementation plans so the City can act quickly if legislation enabling speed, red-light, or “blocking the box” cameras is adopted.

Not Included in the 2-Year Recommendation Window —

The following ideas are important but were excluded because they are unlikely to be fully delivered within a two-year mayoral term due to cost, legislative dependency, or scale:

Full citywide build-out of an all-ages safe streets network

Bus Rapid Transit–style corridors requiring major capital investment

Large-scale car-free district or low-traffic neighborhood (LTN) conversions

Comprehensive climate-resilient street reconstruction citywide

Fully integrated, long-range multimodal plan with the MBTA beyond near-term coordination

These items should remain part of the City’s long-term vision and capital planning but are not framed here as deliverables for the first term.

Appendix

Table of Contents

[Original document contained a Table of Contents page]

Engagement

The transition team survey was distributed by the committee to the following committees and community groups:

• PTAC

• SASS

• SBAC

• Somerville Road Runners

• WalkMassachusetts

• LivableStreets Alliance

• Somerville Commission for Persons with Disabilities (SCPD)

• Massachusetts Senior Action Council

• Padres Latinos

• Somerville Council on Aging

We received 107 responses through the community engagement survey.

Held two online Office Hours with 5-10 participants each

Met with representatives from the Somerville Alliance for Safe Streets (SASS), Somerville Pedestrian & Transit Advisory Committee (PTAC), Somerville Bicycle Advisory Committee (SBAC), Somerville Commission for Persons with Disabilities (SCPD), and Council on Aging.

Reviewed findings from the community engagement processes of 14 mobility and transportation projects conducted between 2020 and 2025. These processes engaged hundreds if not thousands of Somerville residents, representing all wards.

Survey Responses Summary #1

The following is a summary of the 107 responses received to the survey

Overview

46 respondents directed their insights to the Mobility & Transportation Committee. Responses consistently focused on pedestrian safety, reckless driving, protected bike networks, MBTA reliability, sidewalk and curb-cut accessibility, snow removal, and gaps in infrastructure that make non-car travel difficult or unsafe.

Key Themes

Pedestrian Safety, Crosswalks & Reckless Driving (19/46)

Respondents repeatedly described dangerous intersections, lack of enforcement, and widespread speeding that endangers walkers.

“Cars blowing through crosswalks constantly.”

“Speeding everywhere, no one stops at red lights.”

“It’s unsafe to walk with kids — drivers don’t care.”

“Crosswalks faded, drivers don’t yield.”

Bike Infrastructure & Protection Gaps (17/46)

Many respondents emphasized the need for continuous, protected bike lanes and described unsafe conditions for cyclists.

“We need physically protected bike lanes, not painted ones.”

“The bike network doesn’t connect — it just ends.”

“Cars park in the bike lanes all the time.”

“I don’t feel safe riding with my kids.”

Sidewalk Quality, Accessibility & Curb Cuts (14/46)

Sidewalk conditions were described as uneven, obstructed, or impassable, particularly for disabled residents, strollers, and seniors.

“Sidewalks are broken everywhere.”

“Curb cuts inaccessible or missing.”

“It’s impossible to navigate with a wheelchair.”

“Poles, trash bins, signs blocking the sidewalk.”

Winter Snow Removal, Ice & Year-Round Maintenance (12/46)

Snow, ice, and inconsistent clearing practices were frequently cited as safety hazards.

“Sidewalk snow removal is a disaster.”

“People don’t shovel and nothing happens.”

“Ice everywhere — dangerous for seniors.”

“Snow piles block curb cuts for days.”

MBTA Reliability, Access & Transit Connectivity (11/46)

Respondents highlighted transit delays, overcrowding, and gaps in bus and rail reliability that affect mobility.

“The T is unreliable — trains constantly delayed.”

“Buses don’t come when they’re supposed to.”

“The Green Line shutdowns have been brutal.”

“Transit isn’t dependable enough to rely on.”

Parking Pressure, Loading Zones & Curb Management (10/46)

Respondents described friction between different curb uses and unclear or inconsistent parking rules.

“Double-parking everywhere.”

“No loading zones, so delivery trucks block the street.”

“Too many cars circling for parking.”

“Parked cars block bike lanes.”

Traffic Flow, Congestion & Intersection Bottlenecks (8/46)

A smaller but consistent group highlighted congestion issues and difficult intersections.

“Davis Square is gridlocked every day.”

“Broadway backups are constant.”

“Intersections need redesign — too many conflict points.”

“Left turns block everything.”

Street Design Gaps & Missing Multimodal Infrastructure (8/46)

Respondents described incomplete or outdated roadway design that doesn’t support safe multimodal use.

“Streets aren’t designed for bikes or pedestrians.”

“No protected intersections.”

“Too many fast roads going through residential areas.”

“The street design is car-first.”

General Safety Concerns in Specific Locations (7/46)

Several comments identified particularly dangerous or stressful travel corridors.

“McGrath is terrifying.”

“Davis Square at rush hour is unsafe.”

“Highland Ave is too fast and too narrow.”

“Alewife Brook Parkway is extremely dangerous.”

Overall Tone

Respondents expressed urgency, frustration, and fatigue with unsafe travel conditions across modes. Many described everyday mobility as stressful or dangerous, especially for pedestrians, cyclists, disabled residents, and families. The tone reflects a strong, consistent call for safer design, better infrastructure maintenance, and more reliable transit options that make non-car mobility genuinely viable.

Survey Responses Summary #2

Overview
Between 12/2 and 12/10, 61 respondents directed their insights to the Mobility and Transportation Committee. Responses consistently described unsafe walking conditions, dangerous driving, gaps in bike infrastructure, frustrations with MBTA reliability, accessibility challenges, sidewalk quality issues, snow and ice problems, and difficulties navigating streets due to parking, congestion, or incomplete multimodal design

Key Themes
Pedestrian Safety, Dangerous Driving & Crossing Conditions (29/61)
A large portion of respondents described cars not yielding, unsafe crossings, and reckless driving that directly endangers pedestrians.

“Drivers have no regard for pedestrians.”

“More tickets - way too many people drive unsafely.”

“safer crossings everywhere.”

“People run stop signs, speed, and don’t stop for crosswalks.”

Sidewalk Conditions, ADA Barriers & Accessibility Gaps (22/61)
Respondents repeatedly mentioned uneven sidewalks, poor curb cuts, obstructions, and inaccessible routes for disabled residents.

“Sidewalks in poor conditions.”

“ADA compliance is super important.”

“clearing sidewalks of snow.”

“bump outs making it harder to navigate in winter.”

Bike Safety, Protected Lanes & Network Connectivity (21/61)
Respondents cited missing protected lanes, unsafe driver interactions, and discontinuous bike networks.

“More protected bike lanes.”

“bike lanes that randomly disappear.”

“Paint is not protection.”

“keeping bike lanes plowed.”

Speeding, Traffic Enforcement & Road Safety (19/61)
A substantial number of comments referenced widespread speeding and a lack of visible enforcement.

“Speeding is a serious issue.”

“Make people slow down.”

“Enforce traffic laws.”

“People drive too fast on residential streets.”

Parking Conflicts, Double Parking & Curb Management Gaps (15/61)
Respondents described friction between curb uses, unsafe double parking, and limited loading space.

“Double parking on Highland is a huge issue.”

“Cars park in bike lanes.”

“Need loading zones.”

“too many cars blocking visibility.”

MBTA Reliability, Bus Service & Transit Gaps (13/61)
Respondents pointed to unreliable transit, delayed service, and a lack of safe or accessible bus infrastructure.

“MBTA service is unreliable.”

“Better bus stops and shelters.”

“Green line reliability.”

“buses not coming on time.”

Snow, Ice & Winter Maintenance (12/61)
Respondents frequently described winter conditions making walking and mobility hazardous.

“Snow removal on sidewalks.”

“Icy bus stops.”

“plowing bike lanes.”

“snow piles blocking curb cuts.”

Street Design, Traffic Flow & Congestion (10/61)
A smaller but consistent set of comments referenced poorly designed intersections or difficult traffic patterns.

“McGrath remains a barrier.”

“Some intersections are too chaotic.”

“road design encourages speeding.”

Cross-Neighborhood Safety Hotspots (7/61)
Respondents identified specific locations repeatedly across comments.

“Davis Square feels unsafe for walking.”

“Highland Ave is dangerous.”

“Winter Hill needs safer crossings.”

Overall Tone
Respondents expressed urgency around safety concerns, frustration with dangerous driving, and consistent dissatisfaction with sidewalk conditions, bike safety, and winter maintenance. The tone reflects a strong desire for safer infrastructure, more reliable transit, and transportation systems that support walking, biking, and accessibility across all neighborhoods.

Key Themes from Community Engagement Reports

Safety is the top priority, especially reducing vehicle speeds. There is a strong desire to reduce dangerous driving behavior and create slower, calmer streets especially near schools. Widely supported design tools include narrowed lanes, raised crosswalks, speed humps, daylighting, and improving pavement conditions.

The walking experience should be safer, more comfortable, and more connected. There is a strong desire for more and safer crossings, improved and accessible sidewalks, and neighborhoods with walkable connections to community spaces. Widely supported design tools include bump-outs, rapid flashing beacons, and pedestrian refuge islands.

The biking experience should be protected, more comfortable, and suitable for families. There is a strong desire for protected bike lanes, minimized conflicts with drivers and a protected bike network that is well connected with schools, commercial areas, and other community spaces. However, there is some skepticism around whether the City should be prioritizing construction of protected bike lanes, based on a perception that they cater to a small group of people.

The transit experience should be frequent and reliable. There is a strong desire for improving bus travel times, adding amenities to bus stops (particularly shelters, benches, and real-time route information), and ensuring compatibility between bus and bike infrastructure.

Parking is the clearest point of tension with community safety and multimodal mobility goals. While many community members want to repurpose curb space for non-car uses, many others want to preserve or increase on-street parking for residents, seniors, persons with disabilities, employees, and customers. However, across all views there is a clear desire to mitigate double-parking, effectively manage rideshare pickup/drop-off and delivery vehicles, and adjust parking regulations to support community needs.

The driving experience should be clearer and more predictable, with fewer conflicts between users of different modes. There is a desire for less complex intersections and better sightlines of people walking and biking.

Somerville Ave Quick-Build Safety Improvements (2025)

Strong concern around speeding vehicles.

Desire for safer walking conditions, more and safer pedestrian crossings, better driving compliance at intersections, and improved sidewalk conditions.

Desire for safer biking conditions especially around the Market Basket driveway. Desire for better marked and wider bike lanes, prevention of cars parking in bike lanes, wide bike lanes, and better cyclist visibility.

Desire for clearer road markings for drivers and less complex turning situations, especially the turn from Somerville Ave onto Central St because people walking and biking are not very visible and there is pressure to turn quickly.

Concern around removing parking, especially for businesses. Additional concern around unmanaged parking, double-parking, and unmanaged delivery vehicles. Desire for pickup/drop-off zones.

Feeling that there are too many signalized intersections and support for replacing some of them with flashing beacons.

Desire for better pedestrian and bike signal timing, and clarification of whether bikes can cross on pedestrian signals.

Western Pearl Street Reconstruction (2025)

Concern about driver speeds and aggressive driving, especially with cut-through traffic due to nearby construction.

Desire for safer intersections and crossing conditions through improved pedestrian visibility, driver compliance at traffic controls, and prevention of vehicles blocking crosswalks.

Desire for improved sidewalk conditions, accessibility features, raised crosswalks, more crossing options, and traffic calming infrastructure.

Desire for better bike connections through the neighborhood.

Desire for street to continue accommodating larger vehicles including for business deliveries.

Desire not to mix bus and bike lanes.

Concern around floating bus stops creating traffic congestion and encouraging drivers to pass unsafely.

Tension between preserving parking and expanding bike infrastructure.

Elm-Beacon Connector (2025)

Desire for a safer corridor for walking and biking, especially by shortening crosswalks and slowing cars, particularly near the Kennedy School.

Desire for safer pedestrian conditions near the driveway to the Kennedy School by preventing double-parking and cars blocking crosswalks. Support for raised crossings, school zone signage and flashing lights, more crossing guards, and traffic calming infrastructure near the Kennedy School.

Desire for safer biking conditions, including for families with children. A key desire is to avoid conflicts between bikes and turning vehicles.

Desire to lower driving speeds by narrowing the roadway, daylighting intersections, shortening crossing lengths, and shortening crossing wait times for pedestrians.

Some concern around added signal complexity or turn restrictions worsening congestion and encouraging driver non-compliance.

Support for closing Mossland St to through-traffic.

Desire to close the slip lane at Elm St and Somerville Ave.

Desire for safer bus stops and automated enforcement of bus lanes.

Desire for formalized pick-up and drop-off zones at the Kennedy School.

Split between desire for enough parking for seniors and families who rely on cars, and those who want to prioritize curb space for walking and transit.

Brickbottom Neighborhood Plan (2024)

Desire for smaller blocks with active street frontages to improve pedestrian experience.

Prioritize quality-of-life improvements for residents that support safety and walkability.

Connect Brickbottom to the rest of Somerville by improving existing and establishing new pedestrian and bicycle connections within the neighborhood and to adjacent neighborhoods.

Somerville Bicycle Network Plan (2023)

Safety concerns were the top issue, particularly around vehicular speeds, lack of protection or separation of bikes, dangerous intersections, and poor roadway surface conditions.

Highland Ave, McGrath Hwy, Broadway, Davis Square, Powder House Square, and Porter Square were identified as the most dangerous corridors and intersections for biking.

Desire for safe travel options for biking with children and for older children to travel to school by bike (more protected lanes would help).

Desire for better visibility at intersections and traffic calming infrastructure to reduce vehicle speeds.

Desire to travel by bike to commercial areas, homes of loved ones, and grocery stores and farmers markets.

Union Square Plaza & Streetscapes Plan (2023)

Desire for ample crosswalks and safe pedestrian space.

Desire for better bus and Green Line access.

Desire for protected bike infrastructure.

Desire for traffic calming and intersection improvements.

Tufts Street Reconstruction (2023)

Desire for safer walking conditions including with wider sidewalks, improved sidewalk conditions, and more crossings.

Desire for safer biking conditions including with improved asphalt conditions, protected bike lanes, and protected left turns.

Concerns with vehicles speeding and poor asphalt condition.

Desire for enough on-street parking.

Desire for more street trees and green space.

Desire to improve the safety of the crossing at Washington St.

West Broadway Reconstruction (2023)

Desire for reconstructed sidewalks and pavement, improved bus facilities, slower traffic, safer crossing conditions, ADA-compliant infrastructure, and more bike infrastructure.

Desire to prioritize people walking, biking, and using transit rather than driving.

Desire for traffic calming to make walking safer and slow traffic.

Desire for better bus stop amenities and frequent bus service.

Some concern about driving on Broadway no longer being convenient with changes.

Businesses want more short-term parking and space for truck access and loading.

Divide between concern about losing on-street parking and support for reducing parking in favor of outdoor dining and space for walking and biking.

Pearl Street Reconstruction & Safety Improvements (2022)

Desire for street to feel safer for pedestrians including by creating additional crossings, improving sidewalk quality, and widening sidewalks.

Desire for street to feel safer for cyclists and to add more bike parking and Blue Bikes stations.

Desire to lower vehicle speeds, prevent cut-through traffic, and improve asphalt condition.

Most respondents said improving travel times for drivers was not important.

Desire to improve bus travel times and bus stop amenities.

Desire to modify parking regulations to better match demand (not necessarily to maintain existing on-street parking, especially when it competes with continuous bike lanes)

Desire for more street trees and greenery.

Western Washington Street Mobility Improvements (2022)

Desire for street to feel safer for pedestrians including by widening sidewalks, improving sidewalk quality, creating additional crossings, and improving safety near schools.

Desire for street to feel safer for cyclists, including with better management of parking and loading zone conflicts. Desire for more bike parking and Blue Bikes stations.

Concern around driving speeds and poor asphalt condition.

Split views around parking – some desire to remove to improve safety, other concerns around lack of on-street parking.

Desire for more frequent and reliable bus service, floating bus stops, and bus stop amenities.

Winter Hill Plan Implementation (2022)

Pedestrian access and accessible walking connections.

Making Broadway a pedestrian- and bike-friendly main street with active and inviting mixed-use development.

Prioritizing car-free development.

Holland St & College Ave Mobility Improvements (2020)

Streets should prioritize public transportation, biking, and walking for safety and climate reasons.

On-street parking should be deprioritized (though there is some concern about not having enough).

Desire for protected bike lanes and bus priority lanes.

Crosswalks should be designed for a safer pedestrian experience through bumpouts, better signage, and flashing beacons.

Car speeds should be reduced.

There is traffic congestion at Davis, especially with cars queuing to turn onto and off of Holland St and College Ave.

Community Space Planning (2020)

There is a need for community spaces within walking distance of neighborhoods, that are ADA accessible, and that have enough accessible parking, bike racks, and pick-up/drop-off areas for vans transporting seniors.

Assembly Square Neighborhood Plan (2020)

Desire for a strong multimodal transportation network prioritizing walkability and reliable public transit.

Desire to mitigate the impacts of I-93 on the neighborhood. The highway separates Assembly from the rest of Somerville and contributes to high vehicle emissions. It also makes the Assembly difficult to reach without a car.

Space in Assembly should be shifted away from parking storage and toward mixed-use development.

Detailed Recommendations

6.1 Short-Term (0–12 months)

These are actions that can begin immediately under the City’s control and show visible progress within the first year.

Street Safety & Enforcement

Reaffirm Vision Zero as a top administrative priority

Update and publicly relaunch the Vision Zero Action Plan with clear annual deliverables.

Embed Vision Zero responsibilities across departments (Mobility, DPW, ISD, Police, Schools).Publicly identify, prioritize resources, and deliver results on the top 10-20 quick-build safety locations leveraging existing Mobility data and community engagement

Prioritize high-crash corridors and locations with documented speed issues (based on ATR data).

Deliver 10–20 quick-build interventions in Year 1, focusing on intersections, crossings, and bike network gaps.

Deploy red-light, speed, distracted driving, crosswalk failure-to-yield, and “blocking the box” safety cameras, and use existing authority to mail officer-issued moving violations

Prioritize at school zones, parks and playgrounds, senior centers, and on the high-injury network.

Publish before/after metrics for speeding, red-light running, distracted driving rate, failure-to-yield rate, and associated crashes and injuries.

Focus “blocking the box” enforcement on intersections that impact bus reliability (e.g., Union Square, Broadway, Highland Avenue).

Engagement & Accessibility

Create a multilingual, senior-focused engagement strategy

More in-person sessions, neighborhood walks, and partnership-based engagement with CBOs.

Implementation of the equity plan currently under development by OSPCD, which focused on engagement with seniors, youth, and people with disabilities.

Ensure the presence of temporary pathways, crosswalks, signals that are well marked for both public and private construction projects that affect sidewalk accessibility.

Expand sidewalk snow-clearing services and accountability for winter safety

Revisit existing snow clearance ordinance.

Provide real-time snow clearing status to residents for streets, separated bike lanes, and municipally cleared sidewalks

Improve communication to private property owners around their snow clearing responsibilities. Proactively conduct outreach to repeat offenders in advance of the snow season to increase compliance (as modeled by Cambridge).

Expand the teen snow removal program, which is currently available to seniors and persons with disabilities, to make it available to any resident who is in need of snow  removal assistance.

Consider expanding the municipal snow clearance program with additional DPW capacity prioritizing school routes, areas around senior facilities, and GLX station access corridors.
(A full-scale program is more appropriately a medium-term recommendation due to cost and staffing.)

City Fleet & Internal Operations

Announce and expand the Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) pilot

Start with 20–30 vehicles; evaluate for phase-in to full city fleet in 1–3 years.

Commit to a full rollout of telematics and other safety features on all City vehicles

Use telematics data for driver safety coaching and accountability, reducing idling pollution reduction, and potentially insurance/maintenance savings and follow through on establishing a safe fleet transition plan, per the Vision Zero Action Plan.

Parking, Curb Use & Safe Vehicle Policy

Implement key recommendations from the Curb Use & Parking Study and 2024 SASS proposal

Modernize permitting  (plate-based system like what Medford has deployed).

Begin escalating permit fees for additional household vehicles.

Prioritize public parking spaces for those who need it most, such as seniors and those with mobility impairments  (Potential Task identified by Somervision2040, p. 62).

Launch a pilot Parking Benefit District.

Establish  a Safe Vehicle Checklist for residential parking permit eligibility  (e.g., no lifted suspensions, bull bars, or obscured/ghost plates) and for any vehicle that is parked on City streets or in a municipal lot. Launch targeted enforcement.

Implement weight-based parking permit fee structure for oversized vehicles to encourage safer and more space-efficient vehicles.

Launch curb-use pilots and increase  sidewalk accessibility and security

Paid loading zones in commercial districts, micromobility corrals, 15-minute pickup/drop-off zones.

Implement regular community walk audits to identify additional barriers to walkability and prioritize locations for curb cuts, shelter, and seating.

Expand the use of bollards to protect people standing on bumpouts, curb cuts, and other areas where drivers may jump the curb.

Establish a VMT reduction ordinance

Quantify and make enforceable through all City policies and programs the existing mandate of Somervision 2040 to reduce vehicle miles traveled. For example, target 30% VMT reduction by 2030 (“30x30”) from 2020 levels.

Align the ordinance with proposed state legislation S.2246, co-sponsored by Senator Jehlen, Rep Uyterhoeven, and Rep Connolly.

Transit & Bus Priority and Safety

Add/upgrade near-term bus lanes and bus stops

Fill small gaps with paint-and-post treatments.

Improve and add shelters, level landing pads, and accessibility at priority stops.

Implement bus lane, bus stop, and school bus cameras

Begin with bus lane cameras on Broadway and Washington St. corridors.

Work with the MBTA to determine which bus stops to prioritize.

Work with SPS to identify which school buses to prioritize.

6.2 Medium-Term (1–3 years)

Larger initiatives that require planning, procurement, capital dollars, or coordination with MassDOT/MBTA.

Streets & Safety

Build out the connected bicycle route network

Complete the top 3–5 priority segments annually.

Prioritize Winter Hill, Highland Ave connections, and east–west spine links.

Advance Phase 1 of the Union Square Plaza & Streetscapes Plan to 100% design and secure funding for Phase 1 construction and Phase 2 design.

Implement and enforce clear corners at every feasible intersection

Establish a 2–3 year implementation plan with DPW; complete 70–80 intersections per year.

Consider the use of colored curbs or other cheap and fast approaches to accelerate the rollout of clear corners.

Start towing to clear the clear corners of illegally parked vehicles.

Pilot and scale streets with schools

Begin with 1–2 pilots of car-free zones around schools so every student has safe space to play, learn, and thrive, working with willing schools; expand citywide with SPS collaboration.

Start the Highland Avenue project within this term

Advance to final design, secure construction funding, and begin phased buildout.

Pilot and evaluate speed cushions

Use on emergency response and bus routes where humps are not viable to reduce speeding.

Transit, Bus Priority & Signals

Expand transit signal priority (TSP)

Add TSP along the Broadway–Magoun–Highland–Union Sq. corridors and GLX connectors.

Advance major corridor redesigns

McGrath Boulevard (MassDOT coordination), Washington Street, Broadway, Somerville Ave Phase 2.

Land Use & Mobility Integration

Develop GLX station-area TOD frameworks

Union, East Somerville, Magoun, and Ball Sq.

Integrate housing, retail activation, public realm, and mobility hubs.

Curb, Parking & Freight

Begin full curb pricing and loading management implementation

Demand-based pricing in squares; commercial loading zones with sensors.

Develop a freight strategy and launch micro-freight pilots

Partner with MAPC and peer municipalities, including Cambridge and Boston.

Convene stakeholder meetings with local businesses, UPS/FedEx, and cargo-bike providers.

Staff, Capacity, and Governance

Expand project delivery and engagement staffing

Add engineering, planning, and community engagement roles.

Improve alignment between Mobility, DPW, ISD, and Capital Projects.

Consider whether to whether to consolidate or modernize certain transportation functions

Consider transferring snow removal enforcement from ISD to DPW.

Review the utility and purpose of the Traffic Commission in its current form.

Winter Operations

Begin targeted sidewalk and snow-clearing improvements

Expand DPW/ISD pilots; prioritize school routes, senior housing and routes to frequent senior destinations, GLX station access corridors.

(A full-scale program is more appropriately a medium-term recommendation due to cost and staffing.)

6.3 Long-Term (3+ years)

The following are more ambitious transformations requiring substantial coordination, capital investment, or legislative change. [Placeholder Text]

Build a fully connected, AAA-safe streets network citywide

Continuous protected bike lanes, raised crossings, and low-speed residential streets.

Develop bus rapid transit–style corridors

Dedicated lanes, platform stops, TSP, and signal re-timing on priority corridors.

Create north-south transit routes

Expand non-car access for seniors

MBTA and publicly accessible private shuttles (TMAs)

Expand transportation options for older residents, such as:

COA free taxi program.

Potential use of existing City vehicles (e.g., SPD van).

Pilot test a program like Go Go Grandparent to connect seniors with on-demand rides with reduced technology burden (a phone call).

Assess viability of continuing or expanding transportation partnerships with local healthcare or social service providers and colleges/universities.

Create car-free zones and low-traffic neighborhoods (LTNs)

Pedestrianize Davis Square (Elm Street).

Pilot and create a plan for expanding low-traffic neighborhoods (LTNs) using tools such as traffic diverters, bollards, and other modal filters.

Test seasonal or permanent pedestrian-priority spaces in other squares and major plazas.

Deliver large-scale public realm transformations

Union Square Plaza buildout, Davis Square redesign, McGrath Boulevard full conversion.

Construct climate-resilient mobility infrastructure

Shaded corridors, flood-resilient rights-of-way, permeable surfaces, and redesigned stormwater systems tied to mobility routes.

Complete comprehensive parking reforms

Zone-based permit caps, robust PBDs, full digital permit system, and integrated curbside pricing.

 Charge market rates for resident and/or commercial curbside parking?

Develop a fully integrated multimodal plan with MBTA

Align bus lanes, GLX access improvements, commuter rail upgrades, and station-area TOD with MBTA capital cycles.

6.4 Process Recommendations

The following cross-cut all timelines and form the foundation for successful delivery.

Commit to transparency and predictable communication

Proactively share updates when project timelines slip, when design changes occur, or when staff capacity constrains progress.

Use monthly project dashboards, newsletters, and SomerVoice “status tags” to keep residents informed.

Embrace iterative delivery

Use pilots, quick-builds, and phased implementation instead of holding projects until 100% design.

Demonstrate benefits early and refine over time based on data.

Routinely collect economic data on businesses before and after streetscape projects to objectively document the economic effects and use these data when proposing and planning future projects.

Be willing to move ahead despite vocal minority opposition when broad support exists

Use data, surveys, and engagement results to guide decisions when 70–80% of participants support improvements.

Prioritize safety, equity, and Vision Zero outcomes over short-term controversy.

 

Transition Policy Committee Summary of Findings

Committee Name

Planning and Economic Development

Committee Members

W Gavin Robb, Bill Shelton, Anne Tate, Aaron Weber, Jeff Byrnes , Michael Capuano, Amelia Aboff, Christine Stone

 

Key themes and trends:

People are eager to do business in Somerville, but many of our existing policies “make perfect the enemy of good” at the expense of the City’s growth. Somerville’s culture tends towards innovation, but we are getting in our own way with many current systems and processes.  

In addition, many past planning efforts — and organizational decisions — have created silos where departments or teams are focused on a single goal. We believe the City’s planning efforts and its operations would be greatly improved by the use of interdisciplinary planning practices and new cross-functional teams in areas dealing with development, permitting, and licensing. 

In each of the sections below, we address existing conditions and potential future recommendations in three categories:

Zoning and Land Use 

City land use policy is well-intentioned, but process and administrative obstacles are preventing those good intentions from becoming reality. These processes need clarity and predictability. 

Economic Development 

Within the City administration, “Economic Development” is grouped with Planning and Land Use. However, given the City’s constraints on remaining developable land, we should prioritize economic development initiatives that support small businesses, key industries, and workforce development rather than land use. To this end, we’ve heard repeatedly that what businesses of all sizes need most is a person they can call at City Hall. 

Improvements to constituent experience 

Many of our processes, entities, and organizational structures have been carried over from an era when the City had different goals and the community had different needs. These should be critically assessed and updated/reorganized where appropriate. The City should aim to provide responsive stakeholder service that aims for “Yes.”

Existing initiatives:

1. Zoning and Land Use

• The Somerville Zoning Ordinance is functioning well, but could use some tweaks  

  • We should revisit certain areas that could use fine-tuning with the benefit of five years of data and experience. Potential areas to revisit include the table of permitted uses for retail operations requiring special permits (e.g. cannabis, formula businesses), homeless shelters, and housing.

  • Continue to approach planning efforts with a “Live/Work/Play” emphasis in support of well-rounded economic development and growth. 

  • Ensure significant new development is slated for areas equipped to handle high commercial density so that when the economy recovers, the City is ready to hit the ground running. 

• Coordinate effectively with neighboring municipalities 

  • Continue efforts to harmonize both zoning and policy with neighboring cities to encourage rational development (e.g. Broadway Corridor plan) and minimize hurdles for small businesses operating across city boundaries. 

• Continue to systemically balance land use, transportation, environment, and housing

  • Managing for the City’s goals across these categories is a careful tightrope to walk; we should continue this effort, prioritize coordination between departments, and reconcile our goals with on-the-ground experience. 

• The Community Preservation Committee has been hugely successful, but is largely uncelebrated. Look for opportunities to leverage the CPC to address City priorities, including reconciliation of economic development goals with historic preservation.  

 

2. Economic Development

• Build upon our existing climate, innovation, and energy cluster. Somerville has historically been open to pilot projects, etc. that make it an ideal place to test out new technologies; this is a differentiator for us in the regional economy. 

• The City should continue to serve as a “connector” for Somerville businesses and funding opportunities and expand this role. 

 

3. Improvements to constituent experience 

• The City has attracted talented and motivated staff, but they are being asked to do too much, with too little acknowledgement. City staff should be supported with increased staffing levels and/or compensation to reduce burnout and turnover. It is also worth considering whether any existing responsibilities can be deprioritized to create more bandwidth amongst staff. 

• The Small Business Liaison program is universally loved; consider opportunities to expand this program. 

• Remote or hybrid meetings have been a boon for community engagement, increasing access and inclusion. Remote and hybrid meeting options should be maintained moving forward.

 

Gaps:

1. Zoning and Land Use

• Some City policies — and the SomerVision goals — appear to be in conflict 

  • Review the City’s housing and economic development goals and ensure they are aligned; reconcile them where necessary. 

  • Identify areas with similar conflicts and create internal consistency across city policies.

• “Clusters” are more than the sum of their parts: the City has an excess of commercial lab space available, which would be more compelling if it were either geographically or thematically concentrated. 

• Consider the market sensitivity of regulatory burdens. While inclusionary requirements and linkage can be feasible in a strong market, they can become a significant obstacle to growth during a downturn. Some of these burdens should be revisited in light of experience on the ground and recent studies such as the updated Housing Needs Assessment.   

• Reconcile historic preservation concerns with the need for growth. Historic character helps anchor neighborhood identity, but we risk stifling the City’s future growth if preservation efforts expand too far. The City should also consider creative solutions to integrate historic features with new development, following in the footsteps of other historic, world-class cities. 

• Ensure City Boards are acting in alignment with City objectives, including with mandatory trainings on the Board’s remit and limitations under the law.  

 

2. Economic Development

• Focus on the “affordability gap” between the Somerville workers and Somerville jobs. Somerville is an attractive place to work because it is an attractive place to live, and vice versa. The City must expand initiatives to manage the cost of living. (Housing affordability also impacts commercial development when talent can’t afford to live locally).

• Ensure small businesses benefit from City zoning requirements: re-evaluate restrictions on formula retail to ensure local, small-scale entrepreneurs are not accidentally swept into this category, further contributing to retail vacancies. 

• Communicate our existing strengths and our “wins” in areas where the City is already thriving, and ensure we are building on existing successes, particularly in regard to the climate, innovation, and energy sector.

• Create step-by-step guides for entrepreneurs to demystify Somerville regulatory processes.

• Tax incentives for midsize companies have the opportunity to carve out a niche for Somerville in a competitive real estate market. These should decline/sunset over time; e.g, a 50% abatement the first year, 40% the second, etc.

 

3. Improvements to constituent experience 

• Community Benefits Agreements provide great value to the City and its residents, but add time and uncertainty to the development process. Consider best practices for CBA processes that the City could learn from other municipalities.  

A lighter-touch permitting process can be used to incentivize certain types of development, businesses, or other outcomes. Consider selectively streamlining processes to advantage City goals.   

Opportunities:

1. Zoning and Land Use

• Identify and act on opportunities to streamline the approval process and make it more predictable. 

• Leverage tax incentives to fill Somerville’s commercial vacancies as identified in SomerVision 2040. Municipal tax breaks can also unlock additional state-level incentives and tax relief at the state level so we should consider whether we can strategically deploy tax relief to jumpstart desired types of development. 

• Renew efforts to manage vacant and underutilized properties. 

  • A City inventory of excess properties has been commissioned, but outcomes from that study are unclear. 

  • Landbanking of privately owned parcels also impacts neighborhood vitality. The City should explore incentives to address a subset of blighted properties, particularly where environmental conditions are an obstacle. Could the City offer a “scholarship” to subsidize environmental remediation?

• Staff OSPCD at a level that allows more proactive, responsive, and up-to-date planning initiatives. The City is constantly evolving, and neighborhood plan updates on a 10-year cycle are far too infrequent, but the alternative (planning parcel-by-parcel with map change applications) will lead to fractured land use patterns driven by opportunistic sellers.  

 

2. Economic Development

• Support Somerville’s small businesses.

  • Reduce the obstacles faced by small businesses trying to open and subsequently operate in Somerville. Consider opportunities to streamline the licensing and permitting processes wherever possible (e.g. outdoor dining). 

  • Identify ways to support and strengthen new and existing small businesses such as an ombudsman or dedicated Economic Development staffers. Consider whether the existing USMS liaison program could effectively be scaled to become a citywide initiative.  

  • Explore support for worker-owned coops.

  • Explore feasibility of an affordable commercial space requirement in new developments.

  • Create a simplified process for pop-ups/short term uses, enabling entrepreneurs to test out brick and mortar concepts without years of investment.

• Double down on our existing climate, innovation, and energy cluster. 

  • Establish a working group to identify proactive incentives the City can provide to encourage new businesses to locate here. 

  • Consider outbound marketing efforts to market Somerville to businesses and startups, and ensure our reputation in this area is positive. (This is particularly recommended for the climate, innovation, and energy sector; more focused efforts will be more effective than a scattershot approach.)

  • Treat the City as an “anchor institution” for key industries; utilize public-private partnerships and leverage the City’s buying power to support small businesses and the clean tech cluster. 

  • Explore zoning strategies that will produce “rough-and-tumble” spaces needed by climate innovation and energy companies rather than Class A commercial or lab space.  

• Complete the “circle” between the City’s innovation industries and the small business community. 

  • Startups bring capital into the local economy; Somerville should make efforts to keep successful startups here as they scale. These expanding, well-capitalized companies can in turn support new small businesses, providing much-needed daytime populations.   

 

3. Improvements to constituent experience 

• Reduce silos between City departments and agencies.

  • From residents to small businesses, the community suffers from the lack of coordination between departments such as PPZ, ISD, Economic Development, and SFD. Identify and enact best practices for internal city coordination. 

• Streamline permitting and approvals processes. 

  • Provide businesses with a dedicated “point person” to shepherd them through the City processes and provide a single point of contact across departments. Note that small businesses have different needs than medium or large businesses; we need support for businesses of all kinds. Special support may also be needed for innovation companies with highly specific and technical needs.  

  • Consider a “shot clock” or other way of providing clearer timelines for permit responses, drawing on best practices and statutory requirements in other municipalities.

• Technical problems impact usability of existing platforms (CitizenServe); work to remedy the following usability issues at a minimum:   

  • When a city department needs documentation from the applicant, CitizenServe should make clear what documentation is required. 

  • CitizenServe is unable to merge or link accounts if a business created two accounts, leading to confusion and preventable errors. 

  • The existing notification system doesn't work to move a process to the next step in the workflow. Applicants shouldn't need to constantly send follow-up messages or show up in person to advance through permitting/licensing processes. 

• Restore faith in the public participation process. 

  • Some voices are missing from the conversation; the administration should work to engage missing stakeholders and restore the community’s faith in the public participation process. 

• Restructure and revitalize City departments dealing with planning and economic development 

  • Review intended outcomes against on-the-ground experience and work to improve City organizational structure and citizen-facing processes at a systems level. 

  • Ensure departments are sufficiently staffed — and staff are sufficiently empowered — to avoid burnout and improve morale.

  • Consider merging ISD into PPZ to reduce silos and ensure that planning efforts are linked to their outcomes.  

  • Create a direct reporting line from Economic Development to the Mayor’s Office to ensure non-planning economic development initiatives do not fall to the wayside.

Recommendations for action:

Short term recommendations:

• Zoning and Land use: Budget for enhanced staffing; conduct training for all City boards

• Economic Development: Modify zoning and licensing requirements that present major hurdles to small businesses; initiate “outbound marketing” for target industries 

• Improvements to constituent experience: Complete organizational/ process audit of permitting processes

Medium term recommendations:

• Zoning and Land use: Ensure zoning outcomes are aligned with SomerVision goals; identify and act on opportunities to streamline permitting

• Economic Development: Create direct reporting line from ED to Mayor’s Office; dedicated staffers to support businesses of all scales   

• Improvements to constituent experience: Merge ISD into PPZ; create “shot clock” or similar for most frequent permitting efforts

Long term recommendations:

• Zoning and Land use: Emphasize evidence-based benchmarks in SomerVision update; 

• Economic Development: Develop partnerships that allow Somerville to be a living laboratory for climate innovation and energy initiatives 

• Improvements to constituent experience: Build Somerville a new reputation as an easy and predictable place to do business

Transition Policy Committee Summary of Findings

Committee Name

Public Safety

Key themes and trends:

• Public trust and safety are interdependent, and trust cannot be maintained without accessible oversight mechanisms led by and accountable to community members.

• Community engagement must be ongoing, multilingual, and intentionally structured to include historically underrepresented populations.

• Oversight requires independence, meaningful access to police data, and authority to publish findings and issue recommendations.

• There is strong community support for civilian oversight, and multiple studies and surveys have found community demand for transparency and accountability in policing.

• It is crucial at this moment to invest in public safety infrastructure to maintain excellence and competitiveness in Somerville’s public safety.

Existing initiatives:

• Professional Standards Division within SPD investigates misconduct internally.

• Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission provides statewide oversight, including certification, suspension, decertification, and public records of officer status.

• SPD is certified and accredited by the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission, requiring adherence to best-practice policy provisions.

• City-led outreach and education efforts on oversight topics began in 2021 through RSJ Department webinars and community meetings.

• SFD has instituted automated dispatching which has resulted in faster dispatching of units to incidents.

• Response times are below national recommendations.

• SFD is conducting real-life testing with Mobility on traffic calming measures to ensure emergency vehicles can operate.

• SFD is ordering apparatus far in advance in response to nationwide fire apparatus delays, which has resulted in minimizing delays.

Gaps:

• Only 30% of adult residents would know how to file a complaint, and roughly 1 in 5 Black or Hispanic residents would feel “very uncomfortable” filing.

• No local civilian oversight body currently exists to complement POST or SPD’s internal systems.

• Complaint processes lack universal accessibility, including translation and accessible routes for submission.

• Current mechanisms do not systematically collect feedback, commendations, or improvement ideas from the public.

• Existing structures are primarily reactive, focused on discipline rather than policy and practice improvement, mediation, or preventing future incidents.

• Public safety buildings have not received adequate upgrades and basic maintenance is slow.

• For SPD, the pool of prospective personnel has significantly decreased, which has hindered the ability to expand staffing to additional areas the community desires.

• Radio infrastructure is outdated, unreliable, and fails to reach all areas of the city.

Opportunities:

• Establish a Public Safety Oversight Commission with independence, subpoena authority, access to police data, and responsibility for community listening.

• Create multiple complaint submission pathways including digital access, phone, and physical locations, paired with administrative support.

• Develop mediation and dispute-resolution options as voluntary alternatives when appropriate.

• Publish anonymized public databases of complaints and commendations, updated regularly.

• Hold regular public meetings across neighborhoods, increasing reach and trust.

• Review SPD policies and practices continuously, allowing proactive recommendations.

• Invest in public safety infrastructure and work to make Somerville a competitive place to work compared to other cities/towns in the Commonwealth.

Recommendations for action:

Short-term recommendations (first 100 days):

• Establish a Public Safety Oversight Commission structure with 9 Commissioners, 6 appointed by the City Council and 3 by the Mayor, supported by an Executive Director.

• Implement accessible complaint intake routes, ensuring technical and translation support.

• Launch community listening efforts including meetings with neighborhood groups to solicit concerns and ideas.

• Work with DPW to streamline station repairs.

• Develop a plan to fulfill time-sensitive grants.

Medium-term recommendations (first year):

• Publish an anonymized database of complaints and commendations, and hold quarterly community-facing public meetings.

• Conduct policy and practice reviews and issue written recommendations to the Chief of Police, Mayor, and City Council, with required written responses.

• Pilot mediation and alternative dispute resolution pathways alongside POST processes.

• Identify a new site(s) to replace public safety buildings located at 220 Washington St.

• SPD: Develop a plan to fill vacant positions, making necessary policy changes to the alternative hiring process, reserve list, and civil service process to maximize the recruiting pool, as well as develop a contract with competitive benefits.

Long-term recommendations (entire term):

• Build mechanisms enabling non-arbitrable disciplinary recommendations, developed through future collective bargaining processes.

• Institutionalize continuous training for Commissioners, including cultural competency, confidentiality, and police operations.

• Commission an independent external review after five years to assess effectiveness and modify structure as necessary.

• Replace radio infrastructure.

• Develop a plan to upgrade traffic signals to add GPS & line-of-sight emergency vehicle preemption.

• Work to implement recommendations as feasible in the Public Safety for All Taskforce.

 

 

Transition Policy Committee Summary of Findings

Committee Name

Small Business Transition Committee

Committee Members

Wendy Dalwin (Chair), Jess Willis, Jessica Eshleman, Joe Lynch, Lindsay Allen, Andrea Shapiro, Bill Galatas, Zach Baum, Sheila Borges-Foley

Key themes and trends:

Drawing from all committee meetings, three core needs emerged consistently: regulatory processes that are clearer, faster, and more coordinated; stronger support for the public realm in commercial districts (cleanliness, safety, ambiance, and parking); and economic stability for small businesses amid rising rents, vacancies, and post-pandemic recovery pressures. These challenges are experienced citywide but often manifest differently by square or neighborhood.

Across meetings, members repeatedly emphasized that permitting and licensing remain overly complex, fragmented across departments, and difficult to navigate without personal relationships inside City Hall. Construction impacts, parking access, meter functionality, and enforcement practices were described as directly affecting customer behavior and revenue, particularly in squares experiencing recent transportation and streetscape changes. Public safety concerns—especially related to human services, homelessness, and nighttime activity—were raised alongside the need for a more visible and coordinated City presence in commercial districts.

Members also underscored that small businesses, dining, nightlife, arts, and events remain central to Somerville’s identity, quality of life, and economic health. While these sectors are comparatively strong, they are vulnerable to rising costs, uneven foot traffic, insufficient marketing, the stalled commercial real estate market, and require sustained and intentional City partnership to remain viable.

Existing initiatives:

The committee identified a number of initiatives that are demonstrably effective and should be continued or strengthened:

• Main Street organizations, which provide long-standing, stakeholder-driven district management, programming, advocacy, and relationship building. Members emphasized the effectiveness of the comprehensive Main Street model (organization, promotion, design, and economic vitality), while noting ongoing funding challenges.

• Dining, nightlife, and arts programming, including award-winning restaurants and signature events, which distinguish Somerville regionally and support foot traffic, tourism, and economic activity.

• OSPCD office hours, cited consistently as a best practice due to their regularity, accessibility, multi-department participation, and follow-through on business concerns.

• Targeted placemaking efforts, such as events, murals, outdoor dining pilots, and district-specific activations, that improve ambiance and customer experience.

• District-specific strengths, including walkability and transit access in Union Square, arts and community assets in East Somerville, business-improvement-district style management in Assembly, and emerging opportunities in Ball, Magoun, Gilman, Teele, and Davis Squares.

• The Small Enterprise Anti-Displacement Report produced a robust set of actionable priorities, which if advanced, can position Somerville to be a national leader while fortifying its unique, interesting, and culturally relevant business districts.

Gaps:

The most urgent gaps identified by the committee fall into three interrelated areas:

• City services: fragmented permitting and licensing processes; unclear points of contact; limited accountability across departments; insufficient responsiveness from 311 and related systems; decreased accessibility for non-native English speakers; and a lack of consistent, business-facing customer service culture.

• Public realm: inconsistent cleanliness, lighting, decorations, sidewalk conditions, and street furniture; parking availability and meter functionality issues; construction impacts that displace customers and employees; vacant or underutilized city-owned properties; and uneven safety presence, particularly in the evenings.

• Economic tools and support: limited mechanisms to address rising commercial rents, vacancies, displacement, and construction-related revenue loss; poorly communicated changes in fee structures that disproportionately burden small businesses; and insufficient marketing and promotion at the citywide level.

Committee members also noted gaps in communication around immigration enforcement concerns, access to public restrooms, and resources to address human services impacts in commercial districts.

Opportunities:

The committee identified clear opportunities to strengthen existing efforts primarily through improved coordination, staffing, and prioritization rather than the creation of entirely new programs. These include adopting a customer-service-oriented approach to regulation; adding additional district management capacity beyond the two current Main Street programs; investing in low-cost, high-impact public realm improvements such as lighting, maintenance, and decorations; improving marketing and wayfinding; and using structured feedback and data to evaluate programs, parking changes, and event impacts.

Members also identified opportunities to engage small business owners more directly in policy design, including through roundtables, targeted interviews, and clearer channels for escalation and problem solving.

Recommendations for action:

Short term recommendations:

• Improve coordination and usability of permitting, licensing, and 311/CitizenServe systems, including clearer points of contact, escalation pathways for businesses, and actively managed reports tracking open applications.

• Address immediate public-realm needs in commercial districts, including meter functionality, reasonable enforcement (especially during holidays), lighting, cleanliness, decorations, and prioritized maintenance.

• Communicate clearly and early about organizational changes affecting small business support, including the roles of liaisons and directors.

• Review parking and construction management practices that directly displace customers or employees, with an emphasis on short-term mitigation rather than extended studies.

• Provide city support for federal immigration policies impacting business districts.

Medium term recommendations:

• Conduct a comprehensive review of fees, fines, and regulatory costs affecting small businesses, including unintended cost burdens.

• Establish and fund a dedicated small business liaison role, distinct from but coordinated with community partnership functions.

• Expand year-round programming, marketing, and basic infrastructure improvements in business districts, with attention to square-specific needs.

• Improve cross-department accountability and responsiveness for business-facing services.

• Reassess the city’s three-year Outdoor Dining Pilot Program that will end in 2026, with a particular emphasis on fee structure.

• Pilot a TIF program focused specifically on supporting small, locally owned businesses.

Long term recommendations:

• Expand and sustainably fund district management or Main Street-style model programs to serve each commercial areas, drawing on best practices from peer cities.

• Develop long-term strategies to address commercial affordability, vacancies, and displacement, building on existing anti-displacement work.

• Align parking, mobility, construction, public safety, and human services policies with small business sustainability goals.

• Institutionalize a customer-service-oriented culture across City departments that regularly interact with small businesses.

• Implement recommendations from the Small Enterprise Anti-Displacement Report, including advancing Inclusionary Commercial Zoning.

   

Transition Policy Committee Summary of Findings

Committee Name

Youth, Family, Senior Services

Committee Members

Scott Benjamin, Aliya Ewing, Eliza Johnston, Dorinda Jaquith, Linda Kelley, Lee-Anne King, Elaine Koury, Danny McLaughlin, Sarah Phillip, Kristen Strezo, MaryLou Carey-Sturniolo

Final Report (combined) - Youth, Family, and Senior Services Transition Committee

Clarification:  As the committee started to discuss issues for Youth, Family, and Seniors services, it became clear that although there is overlap with these groups - youth, family and seniors have very different needs/wants.  The committee felt that lumping the three constituent groups into one large group did a disservice all of the groups.  As a result our group formed three subgroups with members with expertise related to the sub group (youth, family or seniors) working together to create a sub group report.  Thus, we have three separate template reports.

 

Group 1 - Youth Sub group: Transition Policy Committee Summary of Findings

Key themes and trends:

Somerville possesses a diverse ecosystem of youth programming, ranging from creative media arts and robust athletic leagues, to vital leadership and social justice initiatives. However, service gaps and accessibility issues are persistent and pervasive. Often we see a lack of  action despite a lot of information on gaps and desired programing - While the city frequently gathers data and surveys its youth and adults, these efforts rarely result in meaningful action from the city, leading to frustrations from all stakeholders. Youth feel excluded from the decision-making processes that directly impact their lives. Critical service gaps persist, including a lack of safe, ADA-accessible evening spaces, an underutilized high school auditorium, and a lack of north/south transit, all of which contribute to an inequitable distribution of programming across the city. Furthermore, while coordination between SPS and the city has improved greatly over the past few years, connections to youth serving organizations are fragmented and coordination could expand between the school district, city departments, and community organizations prevents the creation of a seamless, easy-to-navigate support system for youth and families.

The transition to the Wilson administration presents an exciting opportunity to shift from circular conversations to a coordinated, asset-based model of youth engagement. By centralizing information through a common resource guide, and creating a central entity  through the recreation department or other youth body; we can simplify communications, create a universal hub and application process for families, and begin to lower barriers to entry. There is a clear mandate for the creation of accessible centers/spaces for youth to ensure equitable and easy access for all youth. Centers can be at schools or locations outside of school and be part of centers as suggested in the Family and Senior subgroups reports.  We can move beyond high-school-centric engagement to include middle school and early childhood age groups, families and seniors as a holistic community engagement movement. By formalizing youth leadership through legislative ordinances and reclaiming underutilized physical spaces for community use, Somerville can transform its youth services from a collection of isolated programs into a cohesive, youth-led network that prioritizes accessibility, transparency, and accountability.

Existing initiatives:

Athletics and Physical Recreation

Programs focused on team sports, fitness, and active movement.

• Somerville Recreation Department: Comprehensive seasonal programming including basketball and swimming.

• Youth Leagues: Somerville Youth Soccer, Somerville Youth Hockey, Little League Baseball, and Pop Warner.

• Somerville YMCA: Health, fitness, and youth athletic programs.

• School based intramurals and interscholastic sports

Arts, Media, and Creative Learning

Groups that foster self-expression, music, and technical creative skills.

• Somerville Media Center: Youth-led media production and digital literacy.

• Music Programs: El Sistema, City-wide Chorus, and City-wide Band.

• The Dojo @ Somernova: Co-Hosting open mic nights with Books of Hope and Teen Empowerment, as well as several creative community activities.

Skills, Leadership, and Career Development

Initiatives designed to build professional experience, life skills, and civic leadership.

• Teen Empowerment: School year and summer cohorts focused on public initiatives and leadership.

• Mayor’s Summer Jobs Program: Early career exposure and workforce entry.

• Teen Empowerment: Beyond TE  department gives wrap-around services for post-secondary support, skills development, and career planning help to current youth organizers and alumni

• The Dojo @ Somernova: Technical and life skills like CPR/First Aid and the Somerville Bike Kitchen.

Social Justice, Prevention, and Mentorship

Programs centered on advocacy, mental health, and community safety.

• SCAP (Somerville Cares About Prevention): Focus on substance abuse prevention and health advocacy.

• BAM/WOW: Mentorship and social-emotional development programs.

• Teen Outreach at Rec: Specialized engagement and outreach led by dedicated staff.

• Teen Empowerment: focus on youth-identified social justice issues that affect their peers, then work towards engaging the public in multi-level change initiatives (individual change, community change, systemic change). 

Holistic Family and After-School Support

Multi-service hubs providing academic support, family events, and wrap-around services.

• Mystic Learning Center: Comprehensive support including mentoring, night groups, and family events.

• Elizabeth Peabody House: Community-based family services and youth development.

• SPS OST & Community Schools: District-run enrichment and after-school programming.

• YMCA: After-school programming for elementary-aged students. 

Gaps:

• Surveying happens often yet rarely results in action; circular conversations continue

• Youth voice not adequately utilized

• Lack of youth spaces, open gyms, safe places, and evening activities.

• No access to SHS auditorium   

• Lack of north/south public transportation

• No ADA accessibility at Teen Empowerment headquarters (165 Broadway)

• Insufficient after school programing for very early school-age youth (PK & K)

• Programing is inequitably distributed across the City (location mapping of current programs is needed)

• Programing is not transit accessible / geographically accessible to where youth are (aka SHS)

• Lack of connection between the youth and city hall.

• Challenges coordinating across stakeholders, especially between the district and city on the one hand and community-based organizations and the Youth Workers Network on the other. This keeps us from having a comprehensive and seamless out of school time system and working together. 

Opportunities:

• We have schools in many neighborhoods that could provide accessible programing but we need to better utilize those spaces.

• There is an opportunity, with engage community partners for funding, expertise and other supports - Tufts, Community Colleges, MGH Brigham and Women’s, along with our extensive existing programs (see list in appendix)

See Appendix:  The New York & San Francisco Beacons

• We need to better utilize high school space. 

  •  Open the auditorium for organizational use on nights/weekends

  •  Clubs and youth-led organizations should not have to pay for space after 5pm.  This is an opportunity for youth to have evening/weekend activities.

• Programs that need to come back - High School morning snack program, weekly food box program.

• Consistent community/youth centers that offer unstructured social time

• Involve youth in more substantial decision-making (participatory budgeting, Youth Advisory cabinet to the Mayor)

• Bring back Mayors Youth Council

• Future of YMCA

• Mapping physical locations of program offerings to find equitable distribution, and access

• Existing spaces that are not used (Church gyms) that can offer in kind spaces 

• Continued and more City funding for existing impact programs (TE, BAM, WOW, as examples)

• Central clearinghouse for youth activity information - City Rec as a “Vibe Hub”

• Community Resource book for youth and families

• Quality of programming varies - 

• More college/career planning programs

• Opportunities to pass legislation/ordinances requiring youth leadership, particularly organizations that work with/get $ from city, e.g, youth on board, youth advisory councils. San Francisco has a model ordinance we could use.

• Create spaces for kids to hang out - a warm place, games, computers, art - Clarendon opportunities - multiple Dogos?

• Think through a single sign on/common application approach for all citywide youth programs, leveraging recent efforts by SPS to improve sign up for afterschool clubs.

• Consider going back to the book (resource guide) instead of the Hub  

• City include youth members on decision making entities - like funding for youth related programs

• Foster more partner programs with Tufts, 

• Bunker Hill Community College - early college offered outside of school time in Somerville

 

Recommendations for action:

Short term recommendations:

• Short term recommendations: easy early implementation (low hanging fruit)

• Review and utilize the "Enhancing Youth Services in the City of Somerville" report commissioned by HHS (June 30, 2024) for detailed short/mid/long term recommendations as a guide to going forward - (Appendix)

• Open SHS auditorium for ongoing program use by organizations on nights and weekends

• Experiment with youth participatory budgeting

• Create mayoral youth advisory committee/ monthly meeting with youth

• More outreach to at risk youth

• General support for those aged 18-23 with expanded partnerships between SCALE and the city.

• Mayoral attendance at Somerville Youth Workers' Network (YWN)

• Improve communication to SPS students about OST offerings provided by CBOs (non SPS entities) to expand access

Medium term recommendations:

• Medium term recommendations: to be focused on during first year

• Support the expansion of youth leadership opportunities/ programs

• Create a cohesive, inclusive citywide youth-serving network. This could be accomplished by leveraging the city's Children's Cabinet and By All Means Coalition and including all providers in the city (including programs like Somerville Youth Soccer, Community Schools, the Y, SPS, SomerPromise, the Library, etc.)

• Consider a citywide continuous quality improvement initiative, like the Youth Program Quality Improvement Approach, to ensure that all everyone working with you in the city has a shared understanding of quality and access to professional development supports 

Long term recommendations:

• Long term recommendations: to be built into strategic planning over course of entire term

• Terminate the existing regulations that limit the use of the SHS auditorium and make it difficult and expensive for youth-serving programs to access SPS space. 

• Support efforts to create more youth spaces city-wide

• Re-introduce north/south transportation shuttle for youth

• Re-introduce sustainable free food program for youth.

• Learn from all the past youth surveys that Somerville has done since 2004.  There is a recurring theme.  Set sincere goals based on the many surveys already completed.

Appendix

Lists of Existing Services and Programs as Compiled by this Committee - both city and private and non-profit organizations

• Mystic Learning Center (after school, summer programming, night groups, family events, mentoring, summer basketball)

• Somerville Rec Dept.

  • Many programs - basketball, swimming etc.

• Teen Empowerment school year cohort and summer cohort (after school program, teen events, public initiatives, leadership opportunities, wrap around post-secondary services) 

• The Dojo @ Somernova (community/youth center) has many activities for youth and adults.  A few include the Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, CPR/First Aid, open mic night, parkour, Somerville Bike Kitchen, Better Future Project…and more)

• Somerville YMCA

• SCAP (Somerville Cares About Prevention)

• Mayors summer jobs program - 6 weeks is not enough.  Just get them started and then gone.  This needs to be expanded through the year. 

• Parkour - The Dojo @ Somernova

• Somerville Media Center - youth programming

• Somerville Youth Soccer

• Somerville Youth Hockey

• Little League Baseball

• BAM/ WOW

• Mediation

• Somerville Public Library (programing) 

• City wide chorus band

• El Sistema

• Brooke at Rec is effectively engaging teens with programing, outreach and food

• Elizabeth Peabody House

• Pop Warner

• Groundworks Somerville

• Community Schools

• SPS OST enrichment programs

 

Group 2 - Family sub group: Transition Policy Committee Summary of Findings

Key themes and trends:

Based on community feedback from surveys, conversations and expertise of our committee committee members, we find key recurring themes that Wilson administration should address to help our Somerville families.  Inaccessible and Insufficient Supply of Child Care resulting from low program capacity and high costs. This challenge, affects both early childhood and afterschool programs, places significant stress on families, arises as a pervasive crisis that strains Family Well-being. These operational gaps are further exacerbated by specific inequitable distribution of access and funding for existing high-demand programs.

Addressing this crisis requires a strategy focused on coordination and resource optimization. A primary systemic hurdle is the Coordination of Support Systems. Lack of communication among providers (schools, city, non-profits) makes services difficult to navigate. Establishing a Central Clearinghouse for Coordination, ideally led by an entity like the Recreation department, can be an early step toward synchronizing services. Additionally, utilizing existing expertise (from seniors) and optimizing the use of existing public space - especially neighborhood schools (also addressed by the Education Transition Committee), but also extending to non-city entities such as churches, and other spaces.  Working toward Dedicated Family Welcome Center/s to serve as permanent, holistic hubs for community and support services that tie in with youth and senior activities can help efficiently utilize resources, help alleviate continued Food Insecurity, and provide support for families. 

Existing initiatives:

Multi-service hubs providing academic support, family events, and wrap-around services.

• Mystic Learning Center: Comprehensive support including mentoring, night groups, and family events.

• Elizabeth Peabody House: Community-based family services and youth development.

• SPS OST & Community Schools: District-run enrichment and after-school programming.

• YMCA: After-school programming for elementary-aged students. 

Classes, workshops and clinics (vs childcare)

There are 3 main sources of affordable, enriching activities:

• Somerville Recreation Department: Comprehensive seasonal programming.

• Youth Leagues: Somerville Youth Soccer, Somerville Youth Hockey, Little League Baseball, and Pop Warner.

• Somerville YMCA: Health, fitness, and youth athletic programs

• Out of School Time - School based clubs, intramural, and interscholastic sports

Gaps:

Inaccessible and Insufficient Care Supply

The most pressing issue is the severe shortage of available childcare and afterschool slots, compounded by the programs' high cost, which makes them inaccessible to families. This dual challenge of low supply and high price prevents families from getting the basic care they need.

Example Quote: "Need affordable childcare."

Fragmentation of Support Systems

There is a profound lack of coordination and communication among the various program providers—including city departments, schools, and non-profits. This fragmentation creates confusion for families trying to navigate and utilize available services effectively.

Example Quote: "Need coordination between all the programing(ers) - SPS, afterschool, YMCA, out of school programing, Rec"

Strained Family Well-being

The identified problems extend beyond just childcare; they point to a broader crisis in family support. While there is good work in the city, many families lack access to food resources, medical care, and employment support. There is a clear need for holistic, whole-family programs that address the significant stresses currently straining family well-being.

Dealing with Food Insecurity

Family outreach in the schools and other organizations are doing good work to help families access food.  SFLC knows how grateful families are to the city for their amazing support around food access in terms of the Free Food Markets and Carrot Cards.   Food Security Coalition and OFAHCoffer expertise to  bring together all of the local resources and continue to partner with  the schools.  But work could be expanded and ease of access would improve.

Opportunities:

Optimize Use of Existing Public Space

Prioritize strategies to maximize the use of spaces that are already owned or easily accessible, such as existing K-8 school buildings and community facilities like church gyms. This approach aims to expand program capacity efficiently without requiring new major construction.

Example Quote 1: "We need to better utilize K-8 school space for afterschool activities" Example Quote 2: "Existing spaces that are not used (Church gyms) that can offer in kind spaces"

Establish a Central Clearinghouse for Coordination

A designated entity, take on the formal role of a coordinating hub or "clearinghouse." This hub would centralize information, synchronize program schedules, and streamline the process for families seeking services across all providers.  We have online resources to provide centralized access but human outreach and assistance is important.

Example Quote: "Rec should (and could) be coordinating programming / acting as a clearinghouse"

Create Dedicated Family Center Facilities (Somerville Family Centers)

Possibilities exist to optimize existing space, or create new, family centers.  Schools often serve as these centers now, but a better coordinated and defined system can offer additional family support and act as a central, easy-to-access location for holistic family support services and community gathering. We have central online hubs (Somerville HUB, Online Resources Guide see appendix) that can serve as a template for services. The DOJO @ SomerNova is an example of a local project connecting the community.  The Beacons programs in New York and San Francisco give examples of creating training and programs to address larger needs in the community. There is an opportunity, with cooEngage community partners for funding, expertise and other supports - Tufts, Community Colleges, MGH Brigham and Women's, along with our extensive existing programs (see list in appendix)

Coordination programs can support youth, family and senior programs, and address health, education, and social support concerns across the board for youth, families and seniors.   

Challenges 

• confusing system of Community Schools, OST clubs, teacher led clubs

• recruitment at schools with "low enrollment".  Dr. Carmona sent a response defending all they've done to reach out to families at WH, but clearly what they've tried hasn't worked.

• lack of consistency- I've heard from some families that they don't want to sign up for a club for 2 months because it's hard to build a schedule around that. Would be better if they knew they could depend on chess clubs being every Monday, for example, for the year or at least for the whole semester.

• lack of creative problem solving.  For example: allegedly, East doesn't have space for more than 2 clubs and WH doesn't have the #s for more than 2.  So....why can't an adult walk the East kids across the street to Edgerly?

 

Recommendations for action:

Short term recommendations:

• Short term recommendations

• City identifies support existing support programs and create an outline clearing house according to services provided - out of school, food access, employment, senior

• programs etc.

• Identify models/programs from other communities that provide communication and coordination for family support.  

Medium term recommendations:

• Medium term recommendations

• Find partners for creative funding and support - colleges, MGH Brigham and Women's, 

• Find locations - initiate Family Welcome Centers

Long term recommendations:

• Long term recommendations

• Establish three locations for Family Welcome Centers to house youth, family and senior programs with cross linkage between programs 

Appendix

List of existing families service entities -this is not a complete list but one the committee worked from to get an overview for our report

• Online resources guide:  https://app.smore.com/n/6tu27f

• Somerville HUB:  https://somervillehub.org/

• Somerville Family Learning Collaborative

• Health and Human Services

• Padres Latinos

• Welcome Project

• Somerville Office of Immigrant Affairs

• Somerpromise

• Out of School Time Programs

• Somerville Public Schools Community Schools

• Recreation Department Programs both School year and Summer

• Food For Free Partnership

• Carrot Card Program- Food Support Program that helps families buy food each month

• Monthly SPS Free Food Markets- ( West, East & Healey) Open to all SPS Families and staff

• Early Childhood Programs

• Social Workers in the Libraries

• Community Fridges ( Union Square, EPH, St Clements & Coming soon to Greek Orthodox Church)

   

Group 3 - Seniors Sub Group: Transition Policy Committee Summary of Findings

Key themes and trends:

The current framework supporting Somerville's senior population. Unacknowledged Insecurity and Economic Vulnerability and widespread social isolation are prevalent. Over half of Somerville seniors (54%) face economic insecurity, with fixed incomes unable to keep pace with rising city costs (property taxes, water bills, heating bills, excise tax, utilities), a problem compounded by development that erodes affordable housing. City policies are often made without considering this severe financial pressure. Seniors are an afterthought. Perception that Seniors perceived as a burden on policy rather than a priority. There is an unaddressed urgent need to Integrate Senior Needs into All City Decision-Making to ensure an equitable and sustainable quality of life for this demographic.

The existing model depends singularly on the Council on Aging (COA). Yet a striking 74% of seniors report never using it. We need a Modernization of Senior Engagement that better reflects the community's increasing diversity and evolving needs of a new generation of seniors. Furthermore, the city must not view seniors as a monolithic group "on their way out" and instead embrace a strategy of Recognizing Seniors as Community Assets. By actively seeking to utilize their decades of professional experience, education, and talent, Somerville can transform a marginalized population into a vital, engaged, and contributing force in civic life.

Existing initiatives:

Gaps:

• Civic Exclusion & Lack of Representation: Seniors are regularly excluded from city planning and decision-making bodies (City Council and executive offices), leading to policies that fail to consider their needs.

• Talent Underutilization: The city ignores the massive wealth of professional experience, education, and talent within the senior community, failing to leverage them as an asset.

• COA Engagement Gap: The current Council on Aging model only attracts a small, particular segment of the senior population, failing to represent the community's diversity and needs. The Needs Assessment of 2025 reflects this.

• Lack of Transparency and Inclusion in Decision Making: Key city departments, such as Planning, Zoning, Mobility, Health and Human Services, lack transparency and fail to demonstrate how their decisions impact seniors, reinforcing a sense of being overlooked.  Senior input is not part of a permanent decision making process.

Opportunities:

Offer programs similar to those offered in neighboring communities – tax discounts for owning homes, free parking passes at meters for seniors (as in Arlington), discounts on water and sewer bills (as in Cambridge), provide realistic mass transit options. Increase program options for modifying homes to make them more accessible.  Increase low income senior housing options.

Mandate senior membership in decision making development processes.  Senior membership can address issues before they become problems.  Just an example, when bike lanes come into areas, there should be mandatory parking spots designated and required at the same time.  As reflected in the Survey, many seniors drive, and reducing parking makes many destinations (pharmacy, convenience stores, banks, doctor’s offices) increasingly difficult or impossible for seniors to access independently. The COA taxi program requires considerable planning and advance notice.

Recommendations for action:

Short term recommendations:

SHORT TERM 

• Hire a FT Senior Liaison for the Executive Office – this would be an outside entity from the COA

• Form a “work group” to study the UMass Gerontology Report in detail to put to use the impressive amount of data about Somerville Seniors drawn from a very large sampling - way beyond the reach of the current COA.  This group should be made up of selected Seniors from the community, a staff person from the Mayor’s office and someone from the the Human Services Department which oversees the COA.  From this undertaking the Committee could provide other City Departments with the data that could lead to more inclusive planning and decision making.

• Immediately prioritize senior staff representation in rooms where planning is happening

• Greater variety of engaging programs, such as more educational engaging opportunities, resources

• An active list of resources and contractors kept at the COA and 311, vetted to work with seniors, with discounts to match the realistic incomes of most Somerville seniors.

• Lower costs of senior programs, some (such as shoveling program) are cost prohibitive.

• Training program that educates Somerville executive department heads on ageism and paternalistic, biased mindsets.

• Immediate work toward culture change of how people see seniors.

• Create an Office of Senior Affairs. 

 

MID TERM

• Improve safety and walkability of sidewalks.
• Create more and realistic transportation options: 83% of seniors rely on MBTA.  Contact large non-profits that already have small buses traveling in Somerville to ask to pick up seniors.
• Better regulation of walkable streets that defend the right of pedestrian seniors: seniors are at a health and safety risk; cannot contend with electric scooters and e-bikes that continuously use the sidewalks. 

LONG TERM

• Secure larger permanent housing for seniors

Appendix

UMass survey - Aging in Somerville