Come shape the future of housing in Somerville! Public Roundtable Discussion Series

 Hosted by the Somerville Community Corporation, The City of Somerville, and Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC)

1. Housing for Families in Somerville

Tuesday, February 4th, 2014th; With Special Guest: Rachel Bratt, Professor, Tufts University

At this forum, we will discuss what exactly family friendly housing is; what kind of housing our community needs to be able to raise a family in Somerville; how our community can work together to meet those needs; and how to best ensure affordable options for a range of incomes.

2. Implications of Gentrification & Displacement in Somerville

Tuesday, February 11th, 2014; With Special Guest, Tim Reardon, Asst. Director of Data Services at MAPC  and featuring newly released MAPC/SCC/Somerville report, “Dimensions of Displacement: Baseline Strategies for Managing Neighborhood Change in Somerville's Green Line Corridor”

*Press Conference: 5:00 pm, Argenziano School

This second meeting will directly follow a press conference outside the meeting space (which all are welcome to attend) for the newly released MAPC report about the impacts of new transit on the housing market in Somerville. Using the findings from this report, we will discuss the implications of displacement resulting from gentrification and how our community can work together to ensure that changes coming to Somerville benefit all segments of the city’s population.

3. Taking Action: Rolling Up Our Sleeves to Ensure Housing for All

Tuesday, March 4th, 2014

At the third and final meeting, the analyses and discussions from the first two forums will be used by participants to develop concrete strategies and tools for moving forward with a strong and effective housing agenda for Somerville

 

Residents and public officials of Somerville are encouraged to attend any of all of these forums and to contribute their thoughts and experiences related to these very important issues affecting our community. City staff as well as staff from SCC and MAPC will be present at these discussions which are ultimately opportunities for residents to be heard and to share conversations that will shape the future of housing in Somerville.

All meetings will be held at the Argenziano School at 290 Washington Street in Somerville from 6:00-8:30 pm (doors open 5:30) and will include childcare, snacks, and interpretation services. These forums are funded in part by the US HUD Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant Program.