Join Somerville’s Anti-Displacement Task Force Video Series to Share Your Story and Help Combat Displacement

Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and the City of Somerville’s Department of Racial and Social Justice (RSJ) are sharing an opportunity for community members to join the vital work of the City’s Anti-Displacement Task Force (ADTF) by contributing their experiences with displacement for a public video series the ADTF is creating to show how displacement affects real people in Somerville and why anti-displacement efforts are so important to helping our community stay together.  

The videos will help inform the work of the ADTF, which aims to create programming and policy recommendations to help equitably reduce displacement rates for residents, business owners, and those who contribute to the cultural fabric of Somerville. Please note that all video recordings have the potential to be shared publicly. 

Participants have the option of either joining a recording session hosted by the Task Force or submitting a self-recorded video.  

Upcoming Recording Sessions 

• Thursday, August 22, 4-8 p.m. 
  • Location: RSJ Office Suite (167 Holland St., Suite 208) 
• Friday, August 23 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. 
  • Location: RSJ Office Suite (167 Holland St., Suite 208) 
• Saturday, August 24, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. 
  • Location: Connexion Church (149 Broadway) 

Register for a recording session here 

Share your story through a pre-recorded video

Participants are also welcome to share their experiences via a pre-recorded video. The ADTF has prepared questions to help start the conversation, but community members should feel free to relate their displacement stories however feels authentic to them.  

To learn more about the submission process and to review the questions, visit the online registration/submission form. 

About Somerville’s Anti-Displacement Task Force 

The purpose of the Anti-Displacement Task Force is to develop programming and policy recommendations that aim to equitably reduce the rate of displacement of people who live in, have businesses in, or make up the cultural fabric of the City of Somerville. 

The task force emphasizes collaboration between City staff, community members, practitioners, artists, and non-profits, to identify community members most susceptible to the impacts of displacement, review current and potential strategies for anti-displacement, with the final deliverable being a set of policy and programming recommendations that work toward addressing displacement from a holistic perspective but equitably focused on the community level. 

For any further questions about this process or the Task Force’s work, reach out to Steven Flythe, RSJ Deputy Director, at (781) 808-7502 or adtf@somervillema.gov. 

Persons with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication (i.e., CART, ASL), written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures to access the programs, activities, and meetings of the City of Somerville should please contact Adrienne Pomeroy in advance at 617-625-6600 x 2059 or apomeroy@somervillema.gov.  

Interpretation into Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Kreyol, Nepali, Mandarin, Cantonese, or other languages may be available upon advance request by contacting the SomerViva Office of Immigrant Affairs at somerviva@somervillema.gov or calling 311 at 617-666-3311.