Somerville Rent Stabilization Listening Session

Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and the City of Somerville invite community members to provide public comments about rent stabilization at an upcoming listening session. As part of ongoing efforts to continue to reduce displacement and increase housing affordability, the City’s Anti-Displacement Task Force (ADTF) is drafting a rent stabilization law, and community members are invited to share their input on what should be included. Two separate sessions will be offered: one for property owners, and one for renters.  
 
Rent stabilization is a legal strategy that aims to keep housing affordable. Rent stabilization includes laws that prevent rents from rising too quickly and laws that offer protection against wrongful evictions. It also includes considerations for property owners, such as what types of buildings are exempt from the law and considerations for if and when a unit that formerly qualified for rent stabilization could remove its restrictions.  
 
The ADTF will use the feedback received at the listening sessions to help inform the proposed legislation draft. Some example considerations are: In what way should rents be limited? Should any units or people be exempt from rent stabilization? If so, who? How should the costs of repairs be factored into rents? 

The ADTF will then submit the draft law to the City and the City Council, and then to the state legislature, where the City will formally ask the state for permission to enact the law (known as a “home rule petition”).

The first listening session, for property owners and their advocates, is Thursday, July 20, from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. The second session, for renters and their advocates, is Thursday, July 27, from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Both listening sessions will be hosted in a hybrid format, with the opportunity to participate in person at the Armory or remotely on Zoom. Both sessions will be recorded and posted on voice.somervillema.gov/adtf.   

  
How to Provide Comment

• Register & Speak at a Listening Session: Advance registration is required to speak at either listening session no later than 48 hours before the session. To sign up, go to voice.somervillema.gov/adtf or call 311 (617-666-3311). Registration is only required for those providing comments. At each session, speakers will be called in the order of registration. If you do not register ahead of time but wish to speak, we will do our best to accommodate you but cannot guarantee you will have an opportunity to do so.  
   
  • Property Owners & Advocates: Register to speak at the July 20 session by Tuesday, July 18, at 5 p.m.  
  • Renters & Advocates: Register to speak at the July 27 session by Tuesday, July 25, at 5 p.m.   
      
• Submit Written Comment: If you cannot attend the session, written comment will be accepted until midnight on Monday, July 31, by email to adtf@somervillema.gov or via mail at:  

City of Somerville, Attn: Luis Quizhpe  
Office of Community Development and Strategic Planning  
93 Highland Ave., Somerville, MA 02143  

How to Attend a Listening Session

• Attend in person at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave.  
• Join online: Find the Zoom links at voice.somervillema.gov/adtf 
• Join by phone:  
    
  • For landlords and their advocates (July 20):    
    • Dial: +1 646-558-8656  
    • Enter Meeting ID: 838 3292 1717  
    • Enter Passcode: 635355  
        
  • For renters and their advocates (July 27):   
    • Dial: +1 646-558-8656  
    • Enter Meeting ID: 844 6308 0114  
    • Enter Passcode: 647757  

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

Interpretation into any language is available upon advance request (at least seven days in advance) by contacting the SomerViva Office of Immigrant Affairs at somervillema.gov/ContactSomerViva or calling 311 at 617-666-3311.