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OUR SIX 30 PUBLIC HEARING ON MARCH 9TH, 2026.THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS A ROLL CALL OF MEMBERS PRESENT.
YOU HAVE NINE MEMBERS RECORDED AS PRESENT.
[PUBLIC COMMENTS]
WE'LL NOW MOVE ON TO PUBLIC COMMENT.PUBLIC COMMENT MAY BE MADE IN ACCORDANCE WITH MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL LAWS CHAPTER 38, SECTION 20 G, AND THE CITY COUNCIL RULES 20 3D AND 37.
ONCE YOU'VE FINISHED SPEAKING, THE NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE CALLED, INDIVIDUALS ARE NOT PERMITTED TO ALLOCATE THE REMAINDER OF THEIR TIME TO OTHER SPEAKERS.
I ASK THAT YOU STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD.
EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND START CALL CALLING THE PUBLIC SPEAKERS PLEASE.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS CAROLYN MAGID, FOLLOWED BY LEE FERRIS.
CAROLYN, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
UM, CAROLYN MAGID, 71 REED STREET.
I'M SPEAKING FOR THE CAMBRIDGE HOUSING JUSTICE COALITION.
AS THE COUNCIL DISCUSSES A POSSIBLE CONSOLIDATION OF ITS DIFFERENT HOUSING WORK INTO ONE DEPARTMENT, THIS IS THE TIME, THE RIGHT TIME TO CONSIDER THE MISSION OF THE CITY'S HOUSING WORK AND HOW WE CAN ACCOMPLISH IT MOST EFFECTIVELY.
CAMBRIDGE HOUSING JUSTICE COALITION WANTS TO CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO EXCITING AND SUCCESSFUL MODELS FROM SOMERVILLE AND BOSTON.
BOTH CITIES HAVE INDEPENDENT OFFICES OF HOUSING STABILITY WITH A MISSION THAT INCLUDES ANTI DISPLACEMENT WORK WITH INDIVIDUALS AND ALSO POLICY WORK AND SUPPORTIVE TENANT RIGHTS AND ANTI DISPLACEMENT POLICIES.
HERE ARE SOME SPECIFIC SUGGESTIONS BASED ON THESE MODELS THAT CHJC PROPOSES YOU ADOPT.
FIRST, SEPARATE THE HOUSING OFFICE THAT ADVOCATES FOR AND HELPS TO MEET INDIVIDUAL HOUSING NEEDS IN CAMBRIDGE FROM THE OFFICE THAT LOOKS AT WHAT HOUSING GETS BUILT AND WHERE WITH A VISION TOWARDS AFFORDABILITY AND ANTI DISPLACEMENT.
THESE TWO KINDS OF WORK REQUIRE DIFFERENT KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS.
TWO, WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE IN THE SAME OVERALL DEPARTMENT.
WE DO NOT THINK THAT PEOPLE IN EITHER HOUSING OFFICE SHOULD BE SUPERVISING THE OTHER GIVEN THEIR DIFFERENT EXPERTISE.
THREE, THE OFFICE THAT'S FOCUSED ON MEETING INDIVIDUAL HOUSING NEEDS IN CAMBRIDGE SHOULD BE AN OFFICE OF HOUSING STABILITY.
THIS MODEL IS WHAT SOMERVILLE USES VERY SUCCESSFULLY.
THE OFFICE FOUR, THE OFFICE OF HOUSING STABILITY ALSO SHOULD TAKE ON ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS AS SOMERVILLE'S DOES, INCLUDING TENANT PROTECTIONS AND POLICYMAKING AND ADVOCACY AT THE LOCAL AND STATE LEVEL.
AND LAST, ANY HOUSING DEPARTMENTS OR OFFICES SHOULD HAVE A RESEARCH DATA COMPONENT THAT COMPILES INFORMATION ABOUT HOUSING STOCK AS WELL AS IDEAS FOR CREATIVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAMS. CHJC BELIEVES ADOPTING THESE PROPOSALS WILL ENABLE THE CITY TO MEET THE NEEDS OF ITS RESIDENTS MORE EFFECTIVELY AND TO BE MUCH MORE CREATIVE AND PROACTIVE ABOUT HOUSING POLICY AND TENANT'S RIGHTS.
IT'S GREAT THAT THE NEW CHARTER GIVES COUNCIL AN OVERSIGHT ROLE IN THE CITY'S HOUSING REORGANIZATION.
WE HOPE YOU'LL TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DELAY ANY DECISIONS TONIGHT TO GIVE MORE CONSIDERATION TO THESE PROPOSALS THAN OTHERS YOU MAY GET.
THIS WOULD HAVE THE ADDITIONAL ADVANTAGE OF GIVING THE PUBLIC A CHANCE TO LEARN THAT THIS DISCUSSION IS GOING ON AND WEIGH IN.
FINALLY, WE NOTE THAT ALTHOUGH MANY OTHER INTERESTS IN CAMBRIDGE HAVE A DEDICATED COMMITTEE THAT INCLUDES RESIDENTS AND PROVIDES A FORUM FOR RESIDENTS TO INTERACT WITH CITY STAFF.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE BIKE COMMITTEE OR ARTS COUNCIL, THERE IS NO SUCH RESIDENT COMMITTEE FOR HOUSING.
WE PROPOSE THAT THE CITY ADD A RESIDENTS HOUSING COMMITTEE AS A FORUM FOR RESIDENTS TO INTERACT WITH STAFF ON HOUSING POLICY ISSUES.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS LEE FERRIS.
LEE, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
UM, I'M SPEAKING AGAIN FOR THE CAMBRIDGE RESIDENTS ALLIANCE AND AS A MEMBER OF THE CAMBRIDGE HOUSING JUSTICE COALITION ON THE PLAN TO ALIGN ALL HOUSING DEPARTMENTS.
THE RESIDENTS ALLIANCE THINKS THAT SINCE THE CITY'S GOING TO REORGANIZE THE VARIOUS HOUSING OFFICES, IT WOULD BE A GOOD TIME TO, UH, START REVIEWING THEIR PURPOSE AND MIS MISSION.
WE WOULD LIKE THE MISSION TO INCLUDE ANTI-DISPLACEMENT WORK AND POLICY SUPPORT FOR TENANT RIGHTS AND ANTI DISPLACEMENT POLICIES.
WE HAVE LONG WANTED THE CITY TO CREATE AN OFFICE OF HOUSING STABILITY, SIMILAR TO WHAT BOSTON AND SOMERVILLE HAVE.
IN ADDITION TO ASSISTING INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE, IT WOULD COLLECT AND ANALYZE DATA ON WHAT SORTS OF HOUSING ARE NEEDED, AND IT WOULD GENERATE POLICY PROPOSALS TO MEET THOSE NEEDS.
IT WOULD EXAMINE HOW CURRENT POLICIES ARE WORKING.
IT WOULD ALSO PROPOSE AND ADVOCATE FOR APPROPRIATE
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POLICIES AT THE STATE LEVEL.UH, WE THINK THAT SUCH AN OFFICE WOULD LIKELY FUNCTION BETTER IF IT DOES NOT REPORT TO THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT, WHICH FOCUSES ON FINANCING AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND WHAT HOUSING GETS BUILT IN THE CITY.
WE VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THAT THE NEW CHARTER LEDS COUNCIL OVERSEES SUCH A REORGANIZATION.
HOWEVER, WE THINK NOT MANY PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THIS REORGANIZATION YET, WHICH OF COURSE IS OF THE DEPARTMENTS THAT WORK ON THE ISSUE.
THAT IS ALWAYS TOP FROM RESIDENT'S POINT OF VIEW.
THEREFORE, WE ASK THE COUNCIL TO DELAY ANY DECISION TONIGHT SO THAT YOU COULD CONSIDER THE PROPOSALS FROM CHJC AND OTHERS.
LASTLY, WE WOULD LIKE THE COUNCIL TO CREATE A HOUSING COMMITTEE SIMILAR, FOR EXAMPLE, TO THE PEDESTRIAN COMMITTEE OR ANY OF THE OTHER 40 BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
THIS COMMITTEE WOULD INCLUDE RESIDENTS AND BE A PLACE FOR RESIDENTS TO WORK WITH STAFF ON HOUSING POLICY ISSUES.
AGAIN, FOR THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE IN THE CITY, NOT TO HAVE A COMPARABLE STRUCTURE TO THE PEDESTRIAN COMMITTEE SEEMS LIKE, UH, AN OPPORTUNITY TO REMEDY THE SLACK.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS DAN TOTTEN, FOLLOWED BY HENRY WARDIS.
DAN, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES? YES.
UM, BACK LIKE I FORGOT SOMETHING.
DAN TOTTEN 54 BISHOP ALLEN DRIVE.
UM, I DON'T HAVE WRITTEN REMARKS ON THIS, BUT I DO WANT TO SPEAK AS SOMEBODY WHO, UM, USED TO REFER A LOT OF PEOPLE TO THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER AND TO MORA, UM, WHEN I WORKED AT CITY HALL.
UM, AND I WANNA SAY I REALLY, I THINK IT'S A REALLY, REALLY GREAT IDEA THAT, UM, THAT THOSE TWO ENTITIES ARE BEING COMBINED BECAUSE SOMETIMES IT'S REALLY HARD WHEN SOMEBODY'S LIKE, MAYBE THEY'RE HOMELESS, BUT THEY'RE ALSO FACING EVICTION, OR IT'S JUST KIND OF AN EDGE CASE AND LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU REFER THEM TO MAURA AND, BUT THEY ACTUALLY NEED TO GO TO THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER TO GET C CANNED.
AND IT'S JUST LIKE A REALLY OVERWHELMING, CONFUSING PROCESS EVEN FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE PROVIDING THOSE REFERRALS.
UM, AND THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT, UM, EITHER OF THEM ON THEIR OWN, THEY BOTH DO AMAZING WORK.
UM, AND, AND I HAVE SO MUCH RESPECT FOR BOTH OF THEM.
I JUST THINK THAT WHEN THEY'RE TOGETHER AND WHEN IT'S ALL LIKE A ONE STOP SHOP, IT'S GONNA BE A LOT EASIER TO SERVE, UM, VULNERABLE RESIDENTS.
UM, I WILL SAY THOUGH, I DON'T FULLY UNDERSTAND THE DECISION TO COMBINE THOSE THINGS WITH ZONING BECAUSE I DO SEE ZONING IS DIFFERENT.
AND I KNOW THAT IN SOMERVILLE, THEY DO HAVE AN OFFICE OF HOUSING STABILITY AND, UH, AN OFFICE THAT DOES ZONING WORK.
AND I THINK THAT THAT, YOU KNOW, SEEMS TO WORK WELL.
I WORRY ABOUT THERE BEING SOME KIND OF TENSION BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, A DESIRE TO FOCUS A HUNDRED PERCENT OF OUR RESOURCES ON UPZONING EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE CITY, AND MAKING SURE THAT WE PROVIDE THE MOST VULNERABLE RESIDENTS WITH THE SUPPORT THAT THEY NEED.
AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT AS WE COMBINE ALL OF IT, THAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THAT BECAUSE I WOULD REALLY HATE FOR, UM, THE SUPPORT TO BE, TO PLAY SECOND FIDDLE TO, UH, THE ZONING, WHICH IS OF COURSE, EVERYONE'S, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW IT'S EVERYBODY'S FAVORITE THING, BUT, UM, THE SUPPORT'S IMPORTANT TOO.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS HENRY WARDIS, FOLLOWED BY HEATHER HOFFMAN.
HENRY, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF OUR REVOLUTION, REORGANIZATION OF OUR HOUSING SERVICES IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXAMINE THE CITY'S HOUSING MISSIONS AND TO CREATE DEPARTMENTS DESIGNED TO ACHIEVE OUR GOALS.
WE SUGGEST THAT ONE MISSION IS TO ADVOCATE FOR THE HOUSING NEEDS OF ALL CAMBRIDGE RESIDENTS FOR THIS PURPOSE.
BASED ON THE EXPERIENCE OF SEVERAL OF OUR NEIGHBORS, WE PROPOSED THE CREATION OF AN OFFICE OF HOUSING STABILITY.
THIS OFFICE WOULD HELP REHOUSE THE HOMELESS WORK TO PREVENT INVOLUNTARY DISPLACEMENT BY EVICTION, AND ADVOCATE FOR POLICIES AND PROGRAMS TO PROTECT AND ENHANCE THE RIGHTS OF TENANTS AND LOW INCOME HOMEOWNERS.
WITHIN THIS UNIT, THERE SHOULD BE A NEW COMMISSION OR COMMITTEE POPULATED BY TENANTS OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE HOUSING THAT FACILITATES COMMUNICATION BETWEEN RESIDENTS AND OWNERS AND HOUSING AGENCIES.
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A SECOND MISSION IS TO PROMOTE, TO, EXCUSE ME, IS TO PROMOTE THE PRESERVATION AND CREATION OF AFFORDABLE, SAFE, AND COMFORTABLE HOUSING FOR RESIDENTS AT ALL INCOME LEVELS.THIS MEANS PROMOTING THE MOST EFFECTIVE MECHANISMS, INCLUDING SOCIAL HOUSING, A COMMUNITY LAND TRUST PRIVATELY BUILT A HUNDRED PERCENT AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND MARKET RATE HOUSING.
HISTORICALLY, GROUPS THAT TAKE ON THIS WORK SPEND A FAIR AMOUNT OF TIME ON ZONING, AND THAT SEEMS APPROPRIATE.
WE FEEL THAT IT IS IMPORTANT TO ORGANIZE EACH OF THESE UNITS TO MEET INDIVIDUAL ADMISSIONS.
FOR THIS REASON, SEPARATE UNIT LEADERSHIP NEEDS TO BE BUILT ON THE PARTICULAR EXPERTISE REQUIRED TO REALIZE THE TWO MISSIONS.
COMBINING THE TWO UNDER A SINGLE LEADERSHIP WITH ONE SET OF EXPERTISE WOULD BE INAPPROPRIATE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS.
OUR FINAL SPEAKER WILL BE HEATHER HOFFMAN.
HELLO, HEATHER HOFFMAN, TWO 13 HURLEY STREET.
I WANNA THANK ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO SPOKE AHEAD OF ME.
I HAVE NO EXPERTISE WHATSOEVER IN CREATING SENSIBLE CORPORATE, UM, STRUCTURES OR GOVERNMENTAL STRUCTURES.
THE THING THAT I WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT IS, FIRST OF ALL, WHAT WILL BE A SETUP THAT WILL ALLOW PLANNING TO HAPPEN? WHAT WILL ALLOW, UM, OVERSIGHT TO HAPPEN? WHAT WILL ALLOW THE PEOPLE FOR WHOM THIS HOUSING IS, UM, CREATED TO LIVE IN IT AND TO LIVE GOOD LIVES IN IT? I AM UNCONVINCED THAT THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT HAVE NECESSARILY GONE INTO THIS.
UM, THE NOTION THAT, UH, THE PEOPLE WHO, WHO CREATE AND OVERSEE THE HOUSING WOULD HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH DECIDING WHAT THE ZONING SHOULD BE, AS I HEARD EARLIER, SEEMS LIKE A COMPLETE UTTER NON-STARTER TO ME.
UM, YOU SHOULD NOT BE CREATING ALL OF YOUR OWN RULES.
UM, AND I DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S THE EXPERTISE THAT, THAT PEOPLE HAVE.
SO PLEASE THINK ABOUT THIS IN SOMETHING OTHER THAN VICTORY TERMS IN, OH, WE DID ANOTHER FANTASTIC EFFICIENCY THING.
LET'S THINK ABOUT WHAT WE'LL DO THE JOB THAT EVERY CITY COUNSELOR PRESUMABLY SIGNED UP TO DO, WHICH IS TO SERVE ALL THE RESIDENTS OF THIS CITY.
THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT.
THERE'S, UH, ONE MORE SPEAKER.
J JAMES WILLIAMSON, CAMBRIDGE RESIDENT, LONGTIME CAMBRIDGE RESIDENT.
UM, AS USUAL, LIKE IT SEEMS LIKE A TINY GROUP OF PEOPLE ARE PUTTING FORWARD A PROPOSAL THAT ALMOST NOBODY IN THE, IN THE CITY KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT.
WE'RE GONNA DECIDE WHAT TO DO, WE'LL ANNOUNCE IT AND WE'LL GO AHEAD AND PASS IT.
AND PEOPLE ARE SCRATCHING THEIR HEADS WONDERING WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON? YOU'VE GOT SIX PEOPLE WHO BOTHERED TO, WHO WERE, YOU KNOW, PAID ENOUGH ATTENTION, CARE ENOUGH ABOUT IT, UM, TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS SO-CALLED PUBLIC HEARING.
I THINK THE WHOLE THING IS DISGRACEFUL.
IT'S SO TYPICAL OF THE WAY THINGS ARE DONE IN THIS CITY THESE DAYS.
THE PEOPLE MOST AFFECTED AREN'T PART OF THIS DISCUSSION AT ALL.
UM, I CONSIDER MYSELF TO BE ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE, UM, AS AN ELECTED MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF THE ALLIANCE OF CAMBRIDGE TENANTS, UM, PUT A LOT OF EFFORT INTO THESE ISSUES.
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NOBODY EXTENDED ANY INVITATION TO US THAT I'M AWARE OF, UM, TO PARTICIPATE IN ANY DISCUSSIONS PRECEDING THAT THIS, UH, UH, EFFORT SUCH AS IT IS, UM, AT THE VERY LEAST, THERE NEEDS TO.I THINK WE DESERVE AN EXTENSIVE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE ISSUES AT STAKE HERE.
UM, AND I DO LIKE SOME OF THE IDEAS THAT HAVE BEEN, UM, MENTIONED BY SOME OF THE PREVIOUS SPEAKERS, DAN TOTTEN, HENRY, UH, WARDIS, UH, UM, THE IDEA THAT SOME OF THE COMBINING, SOME OF IT MAKES SENSE, LUMPING IT TOGETHER.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THE PROPOSAL IS.
UH, AND I'M INTERESTED IN, I MAINLY TUNED IN TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS THAT'S BEING PROPOSED HERE.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE A LOT MORE TO SAY BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IT IS.
AND, BUT I DO THINK IT'S SO TYPICAL AND SO DISGRACEFUL THAT THINGS ARE DONE THIS WAY IN THIS CITY WHEN WE HAVE TO CONSTANTLY BE SUBJECTED TO RHETORIC ABOUT INCLUSIVENESS, ABOUT EQUITY, ABOUT ALL THAT GARBAGE.
AND IT'S NEVER PRACTICED BY THE PEOPLE WHO ARE RUNNING THE CITY.
THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT ON A MOTION BY COUNCILLOR NOLAN TO CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT.
[CITY MANAGER'S AGENDA]
CALENDAR ITEM NUMBER THREE ON THE CITY CALENDAR FOR PUBLIC DISCUSSION.SO ON A MOTION BY COUNCILOR GOVERN TO PULL THAT ITEM.
THIS WAS A COMMUNICATION TRANSMITTED FROM IAN WONG, CITY MANAGER RELATIVE TO A PLAN TO ALIGN ALL HOUSING AND HOMELESS SERVICES AND PROGRAMS INTO A UNIFIED HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
JUST BEFORE I GO TO YOU, CITY MANAGER, I WANTED TO REMIND FOLKS AROUND THE CHARTER, UH, SECTION FIVE DASH ONE.
THE CHARTER SPEAKS TO THE FACT THAT THE ORGANIZATION OF THE CITY AND TO OPERATING DEPARTMENTS TO PROVIDE SERVICES AND ADMINISTER THE GOVERNMENT MAY BE ACCOMPLISHED ONLY THROUGH AN ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER SUBMITTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL BY THE CITY MANAGER.
NO ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER MAY ORIGINATE WITH THE CITY COUNCIL.
AND FURTHER ON, IT DOES SAY THAT AN ORGANIZATION OR REORGANIZATION PLAN SHALL BECOME EFFECTIVE AT THE EXPIRATION OF 60 DAYS FOLLOWING THE DATE THE PROPOSAL SUBMITTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
UNLESS THE CITY COUNCIL SHALL BY A MAJORITY VOTE WITHIN THAT 60 DAY PERIOD, VOTE TO DISAPPROVE THE PLAN, THE CITY COUNCIL MAY VOTE ONLY TO APPROVE OR DISAPPROVE THE PLAN AND MAY NOT VOTE TO AMEND OR TO ALTER IT.
SO I KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN, UH, VARIOUS IDEAS AND OTHER, UM, SUGGESTIONS, UH, THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT FORWARD.
GIVEN THE LANGUAGE HERE, WE ARE LIMITED IN WHAT WE CAN ACTUALLY DO.
I THINK THOSE OUTSTANDING QUESTIONS.
UH, YOU KNOW, I HAD A BRIEF CONVERSATION WITH THE CITY MANAGER TODAY AROUND PROCESS, UM, FOLLOWING THAT, BUT I WANTED TO JUST SHARE THAT THAT'S KIND OF WHAT OUR CHARTER SAYS AROUND, WE HAVE THE POWER TO APPROVE OR DISAPPROVE, AND IF WE DON'T ACT, UH, IT AUTOMATICALLY WITHIN 60 DAYS, UM, IS APPROVED.
SO WANNA GET THAT, UH, STARTING OFF.
UH, BUT WE'LL GO TO THE CITY MANAGER AND THEN WE'LL OPEN IT UP TO CITY COUNCIL.
UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH MAYOR SIDIKI.
I'M HAPPY FOR US TO HAVE THIS PUBLIC HEARING AND, UH, THIS IS A BIT OF A NEW JOURNEY FOR ALL OF US.
SO APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING TOGETHER.
UH, OVER THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS, UM, THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF CONVERSATION ACROSS THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, UH, DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICE PROGRAMS, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, AND THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
UH, AS WE'VE BEEN THINKING THROUGH, UM, THIS REORGANIZATION, UM, I JUST WANTED TO INTRODUCE THE TEAM THAT'S HERE THIS EVENING.
THESE ARE THE FOLKS THAT ARE REALLY DOING THE WORK ON HOUSING ACROSS THE CITY.
UH, I HAVE CHRIS KOTTER, OUR HOUSING DIRECTOR, UH, MAURA SACK, UH, WHO LEADS OUR OFFICE OF THE HOUSING LIAISON, MARIA MEOW, WHO DIRECTS THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER.
CASSIE ARNO, OUR SENIOR MANAGER FOR HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.
ANNA DO MATCH OUR SENIOR MANAGER FOR HOME OWNERSHIP.
ALEXIS BUCKLEY, OUR SENIOR INCLUSIONARY RENTAL HOUSING MANAGER, UH, AND NOT ABLE TO JOIN US TONIGHT.
UH, BUT VERY MUCH PART OF THE TEAM IS LIZ MENGER, WHO'S OUR MANAGER OF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT FOR, UH, DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICE PROGRAMS. UH, HER TEAM REALLY OVERSEES A LOT OF THE MAJOR GRANT PROGRAMS AND ALSO COORDINATES THE WORK ON CONTINUUM
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OF CARE.UM, SO THIS IS THE TEAM THAT I THINK WE ARE TALKING ABOUT.
AND, UH, WHAT I WOULD SHARE IN, IN SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS THAT I'VE HAD, UM, YOU KNOW, THE CITY IS DOING INCREDIBLE WORK ON HOUSING.
AND AS MUCH AS THERE'S BEEN SOME CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN BOSTON AND SOMERVILLE, I THINK AS WE HAVE THE DISCUSSION TONIGHT, YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE IS SO MUCH THAT IS HAPPENING ACROSS THESE DEPARTMENTS.
UM, WHAT THIS PROPOSAL REPRESENTS IS, UH, OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, WHAT I'VE ACTUALLY SEEN IS A LOT OF THE WORK IS ALREADY HAPPENING IN COLLABORATIONS ACROSS THESE TEAMS. UH, WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE WORK THAT WAS HAPPENING IN 2024 THROUGH 2025 ON THE EMERGENCY FAMILY SHELTERS THAT THE STATE OPENED UP IN THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE, WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE ONE 16 NORFOLK PROJECT, UH, PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING FOR PEOPLE COMING OUT OF HOMELESSNESS THAT OPENED, THIS IS 60 BEDS IN CENTRAL SQUARE.
WHEN I LOOK AT THE MUNICIPAL VOUCHER PROGRAM, ALL OF THESE INITIATIVES ACTUALLY REQUIRED SIGNIFICANT COORDINATION AND COLLABORATION ACROSS THESE TEAMS. UH, BUT WE ACTUALLY HAVE FOUR TEAMS THAT ARE REPORTING ACROSS THREE DIFFERENT STRUCTURES.
THE OFFICE OF THE HOUSING LIAISON REPORT WAS CREATED BY THE CITY COUNCIL AND REPORTS DIRECTLY TO THE CITY MANAGER.
UH, WE HAVE THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT THAT OVERSEES THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST, UM, AS WELL AS BOTH HOUSING DEVELOPMENT, HOME OWNERSHIP PROGRAMS, AND INCLUSIONARY SITTING WITHIN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER AND OUR PLANNING, UH, AND DEVELOPMENT, UH, GROUP THAT SITS WITHIN HUMAN SERVICE PROGRAMS. UM, AND I THINK THE STRUCTURE BOTH WORKS, BUT ACTUALLY HAVING A MORE UNIFIED APPROACH REFLECTS THE WORK THAT'S ALREADY HAPPENING.
UM, AND THAT'S THE PROPOSAL BEFORE US TODAY.
AND SO WE ARE THINKING ABOUT THIS AS THREE, UH, AS THREE AREAS WITH FIVE DIVISIONS.
AND SO IN THE MEMO, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A HOUSING AND SERVICES AREA THAT INCLUDES HOUSING SUPPORT SERVICES AND HOMELESSNESS PROGRAM PLANNING.
THE SECOND AREA IS AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAMS, AND THIS IS THE AFFORDABLE RENTAL PROGRAMS AND THE HOME OWNERSHIP PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE RUNNING.
AND THE THIRD AREA IS AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING, WHICH IS, UH, WHICH IS REALLY ABOUT DEVELOPMENT OF NEW, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND THAT'S WHERE MOST OF THE WORK WITH THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST SITS.
UM, I THINK THERE HAS BEEN A LITTLE BIT OF CONVERSATION ABOUT THE BROADER HOUSING AND ZONING WORK THAT'S HAPPENING WITHIN THE CITY.
OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF THAT IS LED WITHIN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, BUT WE WOULD SEE ZONING AS A SEPARATE TEAM.
IT WILL CONTINUE TO SIT SEPARATELY AS PART OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
AND THE BROADER MANDATE OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT TO FUNCTION AS OUR PLANNING DEPARTMENT, UH, WITHIN THE CITY WILL REMAIN.
UH, AND SO I THINK, I THINK JUST TO CLARIFY A LITTLE BIT, WE'RE REALLY THINKING ABOUT HOUSING SERVICES, AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAMS, AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING.
UM, AND SO, UH, I THINK THOSE ARE THE, THOSE ARE THE MAIN POINTS.
UH, JUST TO OPEN WITH, UH, WE REALLY BELIEVE THAT THIS IMPROVED ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE IS GOING TO BETTER SUPPORT STAFF IN DOING THE WORK.
IT WILL BE A SINGLE AND CLEARER WAY TO PRESENT THE CITY'S HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES FOR RESIDENTS AND PROVIDERS IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND IT WILL CREATE A STRUCTURE THAT WILL IMPROVE SOME OF THAT COORDINATION THAT'S ALREADY HAPPENING AND CREATE MORE CLARITY FOR ALL OF US AS WE THINK ABOUT WHERE THIS WORK REALLY SITS.
UM, SO THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE JUST SOME OPENING THOUGHTS.
AND MAYBE, UM, I WAS GONNA TURN IT OVER TO, UH, UH, DIRECTOR KOTTER AND, UH, AND, UH, MS. SACK TO ALSO SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF THE VISION BEHIND THIS AND HOW WE CAME HERE.
CITY MANAGER WONG, AND THROUGH YOU, UM, MAYOR SIDIKI.
SO YEAH, AS THE CITY MANAGER SAID, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT, UM, UH, AND PUTTING TOGETHER OVER THE LAST, UH, COUPLE MONTHS.
UH, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT MAKES SENSE TO US AS WE LOOK AT THE RANGE OF, OF PROGRAMS AND HOUSING SUPPORT THAT'S AVAILABLE IN THE CITY.
UH, AND THINKING OF BUILDING AND CEMENTING SOME OF THE COLLABORATIONS THAT WE'VE SEEN DEVELOP OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, UH, INTO THESE, THE STRUCTURE SO THAT WE ARE MORE ALIGNED, WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER MORE CLEARLY.
UM, UH, THAT, THAT AND THAT COLLABORATION WILL THEN, UH, LAST ON A GOING FORWARD BASIS.
I THINK I, I'D SAY THAT THIS HAS BEEN BUILDING FOR THE LAST FOUR OR FIVE YEARS, I THINK.
I FEEL LIKE WHEN WE, UH, UH, FIRST STARTED, UH, THE HOUSING STABILIZATION PROGRAM IN RESPONSE TO, TO COVID, ID UH, IT REALLY BROUGHT US TOGETHER IN A WAY RESPONDING TO RESIDENT NEEDS AND STANDING UP A PROGRAM, UH, PRACTICALLY OVERNIGHT.
UH, AND REALLY BEGAN A, A PERIOD OF COLLABORATION THAT WE'VE NOW EXPANDED ON, UH, AND CONTINUE, UH, UH, TO PROVIDE.
UH, BUT RECOGNIZING THAT A LOT OF THAT COLLABORATION IS HAPPENING BETWEEN, UH, CERTAIN STAFF ON THE TEAMS. UH, TEAMS ARE THEMSELVES, ARE STILL NOT INTEGRATED, FOLKS ARE STILL WORKING, UH, IN
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THEIR INDIVIDUAL TEAMS, UH, WITHOUT NECESSARILY SEEING THE, THE BIGGER PICTURE OR THE FULL RANGE OF, OF, OF HOUSING SUPPORT AND SERVICES THAT'S AVAILABLE, UH, IN THE CITY THROUGH, THROUGH THE, THE, THE VARIOUS TEAMS. SO, UH, THE IDEA HERE TO BRING THE TEAMS TOGETHER TO, UH, EXPAND UPON THE COLLABORATION THAT'S NOW HAPPENING BETWEEN KEY STAFF ON THE TEAMS, UH, TO HELP PEOPLE WORKING ON HOUSING PROGRAMS, UH, BE PART OF A LARGER, UH, COMBINED TEAM WORKING TO SUPPORT THE, THE NEEDS OF HOUSING NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY AND OF RESIDENTS, UH, MADE A LOT OF SENSE TO US AND WILL HELP, UH, FOLKS ON THOSE TEAMS BE BETTER TRAINED AND, AND UNDERSTAND WHAT'S AVAILABLE WHERE, AND, UH, THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN, UH, CASE MANAGERS AT, AT, AT THE, UH, HOUSING LIAISON'S, UH, OFFICE AND, UM, HOUSING ADVOCATES AT THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER.UH, AND TO HAVE THOSE STAFF BETTER KEYED IN AND, AND CONNECTED WITH FOLKS THAT ARE WORKING WITH RESIDENTS THAT ARE IN OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAMS, LIKE THE INCLUSIONARY RENTAL PROGRAM OR OUR AFFORDABLE HOME OWNERSHIP PROGRAM, TO REALLY BUILD THOSE LINKAGES IN A WAY THAT BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER, UH, OUTSIDE OF PARTICULAR NEEDS, BUT KIND OF BUILDS THAT NETWORK WHERE WE HAVE A, A COMBINED, UH, A COHESIVE TEAM.
AND SO WE'VE, WE'VE BEGUN TO DO THAT WITH JUST, UH, UH, SOME DISCUSSION WITH TEAMS ABOUT THE, THE PLAN, WHAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON.
UH, WE, WE LOOK FORWARD TO DOING MORE OF THAT, BUT, UH, ARE HERE TODAY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS, UH, FROM, FROM YOU ALL AND TO HEAR, UH, YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT IT.
AND, UH, WE HOPE HAVE YOUR APPROVAL TO, TO, TO ALLOW US TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS AND, AND CONTINUE THAT WORK.
SO A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, BACKGROUND AND I'LL ASK MS. PENZA IF SHE HAS ANYTHING TO ADD.
UM, SIMILARLY, I THINK I REALLY, I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
I'M EXCITED THAT WE WILL HAVE ONE STOP SHOPPING A HOUSING DEPARTMENT, AND EVERYONE WILL KNOW WHERE TO GO.
WHETHER THEY'RE GOING FOR A QUESTION ABOUT, UM, AFFORDABLE RENTAL PROGRAMS OR TO GET RENTAL ASSISTANCE, OR THEY HAVE A TENANT WRITES IT, UH, QUESTION RIGHT NOW WE WORK REALLY WELL TOGETHER, BUT THERE IS A BETTER WAY TO DO IT.
WE'VE HAD A GREAT DECENTRALIZED MODEL THAT I'VE BELIEVED IN THAT I'VE PROMOTED.
WE'VE HAD THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER, UM, PROVIDING A LOT OF THE SERVICES FOR A REALLY LONG TIME.
AND THEN 2019 WHEN THE HOUSING LIAISON POSITION WAS CREATED, AND THEN WE'VE ADDED STAFF ALONG THE WAY.
UM, WE COLLABORATE, WE TALK, BUT HAVING ONE STANDARD MISSION AND ONE WAY OF PLANNING AND DOING THE BUDGET, I THINK WILL BE MUCH MORE EFFICIENT AND MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE.
UH, WE'LL GO ON TO QUESTIONS FROM THE BODY.
I'LL SAY PLEASE START WITH TWO QUESTIONS, AND THEN WE'LL GO FROM THERE.
COUNCILLOR NOLAN AND THEN COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN.
FIRST, I'M REALLY GLAD WE'RE HERE TO DISCUSS.
AND AS THE MAYOR NOTED, AND THE CITY MANAGER NOTED, THE CHARTER CHANGES WERE A REALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN TRANSPARENCY IN OPENNESS AND GOOD GOVERNANCE.
THIS WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED UNDER THE OLD CHARTER, AND I THINK IT'S BETTER FOR EVERYBODY, THE COMMUNITY, INCLUDING I THINK, THE STAFF.
SO I'M THRILLED THAT THAT IS HAPPENING.
AND SECONDLY, THE FACT IS OUR CITY IS A LEADER IN PRETTY MUCH ALL THE AREAS OF HOUSING IN THE COMMONWEALTH.
OUR WORK OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS IN PARTICULAR, IS TRULY ASTONISHING IN FUNDING.
WE HAVE TRIPLED THE FUNDING GOING TO THE TRUST OVER THE LAST 15 YEARS IN THE PROVISION OF SERVICES HOUSING, THE BOSTON AREA HOUSING REPORT CARD CONFIRMS THAT OUR SERVICES ARE AT LEAST ON A PAR, IF NOT ABOVE ALL OTHERS ALREADY.
I WOULD ARGUE IT'S ABOVE, ALTHOUGH WE ACKNOWLEDGE THERE ARE STILL HOUSING NEEDS.
AND NOT TO BE MINIMIZED, BUT IT STILL IS TRUE, I CHALLENGE ANYONE TO CHALLENGE THIS, THAT IF EVERY MUNICIPALITY IN THE GREATER BOSTON AREA PRODUCED WHAT WE DID AND PROVIDED THE SERVICES WE DO, THE PROBLEM WOULD BE FAR LESS URGENT AND SALIENT.
I DO HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS THOUGH.
SO, UM, WE DO PHENOMENAL AMOUNT OF WORK, ESPECIALLY IN TERMS OF HOUSING STABILITY, HOMELESSNESS, I WILL SAY IT WOULD ALSO HELP THAT SOMETIMES I CALL MS. PENZA, SOMETIMES I CALL DIRECTOR KOTTER OR SEE HIM.
I, THIS WILL BE GREAT IF ALL OF US KNOW THERE'S JUST ONE POINT OF CONTACT.
UM, 'CAUSE I'M NEVER EVEN SURE I'M NOT AS SAVVY ABOUT WHO IT IS WHO WOULD TAKE CARE OF IT.
SO I THINK JUST FROM THAT POINT OF VIEW, IT SEEMS BENEFICIAL.
SO THE QUESTION IS, WILL ALL THE SAME POINTS OF CONTACT FOR RESIDENTS AND ALSO DEVELOPERS, RIGHT? THEY ARE ALSO COMING IN AND TALKING, ALTHOUGH IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT MAY BE A SEPARATE THING.
IF I'M A DEVELOPER PRODUCING HOUSING, I WILL STILL GO TO ZONING.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S A CLARITY THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO KNOW.
AND JUST, YOU KNOW, THE EXPECTED BENEFITS IN TERMS OF HOW THE RESIDENTS WILL BE ACTING WITH THE DEPARTMENT WOULD BE A, A GOOD THING TO KNOW AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
I'LL TAKE THAT AND, UH, ANSWER IT AND ASK MORE IF SHE'S GOT ANYTHING TO ADD.
BUT I'D SAY, UH, THE APPROACH HERE IS, UM, TO NOT CHANGE THINGS THAT DON'T NEED TO BE CHANGED.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE NOT ENVISIONING ANY CHANGES TO, TO CORE CITY SERVICES.
SO, UH, THE TEAM THAT YOU SEE HERE TODAY WOULD CONTINUE TO BE THE TEAM WORKING ON THAT.
THAT THE PROGRAMS, UH, THAT WE, WE NOW OFFER, UH, RELATIONSHIPS
[00:30:01]
WILL BE PRESERVED.UM, RESIDENTS WORKING WITH, UH, UH, SUPPORT TO THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE THE SUPPORT FROM THE SAME STAFF.
SAME WITH THE, THE OHL, UH, DEVELOPERS WHO ARE WORKING WITH, UH, US TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE FOLKS IN OUR DEPARTMENT THAT, UH, FOCUS ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND I THINK THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OF THE, THE OTHER THING THAT WE'VE SEEN AND, AND LOOKING AT HOW THE DEPARTMENT, UH, HAS EVOLVED OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS.
WE'RE VERY DIFFERENT NOW THAN WE WERE 20 YEARS AGO.
GIVEN ALL THE WORK THAT'S HAPPENED, GIVEN ALL THE, UM, SUCCESS, UH, GIVEN THE, THE, THE NEW PROGRAMS, NEW INITIATIVES THAT HAVE BEEN PUT INTO PLACE.
SO 20 YEARS AGO, WE DIDN'T HAVE A, A TEAM OF STAFF THAT WERE WORKING ON OUR, UH, HOME OWNERSHIP PROGRAMS. WE WERE STILL WORKING WITH HOMEOWNERS, BUT WE WEREN'T REALLY, UH, ABLE AND STAFF TO, TO, TO WORK WITH THEM IN THE WAY THAT WE ARE NOW.
UH, SAME THING WITH, UH, RENTAL TEAM THAT'S WORKING WITH NOW OVER A THOUSAND RESIDENTS LIVING IN INCLUSIONARY RENTAL HOUSING.
SAME THING WITH ALL THE WORK THAT WE DO WITH, UH, UH, DEVELOPERS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
GIVEN THE, THE TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF FUNDING THAT WE'RE ABLE TO OFFER AND THE, UH, UH, OTHER STRATEGIES THAT WE USE TO, TO ADVANCE THAT.
I THINK THE, THE SAME CAN BE SAID ABOUT, UH, MARS TEAM AT THE HOUSING LIAISON'S OFFICE IN THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER.
WE'RE, WE'RE MUCH BIGGER THAN WE WERE 20 YEARS AGO, AND WE'VE GROWN IN A WAY THAT'S NOT ALWAYS COORDINATED.
AND HERE'S A WAY TO TO, TO TRY TO BRING IT IN, MAKE IT MORE COORDINATED AND ALLOW IT TO EVOLVE MORE TOGETHER RATHER THAN POTENTIALLY, UH, SEPARATELY.
MA, ANYTHING YOU'D ADD ABOUT? THANK YOU.
I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD AT THIS TIME.
HAPPY TO HEAR OTHER QUESTIONS FROM, FROM THE BODY, BUT CERTAINLY, UM, AS THE MAYOR SAID, WE'LL EITHER SUPPORT OR NOT, AND I'M, I'M FULLY IN SUPPORT, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THE PEOPLE I RESPECT A LOT IN THIS CITY HAVE JUST SAID THEY THINK IT'LL MAKE THEIR THEIR JOBS EVEN BETTER.
AND IT'S ALREADY PHENOMENAL SERVICES THAT WE'RE PROVIDING, AND I'M ETERNALLY GRATEFUL FOR THAT.
THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR THROUGH YOU.
UM, YEAH, I, I THINK THIS IS, THIS IS A GREAT IDEA.
UM, I JUST HAD A, UM, SINGLE MOM IN MY OFFICE TODAY, UM, WHO WAS, UH, F FORCED TO LEAVE HER RESIDENCE, UM, FAMILY RESIDENCE DUE TO SOME ISSUES, UH, AND IS COUCH SURFING.
AND I HAD TO BASICALLY SAY, WELL, OKAY, WE'LL TALK TO MAURA, THE FAMILY LIAISON ABOUT WHAT PROGRAMS YOU PROVIDE.
THEN I'M GONNA CALL LIZ MENGER ABOUT A FAMILY SHELTER, JUST IN CASE YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T COUCH COUCH SURF ANYMORE.
AND THEN WE'LL TALK, TALK TO CHRIS CARTER ABOUT INCLUSION.
YOU KNOW, BASICALLY, I DIDN'T REALLY NAME EVERYBODY'S NAMES, BUT I MEAN, BUT THAT'S THE REALITY OF THOSE OF US WHO, OF THE COUNSELORS WHO HAVE FOLKS COME INTO OUR OFFICE OR CALL US ALL THE TIME WITH THESE TYPES OF ISSUES.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT'S CONFUSING OR, OR DAUNTING FOR ME,
I TOLD THIS PERSON THIS AND THIS PERSON THAT, AND THIS PERSON THAT, I MEAN, IT, IT, IT MAKES EVERYTHING MUCH MORE COMPLICATED.
UM, AND AGAIN, NOT JUST FOR US AND WE'RE THE LEAST IMPORTANT OF, OF THAT, RIGHT? IT'S FOR THE PEOPLE WHO WE'RE TRYING TO HELP AND WHO WE'RE TRYING TO SERVE.
SO HAVING FOLKS TOGETHER, UM, IS IMPORTANT.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE HEARD A LOT IN PUBLIC COMMENT ABOUT THIS WHOLE, YOU KNOW, SOMERVILLE HAS THIS OFFICE OF HOUSING STABILITY.
WE, WE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS FOR A LONG TIME.
I, WE CONTINUE TO POINT OUT THAT OUR CITY DOES ALL THE SAME THINGS THAT THE OFFICE OF HOUSING STABILITY DOES IN SOMERVILLE.
AND, AND YOU TALK TO SOME PEOPLE IN SOMERVILLE, THEY WOULD ACTUALLY THINK THAT WE DO MORE.
UM, I DON'T CARE WHAT WE CALL THIS, IF IT'S GONNA MAKE PEOPLE HAPPY TO CALL IT A OFFICE OF HOUSING STABILITY,
I CARE ABOUT THE SERVICES BEING DONE AND BEING OFFERED AND THE WAY IN WHICH WE'RE SUPPORTING PEOPLE.
AND I HAVE, AGAIN, GREAT CONFIDENCE IN IN THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE DOING THAT.
SO, UM, I GUESS MY QUESTION, UM, THROUGH YOU MADAM MAYOR IS, AND, AND THIS COULD BE COMPLICATED, I KNOW WE'RE, WE DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF, UH, SPACE, UH, IN THE CITY FOR CITY SPACE, IS THE PLAN TO GET EVERYBODY UNDER ONE ROOF AT SOME POINT.
I MEAN, IT WOULD BE NICE TO ACTUALLY HAVE AN ADDRESS AND A PLACE TO SAY, YOU NEED TO GO TO 52 WOMEN STREET OR WHATEVER, AND THEN EVERYBODY'S THERE AND, UH, SOMEONE CAN GO AND THEN THEY GET ALL THE SERVICES AND ALL THE QUESTIONS THEY ANSWERED.
SO IS THAT PART OF THIS PLAN IN AT SOME POINT, UH, THROUGH YOU, MAYOR SADIKI? UH, I THINK THIS IS A GREAT QUESTION.
UM, SHORT TERM, UH, WE ARE, UH, WE ARE NOT PROPOSING ANY MAJOR SPACE REORGANIZATIONS.
[00:35:01]
THERE'S CONVERSATIONS AS WE THINK ABOUT SPACE AND, UM, HOW WE CAN PUT TEAMS TOGETHER.UM, I DO THINK THAT, UM, A LOT OF WHAT THIS REPRESENTS IS, AS YOU'RE NOTING, UM, COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN, UM, GETTING PEOPLE THAT ARE ALREADY WORKING TOGETHER.
UH, BUT IT'S THE BEHIND THE SCENES, IT'S BEING ABLE TO HAVE REGULAR TEAM MEETINGS.
IT'S BUILDING A CULTURE WITHIN A TEAM WHERE EVEN THOUGH THESE ARE OBVIOUSLY VERY DIFFERENT KINDS OF WORK, THERE ARE SUCH STRANDS THAT CONNECT THEM.
UM, AND, AND SO I THINK THAT CO-LOCATION LONGER TERM IS SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD CERTAINLY ASPIRE TO.
UM, BUT JUST, JUST TO SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE, I THINK, UM, I THINK WHAT I DO LOVE IS THERE'S THIS, THIS END OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING ON THE DEVELOPMENT SIDE THAT I THINK OFTENTIMES WE DON'T SEE AS CONNECTED ENOUGH TO THE SERVICE SIDE.
AND YET WHEN WE THINK ABOUT SOME OF THE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING PROJECTS, THE POLICY WORK THAT WAS HAPPENING AROUND HOW WE FIGURE OUT WHO'S PRIORITIZED AND WHO GOES INTO THAT, THERE'S ACTUALLY BEEN A CLEAR, UNDER A CLEARER UNDERSTANDING OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS OF HOW CONNECTED ALL OF THIS WORK IS.
AND ESPECIALLY AS THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST HAS BEEN FUNDING MORE WORK TO SUPPORT THE HOMELESSNESS WORK THAT WE'RE DOING, UM, I REALLY, I'M REALLY ACTUALLY QUITE EXCITED ABOUT SEEING THIS COME TOGETHER AND SEEING OUR TEAMS, UM, JUST MUCH MORE CONNECTED AND SPENDING TIME TOGETHER.
UM, AND I JUST THANK YOU MADAM MAYOR THROUGH YOU.
UM, YEAH, I, I I HOPE WE, WE CONTINUE TO THINK ABOUT ORGANIZING PEOPLE TOGETHER.
I JUST THINK OF, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT WITH KENDALL SQUARE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, HAVING ALL THOSE COMPANIES SIDE BY SIDE WHERE THEY CAN TALK TO EACH OTHER AND MEET WITH JUST, UM, BEING IN THE SAME VICINITY IS IMPORTANT.
YOU KNOW, I SORT OF PICTURE A TIME WHERE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, MS. PENZA COULD BE WALKING OUT OF HER OFFICE AND BUMP INTO DIRECTOR KOTTER AND SAY, OH, BY THE WAY, JUST, YOU KNOW, AS OPPOSED TO PICKING UP A PHONE OR DROPPING AN EMAIL.
SO THOSE, HAVING PEOPLE UNDER ONE ROOF WILL CREATE A MUCH CLOSER RELATIONSHIP AND I THINK WILL ULTIMATELY BE BETTER FOR THE PEOPLE THAT WE'RE ALL TRYING TO SERVE.
SO, I, I HOPE THAT DOESN'T, I KNOW IT'S A LONG-TERM THING, BUT I HOPE IT IS.
I THINK THAT WOULD MAKE THINGS MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE.
COUNCILOR SUZI, AND THEN COUNCILLOR FLAHERTY.
I ALSO WANNA COMMEND ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR WORK.
I MEAN, TO CURRENTLY HAVE FOUR TEAMS WORKING IN THREE DEPARTMENTS SOUNDS A LITTLE PROBLEMATIC.
AND EVEN, EVEN IF YOU'RE ALL CONNECTING WITH ONE ANOTHER, UM, SO IT MAKES SENSE.
MY, MY QUESTION IS, SO WHO WILL THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT REPORT TO, UH, THROUGH YOU? MAYOR SADIKI, UH, THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT WILL REPORT TO DIRECTOR KOTTER AND THEN TO ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER.
UH, WELL, I KNEW PEOPLE WOULD BE REPORTING TO, UM, TO HOUSING DIRECTOR KOTTER, BUT I JUST, IT WASN'T CLEAR IN THE MEMO THAT THEN HE WOULD BE REPORTING TO, UM, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
AGAIN, I, I THINK THIS SEEMS LIKE A GREAT IDEA.
THE, THE QUESTION I HAD IS, I, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UM, HOUSING DIRECTOR KOTTER HAS THE TIME TO DO LIKE VISIONING.
LIKE YOU'RE GONNA, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A PRETTY BIG DEPARTMENT NOW, AND I DON'T WANT YOU TO LOSE SIGHT OF, YOU KNOW, EVALUATING WHO WE'RE HOUSING, WHAT OUR NEED HOUSING NEEDS ARE.
AND, UM, I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE SOCIAL HOUSING IDEA.
SO I REALLY DON'T WANT US TO LOSE THAT.
AND I AGREE, THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST IDEA, I, IF, IF, AGAIN, IF THIS GROUP HAS A, YOU KNOW, A A CREDIBLE BUSINESS PLAN, I HOPE WE CAN SUPPORT IT.
BUT I JUST, I, I WANT YOU TO HAVE THE FREEDOM ALONG WITH MANAGING THIS BROADER STAFF TO BE THINKING ABOUT HOW WE CAN BEST, UM, HOUSE OUR MIDDLE CLASS AND, AND JUST SOLVE, OVERALL, DO A REAL ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING NEEDS, AS WELL AS, UM, DOING ALL, ALL THESE, ALL THESE MAJOR THINGS, UM, THAT ARE, THAT ARE SO IMPORTANT.
UM, SO THANK YOU IYE, COUNCILOR FLAHERTY, UM, THROUGH YOU, MADAM MAYOR.
I JUST WANNA SAY THIS IS A NO BRAINER AND, UH, I APPLAUD ALL OF YOUR EFFORTS.
AND COUNCILOR, UH, MCGOVERN, UM, BEAT ME TO THE QUESTION.
HOUSING ALL OF THESE SERVICES IN ONE LOCATION, I THINK IS ESSENTIAL.
UH, I THINK THE POPULATION THAT IS IN MOST NEED OF THE SERVICES REQUIRES THAT PUBLIC FACING COMPONENT.
LIKE THE YOUNG LADY THAT, UH, VISITED COUNCIL MCGOVERN TODAY, I HAPPEN TO SPEAK WITH HER, AND I BUMPED INTO HER ON THE STREET ON MASS AVE A MOMENT AGO.
AND JUST IN THAT BRIEF INTERACTION, I CAN TELL YOU THE FACT THAT SHE RECOGNIZED, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE IN
[00:40:01]
THE CITY HALL THAT'S WILLING TO HELP IS A BIG DEAL.SO TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN FIND, UM, SPACE TO HAVE THIS CENTRALIZED, UH, ESSENTIAL SERVICES ALL LOCATED UNDER ONE ROOF, I THINK IS, UH, CRITICAL.
SO THAT'S THE ONLY POINT I WANTED TO MAKE, BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH ON THIS SIDE.
COUNCILOR ZUBI? YEAH, THANK YOU MADAM MAYOR, AND, AND THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION AND, AND YOUR WORK ON THIS.
I THINK IT'S A GREAT CONVERSATION TO BE HAVING, AND I KNOW, LIKE YOU MENTIONED MADAM CHAIR, THE CHARTER REQUIRES US TO HOLD THE HEARING, BUT HOPEFULLY THE CONVERSATION DOESN'T START AND STOP HERE.
UM, ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW WHEN I AM NOW UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS WILL STILL BE HOUSED UNDER CDD, UM, EVEN THOUGH WE ARE CONSOLIDATING THE DIFFERENT SERVICES AND PIECES WITHIN THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT UNDER CDD, AND, UH, I THINK THAT'S GONNA BEG THE QUESTION ON HOW EITHER THIS WILL SERVE OUR RESIDENTS OR, OR FAIL TO.
SO I, I GUESS SOME QUESTIONS I'M HOLDING ARE RIGHT NOW, WHAT IS THE VALUE ADD IN, IN COMBINING THESE UNDER CDD, UH, WHICH IN MY MIND RIGHT NOW, SERVICES ARE DISTINCTLY DIFFERENT FROM LIKE ZONING AND DEVELOPMENT.
SO COULD YOU WALK US THROUGH THE, THAT PIECE OF IT? UH, SURE.
UM, I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE TWO MAJOR DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE HOUSING THE DIFFERENT HOUSING WORK STREAM, UH, DEPARTMENTS WOULD BE HUMAN SERVICES, WHERE WE HAVE THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER AND THEN, UH, PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT, UH, WHICH IS MANAGING A LOT OF THE CONTINUUM OF CARE AND, AND THE GRANTS THAT WE'RE GETTING.
AND THEN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
UM, IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, WHICH SIDE OF THE HOUSE TO PUT IT ON, UH, IT FELT LIKE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT MADE MORE SENSE.
UM, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY AT SOME POINT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO DECIDE WHERE TO, YOU KNOW, WHERE TO MAKE, UH, SOME SORT OF DIVISION.
BUT I THINK WHEN, WHEN I LOOKED AT THE WORK THAT THE TEAMS ARE ACTUALLY DOING, THERE'S A LOT MORE WORK THAT LIZ MENGERS AND THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT AND CONTINUUM OF CARE WORK IS HAPPENING, OR MARIA MELLOW AND HER TEAM IN THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER.
A LOT OF THAT WORK IS REALLY SHIFTING OVER CLOSER TO THE WORK WE'RE DOING ON DEVELOPING NEW HOUSING, THE WORK WE'RE DOING, SERVING PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAMS COMPARED TO WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING IN HUMAN SERVICES.
UM, AND SO YOUTH PROGRAMS, SENIOR PROGRAMS, UM, I DON'T THINK IT'S NECESSARILY LIKE A BLACK AND WHITE ISSUE.
I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF SHADES OF GRAY IN TERMS OF WHICH SIDE TO LEAN ON.
UM, BUT I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, THE, THE SENSE OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AS DOING ONLY PLANNING IS ALSO NOT ENTIRELY CORRECT.
WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE WORK THAT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT IS DOING, UM, THERE IS A LOT OF SERVICE PROGRAMS THAT THEY ARE, UH, THAT THEY'RE BUILDING AND PUTTING OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY WITH SMALL AND LOCAL BUSINESSES.
UM, AND SO, UM, IT'S NOT THAT I THINK COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IS ONLY DOING ZONING.
UM, AND, AND YOU KNOW, I THINK ULTIMATELY AS WE'RE DOING THIS WORK, THERE IS A LOT OF HOW WE THINK ABOUT SUPPORTING THESE TEAMS. UM, AND SO THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING IN THE BACKGROUND ON BOTH ENSURING THAT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT HAS THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO MANAGE A LOT OF THE MAJOR GRANTS THAT ARE COMING THROUGH, AND I THINK ULTIMATELY SUPPORT SOME OF THE FRONTLINE WORK THAT'S HAPPENING IN THE OFFICE OF THE HOUSING LIAISON AND THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER.
ALL OF THAT IS, UH, ON OUR RADAR PART OF HOW WE'RE THINKING ABOUT ROLLING THIS OUT.
UM, AND I THINK AN IMPORTANT PART TO GET RIGHT.
THANK YOU FOR YEAH, THANK YOU FOR SHARING A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT.
SO I'M UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU ALL WERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHETHER IT WAS GONNA BE BETWEEN D-D-H-S-P OR CDD, AND I'M CURIOUS, WAS THERE A DISCUSSION AROUND A THIRD OPTION OF GOING INDEPENDENT AND STRUCTURING THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT AS ITS OWN, RIGHT? LIKE, I KNOW COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN BROUGHT UP THIS IDEA AROUND FOLKS CARING ABOUT A OFFICE OF HOUSING STABILITY.
WE KNOW THAT BOSTON AND SOMERVILLE ARE, UH, THEY BOTH ALSO HAVE THAT.
SO I'M JUST CURIOUS TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT DISCUSSION AROUND IT BEING ITS OWN VERSUS BEING HOUSED UNDER CDD.
UH, MS. PENZA, DO YOU WANNA, OR YOU OR DIRECTOR CROWD, DO YOU WANNA SPEAK TO THAT? SURE.
THROUGH YOU, MADAM MAYOR? UM, I THINK A COUPLE OF THINGS IN TERMS OF IT BEING PART OF CDD, UM, WE REALLY SEE IT AS BEING PART OF THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT THAT WAS NAMED AS A HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
SO YES, IT'S CONNECTED TO CDD, BUT IT'S ALSO THE EXISTING NOW HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
UM, AND IN TERMS OF IT BEING PART OF DHSP, UM, I AGREE WITH THE CITY MANAGER THAT, YOU KNOW, IT COULD GO SORT OF EITHER WAY, BUT IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT DHS PS HAS MANY, MANY, MANY DIFFERENT PROGRAMS, AND WE HAVE SOMETHING CALLED THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT, AND WE, A LOT OF THE WORK WE'RE DOING IS HOUSING AND HOUSING
[00:45:01]
SERVICES.I THINK IT'S CLEARER FOR PEOPLE, FOR, FOR THE RESIDENTS, FOR THE PEOPLE THAT WE SERVE, THAT IT IS ALL PART OF ONE, AND THAT WE HAVE A FULL CONTINUUM.
I THINK THE OTHER THING IS THAT, YOU KNOW, IN THIS WAY, AND I I, I THINK IT'S COME OUT A LITTLE BIT IN WHAT, UM, DIRECTOR TER AND, UH, CITY MANAGER HAVE MENTIONED IS THAT THE SERVICES WE'RE LOOKING FOR, THE SERVICES, UM, AND THE ON THE GROUND WORK TO INFORM OR TO INFORM MORE, UM, THE, THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT AND THE KIND OF HOUSING THAT, THAT WE'RE, UM, LOOKING TO BUILD IN TERM IN TERMS OF THE HOUSE OFFICE OF HOUSING STABILITY.
I JUST WANNA CALL OUT FOR A FEW MINUTES.
UM, I, IN MY PREVIOUS JOB, I WAS AROUND WHEN THE OFFICE OF HOUSING STABILITY WAS STARTED IN BOSTON, AND I AM VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE STARTUP OF THE OFFICE OF HOUSING STABILITY IN SOMERVILLE.
AND I THINK A REALLY IMPORTANT PIECE TO, UM, TO KNOW IS THAT NEITHER OF THOSE CITIES HAD OR HAVE A MULTI-SERVICE CENTER.
AND WHEN THOSE OFFICES WERE STARTED, AND STILL TODAY, MUCH OF THE WORK THAT THEY DO IS EXACTLY WHAT EXISTS WITH THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER.
THEN IN 2019, THE POSITION OF OFFICE OF THE POSITION OF HOUSING LIAISON WAS STARTED, AND THAT HAS GROWN.
UM, SO AGAIN, AND IF YOU MATCH THROUGH THE YEARS, AND I HAVEN'T LOOKED AT IT THIS PAST YEAR, BUT THE, UH, CAPACITY, THE STAFFING LEVELS OF OUR DECENTRALIZED MODEL HAVE ME MIRRORED OR MATCHED OR EXCEEDED ACTUALLY, UM, EITHER OF THOSE, UM, OFFICES OF HOUSING STABILITY.
SO IT'S VERY MUCH KIND OF A NAME AS A NAME.
UM, BUT ALL OF THE SERVICES THAT ARE, THAT EXIST WITHIN BOTH OF THOSE OFFICES OF HOUSING STABILITY, UM, DO IN FACT EXIST THROUGH THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER AND OHL AND P AND D, UM, PLANNING THE, UM, UH, OF THE HOMELESS SERVICES AND THE CONTRACTS.
COUNCILOR ZUBY, THANK YOU FOR SHARING A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT.
AND IT'S HELPFUL TO KNOW THAT HOW THE TWO CITIES, BOSTON AND SOMERVILLE HAVE APPROACHED THEIR WORK AND HOW THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER INCORPORATES THAT WORK SPECIFICALLY FOR OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
I, I KNOW COUNCILLOR NOLAN ALSO BROUGHT UP BETTER UNDERSTANDING SOME MORE OF THE SPECIFICS, LIKE BE HELPFUL TO KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, WHERE THE STAFFING CONTINUITY IS, BUDGET ALLOCATIONS WOULD BE, UM, TO UNDERSTAND THE WORKFLOW OF HOW THINGS WOULD FUNCTION OR LIKE WHEN, WHEN YOU SAY LIKE, THIS WILL HELP INFORM THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SIDE OF THE DEPARTMENT.
LIKE, WHAT, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN OR, OR LOOK LIKE.
UM, AND HAVING THAT CONTEXT WOULD BE HELPFUL AND BETTER UNDERSTANDING IS THIS GONNA BE THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO APPROACH OUR RESTRUCTURING? I'LL YIELD THANKS THROUGH YOU, MAYOR C I'LL ADD JUST A, A LITTLE BIT, UM, IN THAT WAY, YES, WE THINK IT WILL BE, AND I THINK FOR THE SAME REASONS THAT HOUSING REMAINS A DEPARTMENT AFFILIATED WITH CDDA COUPLE YEARS AGO, HOUSING, UH, WAS BROKEN OUTTA CDD AS A SEPARATE DEPARTMENT.
AND AT THE TIME, UM, I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT WHETHER IT WOULD BE BEST SEPARATELY SITUATED, BUT THOUGHT IT BEST TO REMAIN PART OF CDD, SO THAT WE REMAIN INVOLVED IN PLANNING WORK GIVEN HOW IMPORTANT HOUSING IS AND THAT WE'RE, WE'RE THERE, WE DON'T DO ZONING, BUT WE, WE, WE ARE INVOLVED WITH A LOT OF ZONING DISCUSSIONS.
SO JUST TO, UH, CLARIFY, UM, THE HOUSING TEAM DOESN'T HAVE A FORMAL ROLE WITH, WITH, WITH THE, THE ZONING AMENDMENTS THAT YOU ALL SEE, THOUGH, OFTENTIMES WE'RE PART OF THE DISCUSSION BECAUSE WE WANT HOUSING TO BE THERE, UH, AS A CONSIDERATION AS WE LOOK AT CHANGES AS, AS WE THINK ABOUT, UM, THE IMPACT OF, OF, OF ZONING OR OTHER PROGRAMS AND PLANNING, UH, ON HOUSING, SO THAT WE'VE GOT THAT THERE.
SO FOR THAT REASON, UH, WHEN HOUSING BECAME A, A SEPARATE DEPARTMENT, WE WANTED TO MAINTAIN OUR CONNECTION WITH CDD, AND SO WE DO THAT.
SO, UH, I CONTINUE TO REPORT TO THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, AND WE ARE A PART OF A, A GREATER UNIVERSE OF DIVISIONS AND DEPARTMENTS OF, OF CDD, WHICH INCLUDES, UH, SEVERAL PROGRAMMATIC DIVISIONS, THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT, THE ARTS DEPARTMENT NOW, UM, AND I THINK FOR THE SAME REASON, WE WANNA BRING THE HOUSING SUPPORT TEAMS AT THE OFFICE OF HOUSING LIAISON, MULTI-SERVICE CENTER, AND THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT TEAM AT, AT DHSP CLOSER TO THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING, SO THAT WE ARE MORE AWARE OF WHAT THEY SEE, WHAT THEY NEED, WHAT THE IMPACT IS, AND CAN HAVE THAT PRESENT IN THE DISCUSSIONS, UH, THAT WE HAVE WHEN WE'RE TALKING WITH THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST ABOUT, UH, THE NEXT NEW, ALL AFFORDABLE BUILDING WHERE THERE'S A NEED FOR SERVICES OR, UH, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ZONING OR OTH OTHER PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS SO THAT IT'S ALL PART OF THAT
[00:50:01]
FORWARD LOOKING.UM, I THINK IT'S REALLY A, A COMBINATION OF THE, THE PLANNING AND THE, THE, THE OPERATIONAL, UH, AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BECOME MORE, UH, SERVICE ORIENTED OURSELVES AS A DEPARTMENT AS WE ARE NOW, UH, OFFERING ACCESS TO MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO RESIDENTS THAN THAN MANY, MANY AFFORDABLE PROVIDERS.
JUST TO, TO BRING IT TOGETHER AND TO HAVE THOSE CONNECTIONS THERE, BOTH TO THE PLANNING SIDE, BUT I THINK ALSO IMPORTANTLY, SO THAT WE HAVE THE SUPPORT AND CONNECTIONS BETWEEN, UH, FOLKS THAT ARE WORKING WITH RESIDENTS WHO ARE HOUSED THROUGH OUR PROGRAMS AND FOLKS THAT ARE WORKING TO SUPPORT RESIDENTS IN THE COMMUNITY.
UH, THE SERVICES THAT ARE AVAILABLE THROUGH THE HOUSING LIAISON'S OFFICE, THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER, UM, ARE AVAILABLE TO ANYONE, BUT WE, WE, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING ASSISTED, UH, THROUGH THE CITY OR THROUGH THE, THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROVIDERS THAT RECEIVE FUNDING FROM THE TRUST ARE, ARE PARTICULARLY WIRED IN THERE BECAUSE WE, WE SEE, HAVE SEEN A NEED FOR THAT, THAT SUPPORT AND THAT ASSISTANCE, AND WE'VE SEEN THAT IT'S SUCCESSFUL.
SO I THINK THAT'S FOR WHY WE WANNA BRING THINGS TOGETHER AND, AND, AND HAVE THINGS MORE CLOSELY ALIGNED, UH, AND IN THE BIGGER PICTURE WHY IT MAKES SENSE TO, TO HAVE THAT WITH CDD.
I'D ALSO SAY, UH, GIVEN THAT THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT CONTINUES TO BE, UH, ALIGNED WITH CDD, WE CONTINUE TO GET A LOT OF SUPPORT FROM CDD, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE LEE.
SO, UH, WITH REGARD TO OUR, OUR, OUR FISCAL TEAM WITH REGARD TO, UH, HR OR, UM, COMMUNICATIONS DATA, UM, THAT'S ALL SUPPORT THAT WE'RE GETTING FROM, FROM CD, D AND TO THINK ABOUT HAVING, UH, HOUSING BE SOMEHOW SEPARATE FROM CDD, UH, WE THEN BE TALKING ABOUT HOW DO WE REPLICATE SOME OF THOSE THINGS IN, IN A WAY THAT'S PROBABLY NOT THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY, WHERE WE'RE ABLE TO, TO DO THAT AND GET THAT SUPPORT FROM STAFF THAT ARE WORKING TO SUPPORT, UM, DIVISIONS AT CDD, THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT, UH, THE, UH, ARTS DEPARTMENT.
THANK, WE'LL GO TO COUNCILLOR, SABRINA WHEELER, THANKS BY MARY THROUGH YOU, UM, COUNCILLOR ZUBY AND SOME OF THE OTHER COUNSELORS RAISED SOME OF THE QUESTIONS, COMMENTS I WAS GOING TO ALREADY.
UM, BUT, UM, NO, I THINK, YOU KNOW, PREVIOUSLY WE'VE HAD HOUSING FUNCTIONS SCATTERED AROUND A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, D-H-S-P-C-D-D, HOUSING LIAISON OFFICE, UH, MULTI-SERVICE CENTER.
THINKING ABOUT, UM, HOW WE, YOU KNOW, WHAT SOMERVILLE AND BOSTON HAVE, HAVE DONE, HOW WE ALIGN THOSE THINGS, UM, IS IMPORTANT.
I DO THINK THERE ARE, ARE SOME PIECES THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, STILL LEARN FROM, FROM THEM AROUND, UH, DATA ANALYSIS, POLICY ADVOCACY, UM, WHICH I KNOW THE CITY DOES SOME AROUND.
IT WAS GREAT TO, GOOD TO SEE THE CITY TESTIFYING AND SUPPORT OF THE REAL ESTATE TRANSFER FEE, BUT THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SPECIFICALLY HOW DO WE BUILD IN THOSE, THOSE FUNCTIONS, UH, IN A, IN A HOUSING STABILITY HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
UM, AND THEN, OH, THERE WAS ANOTHER POINT.
OH, AND THEN I HEAR THE, THE POINT ABOUT, UM, THE, THE NAME BEING A NAME, YOU KNOW, TO THAT POINT, I YOU THINK MULTI-SERVICE CENTER IN PARTICULAR IS, IS A VERY CONFUSING NAME, UH, FOR FOLKS AS COMPARED TO THINGS.
DO YOU THINK THAT PART IS, WE, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD DO SOME MORE THINKING AROUND.
UM, SO LOOKING FORWARD TO, TO CONTINUING THESE CONVERSATIONS.
UM, I YIELD BACK ANYONE WHO HASN'T SPOKEN, WHO'D LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS.
ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE BODY? I'LL JUST SAY BRIEFLY, UH, I THINK, UM, I AGREE WITH A LOT OF WHAT'S BEEN SAID AROUND, UH, THE REORGANIZATION PLAN.
I THINK SOME OF THE QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS THAT CAME UP DURING PUBLIC COMMENT, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, YOU KNOW, HAVING LIKE A, YOU KNOW, FURTHER COMMITTEE FOR, UH, RESIDENTS AND, AND SO FORTH, I THINK IT'S SEPARATE FROM SOME OF WHAT'S LAID OUT.
UM, AND SO I, I'D SAY TO THE FOLKS WHO'VE COME AND, AND TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THESE OTHER IDEAS, I THINK, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY THOSE ARE, WE CAN CONSIDER THEM AT A LATER POINT.
I WILL SAY ON THE SUBSTANCE THOUGH, I AGREE WITH, UM, THE ISSUE AROUND JUST BEING IN ONE SPACE.
I THINK THAT, I KNOW WE HAVE ISSUES WITH SPACE, BUT THINK THAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL BECAUSE RIGHT NOW PEOPLE ARE GOING THROUGH THE BROADS, RIGHT? BROADWAY AS YOU KNOW, HERE, HERE IS JUST, IT REALLY UNDERMINES KIND OF THIS CO WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING FOR COHESION.
UM, THE OTHER POINT AROUND NOMENCLATURE, I DO THINK WE CAN GET CREATIVE HERE.
I, I DON'T THINK WHAT WE HAVE IS THE BEST THING.
UM, BUT I WILL SAY I DO AGREE THAT I DO THINK WE DO A LOT MORE THAN THESE CITIES, BUT BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE SO TIED TO THE NAME, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S KIND OF, THEY'RE NOT GONNA LOOK BEHIND THE SURFACE.
AND SO I DO THINK, UM, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING FOR TODAY, BUT SOMETHING THAT I THINK I WOULD, I WOULD ASK, UM, AND PUSH THAT WE THINK ABOUT, OKAY, CAN WE THINK ABOUT A NEW NAME, UH, FOR, FOR SOME OF THIS, THIS WORK? SO THOSE ARE KIND OF MY POINTS, BUT I THINK WHERE WE ARE, UM, BASED ON WHAT HAS BEEN
[00:55:01]
PRESENTED AND WHAT I'VE COME TO KNOW AND EXPERIENCE MYSELF, I DO THINK REOR REORGANIZATION, UM, IN THIS WAY FOR NOW MAKES SENSE.AND THEN SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP, I THINK THINKING THROUGH HOW, WHAT THAT PROCESS LOOKS LIKE IF FOLKS, IF THE COUNCIL IS INTERESTED IN EXPLORING ANY OF THOSE OTHER, UM, ISSUES THAT WERE, UH, BROUGHT UP IN THE PUBLIC.
UH, AS I MENTIONED BEGINNING, THE VOTES HERE WOULD BE TO APPROVE THIS, TO DENY THIS, UH, FACTUALLY ANYONE CAN MOVE TO TABLE THIS, BUT THAT WOULD REQUIRE FIVE VOTES AND IT WOULD ALSO MEAN THAT WE'D HAVE TO COME BACK WITHIN THE 60 DAYS WITH THE PUBLIC HEARING.
FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD HERE, IT SEEMS THAT LARGELY THE MAJORITY IS SUPPORTIVE.
SO I WILL GO AHEAD AND ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THIS ORDER.
SO WE HAVE A MOTION BY COUNSELOR NOLAN TO APPROVE THIS ORDER.
SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND DO A ROLL CALL AND WE WILL AT THE SAME TIME PLACE THE CALENDAR ITEM, COMMUNICATION ON FILE COUNCIL COUNSELOR ZUBIE? YES.
AND YOU HAVE EIGHT MEMBERS RECORDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, AND ONE RECORDED IS ABSENT.
THE REORGANIZATION PLAN IS APPROVED, AND THE MATTER IS PLACED ON FILE ON A MOTION BY COUNCILLOR NOLAN TO ADJOURN.
THOSE AGAINST, SAY, THOSE AGAINST SAY NO.