Contributions |
Please make checks payable to:
Heller for Alderman Committee
411A Highland Ave #317
Somerville, MA 02144-2156
Campaign finance laws require that we request your occupation and employer for all donations over $200. Also, campaign finance laws require that we record your street address for all donations. The maximum contribution allowed by law is $500.
For credit card donations |
Volunteer |
Contact |
Housing
The cost of living in Somerville is too high for many homeowners and renters. I will work with policy makers, developers, businesses, and residents to find new ways to create more affordable rental and homeownership opportunities and generate revenue to ease the burden on property taxes. This includes attracting more businesses to Somerville which will better balance tax revenue between businesses and homeowners, identifying public properties that can be used to create more housing opportunities, and increasing affordable housing zoning in areas of redevelopment.
Rachel facilitating a public meeting for the Affordable Housing Organizing Committee to discuss increasing affordable housing in Union Square redevelopment.
Question from the National Organization of Women, Boston:
Q: Describe the steps you would take to create more affordable housing in your city.
A: Somerville needs to have a long term housing plan that reflects the needs of our community. With a plan in place,we can identify action steps to create and preserve affordable units. I would work with the community to create such a plan. Specifically, I will support the current proposal to increase the inclusionary zoning policy from12.5% affordable units to 15% in the redevelopment of Union Square. I will also support efforts of nonprofits like the Somerville Community Corporation to develop more affordable housing throughout Somerville. I will support more mixed income developments and work to preserve our current affordable housing stock of which hundreds of units are at risk. These units can be preserved by working with the owners of the buildings to renew federal Section 8 contracts, providing resources to tenants to assist them preserve their homes, and identifying all possible city, state, and federal resources to permanently preserve these affordable units. Finally, I will explore the possibilities of creating a homeless set-aside program similar to that of Boston in which a percentage of new units developed are set aside for homeless families and individuals.
Read the complete questionnaire from the National Organization of Women.
Also, read more of Rachel's responses on redevelopment, preserving housing for all income levels and many other topics posed in the Progressive Democrats' Questionnaire.
