Housing
Constantly rising real estate prices in our district and across the Commonwealth are a key driver of growing wealth inequality. Our current housing policy enables and encourages these rising prices, makes rents out of reach for the average resident, and shuts out an ever-growing portion of residents from the home ownership, a key source of wealth creation. These effects most dramatically hurt people of color, young professionals, and lower-to-middle-income families, and exacerbate economic injustice in the system.
We must maintain and expand affordable housing options for low- and very low-income residents in our district, and recognize that “affordable housing” as defined by the State is now too expensive, even for many middle-income families.
I will:
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Work to increase public housing funding, as well as investment in CDCs and nonprofits that build affordable housing.
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Create pathways to homeownership and creating paths towards cooperative ownership.
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Work to ensure that new developments and public housing renovations do not displace low-income residents.
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Work with advocates who are fighting to prevent and end individual / family homelessness.