Agenda Text
title
Mellissa McWhinney submitting comments re: #204399, #204400, #204524, and #204525, proposals for affordable housing and jobs linkage fees.
body
Official Text
To the Honorable Board:
Please pass the Citizens Petitions proposing to raise the housing linkage and and to establish a jobs linkage rate at levels higher than the Mayor's proposal.
As you know all too well, the face of Somerville is changing, both for good and for ill. Some of those changes have come about through location or relocation of commercial enterprises in Somerville. The jobs these businesses bring pay much more than the jobs that have left Somerville. Newcomers, who 30 years ago used to be immigrants working low-wage jobs, are now highly-paid tech workers and innovators. Innovation and new business is welcome, of course, but it has come at a tremendous cost.
One of the most potent changes has been in the affordability of Somerville. The people who made this city great can no longer afford to live here, for the most part. Increasing the housing linkage rate and speeding the amount of time in which it must be paid will have a very positive impact on the housing market. Every day of delay in creating affordable housing means another family moves out of Somerville to find a cheaper place to live. We lose those family's brains, and hands, and hearts -- we lose another piece of our community.
It's equally important that a jobs linkage rate be established so that people who want to work in the tech and innovation fields can obtain the training that will allow them to obtain high-paying jobs. It's the other essential component in keeping families here.
Somerville is a very attractive place to live and to work. I see "luxury condos" going up everywhere in the city. Developers are becoming rich without regard to the impact on our community. Please ensure that possibility of living here remains open to people who are not wealthy. Please pass a housing linkage rate of $10.00/square foot, beyond the exclusion, and a jobs linkage rate of $2.46/square foot beyond the exclusion.
Most sincerely,
Melissa McWhinney