Somerville Housing Committee Meeting - October 4, 2026

The Housing, Community Development and Equity Committee of the Somerville City Council met on October 4, 2026, at 6:04 PM via Zoom and in person. The meeting was called to order by Chair Strezo and adjourned at 7:14 PM with a roll call vote of 3-0 (Councilors Sait, Link, Strezo). The committee reviewed the HUD One Year Action Plan, received an update on the ADA Coordinator vacancy, discussed community space inventory, and considered a partnership with St. James Church.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Minutes (ID # 26-1211): The minutes of the July 1, 2026 committee meeting were accepted unanimously.
• HUD Action Plan (Items # 26-0870 and # 26-0688): After discussion, the committee voted to place the older item (# 26-0870) on file and approved the replacement item (# 26-0688), the 2026-2027 One Year Action Plan for CDBG, HOME, and ESG programs, by a 3-0 vote.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Holly Simione, Chair, Somerville Commission for Persons with Disabilities (SCPD): Read a letter on behalf of the commission expressing concerns about the prolonged vacancy of the ADA Coordinator position. She highlighted that the current interim structure (a team of employees) creates gaps, particularly around the use of a shared email address (ADA@SomervilleMA.gov) that conflates commission and city staff functions. The commission requested that the city: prioritize hiring a dedicated ADA coordinator with appropriate experience; reconsider combining the role with HR investigator duties; include commission representatives in the interview process; and establish a clear documented process for ADA complaints and coordination while the position remains vacant.

Discussion Items

• ADA Coordinator Vacancy (ID # 26-1033): Following Commissioner Simione’s testimony, Councilors discussed the need for a response from the administration. Director Galligani noted the job description was revised and reposted on September 10, 2026. Chair Strezo asked about recruitment efforts and agreed to keep the item in committee pending further information from Human Resources.
• Community Spaces List (ID # 26-0831): Tom Galligani, Executive Director of Strategy and Development, reported that a 2021 study cataloged publicly available community spaces, but the list is outdated. He noted that Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds are available to improve accessibility of such spaces. Councilor Link suggested a sustainable, crowdsourced update method. Chair Strezo requested the current list be made public along with instructions on how residents can reserve spaces. The item was kept in committee.
• St. James Church Partnership (ID # 26-0821): Brenna Broderick, Community Partnerships Liaison, described three underutilized spaces in the church rectory (capacities of 80, 50, and 15). Logistical challenges include physical accessibility (steps, non-ADA restrooms) and security (limited key distribution). The city has been working to relocate AA meetings from the Ralph and Jenny Center; two of three groups have moved to St. James, but one Sunday morning group remains unplaced due to conflict with church services. Councilor Sait raised the possibility of using the space for a teen center; Broderick noted the church prefers short-term, non-permanent uses. Councilor Link expressed concern about the distance for AA attendees. The committee recommended the item be marked work completed (3-0).

Key Outcomes

• Minutes Approved: 3-0.
• HUD Action Plan: Item # 26-0870 placed on file; Item # 26-0688 approved (3-0) to allow the city to receive federal grant funds (CDBG ~$2.5M, HOME ~$0.5M, ESG ~$200K).
• ADA Coordinator: Item kept in committee; administration to provide updates on recruitment and response to commission’s requests.
• Community Spaces List: Item kept in committee; director to share the existing 2021 list and develop a user-friendly public version with sign-up instructions.
• St. James Church Partnership: Item marked work completed (3-0); continued coordination on remaining AA group relocation and accessibility improvements.
• Adjournment: Motion passed 3-0.