Community Outreach at Clarendon Hills!

CAAS’ community outreach team has been working on a tenant rights action project at the Clarendon Hills housing project in West Somerville. The Somerville Housing Authority has partnered with private developers to redevelop the site, which would temporarily displace the 216 families that currently reside there. The redevelopment will involve increasing the density of the site by adding 300 market-rate housing units and rebuilding the current affordable housing units. CAAS is working with residents to organize a tenant association that will represent tenants’ voices during the process. Given the vulnerable population currently living in the housing project, ensuring that tenant voices are heard during negotiations is a key goal of CAAS’ community organizing team. Through this process, the tenants hope to solidify their rights and get answers to important concerns about residents’ rights to stay in Somerville during the redevelopment process, whether or not children will be able to stay in the Somerville School District if their families move, and whether all current tenants will be guaranteed the right to move back when the development is completed.

If you’re interested in supporting the residents at Clarendon Hills, please contact Sara Halawa, CAAS Community Outreach Specialist at (617) 623-7370x176 or shalawa@caasomerville.org for more information.