City of Somerville, Massachusetts City Council Housing, Community Development and Equity Committee Meeting Minutes
Wednesday, September 30, 2026
6:00 PM
This meeting was held via Zoom and in person in the Committee Room and was called to order by Chair Strezo at 6:04 pm and adjourned at 7:14 pm on a roll call vote of 3 in favor (Councilors Sait, Link, Strezo), 0 absent.
Others present: Miranda Rubin - Program Compliance Officer, Thomas Galligani - Executive Director of Strategy and Development Department, Brenna Broderick - Community Partnerships Liaison, Madalyn Letellier - Assistant City Clerk Legislative Services.
Roll Call
- Present: Ward Five City Councilor Naima Sait, City Councilor At
- Large Jon Link and City Councilor At Large Kristen Strezo
- Committee
Approval of the Minutes of the Housing, Community Development and Minutes
Equity Committee Meeting of July 1, 2026.
(ID # 26-1211 )
- Mayor's Request Requesting approval of the 2026-2027 Housing and Urban Development
(ID # 26-0870 ) One Year Action Plan for the Community Development Block Grant, Home
Investment Partnership, and Emergency Solutions Grant Programs.
This item was replaced with item #26-0688.
RESULT: RECOMMENDED TO BE PLACED ON FILE AYE:
- Ward Five City Councilor Sait, City Councilor At Large
- Link and City Councilor At Large Strezo
- Mayor's Request Requesting approval of the 2026-2027 Housing and Urban Development
(ID # 26-0688 ) One Year Action Plan for the Community Development Block Grant, Home
Investment Partnership, and Emergency Solutions Grant programs.
Miranda Rubin and Thomas Galliagani from Strategy and Development and spoke to the Annual Action Plan and presented on the priorities of the plan,
HCDE - 20260930 - Public Engagement Presentation (with 26-0688).
RESULT: RECOMMENDED TO BE APPROVED AYE:
- Ward Five City Councilor Sait, City Councilor At Large
- Link and City Councilor At Large Strezo
- Mayor's
Conveying an update regarding item #26-0825, a Resolution that the Communication Administration submit a written report to this Council regarding the timeline (ID # 26-1033 ) and process for staffing the Americans with Disabilities (ADA) Coordinator
role and update this Council on the plan to process ADA complaints and accessibility coordination when this position is vacant.
Councilor Strezo sponsored constituent Holly Simione to speak on behalf of the Somerville Commission for Persons with Disabilities as the Chair.
- Commissioner Simione provided commentary from the commission
- regarding the vacancy for the Americans with Disabilities (ADA)
Coordinator. Concerns about the job description and if the appropriate candidates would be attracted to the role and the gap in hiring while meeting the needs of the public were addressed. Commissioner Simione also spoke
to the desire for the commission to have access to the ADA complaint emails so they are able to respond appropriately. Councilor Strezo posed the questions of how recruitment efforts are going and what measures are being
- taken, to which follow up with Human Resources will be necessary.
RESULT: KEPT IN COMMITTEE
- Resolution
By Councilor Hardt, Councilor Clingan and Councilor Strezo
(ID # 26-0831 ) That the Executive Director of the Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development develop and share with the public, a list of all the spaces that are available for community use, including and especially those that are part of private developments.
- Thomas Galligani, Executive Director of the Strategy and Development
Department, stated a team was hired in 2021 to look at where community spaces existed along with basic details about how the community can use
them and the appropriate contact information. Director stated there is funding available from the community preservation act (CPA) to assist
current and future spaces to fit the needs of the community. The committee recognized there are mandated community spaces throughout the city that
already exist. In response to Councilor Link about the realities of maintaining the list, Director Galligani shared the goal to keep the list up to date and there are more community spaces in planning. Councilor Strezo
expressed desire to keep this item in committee until a comprehensive list is shared and more information is included on how residents can sign up for
RESULT: KEPT IN COMMITTEE
- Resolution
By Councilor Mbah and Councilor Hardt
(ID # 26-0821 ) That the Administration, the Executive Director of the Office of Strategic
- Planning and Community Development, the Director of Health and Human
Services, and the Director of the Office of Housing Stability, engage with leadership of Saint James Church to explore opportunities for partnership
between the city and the church to activate underutilized space for community-serving purposes.
- Brenna Broderick, Community Partnerships Liaison, was present to speak
- about the attached community space that has gone mostly unused. Councilor
Hard, Councilor Mbah, and she went to visit and identified three different spaces with the capacity of 80, 50 and 15. The opportunity to use the space has been circulated to community groups who have expressed a need and coordination continues with other faith organizations. She highlighted the logistical struggles around security and accessibility compliance that still need to be addressed to make it a space to serve all. Questions were raised about utilizing the space as a Teen Center and Liaison Broderick discussed
the complications of utilizing the space. The committee discussed the recently displaced Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings and while two
have been able to relocate one meets during Sunday service hours, so places of worship are not compatible.
RESULT: RECOMMENDED TO BE MARKED WORK
COMPLETED
AYE:
- Ward Five City Councilor Sait, City Councilor At Large
- Link and City Councilor At Large Strezo