🚨Community Benefits Agreement Update!🚨
A historic moment: after nearly a year of negotiations, the Union Square Neighborhood Council negotiating team has released the details of the tentative CBA that they've reached with the Union Square Developer. 1/
Some highlights in this thread, and you can read the full details here: unionsquareneighborhoodcouncil.org/images/docs/19…, and join us TONIGHT (Tue. 8/20, 7:00p, Union Square Police Station) for the first presentation on the details 2/
Some highlights: 🏠big increase in the number of affordable units built up front (in addition to the 90 units (20%) already promised, the CBA includes 39 additional affordable units, bringing the total for the first phase to ~26%!) 3/
👩🔧 many commitments to good local jobs (both construction and permanent) and workforce development, including agreement with @UNITEHERE26 on future hotel (a *very* exciting, precedent-setting first in Somerville!), 4/
@UNITEHERE26 🌳increasing the number of neighborhood parks from one to THREE (!) - while we didn't win the fight to move the parking garage underground, these three parks are an enormous win; 5/
🍦☕️assistance for local small businesses, including funding for staff positions at Union Square Main Streets (@AllAbout02143) and #FirstSource jobs program at @SCC_Somerville 6/
🌏 clear commitments around sustainable building design (including a 51-unit "passive house" apartment building that will contain 76% affordable units!), and much more. 7/
After many years of community organizing and process around this development, this is a historic achievement. Once the community has had time to understand all the details, there will be a "ratification" vote to endorse the agreement - stay tuned! end/
Three cheers for these local champions in the Union Square Neighborhood Council (and many others not pictured here!), just after they voted to advance the CBA for a ratification vote from the whole neighborhood
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🏘️Very, very good news in Somerville.🌳 Last week, I got an email from a constituent, saying that the apartment building where she lives just went up for sale - she's been there 24 years, other tenants longer. She and others in the building are seniors on fixed incomes (1/n)
I connected these tenants with newly formed @SomervilleCity Office of Housing Stability and @SCC_Somerville, who operate "100 Homes" program: they buy buildings (at market price, using public $), then maintain the homes as permanently affordable. somervillecdc.org/100-Homes-Appl… (2/n)
Almost unbelievably, they were able to get this building under agreement within days - this means these longtime neighbors will be able to choose to stay in their homes, and this building will remain permanently affordable housing in our neighborhood. (3/n)