At a Chelsea candidate forum on Oct. 1, candidates focused substantial attention on housing affordability, tenant protections and how to preserve long‑time residency as new development arrives.

Candidates and incumbents emphasized three areas of action: enforce rental housing standards and fines for negligent landlords; expand affordable units through inclusionary zoning and partnerships; and increase homeownership opportunities with education and down‑payment assistance.

Why it matters: Chelsea has a large renter population and candidates said existing state notice rules and market pressures leave renters underinformed and vulnerable to displacement as new developments arrive.

Several candidates described specific tools. Leo Robinson said the city has used an inclusionary zoning approach tied to developer projects, describing an ordinance that required a portion of new units be affordable and noting a recent $155 million project done with the Chelsea Housing Authority that preserved housing units and included in‑unit washers and dryers. Robinson said “15% of those units had to be affordable starting at 30%, 50%, and 60%,” and argued pairing housing development with job creation makes projects financially viable.

Roberto (first name only in the forum record) pressed the city to go beyond state notice minimums and “make sure that the city is also notifying renters because at the end of the day, corporate landlords often don't even live in the city and they're the ones being notified.” He and other candidates said tenant notification and stronger tenant protections should accompany new construction so current residents are not displaced.

Councilor Teneri Garcia, who identified herself as an incumbent, said her work with city funds helped secure money the city used in programs she tied to housing stability. Garcia said she had helped “secure $40,000,000 for the city” through ARPA and related allocations, and cited home‑ownership programs and school diversity spending as examples of how those funds were used.

Other candidates called for practical steps to expand ownership. One candidate suggested offering greater financial literacy programming and down‑payment assistance, noting the down payment was the biggest hurdle to buying a home. Lisa Santegate, an incumbent running for re‑election in District 5, said the city should be “creative” about reusing vacant office space and praised the land trust work and an upcoming collaboration with Habitat for Humanity as tools to build affordable units.

Candidates also discussed stronger enforcement against landlords who fail to remedy mold, lead and other health hazards. Santegate said inspection and enforcement must reflect the harm caused by unsafe housing, saying “No one should live in a condition where they could be sick,” and urged stiffer consequences for landlords with repeated violations.

What was not decided: The forum was a chance to hear positions; no formal policy votes or ordinance text were adopted at the event. Candidates described priorities they would pursue if elected or re‑elected but did not lay out final legislative language or guaranteed funding sources beyond general references to ARPA, capital planning and state grants.

Looking ahead: Candidates said they would pursue a mix of tenant protections, developer negotiations on affordability, and targeted home‑buyer assistance. Several urged residents to engage in the process, attend meetings and press for renter notification changes at city hall.