Somerville residents urge council to protect housing, immigrant services and infrastructure amid $5M shortfall

Somerville City Council Finance Committee Chair Ben Wheeler convened a remote community budget hearing on Feb. 10, 2026, where dozens of residents urged the council to protect core municipal services and prioritize housing, immigrant supports and infrastructure as the city faces an expected budget shortfall of almost $5 million.

The hearing opened with procedural instructions and a two-minute limit on public testimony. Chair Wheeler said the meeting would follow Chapter 2 of the Commonwealth’s Acts of 2025 for remote participation, announced that recordings and records would be posted on the city website, and disclosed a possible conflict of interest requiring him to recuse himself from discussions related to the Department of Racial and Social Justice or the Youth League.

Speakers repeatedly called for continued or increased funding for rental-assistance programs and homelessness-prevention funds. Susan Hagel, a housing attorney at Cambridge and Somerville Legal Services, urged the council to sustain two programs that provide rental subsidies for immigrants ineligible for federal aid and flexible funds that cover arrears, short-term prospective rent and moving costs. “These funds have been a real lifesaver to keep people housed affordably in Somerville,” Hagel said.

Multiple residents pressed for affordable-housing tools and preservation. Daniel McLaughlin and others recommended early-acquisition funds and the city’s affordable housing trust as ways to secure long-term units. Madeline Werner and other speakers urged administrative actions to position the city for future affordable housing projects, including support for a Cobble Hill project in Davis Square.

Immigrant protections and legal services were a consistent theme. Derek DuPont urged funding for legal assistance and an alternative, unarmed emergency response team to reduce trauma and avoid police involvement when possible. Courtney Pollock asked the council to prioritize services that protect immigrants from unlawful federal actions and to avoid accepting grants that would require cooperation with DHS.

Public safety and infrastructure also drew sustained attention. Transportation and safety concerns ranged from pedestrian crossings and lighting near transit stations (noted by Bruce Kaplan) to calls for more crosswalks and road repairs (raised by Richard Maidman and David Lichter). Several commenters criticized the use of police overtime for tasks such as cyclist education and suggested civilian traffic flaggers and investments that prioritize frontline service delivery.

Speakers highlighted cost-effective community programs. Emily Bally told the committee that community fridges distributed about 56,000 pounds of food for a $7,000 investment and asked for continued support. Susan Miller and others urged funding for schools, daycare and after-school programs, and called for the city to protect its AAA bond rating while setting priorities.

A number of commenters asked the city to implement the recommendations of the Massachusetts Special Commission on combating antisemitism; several residents described incidents of anti-Jewish graffiti and harassment and asked the council to fund the commission’s recommended measures.

After public testimony concluded, Councillor Streza moved to mark the agenda item “work completed.” With no objection and no roll call required, the committee marked the item complete and adjourned. The clerk noted that written comments submitted to somervillema.gov remain part of the public record and had a noon deadline for inclusion in this batch.

What’s next: The hearing produced a wide set of resident priorities and clarifications that staff and councilors can use while drafting FY27 budget recommendations; no formal budget votes or new appropriations were taken at this meeting.