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Somerville housing director reports 637 households sought help; warns HUD funding shift will limit prevention
Summary
Ellen Schachter told the Housing & Community Development committee that 637 Somerville households sought rental help Jan–Sep 2025, about 49% were at imminent risk, and recent HUD CoC guidance will sharply reduce funding available for permanent housing and prevention.
Ellen Schachter, director of the Office of Housing Stability, told the Somerville City Housing & Community Development Committee on Nov. 18 that 637 unique Somerville households sought assistance between January and September 2025 and that roughly 49% (about 312 households) were at imminent risk of displacement.
Schachter, appearing at the committee’s quarterly briefing, said 118 households had already received eviction notices or court summonses during that period and that about 41% of referrals reported a monthly household income below $2,000; nearly one-third reported no income. "Those were unique households," she said.
The director said the city’s main rental-assistance programs are administered by the Community Action Agency of Somerville and the Somerville Homeless Coalition. She said OHS assisted…
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