Somerville residents advocating for smart growth that benefits everyone. We’re part of a nationwide movement to create abundant housing in cities that have suffered from gentrification and expensive market rate housing. We support eco-friendly density and transit-centered growth to create vibrant, walkable, bikeable, livable neighborhoods with plenty of housing for all.
We believe that our cities and towns are great places, and we should welcome people by creating abundance!
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A Delicate Dance
Building new homes is absolutely critical, but it’s also expensive. Just a few years ago, the Globe estimated that multifamily buildings cost at least $600,000 per home, and a 100% affordable building that just broke ground in Union Square will cost more than $800,000 per home! If we don’t want to pay for construction ourselves, we need businesses to do it.
The Latest Copper Mill Meeting
Last week, Copper Mill hosted a new meeting about their proposed 500-home mixed-use apartment building in Davis Square. With a capacity crowd at the Crystal Ballroom and hundreds more attendees viewing online, CEO Andrew Flynn laid out some new and familiar information about the proposal, including: A commitment to union labor 25% of the apartments set aside as subsidized , up from the 20% city minimum…
https://somervilleyimby.org/2026/03/20/the-latest-copper-mill-meeting/
What the heck is going on with Backyard Cottages
Have you ever wanted to add a home or workspace to your back yard? Well a Backyard Cottage might be for you! It is intended as a way to gently add a little more density to our city in a way that is not visible to most people. However, Backyard Cottages (with capital letters because they have a specific definition in the zoning code) have been a surprisingly contentious issue since they were originally allowed in 2019.
https://somervilleyimby.org/2026/03/18/what-the-heck-is-going-on-with-backyard-cottages/
Help Plan Affordable Housing in Gilman Square
On March 12, Just-A-Start and the Somerville Community Land Trust will host a meeting for neighbors to discuss their plans to build a fully affordable building at 297 Medford Street in Gilman Square. They’ll go over the design and project timeline and answer questions from neighbors. If you live nearby, join them at 6:00 pm, in person in the cafeteria at Somerville High School.
https://somervilleyimby.org/2026/03/10/help-plan-affordable-housing-in-gilman-square/
No Vacancy
Have you had a landlord ask you to do something they’re supposed to handle, like shoveling snow or dealing with a rat infestation? Have they ever dragged their feet on important repairs or charged illegal fees? Have you ever shaken your fist and then given up because, although you’re in the right, you don’t have any leverage? In Somerville, both you and your landlord know two things: it would be hard for you to find a new apartment, and it would be easy for…
Affordable Housing Makes Progress
We have two pieces of very promising news about affordable housing for you. First, Just-A-Start has secured financing and begun construction work on their 24 Webster Avenue project, which will create 43 deeply affordable rental homes in a 6-story building. That’s a real victory, but it’s taken a long time to get here, and the price is astronomical: about $837,000 per home.
https://somervilleyimby.org/2026/03/03/affordable-housing-makes-progress/
The Displacement Time Bomb
Over the last 50 years, Massachusetts has focused on high-income job creation. It started with the “Massachusetts Miracle” and continued with the growth of Kendall Square as a technology hub. The latest addition to our “brain factory” has been the boom in biotechnology and the lab space that has come with it. Somerville, too, has joined to feed the demand for industries.
https://somervilleyimby.org/2026/02/27/the-displacement-time-bomb/
Copper Mill, ADUs, and Dormers
Join the Davis Square Neighborhood Council We strongly encourage all eligible readers to join the Davis Square Neighborhood Council and contribute to the ongoing Copper Mill discussion. The Council is moving swiftly toward full recognition from the city, and will have a major role in shaping the evolution of Davis Square over the next few years. To participate: Fill out this feedback form…
https://somervilleyimby.org/2026/02/22/copper-mill-adus-and-dormers/
Is Somerville Full?
Everyone knows that Somerville is one of the densest cities in New England, with around 19,000 residents per square mile. Some folks use that number as a reason to say “we’re full, go away.” That’s not exactly welcoming to newcomers, especially not to those fleeing other states or countries who want to live in a sanctuary city like Somerville. It’s also not telling the whole story, because there are other ways of looking at density that tell us more…
Support Housing in Davis Square
Boston-based real-estate company Copper Mill is seeking permits to redevelop the area between The Burren and Dragon Pizza in Davis Square. Their latest proposal includes ground floor retail, a promised right of return for the Burren, and a lot of housing: 502 apartments ranging from studios to 3-beds. 125 (25%) of the apartments will be subsidized affordable, reserved for low-to-moderate income families.
https://somervilleyimby.org/2026/02/04/support-housing-in-davis-square/
