Somerville To Host Public Forums on Gentrification

Gentrification, the housing crunch and the displacement of middle-class and working families will be the subjects of three upcoming forums held in Somerville.

The city of Somerville, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council and the Somerville Community Corporation are hosting the forums, collectively called "Housing Roundtables: A Discussion Series on Housing for Families and Individuals in Somerville," according to an announcement from the city.

The forums will be held on Feb. 4, Feb. 11 and March 4. All of them will be at the Argenziano School, 290 Washington St., from 6 p.m to 8:30 p.m. They'll include refreshments, childcare and interpretation services.

The first forum, on Feb. 4, will feature special guest Rachel Bratt, a professor of planning and urban and environmental policy at Tufts University and a senior fellow at Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies. Participants will discuss family housing and what kind of housing Somerville needs to retain families.

The meeting on Feb. 11 will feature Tim Reardon, assistant director of data at the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, who will present a report, called "The Dimensions of Displacement," that delves into gentrification and displacement in Somerville, particularly along the proposed Green Line Extension corridor, the announcement says.

The final meeting, on March 4, will feature a group discussion, and it will attempt to form a "strong and effective housing agenda for Somerville," according to the announcement.