Housing is a human right.

The Boston area is the second most expensive housing market in the country. In Somerville:

Renters face rapidly increasing rents and limited recourse when problems arise
Homebuyers must compete with predatory developers who swoop in to flip homes for profit
Local homeowners grapple with ballooning property tax payments, often on fixed incomes themselves
City density and the pressure to develop threaten public green space, exacerbate climate change, and hamper liveability

Catia believes...

Housing is a human right.

Full stop.

This is a problem with solutions.

State government has the responsibility and ability to ensure housing access for everyone. That starts by addressing root cause of the problem: there is simply not enough housing in the Boston metro area to accommodate all of those who want to live here. We can and must build, employing union labor, a diverse array of housing on a massive scale to meet the needs of our residents.

The housing system has for too long been used to reinforce discrimination and racism.

Solutions must fully integrate a commitment to racial justice and inclusion.

Affordable housing is central to Somerville's character as a community.

Inaccessibility to housing threatens the diversity and vibrancy of its neighborhoods. But more importantly, inaccessibility drives already vulnerable and marginalized neighbors into even more precarious situations. This is about every Somerville resident.

Catia's experience:

Managing infrastructure programs and keeping developers in check.

Catia managed the Infrastructure Investment Incentive (I-Cubed) program while working in the Governor's budget office. The program is designed to harness new economic activity that expands the state tax base to fund public infrastructure.
From her experience, Catia understands the contours of bad deals with developers, and has overseen the tools to measure and enforce compliance with deals that are good for the taxpayers.
She has also learned from seen failures in some of these contexts to be inclusive of our communities of color and those with more limited means - for example, in the broader Seaport redevelopment in Boston.

Addressing homelessness.

Catia created enough permanent supportive housing to house half of the state’s chronically homeless adults while working in the Governor’s budget office.
She understands the intricacies of our public housing system, and how housing and healthcare are inextricably linked (click to read a report Catia helped write on how to use Medicaid to support housing).
CLICK HERE to read more about Catia's work on addressing homelessness in Massachusetts >>

Catia will fight for...

The funding of affordable housing through taxes on investors, developers, and absentee landlords via real estate transfer fees
Solutions that have a commitment to inclusion, racial, and environmental justice at their core
A regional plan to address the housing shortage by taking on exclusionary zoning in the suburbs and investing in transit-oriented development

Fellow Renters

Expanded renter rights through greater protections from evictions and the right to legal counsel for those facing eviction
A fairer, more equitable, affordable and sane rental process by following the lead of many other metro markets in banning realtor fees for rentals
Renter protection from unfair rent increases including rent control

Prospective Homebuyers

Improved and expanded programs designed to assist home buying among people of color, those with limited income or credit, and those buying homes in low-income neighborhoods
Increased affordable options

Local Homeowners

Stabilize ballooning property tax payments by addressing the root cause of price increases: generate more housing of all types region-wide
Ensure that eviction moratoriums also include foreclosure moratoriums as we continue to deal with COVID-19