Committee Report CR-1
The purpose of the hearing was to discuss and explore possible ways in which the City could pilot an LGBT housing program.
Present at the hearing were Councillor Denise Simmons, Chair of the Housing Committee, Councillor Marc McGovern, Vice Mayor Dennis Benzan, Councillor Nadeem Mazen, Chris Cotter, Housing Director, Cassie Arnaud, Housing Project Planner, Community Development Department (CDD), Mike Johnston, Deputy Executive Director, Cambridge Housing Authority, Neal Alpert, Aide to Councillor Simmons, and Paula M. Crane, Deputy City Clerk.
Also present were Jerome Saunders, Sarah Boyer, Aren Stone, Chris Hewson, Len Thomas, William Shalongo, Andrea Schmitz, Hasson Rashid, John Ratliffe, and Cheryl-Ann Pizza-Zeoli.
Councillor Simmons convened the hearing and read an opening statement. (Attachment A). She stated that she has provided the committee four articles that build on some of her comments and gave an overview of the agenda for the meeting. (Attachments B-F).
Councillor Simmons stated that in February 2004 and in October 2008, the City of Cambridge sponsored Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender (GLBT) Town Hall Meetings as a forum for residents to discuss salient issues for the LGBT community in Cambridge. She added that also in 2004 she hosted a GLBT Health Forum with the Cambridge Health Alliance. She stated that following the 2004 Town Hall Meeting, the City Council adopted an order for the formation of the Cambridge GLBT Commission, whose mission is to advocate for a culture of respect and to monitor progress toward equality of all persons with regard to sexual orientation and gender identify. She stated that the GLBT Commission's work is a clear reflection of the priorities raised by Cambridge residents during the Town Hall Meetings. She stated that during these meetings, LGBT seniors' housing and health care needs emerged as a priority. Councillor Simmons stated that she would like to reignite the conversation of LGBT seniors and housing in Cambridge.
made to explore LGBT housing in Boston. He stated that this had been proposed in 2009 and then again in 2011, and he added that the Stonewall organization do have an office on Columbus Avenue and there may possibly be housing at that location. He stated that clearly the time has come for this type of housing. He stated that it is nice to see that the greater community is beginning to support this idea.
Councillor Simmons then spoke of Stonewall Lifelong Learning Institute which was disbanded years ago. She stated that before it disbanded, they held long time and aggressive discussions around LGBT housing. She stated that she has been trying to find people who participated in the ground floor of that effort as it would be beneficial to potentially sidestep any of the problem areas that they discovered. She stated that the City could benefit if that information could be gathered. She stated that she will continue to try to identify people who worked on that effort.
She stated that the City of Cambridge has 14 senior buildings in Cambridge. She questioned if there is the possibility of designating one floor in any of these buildings as LGBT senior housing. She noted that in at least three of these buildings there is an assisted living model. She suggested the possibility of the City piloting something similar for LGBT senior housing. She asked if the Cambridge Housing Authority could weigh in on this.
Mike Johnston stated that while he would need to bring this issue before the CHA Board, it would be difficult to designate a floor for a group of specific individuals. He said that assisted living works because there is a group of seniors that need services and supports and setting aside a floor for that particular group keeps within the aging in place model. He stated that to designate a floor for a specific population would be very difficult and he stated that he was not sure of the legality of such a model.
As it relates to youth, Mr. Johnston stated that the CHA has worked with organizations such as Youth On Fire, the AIDS Action Committee, and the Harvard Square Shelter wherein the CHA is paying for 18 beds in the new facility. He stated that the CHA Board felt that the youth population needed assistance so the CHA assisted in giving sponsor-based vouchers to agencies, rather than to individuals. He explained that by giving out sponsor-based vouchers, the onus does not fall on the individual to go out and find an apartment. He stated that the CHA has teamed up with Youth on Fire and the AIDS Action Committee who are given sponsor-based vouchers. He said that the unit is rented to the organization and they allow a person in their program to live in that unit. He added that in this type of scenario, the landlord doesn't take the risk because he has rented to the sponsor. Mr. Johnston explained that this is a way of getting youth housing. Mr. Johnston added that if there is a group or organization that is willing to be a sponsor they could be given a voucher. He stated that the sponsor could bring people in through their program.
Cheryl-Ann Pizza-Zeoli mentioned that at a recent Affordable Housing Trust meeting they discussed different models of housing. She stated that they spent some time talking about co-housing for seniors. She noted that this might be a model that is interesting to try. She stated that the trustees were really engaged in the subject because everyone was thinking about the circumstances of aging.
Councillor Simmons asked if there is an option to build through some sort of land swap since the City of Cambridge is not the recipient of land very often. She commented that the co-housing model is a nice idea because it builds a community but questioned if there are potential impediments to the idea. Chris Cotter added the issues are lack of sites and costs. He stated that the Affordable Housing Trust and the City have a long history of providing housing to special populations, such as persons with disabilities, seniors and homeless women. He stated that from conceiving the idea for a specific type of housing, to finding a suitable location and figuring out financing and logistics, it typically takes about five years to bring into being. He stated that while looking at the process, they looked at many different buildings for those specific populations. He stated that the Affordable Housing Trust would be open to request funding to do that. He noted that the bigger question is what other funding sources would be needed. He stated that it will be an educational process to see about funding possibilities.
Councillor Simmons noted that she was not exclusively looking at this as the creation of low-income housing for LGBT seniors, and that she does not want to assume that every LGBT person is impoverished. She stated that HRI had one building which had market, moderate and low income units. She stated that she is looking for the ability for LGBT seniors from any income level to be eligible. She stated that Massachusetts has the third largest number of same sex couples in the country and that in the year 2030 there would be 2-7 million LGBT elders. She stated that the LGBT community spend their 30s, 40s, and 50s being proactive, only to reach age 60 and suddenly find themselves being pushed back to the margins of society. She stated that it is important not to wait until there is a crisis. She stated that the time is now for the conversation.
Councillor McGovern stated that he is privileged to be part of the Housing Committee. He stated that he thinks the struggle is that we have a housing crisis across the board in Cambridge. He stated that many in the community understand the need for more housing but do not want additional density or height. This means that the City is ending up with a small "piece of the pie" that needs to be divided up many different ways. He asked if the City of Cambridge is facing an issue where seniors are having greater difficulty than other groups in finding housing. He asked if seniors are finding the issue of housing difficult, regardless of class. He asked for a better image of what the committee is talking about. He stated that he is concerned with segregation and questioned if this LGBT housing could potentially bring forth problems that are not being anticipated. He also questioned if this would further add to stigmatization. Councillor McGovern stated that he would like to see what this idea looks like in other communities.
Councillor Simmons stated that there are certainly seniors that don't want to live in senior housing. She stated that when you are a member of the LGBT community in particular, however, as you grow older and you think about living in a not-so-protected society, you may get a social services provider that is not familiar with the LGBT experience. She stated that sometimes you just want to go somewhere to be who you are, unfettered, without the need to explain your experiences or where you've come from. She stated that her friends moved from one building where they felt slightly stigmatized for being members of the LGBT community, to another building where they are having a more positive experience. She stated that until society gets better at being open-minded, she feels there is the need and the desire for a particular environment like the kind she is proposing. She stated that Cambridge is open-minded.
Chris Hewson, Somerville Cambridge Elder Services, stated that it is not a stigma. A lot of times the LGBT community members want to be amongst their own because they feel comfortable and have a kinship and bond. He stated that the South End was thriving when he moved to Boston. He stated that if we have a sense of community, that creates a safe space for people and that is a positive thing. He stated that this would not create a stigma or a sense of segregation, and that it would be welcomed to have a space with people one can identify with. Councillor Simmons added that LGBT community members are still not always necessarily accepted by their community at large. She stated that a common place would allow the LGBT community to not feel isolated. She stated that there is a sense of community that other groups take for granted. She noted there are LGBT dinners across the Commonwealth that are thriving because people in the community are eager to share in that sense of community. She added that LGBT dinner and lunch programs are robust.
Councillor Mazen stated that more conversations are necessary for all kind of minorities, both choices and identities. He stated that a lot of those things have to be cultural to work. He said that these conversations are meaningful because you cannot make someone's experience better through policy. He stated that he would happy to follow the lead of the committee to pursue the cultural change which is well underway.
Jerome Saunders stated that he is here because of the leadership of Councillor Simmons. He stated that there is need for this kind of housing. He stated that he attended the City Council meeting in Boston a few weeks ago. He stated that he is concerned that that discussion will fragment the effort because housing is needed for both seniors and LGBT persons. He stated that he is looking for a place to bring his talent and is a product of the Civil Rights Movement. He stated that he is a tenant in Cambridge and he wants a role in seeing Cambridge embrace all of its people. He commented that this issue is not focused on those that are economically disadvantaged but is about those seeking to be part of the culture of Cambridge. He stated that he is familiar with voucher housing. He said that he is a diversity professional at Dana Farber. He asked, is this a matter of LGBT segregation? He answered that perhaps it is, but not in a bad way, but in a way designed to create a community for LGBT individuals who seek it. He stated that he wants to see an embrace of thinking outside of the box.
. She noted that 12 out of 13 Boston City Councilors were supportive of the idea of LGBT Senior Affordable housing. Ms. Boyer said that the LGBT Aging Project, part of Fenway Health, contributed quite a bit of information about the needs of LGBT seniors. She stated that people have been talking about how this kind of housing may seem segregated. She noted that gay men in public housing in Jamaica Plain have had a lot of trouble with harassment, and she heard that some of these people went back into the closet, and that this kind of thing probably happens more than we realize. She stated that sometimes we erroneously think that there is no discrimination in Cambridge because it is progressive. She stated that in nursing homes, assisted living programs and hospitals, there is no training for providers to work with LGBT patients. She stated that she does think that in the future, young LGBT youth will not want something like this, but we are talking about what is going on currently. She stated that when she attended the 1977 Gay Pride Parade, she was afraid to be seen by a camera because she could have been fired. She stated that she went to a gay pride parade a couple of years ago and saw people standing on the sidelines and clapping and being supportive, and she began to cry. Ms. Boyer stated that she is 68 and it has changed so much but people her age have had to deal with this kind of discrimination for years. She asserted that there are many LGBT people who would love to be in a housing situation where they could just be themselves. It is important for this generation. She stated that she is a liaison with LGBT Aging Program. She stated that there are many options such as a model where people have large houses and open them up to people who want to live in community in the house. She thinks this is a great idea. She stated that she thinks co-housing is a great idea if there is a building available. She stated that the school administration is going to be moving from their current building, and maybe there is the possibility for this type of housing to be located in that building once it is vacated. She also stated that you cannot call it LGBT Housing, and that it would need to be called LGBT-friendly housing. She stated that she would be happy to be involved in this type of planning.
Councillor Simmons stated that the City of Cambridge does not own the building that the School Department occupies. Councillor McGovern added that the Longfellow building is being used as "swing space" for the other schools that will be renovated over the next eight or so years, so that is not a viable location for the housing being discussed. Councillor Simmons stated that the City needs to be ready to proceed when opportunities do become available. She stated that co-housing is an interesting model to explore. Councillor McGovern stated that one of the obstacles in the purchase of property is that the City isn't able to move as fast as private developers. Councillor Simmons added that deep pockets of private developers is also an issue. Councillor McGovern stated that this may be a topic to include in the conversation with private developers. Councillor Simmons stated that the City Council is in the process of increasing linkage fees as a result of the Housing Committee's recommendations. She stated that this results in more dollars going to the Affordable Housing Trust. This gives the city more flexibility to negotiate.
Aren Stone stated that the Cambridge LGBT Commission has recently completed a survey of health care organizations in Cambridge regarding practices for LGBT services. She stated that the City Manager funded an intern for this study. She stated that participating organizations of the study will receive training for employees. Councillor Simmons suggested a similar project in senior housing buildings in Cambridge. She stated that she does not want to lose LGBT seniors to surrounding communities that are doing something to support them. She stated that hope that the City could explore how other cities were able to build LGBT-friendly senior housing.
Len Thomas stated that LGBT-friendly housing that was close to the Fenway went into foreclosure. He stated that this was a joint effort of Stonewall and Abbott Company. He is unclear why it went into foreclosure in 2010. He stated that there was pushback by the neighborhood that it was earmarked to a specific population. He stated that he has mixed feelings about trying to avoid the notion of segregation of a particular population. He stated that this is balanced by the need to create a supportive environment, particularly for those who may have come out late in life and those whose families may not be supportive of them. He stated that he plans on being in touch with Stonewall to see what other kinds of things they had proposed and status of same.
Councillor Simmons stated that there is a building in the Bronx, NY that is LGBT-friendly and noted that it would be interesting to see a functioning building like this one.
William Shalongo stated that his partner and he were residents of Cambridge for about 15 years. He stated that his partner passed away and there were issues with the staff where his partner was cared for that caused some struggle. He feels that even with existing facilities that might be better suited to caring for LGBT individuals, until we can build good facilities, we should try to get people better educated around LGBT issues. He stated that in many cases, there are seniors that may not have friends or family or partners that insist that they are treated well while they reside in existing facilities. He stated that now is a good time to ensure that the education in the existing facilities is up to date with legislation so that we minimize problems as much as possible.
Hasson Rashid stated that he is heterosexual. He stated that the LGBT is one of the first entities of the underclass mosaic. He stated that he feels that there have been several great opportunities in Cambridge for housing that could accommodate much of the need for affordable housing. He stated that these opportunities are bypassed. He stated that for some reason there is no affordable housing to accommodate the underclass mosaic. He stated that he welcomes the opportunity for the Housing Committee to make sense of this as there are too many beautiful opportunities that are being passed by. He stated that the need for housing is getting worse.
Councillor Simmons stated that the Housing Committee should continue to investigate LGBT-friendly housing. She stated that when thinking about LGBT housing she thinks of a friendly place that presents a sense of place and community.
Councillor Simmons stated that it is important for us to advance this conversation, to have further research on models of LGBT-friendly housing - those that didn't quite make it, and those that are very robust - and what is happening in other cities and towns with advancement of discussion and a working group for hearing and debate. She also said that she would like to set up a working group of interested persons to flesh out this important issue, conduct further research and feed information back to this committee for hearing and debate. She said she wants to advance this discussion in the committee, and that she wants to pull together a working committee to research this topic and then report to the Housing Committee in several weeks.
Councillor McGovern stated that he is in support of both of these motions. He added that for people who may or may not be following all of the other things that are happening, the Volpe Building is not property that the City owns. It is federal property with a complicated process. He stated that the Housing Committee has recently issued a recommendation for increase in the linkage fee, which will be tripling the current fee. Also, inclusionary zoning percentage is being raised, which is higher than the majority of other communities in Massachusetts. He noted that the City of Cambridge has spent $115 million dollars over the past ten years on affordable housing. He said he did not want the perception out there to be that the City is not doing anything around affordable housing, because quite the opposite is true.
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the City Solicitor to determine what legal issues would be triggered by exploring the creation of LGBT-friendly housing, and to include in this opinion public versus private housing, along with any legal impediments associated with same.
Councillor Simmons stated that the City of Cambridge has the resources and stated that people are having to leave the city, and here is another group of individuals that will leave the city because they cannot find a place to live where they feel comfortable and affirmed. She stated that we may get to a place where society is unfettered by the differences between us all, but there will still be the opportunity to have the choice to live in LGBT-friendly communities for those that desire this. She stated the importance of future generations living out the true meaning of the pursuit of happiness. She said that if this can happen anywhere, it can happen here.
Councillor McGovern stated that while Cambridge is progressive, it is important not to be complacent. Regarding the legal aspect of LGBT-friendly housing, he stated the need to look at preference for Cambridge residents. Chris Cotter stated that preferences are dependent on the type of housing and how it is financed. He stated that if the housing is something that involves other public sources of funding, there could possibly be additional criteria that would have to be considered. He stated that the legal piece is a broader question as the LGBT community is not a protected class. They would have to have housing open for everyone, and it would be better to refer to this as LGTBQ-friendly housing.
Councillor Simmons thanked Mr. Cotter and stated that it is important to know about any regulatory obstacles moving forward, so that the City can work within these perimeters.