Candidate Name: Patty Nolan
What ideas do you have to address the top tier needs identified in the Cambridge Community Needs Assessment (Affordable Housing and Homelessness, Financial Security, Mental Health: Behavioral Health and Substance Abuse)?
First, I was excited and thrilled to see the needs assessment was done in such a thoughtful way. The community needs assessment was an important report and study which allows all of us to better understand the stresses in our community so that we can directly address the needs of our community.
Affordable housing and homelessness are problems requiring a comprehensive approach- although the Housing First model is one that has gone in and out of favor. It works for some -get the housing first. And for others, housing without supportive services will not be effective.The key is to tailor the approach to the various people in need .And even if housing comes first, it must include services - from job training, social services including mental health counseling, nutritional help, food assistance, and financial literacy.The range of needs can be overwhelming, and one important element is to take care of the emotional needs of the people working with at-risk populations, so they can continue their work without getting burnt-out.
Potential affordable housing approaches include much of what we are doing - providing shelters, increasing the number of affordable units through the city- Affordable Housing Trust, and developer units through inclusionary zoning. Approaches to continue to explore: zoning changes to incentivize more units, middle class home ownership opportunities including limited equity coops, working with small landlords to encourage more vouchers used in Cambridge and more units available for voucher holders.The plan to see if older seniors can be paired with young people seeking a room in exchange for some companionship was a positive effort with potential in Cambridge.
Cities and urban planning can do a lot to improve mental health .Access to nature and green space is a proven effective way to increase the well being of people, especially city dwellers who are not surrounded by green nature all the time. The correlation between accessible green areas of cities and mental health is strong. Equally strong is access to physical outlets for exercise and play. Not only children need to move- adults do as well. The more we can improve access - initiatives like the skating rink in Kendall, the Magazine Beach restoration project, the re-building of Sennott Park soccer play fields, the youth centers across the city - all benefit the emotional AND physical health of residents. We also need to pay attention to providing places for social interaction. The library has become a hub of activity and the new STEAM initiative bringing a maker space into that facility builds on a long legacy of responding to community needs. As people in general of all ages are more and more isolated and caught up in screens and technology, health experts are finding the desire and need for community and belonging increasing dramatically.Cambridge must consciously provide more opportunities for residents to meet and work and play together.
Substance abuse is finally being discussed as the public health issue it is - not as a criminal justice issue. Cambridge has moved towards a program of support and communication and away from incarceration as a response to those in the throes of addiction. That community based approach is one of the most effective ways to combat this problem. And we must continue to ensure a continuum of care exists for users.That all safety personnel are trained to assist people and get them support and into an appropriate placement to address the underlying issues and the substance abuse. Mental health services are essential to be more available on an immediate basis. Partnerships with a range of organizations - from service providers to government entities to the community- are critical to having a comprehensive effective approach.
First, I was excited and thrilled to see the needs assessment was done in such a thoughtful way. The community needs assessment was an important report and study which allows all of us to better understand the stresses in our community so that we can directly address the needs of our community.
Affordable housing and homelessness are problems requiring a comprehensive approach- although the Housing First model is one that has gone in and out of favor. It works for some -get the housing first. And for others, housing without supportive services will not be effective.The key is to tailor the approach to the various people in need .And even if housing comes first, it must include services - from job training, social services including mental health counseling, nutritional help, food assistance, and financial literacy.The range of needs can be overwhelming, and one important element is to take care of the emotional needs of the people working with at-risk populations, so they can continue their work without getting burnt-out.
Potential affordable housing approaches include much of what we are doing - providing shelters, increasing the number of affordable units through the city- Affordable Housing Trust, and developer units through inclusionary zoning. Approaches to continue to explore: zoning changes to incentivize more units, middle class home ownership opportunities including limited equity coops, working with small landlords to encourage more vouchers used in Cambridge and more units available for voucher holders.The plan to see if older seniors can be paired with young people seeking a room in exchange for some companionship was a positive effort with potential in Cambridge.
Cities and urban planning can do a lot to improve mental health .Access to nature and green space is a proven effective way to increase the well being of people, especially city dwellers who are not surrounded by green nature all the time. The correlation between accessible green areas of cities and mental health is strong. Equally strong is access to physical outlets for exercise and play. Not only children need to move- adults do as well. The more we can improve access - initiatives like the skating rink in Kendall, the Magazine Beach restoration project, the re-building of Sennott Park soccer play fields, the youth centers across the city - all benefit the emotional AND physical health of residents. We also need to pay attention to providing places for social interaction. The library has become a hub of activity and the new STEAM initiative bringing a maker space into that facility builds on a long legacy of responding to community needs. As people in general of all ages are more and more isolated and caught up in screens and technology, health experts are finding the desire and need for community and belonging increasing dramatically.Cambridge must consciously provide more opportunities for residents to meet and work and play together.
Substance abuse is finally being discussed as the public health issue it is - not as a criminal justice issue. Cambridge has moved towards a program of support and communication and away from incarceration as a response to those in the throes of addiction. That community based approach is one of the most effective ways to combat this problem. And we must continue to ensure a continuum of care exists for users.That all safety personnel are trained to assist people and get them support and into an appropriate placement to address the underlying issues and the substance abuse. Mental health services are essential to be more available on an immediate basis. Partnerships with a range of organizations - from service providers to government entities to the community- are critical to having a comprehensive effective approach.
Do you support the 100% Affordable Housing Overlay as it is currently written as a means to meet the need for affordable housing? Why or why not? How else would you address Cambridge's current affordable housing crisis?
On the AHO – I do not support it as currently written. And am surprised it had so much support – since it is a proposal that was not clearly articulated, not inclusive of the many goals the city has in its strategic plan, and with 50-60 amendments proposed should have been more carefully vetted. The prime reason I am glad it was not passed is that the AHO was not accompanied by any study showing why this one option is better than other options. Further, the city’s documents are extremely vague about how many additional units would be built as a result of the overlay ALONE. There are many other ways to change zoning – including allowing multi-family units across the city, and incentivize owners to make accessory apartments, basement apartments, subdivide – which might yield as many units of affordable housing as the overlay might have. I am in favor of using zoning for public policy reasons – including housing. This one option however is not appropriate. There was hope that the overlay would make it easier to build more, but no clear answer to the extremely important question of how many more.
The AHO documents discussed increasing the number of units the city would build to 100/year – which is due to an increase in the money put into the Affordable Housing Trust – from $13 million to $20 million. I applaud the City Council for that, especially Councillor Carlone who spearheaded that effort, and believe that will help address the current situation. Using the funding in the trust to build more housing is a great way to increase the building.
Further, the AHO was not clear on the potential adverse impact on open space, tree canopy and infrastructure overload. Those are all issues that affect our most vulnerable populations the most, and must be front and center in every discussion of housing. In addition, the AHO did not define affordable. My support for affordable housing is for ALL – for low income AND middle income families and residents. Currently, the middle class is being forced out of Cambridge as much as low income and working class families are. The city is becoming a place where only the income extremes can find an affordable place – either heavily subsidized or very wealthy. That is not a healthy city.
We can do much more to help families in the middle income brackets stay in Cambridge – we can have city housing programs for city workers like school teachers and aides and social workers and custodians. Starting with an inventory of city owned land and scouring the properties for building sites makes sense also. The land acquisition costs are $0. And any existing parking lots could be maintained as parking on the ground floor, and build up. The inclusionary zoning change, and the increased linkage fees, both policies brought in by new councilors, has already increased funding and produced a finished inclusionary project with several more in the pipeline. Most of the expected new affordable housing seems to have resulted from those efforts. That is an example of how Council leadership led to a substantive increase in housing – thanks to Councillors Nadeem Mazen, Dennis Carlone, and state rep. Mike Connolly who started that discussion 6 years ago.
On the AHO – I do not support it as currently written. And am surprised it had so much support – since it is a proposal that was not clearly articulated, not inclusive of the many goals the city has in its strategic plan, and with 50-60 amendments proposed should have been more carefully vetted. The prime reason I am glad it was not passed is that the AHO was not accompanied by any study showing why this one option is better than other options. Further, the city’s documents are extremely vague about how many additional units would be built as a result of the overlay ALONE. There are many other ways to change zoning – including allowing multi-family units across the city, and incentivize owners to make accessory apartments, basement apartments, subdivide – which might yield as many units of affordable housing as the overlay might have. I am in favor of using zoning for public policy reasons – including housing. This one option however is not appropriate. There was hope that the overlay would make it easier to build more, but no clear answer to the extremely important question of how many more.
The AHO documents discussed increasing the number of units the city would build to 100/year – which is due to an increase in the money put into the Affordable Housing Trust – from $13 million to $20 million. I applaud the City Council for that, especially Councillor Carlone who spearheaded that effort, and believe that will help address the current situation. Using the funding in the trust to build more housing is a great way to increase the building.
Further, the AHO was not clear on the potential adverse impact on open space, tree canopy and infrastructure overload. Those are all issues that affect our most vulnerable populations the most, and must be front and center in every discussion of housing. In addition, the AHO did not define affordable. My support for affordable housing is for ALL – for low income AND middle income families and residents. Currently, the middle class is being forced out of Cambridge as much as low income and working class families are. The city is becoming a place where only the income extremes can find an affordable place – either heavily subsidized or very wealthy. That is not a healthy city.
We can do much more to help families in the middle income brackets stay in Cambridge – we can have city housing programs for city workers like school teachers and aides and social workers and custodians. Starting with an inventory of city owned land and scouring the properties for building sites makes sense also. The land acquisition costs are $0. And any existing parking lots could be maintained as parking on the ground floor, and build up. The inclusionary zoning change, and the increased linkage fees, both policies brought in by new councilors, has already increased funding and produced a finished inclusionary project with several more in the pipeline. Most of the expected new affordable housing seems to have resulted from those efforts. That is an example of how Council leadership led to a substantive increase in housing – thanks to Councillors Nadeem Mazen, Dennis Carlone, and state rep. Mike Connolly who started that discussion 6 years ago.
The nonprofit sector in Cambridge makes major contributions to both the local economy and services for residents. In order for the sector to create the lasting change it seeks to achieve, systemic challenges, such as a lack of understanding of what the nonprofit sector does and the value it brings to communities, and chronic under funding that limits the capacity to deliver services and invest in talent and technology, all while responding to increasing needs, must be addressed. What ideas do you have to ensure a vibrant and healthy nonprofit sector in our City?
The non profits in our area are incredible assets to the community, the economy and the overall livability and attractiveness of our city. Is there a mapping of all the nonprofits? From the largest to the smallest - with their impact, service areas, mission and constituents? There should be - so we can fully support those more in need.
The largest non profits are among our largest taxpayers -MIT and Harvard. And health care is the next largest non profit sector, from Mt. Auburn Hospital to CHA, to small groups working on health care. Our incredible theater companies - from Underground Railway/Central Square theater to Beyond the 4th Wall to North Cambridge Family Opera to the ART - all depend on subsidies.The arts programs that produce incredible work and engage people - from Maud Morgan to Community Art Center to Jose Mateo Ballet Theater to Community Chorus - all need subsidies, funding, support and investment from the community at large.The hubs of community like Margaret Fuller House, East End House, the senior centers, the youth centers- all depend on a range of city, private and foundation funding to keep providing the range of programming that enhances our city.
The city has a linkage fee for housing - tripled after councilors Carlone and Mazen pointed out it hadn't been updated for more than a decade. Can Cambridge have a linkage fee for the arts? For language classes? For computer based centers to bridge the digital divide?
Can the Mayor's Summer Youth Employment Program work more closely with all non profits (they work closely with many already) to spread the word about the importance of the work on those organizations - and build a pipeline of leaders wanting to be part of the sector when adult?
Our largest non profits have given many resources to the city they should continue to be our thought partners in identifying needs and developing solutions. The support the city gives needs to be coordinated, and comprehensive.
The non profits in our area are incredible assets to the community, the economy and the overall livability and attractiveness of our city. Is there a mapping of all the nonprofits? From the largest to the smallest - with their impact, service areas, mission and constituents? There should be - so we can fully support those more in need.
The largest non profits are among our largest taxpayers -MIT and Harvard. And health care is the next largest non profit sector, from Mt. Auburn Hospital to CHA, to small groups working on health care. Our incredible theater companies - from Underground Railway/Central Square theater to Beyond the 4th Wall to North Cambridge Family Opera to the ART - all depend on subsidies.The arts programs that produce incredible work and engage people - from Maud Morgan to Community Art Center to Jose Mateo Ballet Theater to Community Chorus - all need subsidies, funding, support and investment from the community at large.The hubs of community like Margaret Fuller House, East End House, the senior centers, the youth centers- all depend on a range of city, private and foundation funding to keep providing the range of programming that enhances our city.
The city has a linkage fee for housing - tripled after councilors Carlone and Mazen pointed out it hadn't been updated for more than a decade. Can Cambridge have a linkage fee for the arts? For language classes? For computer based centers to bridge the digital divide?
Can the Mayor's Summer Youth Employment Program work more closely with all non profits (they work closely with many already) to spread the word about the importance of the work on those organizations - and build a pipeline of leaders wanting to be part of the sector when adult?
Our largest non profits have given many resources to the city they should continue to be our thought partners in identifying needs and developing solutions. The support the city gives needs to be coordinated, and comprehensive.
Recent research out of Boston University has shown that residents who participate in local government are most likely white, older, wealthy and male. How would you increase access to local government decision making power and ultimately civic engagement, by Cambridge low income communities and communities of color?
Research shows that people engage when they feel welcomed and when they believe the activity is relevant to their lives.Cambridge can do a much better job on both fronts. Our meetings should include childcare and food for anytime we want a wide range of people to attend. Our schools that provide childcare and food have a higher percentage of a range of diverse participants. The city's meetings can and should do the same. There is higher turnout for activities the city has when the message is clear that we welcome people in. One example of an excellent event that is educational, fun and effective at engaging people is the Family Literacy Day every year. That event attracts hundreds of very diverse families into City Hall.There is a clear welcoming sign, activities for all ages, and personal attention to all who enter. That helps demystify City Hall, so people feel that they are welcome and know it and therefore will come back for other programs or reasons.
The city can do more to ensure that folks whose first language is not English know about what is going on. Find It Cambridge includes a google translate - so people can find things in a range of languages. That is a huge advance, enabled by technology. Other events are not well known or advertised in different languages.
The city has many many boards, commissions, task forces, and opportunities to be involved with the civic life of the city. From bike committee to the peace commission to library to recycling to housing to recreation - there are many opportunities to be involved. Yet many residents don't know they, as residents, can be on a board or commission. It would be wonderful if the city did a demographic study of all boards and commissions and reached out to neighborhoods and groups not currently represented and asked what their interest level was in participating.
Research shows that people engage when they feel welcomed and when they believe the activity is relevant to their lives.Cambridge can do a much better job on both fronts. Our meetings should include childcare and food for anytime we want a wide range of people to attend. Our schools that provide childcare and food have a higher percentage of a range of diverse participants. The city's meetings can and should do the same. There is higher turnout for activities the city has when the message is clear that we welcome people in. One example of an excellent event that is educational, fun and effective at engaging people is the Family Literacy Day every year. That event attracts hundreds of very diverse families into City Hall.There is a clear welcoming sign, activities for all ages, and personal attention to all who enter. That helps demystify City Hall, so people feel that they are welcome and know it and therefore will come back for other programs or reasons.
The city can do more to ensure that folks whose first language is not English know about what is going on. Find It Cambridge includes a google translate - so people can find things in a range of languages. That is a huge advance, enabled by technology. Other events are not well known or advertised in different languages.
The city has many many boards, commissions, task forces, and opportunities to be involved with the civic life of the city. From bike committee to the peace commission to library to recycling to housing to recreation - there are many opportunities to be involved. Yet many residents don't know they, as residents, can be on a board or commission. It would be wonderful if the city did a demographic study of all boards and commissions and reached out to neighborhoods and groups not currently represented and asked what their interest level was in participating.
While Cambridge benefits from a uniquely robust social service network that includes both nonprofit and City providers, it can be difficult for residents to navigate and for leaders to maximize the available resources. What ideas do you have for better coordination of services between the City of Cambridge and nonprofit organizations? What role do you believe nonprofits should play in strengthening the Cambridge community?
I am steeped in non-profit leadership having served on a range of boards - (Green Streets, Cambridge School Volunteers, Cambridge Yerevan Sister City, Longy School Visitors board, ArtFund, Children's Village) and worked in non-profits (Consensus Building Institute, The ICA Group, LISC economic development, Green Century Mutual Fund). And volunteering in many others.The sector is critically important to Cambridge, and to other places.
The best ecosystem of an area is when the various stakeholders collaborate effectively. Cambridge is lucky to have a wealth of organizations AND an incredible array of city services. A key way to better coordinate is to work out the sharing of information across entities. An example is how with our youth, a range of organizations might work with a particular child - the school, a community school, an arts program, a sports team, a social worker. If all of those different entities don't have a way to easily communicate, the provision of services might well not be as effective as it could be. While we need to protect privacy and follow laws and regulations, we can do much better job of getting permission to share information so that all people interacting with a child has a fuller story. Both to support and to celebrate that child.
Another important element of effective working together is to monitor and update the mapping of services and support systems -to review and see if there are areas of duplication, or areas of overlap, or areas of lapses. Then come together to reduce duplication or overlap and cover lapses.
As for role of non-profits:critical. Essential partner. Wonderful asset. Our city would be lifeless without the nonprofits - who serve immigrants, provide theater, teach and showcase artistic endeavors of all kinds- musical to visual to kinesthetic. Sports non-profits provide opportunities for a range of ages to experience team building, friendships and physical activity. Social services provide culturally sensitive ways to learn about the city, engage in it, and improve on one's situation in a variety of ways.
I am steeped in non-profit leadership having served on a range of boards - (Green Streets, Cambridge School Volunteers, Cambridge Yerevan Sister City, Longy School Visitors board, ArtFund, Children's Village) and worked in non-profits (Consensus Building Institute, The ICA Group, LISC economic development, Green Century Mutual Fund). And volunteering in many others.The sector is critically important to Cambridge, and to other places.
The best ecosystem of an area is when the various stakeholders collaborate effectively. Cambridge is lucky to have a wealth of organizations AND an incredible array of city services. A key way to better coordinate is to work out the sharing of information across entities. An example is how with our youth, a range of organizations might work with a particular child - the school, a community school, an arts program, a sports team, a social worker. If all of those different entities don't have a way to easily communicate, the provision of services might well not be as effective as it could be. While we need to protect privacy and follow laws and regulations, we can do much better job of getting permission to share information so that all people interacting with a child has a fuller story. Both to support and to celebrate that child.
Another important element of effective working together is to monitor and update the mapping of services and support systems -to review and see if there are areas of duplication, or areas of overlap, or areas of lapses. Then come together to reduce duplication or overlap and cover lapses.
As for role of non-profits:critical. Essential partner. Wonderful asset. Our city would be lifeless without the nonprofits - who serve immigrants, provide theater, teach and showcase artistic endeavors of all kinds- musical to visual to kinesthetic. Sports non-profits provide opportunities for a range of ages to experience team building, friendships and physical activity. Social services provide culturally sensitive ways to learn about the city, engage in it, and improve on one's situation in a variety of ways.
What steps would you take to make Cambridge more inclusive and welcoming of recently arrived immigrant residents, especially those living in mixed-status households?
The city has taken steps to be very welcoming and a range of programs we have - from the Community Learning Center to the Community Engagement Teams, to supporting groups like Enroot to a range of housing help and job training opportunities are all welcome and important additions to our city's ecosystem.To be more inclusive, I believe we need to ensure that we have more translation into other languages and more attention paid to the English language learners among our immigrant residents.
Many religious organizations welcome new members by providing a buddy, or welcoming committee, or orientation. Could Cambridge pair up new residents with long time residents? Could we use the energy and time of our senior citizens, many of whom are retired and still active, to welcome new residents? The various aging in community groups and the efforts to ensure seniors can stay in their homes could be applied to immigrant newcomers as well. Provide a system of support coordinated through existing organizations, and faith-based groups, and the city.
The city has taken steps to be very welcoming and a range of programs we have - from the Community Learning Center to the Community Engagement Teams, to supporting groups like Enroot to a range of housing help and job training opportunities are all welcome and important additions to our city's ecosystem.To be more inclusive, I believe we need to ensure that we have more translation into other languages and more attention paid to the English language learners among our immigrant residents.
Many religious organizations welcome new members by providing a buddy, or welcoming committee, or orientation. Could Cambridge pair up new residents with long time residents? Could we use the energy and time of our senior citizens, many of whom are retired and still active, to welcome new residents? The various aging in community groups and the efforts to ensure seniors can stay in their homes could be applied to immigrant newcomers as well. Provide a system of support coordinated through existing organizations, and faith-based groups, and the city.
Give a specific example of a policy approach to addressing institutional racism in Cambridge.
The Cambridge Digs Deep provided very important conversations, some quite uncomfortable - to get people of a range of backgrounds and ethnicities and races - to acknowledge openly the institutional racism and structural racial inequities in our society, and in our city.That effort could provide a basis for further expanding our efforts as a community to face our own implicit and explicit biases. WE must face our past and learn from it.
Many white people do not understand their own white privilege and shut down when the phrase is mentioned -especially if they do not feel privileged economically or by sexuality or other identities. We can and need to provide a way for whites to own our own white privilege (I am white) and recognize that we have benefited from it. Providing safe spaces for conversations - getting beyond the usual suspects of people who show up for a conversation on race would be a specific, meaningful and potentially powerful way for us as a city to address institutional racism.
Another specific idea: College Savings Accounts for all - which is in process. A couple of years ago I reached out to organizations working on college savings accounts for all. It seemed like a practical, incredibly effective way to address inequities in college attendance rates. I also met with Workforce, which has a program for their students.I am glad to see the city is moving towards having savings accounts for all children - and glad that my outreach to the mayor about this idea helped spur this effort.
Many white people do not understand their own white privilege and shut down when the phrase is mentioned -especially if they do not feel privileged economically or by sexuality or other identities. We can and need to provide a way for whites to own our own white privilege (I am white) and recognize that we have benefited from it. Providing safe spaces for conversations - getting beyond the usual suspects of people who show up for a conversation on race would be a specific, meaningful and potentially powerful way for us as a city to address institutional racism.
Another specific idea: College Savings Accounts for all - which is in process. A couple of years ago I reached out to organizations working on college savings accounts for all. It seemed like a practical, incredibly effective way to address inequities in college attendance rates. I also met with Workforce, which has a program for their students.I am glad to see the city is moving towards having savings accounts for all children - and glad that my outreach to the mayor about this idea helped spur this effort.