US2 & Mayor Ballantyne: Build Affordable Housing in Union Square NOW
US2 President Greg Karczewski & Mayor Katjana Ballantyne
In 2019, the Union Square Station Associates (US2) signed a community benefit agreement with the Union Square Neighborhood Council committing to develop parcel D4.3 into 51 units, with 39 of them affordable to low and moderate income residents including families with children.
The housing was supposed to be done before the Green Line opened, to minimize the impact of displacement likely to occur with new transit access to the neighborhood.
We are in a housing crisis. Development of the affordable housing units is urgent and essential.
And yet, US2, the developers responsible for building these affordable units, haven't even broken ground on the project.
What's happening? US2 points fingers at the city. The city says US2 is dragging their feet. Meanwhile, ordinary people in Somerville get squeezed with higher housing costs and face leaving their community in order to survive.
It's time to tell US2 and the Mayor: Stop messing around, and get affordable housing built on parcel D4.3.
No more excuses! Build affordable housing in Union Square now.
Petition by
Sponsored by
To:
US2 President Greg Karczewski & Mayor Katjana Ballantyne
From:
[Your Name]
Mr. Karczewski & Mayor Ballantyne,
For too long, US2 has been dragging their feet with developing parcel D4.3 into the affordable housing units that your company promised to build.
Meanwhile, the city has let US2 dally while providing no clear path forward to Union Square neighbors anxious for this project to move forward.
Mr. Karczewski, your company committed to our neighborhood that these 51 units would be completed before the new T stop opened.
Now, with the Green Line extension open for months and with rents rising ever upward, Union Square neighbors are being squeezed while US2 sits on its hands and points fingers at the city.
US2 did the right thing by committing to build affordable housing alongside commercial space and market-rate housing.
But now, Mr. Karczewski, your company delaying and dragging their feet on the one contractually agreed-on part of your current plan that can help low- and mid-income neighbors stay in the Union Square neighborhood.
Mayor Ballantyne, you've provided no answers about how we can move forward to get this parcel developed and appear unable or unwilling to hold US2 accountable to deliver this project as they promised.
Please, stop messing around. Figure out how to get D4.3 built, and build the affordable units Union Square needs.