Somerville council authorizes settlement to finalize affordable-housing plan before Dec. 31 deadline

Somerville Borough Council on Dec. 29, 2025, unanimously approved Resolution 25-1229-340 authorizing the borough to present a negotiated settlement and an amended compliance plan for its fourth-round housing element and fair share obligations ahead of a Dec. 31 mediator deadline.

The measure, introduced as a walk-on resolution, was explained to the council by Chris Angaro, the borough's redevelopment counsel. Angaro said the borough submitted a housing element earlier in 2025, received two challenges in August and only recently reached a settlement "where there has been real traction to reach a settlement agreement," according to the counsel.

Under the settlement structure presented to the council, two mechanisms in Somerville's compliance plan would be swapped so the borough can count the equivalent amount of affordable units in the fourth-round plan. One specific change Angaro described was replacing a proposed senior complex with a project that would be converted to 100% market-to-affordable units to satisfy the same unit count. Angaro also told the council the borough has identified existing units to document compliance with earlier rounds and agreed to address a third-round shortfall of 37 family units through "unmet need" mechanisms and future zoning tools over the next 10 years.

Mayor Brian Gallagher told the meeting the council needed to provide direction before Dec. 31 because of mediator scheduling and statutory timelines. "We are under mediator time constraints that we have to have some direction down by December 31st," he said during remarks introducing the resolution.

Council members moved and seconded the resolution. Roll-call votes recorded "yes" from Theresa Bonner, Andrew Ki, Randy Pittz and Roger Ver; the motion carried and the resolution was approved. The resolution is identified in the meeting as No. 25-1229-340.

Angaro said the administration will return in the new year with any remaining documents needed to memorialize the agreement and to address the other pending challenge.

The council's action formally authorizes borough staff and counsel to present the amended compliance plan to the program before the statutory deadline; council members did not detail additional funding or implementation deadlines beyond the 10-year horizon referenced for addressing the 37-unit unmet need.