Event to feature the ADTF-commissioned short film “Displacement Stories” and panel discussion with task force members

As the next step after releasing three anti-displacement reports in January, the City of Somerville’s Anti-Displacement Task Force (ADTF) invites community members to a special event to highlight its work and continue the vital conversation around displacement in Somerville. All are welcome to join Task Force members, Mayor Katjana Ballantyne, City Councilors, and fellow community members for this opportunity on Thursday, June 12, to celebrate the work of the Task Force and mark our community’s commitment to creating stability for residents, businesses, nonprofits, and the cultural arts.   

Film Screening & Panel Discussion: 

• Date: Thursday, June 12, 2025 
• Location: East Somerville Community School (50 Cross St.) 
• Time: 6 p.m. 

The evening will begin with a complimentary dinner and a recorded presentation of key findings from the three ADTF committees published earlier this year on residential, business/nonprofits, and cultural arts displacement. A screening of Displacement Stories, a short film commissioned as part of the ADTF’s work will follow. The film features personal stories of Somerville residents impacted by displacement. Afterward, a panel discussion with members of the ADTF task force will feature their reflections on their work. 

“Displacement is a word that doesn’t tell the whole story. Every time a resident, business, nonprofit, or artist is displaced from Somerville it means the costs of staying here were just too high, so we lose one more thread from the fabric of our community. My administration is committed to fighting displacement, and I want to thank the Task Force for this vital work to support our mission to drive down displacement pressures and to keep our community whole,” said Mayor Ballantyne. 

The ADTF was called into action in 2023 by Mayor Ballantyne in response to not only the housing crisis but also rental pressures on local businesses, nonprofits, and artists and cultural organizations. Three ADTF committees were formed to develop recommendations aimed at reducing the rate of displacement across all of these areas. Committee members were drawn from the community as part of the administration’s commitment to inclusive leadership. The committee reports were released in January. Work is now underway to review for the most actionable recommendations, prioritize next steps, and determine what resources are needed to move forward on recommendations.    

“This concluding event of the Anti-Displacement Task Force is an important celebration of the community members involved in this project and the unique approach we took to get here,” said Luis Quizhpe, Strategic Planning & Equity Manager in Somerville’s Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development. “The task force was an exercise in co-design, where our neighbors, together with City staff, set to preserving the tapestry that is our collective identity as a community. Each thread of this tapestry represents our collective contribution to what makes this city a great place to live, work and create in, and what makes each thread worth preserving.”