LYNN — Mayoral candidate and School Committee member Michael Satterwhite met with voters Monday to talk about how the city can improve equity for its residents.
During a meet and greet at Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee Co., Satterwhite spoke specifically about the importance of affordability for residents to achieve stability and success. He said he likes to think of the issue as “equitable” housing instead of “affordable” housing.
“Just because it’s affordable, doesn’t mean it’s housing we want people living in,” he said.
He explained that in many situations, the only housing available to those who are low-income or below the poverty line — which includes a large portion of Lynn’s population — is infested with pests, lacking amenities or overseen by “slum lords.”
To improve affordability and the quality of housing in the city, he suggested that the city think outside the box. One potential solution he brought up would be to provide grants to landlords to make improvements to their properties, with the stipulation that they not raise their rent prices for a set period of time.
However, he also explained that the city should be offering more opportunities for its residents to improve their job prospects. He said that for such a multicultural city with plenty of industry, Lynn should have more of its own residents working in local jobs.
To do that, he said Lynn should provide opportunities for adult education, suggesting that Lynn Vocational Technical Institute offer adult courses.
“If we know the jobs that are in our city and what the education and background is that people need to work in those jobs, what are we doing wrong?” he said. “We have this amazing capital in our city. We have people that are bilingual … and you’re not getting that from other candidates, so why aren’t we pushing forward and working with our community and preparing people to work in these jobs?”
Satterwhite also talked about improving accessibility and resources for the city’s seniors. Lynn is the only community in the area without a city-funded senior center. Instead, it relies on Greater Lynn Senior Services (GLSS) to provide necessary services to the senior population.
He said he wants to see Lynn offer more resources to its seniors, like the transportation services Salem provides to health care locations and grocery stores.
“When you outsource things, you take a risk, and the seniors unfortunately pay the cost,” Satterwhite said, adding that he wants the city to own its own senior center. “Owning a property with stability and where the seniors have a say in how that property looks is the next step that should take place.”
Overall, Satterwhite said, the city needs to do a better job of supporting its neediest demographics.
“We need to be proud of the product and the people we put out,” he said.
