To the editor:
With the upcoming municipal election for ward councilor, councilor-at-large, and School Committee, Lynn voters have a number of issues to take under consideration — infrastructure, school and public safety, and city cleanliness to name a few. While it is understandable, even natural, to focus on the issues that most significantly impact us as individuals, it is imperative that we also think about the collective needs of the Lynn community. Nearly 15% of Lynn residents are living in poverty according to the U.S. Census Bureau and 1 in 5 are food insecure. A Metropolitan Area Planning Council report noted that 42% of our city’s residents are cost burdened, paying more than a third of their household income in housing costs. Just recently, I met residents on Green Street in Ward 4 who, at times, had to forgo buying food in order to cover their basic housing expenses. Inflation and the rising cost of living, particularly increased grocery costs, continue to negatively impact us all.
In casting our votes next month, we have to think about supporting those with the experience, perspective, and will to most positively affect change for the greatest number of city residents. We should seek to elect local officials who understand the significant economic and social challenges that Lynn residents face on a daily basis. We need elected officials who understand the ways in which housing insecurity and homelessness, issues that disproportionately affect Lynn compared to the Commonwealth as a whole, act as a barrier to learning and educational attainment for Lynn youth, as well as how crime rates have specifically been linked, in part, to housing instability. The housing issue does not exist in a silo and is relevant to larger discussions around the environment, social mobility, domestic violence, and mental health in addition to public safety and educational achievement. Lynn’s comprehensive plan (Vision Lynn), adopted earlier this year, includes making implementation of the housing plan a priority. When asked, 60% of those participating in Vision Lynn community surveys selected housing affordability as a topic the plan needed to address, making it the only theme selected by a majority of participants. Understanding which candidates are best positioned to prioritize this issue and have the greatest awareness around the impact it is having on our community is essential. A critical shortage of affordable, safe, stable housing directly contributes to homelessness and housing instability; we need a City Council willing to take immediate and decisive action to address this issue.
This November, elect candidates who have been and continue to be present and in the community year-round with those who have been historically disengaged from city governance. Vote for candidates who understand the Lynn community as a whole and are ready to enact the transformative change that the most marginalized desperately need. The Vision Lynn plan envisions “a city where all community members have the housing, transportation access, social connections, and educational or economic opportunities to live a fulfilling life” — a lofty aspiration. This vision, however, can only be realized if we have elected officials who not only express support for this goal, but have the lived experience to truly fight for its realization for and with Lynn’s working-class and communities of color, populations who make up the majority. Laura Ingalls Wilder once said “home is the nicest word there is.” At this critical juncture, vote to make this a reality for all of Lynn, for every ward and every neighborhood, on Tuesday, Nov. 7.
Sincerely,
Cleo Hereford
Lynn
