Somerville Candidate Profile: Judy Pineda Neufeld For City Council

SOMERVILLE, MA — With the Somerville Municipal Election scheduled for Nov. 7, Patch is profiling the candidates.

Here, we learn more about Judy Pineda Neufeld, who is running to represent Ward 7 on the Somerville City Council. Pineda Neufeld is an incumbent who is running unopposed.

Pineda Neufeld is a leadership and strategic planning consultant and a small business owner.

Candidates were sent questionnaires and filled out the answers.

Name

Judy Pineda Neufeld

How old will you be as of Election Day?

40

Campaign website

https://www.judyforsomerville....

What city or town do you live in?

Somerville

What office are you seeking?

Somerville City Councilor

District

Ward 7

Please give us your party affiliation

Democrat

Education

BA, Tufts University MBA, Crummer Graduate School of Business at Rollins College

Occupation

Leadership and Strategic Planning Consultant (since 2015); Small Business Owner of Spark Sisterhood (since 2019)

Family

My husband Mark and I recently welcomed our son Isaac this past April! He is 6 months old and a bundle of joy.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Have you ever held a public office, whether appointive or elective?

Ward 7 City Councilor since 2021

Why are you seeking this office?

As the daughter of immigrants, a community organizer, small business owner and your Ward 7 city councilor, I care deeply about making our city a better place to live, work, and thrive. Equity and justice are not just boxes to check on a to-do list, but rather a lens by which I live and lead. I’m serving on the Council to take bold action on our common challenges from greater access to affordable housing, an accessible and livable city, healthier connected communities, and more. My husband and I just had our first child, and as I welcome Ward 7’s littlest constituent I am reminded of the importance of this work to not only improve Somerville today, but prepare our city for an even better and brighter future. I am so proud of all we have accomplished thus far, and I look forward to continuing my work standing up for the community I love each and every day.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

More affordable and accessible housing. Issues with affordability and displacement have plagued our city for far too long; we need more than temporary fixes for our housing challenges. My work expanding access to affordable housing has included advocating for increased flexibility for group housing, and pushing for the approval of a group living permit when my constituent on Hamilton Rd. requested one to expand the number of people he could lease rooms to in two newly renovated units. I also co-sponsored an ordinance with my colleague Councilor Ben Ewen-Campen to get rid of the rule that requires group living permits for more than four unrelated people to live together. I also advocated for the funding needed for the Clarendon Hill housing redevelopment that allowed them to break ground this year.

Increasing housing stability is also a key part of addressing our current housing crisis, and tenant protections are a critical tool for enabling families to stay in their homes. I support guaranteeing tenants the first right of refusal, the right to withhold rent if safety requirements or city codes aren’t met, the right to counsel in housing court, and the adoption of just cause eviction standards.

In addition, I have sought to increase the resources available for the Office of Housing Stability which often provides a critical lifeline for Somerville families. I support providing incentives to landlords who consistently keep rents below market rate, and working with state officials on rent stabilization options in Somerville. I also sit on the City’s Anti-Displacement Task Force which seeks to develop strategies and implement resources that will allow Somerville residents to remain in their homes, and stay in the city we love.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I am currently running unopposed. As city councilor, I bring both the lived and professional experience to take bold action on our common challenges here in Somerville. Having grown up in a multi-racial and multicultural household, I bring a keen understanding of cultural competency that helps me value diverse perspectives and find commonalities where others cannot. My first job out of college was as a community organizer and I have taken my organizing skills into my day-to-day work as councilor. I have dedicated my career to working with groups and organizations making the world a better place, including as nonprofit director, leadership consultant, and head of the Somerville’s Immigrant Services Unit during the Covid-19 pandemic. On the City Council, I will continue to ensure that everyone impacted by the council’s decisions has a seat at the table. As your Ward 7 councilor, I am responsive to the needs of our neighbors and work to ensure clear and timely communication with all.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

I hope to continue my work in expanding Somerville’s capacity to support electric vehicles and implementing an electrified building code as we move towards a carbon-neutral future. In addition, I will push for additional mental health resources for our community, especially for those in the LGBTQ+ community and our young people still recovering from the lost learning and isolation of the pandemic. I also plan to improve street safety and mobility around our city to reduce traffic accidents and help drivers, cyclists and pedestrians all safely share the roads.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

It has been an incredible honor to serve the people of Somerville’s Ward 7, and I am very proud of all I have accomplished thus far in my first term. I have successfully advocated for the passage of a language justice plan that expands translation and interpretation services across city government, secured more than $14 million in funding to modernize and expand my district’s largest public housing complex, expanded municipal bereavement leave policy to cover miscarriage, stillbirth, and abortion recovery for Somerville City employees, and much more. I also have placed a strong emphasis on constituent services and government transparency by holding periodic virtual and in-person office hours, sending out monthly newsletters with council updates, and ensuring responsiveness to all Ward 7 residents having issues accessing city services. I am also honored to have been elected by my council colleagues to serve as the City Council vice president for the current 2023 session.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

The best advice I have received is to listen to understand, not react. I was taught that we have two ears and one mouth for a reason, so that we can listen more than we talk. I believe that we all have a basic need to be heard, seen, and understood. The more we can listen to learn, listen to relate, and listen to empathize, the more we can truly understand how to connect with others and overcome our biggest obstacles together.