Somerville Candidate Profile: Kristen Strezo For City Council

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

Here, we learn more about Kristen Strezo, who is running for councilor at large on the Somerville City Council. Strezo, a two-term incumbent, is among five candidates on the ballot for four at-large seats on the council.

Though Charlotte Kelley is on the ballot, she announced last month that she will not serve a second term.

The remaining candidates are Strezo, fellow incumbents Willie Burnley Jr. and Jake Wilson, and Challenger Will Mbah.

Prior to her election to the City Council, Strezo served two terms as chair of the Somerville Commission for Women.

Candidates were sent questionnaires and filled out the answers.

Name

Kristen Strezo

How old will you be as of Election Day?

44

Campaign website

https://kristenstrezo.com/

What city or town do you live in?

Somerville

What office are you seeking?

City council at-large

Education

I attended DePaul University where I received my Bachelor of Arts degree and went on to receive my Master's in Journalism from Harvard University, Extension.

Occupation

I currently serve as a Somerville city councilor at-large and have been in this role for the past three years.

Family

I am a single mom of two kids in the Somerville public school system.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No, I am the only member of my family who works in politics.

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

I currently serve as a Somerville city councilor at-large, and have for the past three years. Before that, I served two terms as chair of the Somerville Commission for Women.

Why are you seeking this office?

Our community has been facing a housing crisis with rising rents, decades-long waiting lists for affordable housing units, and a lack of interpreter services. Between 40-50 applications seeking rental assistance come in every month, and many of these households have children residing in them. As someone who lives in an affordable housing unit, I feel this crisis personally. I chose to run for office to ensure that every Somerville resident can feel the dignity and security of being able to stay in their chosen community.

I spent over twelve years as a sandwich-generation caregiver bringing up my 2 young children while caring for my elderly grandmother. My grandmother had ADA accessibility needs, and finding housing that was both accessible and affordable was virtually impossible. My family had the blessing of winning the affordable housing lottery, and it changed the course of my family in such positive ways. It allowed our family to just breathe and not constantly worry about housing and ADA accessibility. It’s a blessing I’m grateful for EVERY DAY. I want every Somerville family to know this ease.

My lived experience also informs my fierce advocacy for women, families, and seniors. As a single mother, I cared for both of my children throughout the pandemic shutdown, which led me to center the need for affordable and accessible childcare in the post-pandemic recovery plan that I introduced. Providing women and families with the support that they need is a priority for me.

I advocated fiercely for my grandmother and her healthcare needs throughout the time that I cared for her, and I do the same for Somerville seniors. I have spent my first term pushing the Somerville Housing Authority to expedite maintenance in senior residence units, urging the MBTA to provide transportation options to Somerville community events for seniors, fighting to establish a Senior Subcommittee in the Council, and visiting senior residences in our community to make sure their voices are heard.

I am also a fierce advocate for reproductive justice. I wrote and introduced the first Crisis Pregnancy Center (CPC, also known as a fake abortion clinic) Ordinance which bans false & medically inaccurate advertising in Somerville. It was the first CPC Ordinance introduced in Massachusetts. The CPC Ordinance was passed and ordained into our city on International Women’s Day, 2022. Since then, many municipalities in Massachusetts have followed my approach and introduced similar policies.

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

The most pressing issue facing my constituents is housing insecurity and we need to implement both short-term and long-term solutions as a result. In the short term, we must expand municipal vouchers and Section 8 stock in the city. In the long term, we need to increase affordable housing units throughout the city and push for critical legislation, such as expanding the transfer fee and other policies that fight housing insecurity.

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

Unlike some other candidates, I deeply understand the needs and wants of the Somerville community. As someone who lives in affordable housing and has two kids in the school system, I have experienced firsthand many of the issues that impact our residents.

I also make a point to hear from the community and better understand the changes they want to occur when building my policy priorities. I seek to represent all of Somerville and this is only possible by amplifying and listening to the voices that are impacted most in any given situation.
Lived experience matters.

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

In addition to supporting women and families, and expanding affordable housing options in the community, accessibility is a critical issue for me. I am committed to ensuring that our bikers, seniors, students, and residents with ADA-accessibility needs can safely navigate our city.

The tragedies that have occurred in our streets, particularly along the McGrath Highway, could have been prevented with protective infrastructure for pedestrians and bikers. We currently have a shortage of crossing guards for our students throughout the city, which jeopardizes their safety and is unacceptable. Over 13 pedestrians have been hit in Somerville so far in 2023.

I have also been working with the Senior Taxi Cab program to guarantee transportation options for seniors on the weekends so that they can attend our community’s events, like Honk! and Porchfest. I believe that these events and our artist community are critical to our community healing from the trauma of the last year and a half, and that healing should be accessible to all community members.

Climate justice is also vitally important to me. I have been pushing the state to construct sound barriers along the I-93 corridor to mitigate this public health issue concerning air quality. East Somerville has fewer parks and less tree coverage than the West side of the city, in addition to dealing with the I-93 corridor. My climate action plan centers on equity and ensuring that our entire city is safe and healthy through this climate crisis.

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

I’m in my second term of office running for my third. I love advocating for my city, fighting for and alongside my constituents and it is an incredible honor I’m grateful for every day.

I am particularly proud of my work on affordable housing issues, women’s advocacy issues, protecting reproductive rights and body autonomy at a municipal level, and environmental issues.

I have testified numerous times at the Massachusetts Statehouse in support of the Transfer Fee that would give communities throughout the Commonwealth the option to invest in affordable housing projects, introduced a resolution in support of extending the statewide Eviction Moratorium, and also expanded funding and staff for the Office of Housing Stability in anticipation of the increased housing needs during the pandemic.

In January 2022, I called for the reinstatement of the Senior Cab Ride program after the state COVID pandemic taxi ride pilot program grant elapsed. The city reinstated the program and for 2023 is extending the municipal program beyond seniors to all lower-income residents who qualify.

Additionally, in August, I put forward a budget Resolution calling for the administration to have free menstrual products available in all city buildings. The city is now in the process of making this possible, building by building.

I’ve been working to help build back up our cherished Somerville small businesses through continued advocacy and support, through one-on-one work alongside our Economic Development office.

I am committed to equity in every aspect of Somerville and doing all I can to ensure inclusion and safety for our community.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Be grateful

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

This is about all of us. I have been told I am a consensus builder in this community, and that is an enormous compliment to me. I have received endorsements from a diverse spectrum of organizations — the Massachusetts Women’s Political Caucus, Sierra Club, the Greater Boston Labor Council, YDMA, YIMBY, and several unions — across our community. We are a vibrant city of 81,400 people, brimming with creative ideas, passions, and interests. I follow your lead — I want to hear from you!