The Community Action Agency of Somerville Announces Launch of the Neighbors Helping Neighbors Campaign

Somerville, MA, August 23, 2024 --(PR.com)-- The Community Action Agency of Somerville (CAAS) announced today the launch of its new campaign, 1 - 5 - 10: Neighbors Helping Neighbors.

Neighbors Helping Neighbors invites community members to join the fight for economic justice by making a monthly recurring donation to CAAS for $1, $5, or $10, underscoring that the biggest impacts can be made not when one person contributes large sums from time to time, but when every community member contributes regularly however they can.

The campaign is an effort to give community stakeholders a new way to invest in both the immediate and long-term wellbeing of our neighborhoods: CAAS not only assists low-income households in securing affordable housing and rental assistance funds, but works to organize for long-term change by advocating for more affordable housing solutions with residents most at-risk of displacement. It also serves as a key provider of Head Start preschool care and family support services in Cambridge and Somerville, helping to pave pathways for success across cities. By becoming a recurring supporter, anyone can join CAAS in the fight for financial equity and build the foundations for systems that allow families to remain in their communities.

“The work of ending poverty is fundamentally about building communities of mutual aid and support,” says David Gibbs, Executive Director of CAAS. “We are all dependent on each other in myriad ways, every day of our lives. Chipping in where you can on a regular basis both acknowledges that mutual dependency and affirms our membership in the loving and caring community that we want to live in.”

Many key programs run by CAAS have increased their capacity for ever-rising client needs through funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which is set to expire in 2025. Some CAAS programs funded by ARPA include the Somerville Cares Fund 2.0, which provides direct cash assistance to low-income households; the Community Organizing & Advocacy Program, which offers leadership training that helps residents become more civically engaged; and FLEX-ARPA Rental Assistance Funds, which help cover housing costs for low-income families. The expiration of these funds underscores the importance of our community’s support to help these services continue.

Housing affordability has been a key concern for Somerville and Cambridge residents over the last few years. According to CAAS’ 2024-2026 Community Assessment Report, an estimated 36.4 percent of Somerville renters are cost-burdened, meaning they spend over a third of their monthly income on housing. Housing is becoming increasingly unaffordable for residents, with the average housing cost increasing by 29% between 2016 and 2024. For a city where an estimated two-thirds of residents rent their homes, increasing rent costs pose a serious threat to the stability of current residents.