Rising housing costs undermine the ability of long-term residents to remain in Chelsea with stability and dignity. Although the displacement crisis transcends city boundaries, municipal government is uniquely positioned to boost housing production, address affordability, and reveal avenues of wealth building through home ownership. Simultaneously, it’s the responsibility of elected officials to safeguard and expand an effective housing safety net for residents, recognizing that many of us are one unforeseen setback away from homelessness. As City Councilor, housing will signify the foundation of my campaign, as housing stability can enable youth to excel in school, families to realize upward mobility, and residents to achieve long term wellbeing. 

• Preventing Displacement: Stabilizing residents from housing, cultural, and economic displacement, expanding eviction prevention initiatives, increasing funding for multilingual homelessness prevention, and helping residents recover, rebound, and prosper following fires and natural disasters; 

• Affordable + Mixed Income Housing: Advocating for  local programs to prevent speculative activity from fueling displacement, streamlining local zoning to incentivize new affordable housing, and advancing the creation of truly affordable housing for families, seniors, veterans, and young people;

• First Time Home Buyers: Broadening first-time home buyer opportunity through the development of rent-to-own, affordable condominium, and multi-family equity building projects, along with the implementation of new programs that make buying a home an accessible, tangible reality; 

Proactively addressing the mounting issues of neighborhood safety is vital to fostering supportive, welcoming neighborhoods. As City Councilor, I’m committed developing new tools that enhance the fabric of Chelsea neighborhoods and address the root causes of violence, such as:

• Community Policing: In collaboration with Chelsea Police Department, expanding neighborhood walking patrols, cultivating community-police partnerships, diversifying staffing, and promoting neighborhood safety as a fundamental right of all residents; 

• Youth Jobs: Educating, preparing, and empowering youth for personal and professional growth by increasing funding for youth jobs, financial education, afterschool programs, and mentorship;

• Neighborhood Mediation: Creating the City’s first conflict resolution and mediation program that alleviates the root cause of violence, spurs social cohesion, and sets out second-change economic opportunities for justice-involved residents; and

• Mental Health + Substance Use: Spearheading an expansion of community-based mental and behavioral health resources, including the creation of a mobile crisis intervention unit, youth mental health programs, and affordable healthcare and treatment options, regardless of insurance status.

For decades, I have fought for the advancement of public education. Education is the foundation of opportunity, yet we fall short in preparing our students to excel in a rapidly changing economy. 

From competitive wages and benefits for our educators to safe to inclusive learning environments for our students, our education agenda is rooted in the belief that partnerships are pivotal to the future of our emerging leaders. As City Councilor At Large, I’m committed to the advancement of an agenda that prioritizes our students, teachers, and working families.

• School Safety: Ensuring all students feel safe and welcome in the classroom, acknowledging that public safety remains an undeniable barrier to youths’ education in Chelsea; 

• Youth Empowerment: Empowering youth through summer jobs, year-round youth programs, vocational education, and mentoring;

• Childcare: Collaborating with the Commonwealth to establish free, universal pre-K for all eligible families in Gateway Cities, like Chelsea, and ensuring working families, including single parents, can access affordable childcare;  

• School Funding: In conjunction with union, local, and state partners, leading advocacy efforts to enhance the Chapter 70 funding formula, the main source of funding for public education in the Commonwealth, to increase funding for Chelsea Public Schools

Despite a decade of pronounced growth in Chelsea, thousands of residents are excluded from economic opportunity as gentrification has worsened.  Wages are stagnating, working conditions are deteriorating, and building wealth remain unattainable. Each day, the majority of residents, representing essential, frontline workers that juggle two to three jobs, are required to commute outside of the City for employment. Meanwhile, small businesses and commercial real estate are not locally-owned, exacerbating economic disparities. As City Councilor, building off of an extensive track record attaining economic victories for residents as a union leader, I’m committed to: 

• Economic Development: Reforming burdensome permitting processes, leveraging economic development tools, and attracting reputable new businesses to Chelsea to generate living wage jobs, tax revenue, and economic opportunity.

• Small Business Development: Catalyzing pathways of entrepreneurship and upward mobility through multilingual small business programs and a responsive, supportive business climate where our small business owners are partners central to the prosperity of the City; 

• Workforce Development: Fortifying workers rights, rectifying unsafe working conditions, and investing in vocational education, workforce training, and youth development to ensure all residents, regardless of income, can obtain good paying jobs; and

• Digital Equity: Dismantling obstacles to digital connectivity by modernizing the Chelsea Public Library, investing in community-based digital navigators, and advancing a plan for reliable, affordable public broadband. 

Residents deserve a clean, safe, and responsive City. Embodying a commitment to excellence, our neighborhoods should evoke a sense of pride, compassion, and inclusion. As a proud mother of active U.S. military personnel, I possess an unwavering commitment to government leadership that’s dynamic, accessible, and forward looking.  Whether it’s during the work day or in the middle of the night, I’m committed to proactively promoting neighborhood development, infrastructure improvements, and an unmatched quality of life in all of our neighborhoods.

• Environment + Climate: Proactively mitigating harmful consequences of environmental pollution and accelerating climate resilience by building resilient  infrastructure, promoting access to renewable energy, enhancing clean public transportation options, and electrifying buildings, including municipal facilities, to lessen emissions. 

• Parks + Playgrounds: Supporting the acquisition of land to expand a system of first-class parks and playgrounds, pursuing opportunities for a second soccer field, and improving the maintenance of existing parks;

• Elder Affairs: Diligently enabling seniors to independently prosper through new senior housing assistance programs, expanded senior transportation, and aging in place programs that manage routine errands and property maintenance. 

• Veterans: Continuing to improve  the City’s approach to veterans affairs, instituting veterans housing programs, and advocating for business development, healthcare, and mentorship resources for veterans.