Armini joins Housing for All Caucus

State Rep. Jenny Armini of Marblehead is one of 62 members of the Massachusetts Legislature who has joined the Housing for All caucus launched by state Sen. Lydia Edwards and Rep. Mike Connolly.

At the inaugural meeting, legislators presented their priority housing policy ideas for the current legislative session on myriad topics, including homelessness prevention, tenant protections, support for firsttime homebuyers, affordable housing production, zoning reform, revenue to support local affordability, anti-discrimination and civil rights.

“Renting or buying an affordable place to live in Massachusetts is as out of reach as this year’s Super Bowl is for the Pats,” Armini said. “It shouldn’t be so impossibly hard to house your family or an older relative. It is terrible for our communities and our economy.”

Connolly called the affordable housing emergency “without any precedent in modern history.”

“So, it requires all of us to come together to seek consensus on comprehensive solutions that can address each aspect of this ongoing crisis.”

Edwards added, “Everyday, I hear from families in my district who are facing eviction, rent increases, and housing instability.

I am committed to using every tool available to address the housing crisis, deliver immediate relief to families in need, and to work collaboratively to create a system that makes housing truly affordable for all.”

The purpose of the caucus is to build consensus for policies addressing all aspects of the housing crisis. Initial areas of interest include:

» Advancing the vision of “housing as a human right.”

» Working to end housing discrimination in all its forms.

Building support for local affordable housing policies and programs.

» Working with the secretary of the Department of Housing and Community Development and the future secretary of housing to improve systems currently in place.

The Housing for All Caucus is hardly the only such group that Armini has joined since joining the Legislature at the start of the year. She also belongs to the Caucus of Women Legislators, the Gateway Cities Caucus, the Zero Waste Caucus, the METCO Caucus, the Progressive Caucus and the Homelessness Caucus.