Community Action Agency of Somerville Takes Action

Published August 2023

The Community Action Agency of Somerville has served the neighborhood since 1981. At the head of this dedicated anti-poverty agency, Community Action Agency of Somerville’s Executive Director, David Gibbs, works to make systemic changes within the community while helping families build up their financial security. Read on to learn more about David’s determination to advocate for all who call Somerville home!

For readers who may not know, what does the Community Action Agency of Somerville do?

The Community Action Agency of Somerville (CAAS) helps local families and individuals achieve financial security while working to end the root causes of economic injustice. We take a wraparound approach to help clients with a range of needs, including affordable housing assistance, eviction prevention, and early education through Head Start. We also work with the greater Somerville community to organize for policy change so that we can end the systemic causes of poverty.

What inspired you to start CAAS? How did this feeling grow once you actually started your business?

Somerville's poverty rate is over 10%, which means there are over 9,000 residents living in poverty in the city. For reference, a family of four would be making around $27,000 per year to be at or under the federal poverty level. That amount isn't enough to get by in Somerville, especially not in our current affordability crisis, and that number alone doesn't fully capture the number of people across the city who are struggling to make ends meet. If we want to have a healthy community—one where children can succeed in their schools, people can go to work, and we can all enjoy being part of our incredible community—we need to make sure our city is able to meet the needs of its people.

We focus on providing early education and affordable housing advocacy because those have consistently been the areas where people in Somerville are struggling the most. And by meeting those needs, we've been able to watch families thrive. Knowing that your family has a home, that your child can go to school, and that you will be able to meet your basic needs allows people to fully participate in their community. Many of our clients have become highly-engaged in local civic processes through our Community Organizing & Advocacy program, because they not only have the lived-experiences to know these systems need repair, but now the capacity to get involved.

What aspect of your business makes you most proud to be a business leader in our community?

It's incredible to know that we're making a difference in the lives of our community members. For example, we were able to prevent 74 evictions last year. Those are 74 households that don't need to be in fear of displacement from their homes and potentially from Somerville. That's a huge weight to take off of someone's shoulders!

What's more, many of our clients choose to stay engaged with CAAS long-term, either by becoming volunteers or by becoming leaders with our Somerville Renters Committee. Head Start teachers see former students grow up and go to school, and eventually even off to college. People that were once struggling to find a place to live go on to become community leaders and advocates for housing justice. It's really powerful to be able to build these enduring relationships in the community.

How do you #LoveUnionSquare?

Union Square is such a vibrant space, and we love being a part of it! We especially appreciate the farmer's market Good Food for All program, which matches SNAP benefits dollar-for-dollar. It's such a great program to recommend to our clients!

Is there anything else you think a Square customer would like to know?

We always encourage people to get involved! Donations to CAAS in any amount help us continue to serve the community. And we have a number of ways for people to volunteer or to join us in organizing for housing justice.

Community Action Agency of Somerville is open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm. 

Learn how to get involved by visiting their website, Facebook, and Linkedin as well as by following their Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).