Residents Advocating at Annual Jazz & Roots Festival

Sarita Hudson • August 31, 2021

Call for Action: Resident Advocates at the Jazz and Roots Festival

At the Annual Springfield Jazz and Roots Festival, the Live Well Springfield Climate Change, Health & Equity Resident Advocate spoke about the importance of climate crisis and race and health equity injustices. The coalition strongly believes that change cannot happen without the most important people impacted by the issues at the table.

Emma Woods is a retired school teacher who joined the LWS Climate Justice Initiative wanted to understand why her granddaughter had asthma in her late thirties and why her husband had COPD and passed away but was not a chronic smoker. She shared, "I want to understand why this was happening, and I wanted to stay involved for the long haul." When residents can lead with their "WHY" of getting involved in climate issues, they invest more in the process and the outcome of making change.

LWS Resident Advocate Amari Dewberry shared her urgency for communities of color to get involved with climate action work by saying. "I need you, my people of color; to understand that this concerns you first… when your living environment becomes unlivable, what do you think will happen to you first?"

In addition, the residents and community partners had a round table discussion with Rev. Mariama White-Hammond, community activist and Chief of Environment, Energy, and Open Space for the City of Boston. During this dinner and discussion Rev. Mariama learned about the coalition's climate justice efforts in Springfield and provide insights on how we can accomplish our policy goals. We appreciate the Jazz and Roots Festival to bring attention to this issues in our community and connect us to statewide advocates.

Learn more about the two policies actions; Race and Health Equity Impact Assessment Requirement( RHEIA) and Community Choice Energy (CCE).

The coalition works in partnership with the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, Public Health Institute of Western MA, Neighbor To Neighbor, Arise for Social Justice, Live Well Springfield.

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Springfield Comprehensive Housing Plan Resident Advisory Committee Kickoff

By Rusty Polsgrove • April 13, 2026

In February, the Transforming Communities Initiative partnered with the City of Springfield and CZB Inc. to host the first of four Resident Advisory Committee meetings in support of the upcoming Comprehensive Springfield Housing Plan. The meeting brought residents together with housing experts and city partners to ensure that the lived experiences of Springfield community members help shape the direction of the plan. The Housing Plan will be guided by both a Steering Committee and a Resident Advisory Committee. The Steering Committee includes a diverse cross-section of city leaders, with representatives from city government, housing authorities, real estate and development, financial institutions, nonprofit and public health organizations, and local industry. The Resident Advisory Committee, convened by the Live Well Springfield Coalition, includes grassroots organizing partners, Way Finders’ Voices of the People resident advocate group, and resident advocates from Live Well Springfield’s Transforming Communities Initiative. Together, these two committees bring a blend of policy, community, and market expertise to guide housing strategies that reflect both institutional knowledge and lived experience. The City of Springfield selected CZB, Inc. as the consultant to develop Springfield’s first comprehensive housing plan. The Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts will serve as the community engagement partner, convening the Resident Advisory Committee and advising on CZB’s outreach efforts. During the session, residents engaged in discussion with Charles Buki of CZB about the challenges they are experiencing in Springfield’s housing landscape. Participants raised concerns about vacant properties in neighborhoods, the struggles faced by small landlords, and the burden of rapidly rising property taxes for homeowners. Residents also discussed the impact of inflation, the prevalence of low-quality rental housing, and the “cliff effect” experienced by individuals and families attempting to transition out of homelessness or government assistance. These conversations are an important step in ensuring the housing plan reflects real community needs. The Transforming Communities Initiative will continue working with the City of Springfield and CZB through September to support community engagement as data collection, analysis, and creation of strategies for the housing plan move forward. The City of Springfield Comprehensive Housing Plan Process will continue through September. This April you can expect to see CZB hosting Open Houses throughout the City, inviting community members to view the initial research findings about the Springfield housing market and give feedback about the issues they’ve seen in their interactions with the housing market.