GREENFIELD — The two Democrats running to represent the 1st Franklin District will zero in on rental and housing issues next week.
The upcoming forum, organized by the Greenfield Tenants Union, River Valley Democratic Socialists of America and Housing Greenfield, will be held at the Guiding Star Grange, 401 Chapman St., on Tuesday, Aug. 25, at 6:30 p.m.
After state Rep. Natalie Blais resigned on Jan. 19, Speaker of the House Ronald Mariano opted not to call a special election to replace her, leading Blais’ seat in the House of Representatives to remain open until the November 2026 election. The winner will be sworn in next January to represent the 1st Franklin District following the primary on Sept. 1 and the general election on Nov. 3.
Three candidates remain for Blais’ seat, including Democratic candidates Lora Wondolowski, president of Greenfield’s City Council; Corinne Coryat, Blais’ former aide; and Independent candidate Amy Lavallee, the Whately town clerk. Only Wondolowski and Coryat will attend the Aug. 25 forum, as Lavallee will be away.
The three groups organized the forum in an effort to spotlight the “housing crisis” in the 1st Franklin District, according to Greenfield Tenants Union member Kat Miller.
“Housing is such a huge problem everywhere, and 1st Franklin is not immune to that,” Miller said. “It felt like there needed to be a spotlight put on this issue.”
For the first 30 minutes of the hour-long forum, Wondolowski and Coryat will answer questions from the three organizing groups, after which attendees can voice their own questions.
Miller and Sasha Morsmith, co-chair of River Valley Democratic Socialists of America, stressed the importance of the forum after the Supreme Judicial Court ruled that the rent control proposal heading to the November ballot — which would limit rent increases to “not exceed the annual change in the Consumer Price Index for the applicable area or 5%, whichever is lower” — was unconstitutional due to clauses referencing religion.
At the forum, Morsmith expects questions to come up regarding the candidates’ thoughts on rent control legislation and their plans to stay connected with the concerns of tenants.
With lobbying groups for landlords like the Landlords Business Association in place, “Ensuring that the voices of tenants are heard and the priorities of tenants are followed through on is very important,” Morsmith said.
She added that housing has taken center stage in races like the mayoral race in New York City, where housing was a core point of Zohran Mamdani’s platform.
“There’s an appetite right now for candidates nationwide that are interested in the issues facing working-class people, like tenants. … This is an issue that is activating a lot of people right now,” Morsmith said. “If candidates are not ready to have this conversation, they’re going to have a tough time in future elections.”
Registration is only required for attendees tuning in online. To register, visit bit.ly/3S5lbVC.
