Etel Haxhiaj (ha-jee-eye)

If I were the City Manager I would force any elected officials to explain how their 'pro-housing' stances and desire to build over 12,000 units, during the most recent election, can be actualized without any zoning reform measures.

I will keep watch.

One of my most recenter orders asked the City Manager to release an inventory of all city-owned/leased or rented developable land to be allocated for this purpose.

As a housing policy practitioner, I have advocated for other important measures: building tenant protections, protecting our housing market from big-scale investor speculators, and prioritizing deeply affordable housing production by utilizing any city-owned, rented or leased developable land.

It does not need to be this way. The Worcester City Manager has committed staff who understand housing policy and the role of zoning. He is committeed to using this important lever to increase affordable housing production across the City.

Worcester can, too. Unfortunately, the majority of the Worcester City Council has historically been adverse to anything related to expanding building housing (triplexes, duplexes, and other infill development) across all areas of our City. Often times what follows is fear-mongering nonsense.

It involves adopting zoning citywide that provides density bonuses and streamlined permitting for developers of 100% affordable housing. Cambridge City Council adopted this pro-affordable housing measure in 2020. Since then, they've increased their count of affordable housing units.

Affordable Housing District policy 🧵

In last week's City Council meeting, I proposed Worcester expedites a policy that is outlined in the Worcester Now|Next and Housing Production plan: establish an Affordable Housing Overlay District.

Man, thank you to all the (mostly) Albanian women who have reached out from across the country to say encouraging words and express solidarity. It means so much. It truly does.

I’m happy to share my stash of chocolates w you :)

Ohh 🙀😬

Oh no! I hope you’re on the mend? It makes so much sense about the tension we hold in our shoulders & back. Lol @wearing shoulders like earrings 😂

She means minister of social genocide

But Worcester will also potentially see grassroots efforts on the policy & organizing front.

Worcester unfortunately will see a much more hostile council non-leadership & shutting down of common-sense housing policies.

I support housing, just not where I live.
I support housing, just not in MY vicinity

I support housing, just no zoning expansion
I support housing, just for those who can buy & look like me

I support housing, as long as it’s built way over there where public housing is usually built.

PBS News on X: "The skyrocketing cost of living has left millions of people struggling to afford a place to live despite working at full-time jobs or a number of part-time jobs. Journalist @brian_goldstone, author of “There Is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America,” joined @AliRogin" / X The skyrocketing cost of living has left millions of people struggling to afford a place to live despite working at full-time jobs or a number of part-time jobs. Journalist @brian_goldstone, author of “There Is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America,” joined @AliRogin

What makes me really sad about Worcesters current & soon-to-be electeds reactionary regressive and handful stance on the alarming of families suffocated by housing costs is their willful absurd irresponsible stance on housing policy.

x.com/newshour/sta...

Number of SNAP recipients Amazon 2,456 Walmart 2,318 Uber 1,799 DoorDash 1,462 Tempus Unlimited 1,425 Stop & Shop 989 Mass General Brigham 956 Dollar Tree 952 Albertsons Companies, Inc. 896 Bayada Home Health 887

The Boston Globe identified the companies in Massachusetts that employ the most SNAP recipients. A key stat: "In Massachusetts, 74% of working-age recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program are employed, half of them full-time."

Full article: www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/28/m...

Spent last two days sick again this time w/ out of the blue painful muscle spasm in my back. My mom theorizes it’s the stress & work I’ve been carrying on my back. You know what? I think she’s so right. It’s the somatic response to this horrible year. Where do you all manifest your stress?

Northwestern joins the growing list of US universities which are caving to Trump by agreeing to illegally ban trans people from facilities.

Banning trans people from bathrooms is illegal in Illinois, as affirmed by law and a court ruling.

www.illinoislegalaid.org/legal-inform...

Wow. This is….incredible. I can’t wait to dig into the details.

A few weeks ago I testified in favor of S.2292/H.3449, an act to further empower climate action, which would allow municipalities like City of Worcester to join the fossil fuel free demonstration project.

I'm excited to join my friend @vickmohanka.bsky.social Sierra Club Executive Dir & Cambridge Councilor-elect Ayah Al-Zubi to talk about local climate progress & the state of climate and environmental policy.

Join in-person. Fri, Dec 12, 5 pm. RSVP by Dec 3rd: lnkd.in/e3V4xdY8

ifeg.info/2025/11/28/t...

The Red Metro unhinged Fb
Mod, Jay Givan, is a creep. He follows me in court, while taking videos of me behind the court room door. Showed up today at the Albanian Ind. Day celebration. 2 years ago drove by my house taking vid of me.

Dude. Do you have women issues?

It is always so beautiful to celebrate Albanian Independence Day. Though stormy, it was gorgeous.

We need a Worcester BIJAN, and I don’t mind starting one. Most of all, we need #abolishICE as many of us called for years ago under the reign of democrats who expanded, built on it, and hurt immigrants as much as right wing fascist did.

Boston Immigration Justice Accompaniment Network (BIJAN)

I’ve kept a recurring donation to Tuscon Samaritans (www.tucsonsamaritans.org) the folks giving humanitarian support to migrants crossing the border. I joined them 5 years ago. My energy now turns to BIJAN www.beyondbondboston.org & volunteering for them.

I agree w this. The author puts way too much weight on what Mamdani is & could accomplish w/ his narrative.

I am still reflecting on this analysis. And also on this piece I read this morning & which landed hard too.

www.blackagendareport.com/mamdani-and-...

Thank you! We will fight for the truth and not just ours.