MBTA's Green Line extension increases push for rent control

When planning for the Green Line Extension was started in 2006, it was exciting for many Somerville residents who would finally have access to more of Boston on the T. After the first station on the extension opened at Union Square in March 2022, people from around the city got on the T just to ride to the new location.

However, the Green Line Extension brought more than just transportation to Somerville – gentrification made its way to Union Square as investors bought up properties near the proposed transit line. Although the extension was meant to serve the lower-income residents of Somerville, it has also contributed to the rising rents that are driving them out, leaving advocates asking for one thing: development without displacement.