My name is Matt Leming — I'm a scientist and an affordable housing advocate, proudly serving as a Medford City Councilor.

I grew up in a military family and, after earning a PhD, continued on to a postdoc at Massachusetts General Hospital, where I studied A.I. for dementia diagnostics in brain MRI (I’ve since moved to industry). In Medford, I became active in community groups and city boards, including the Charter Study Committee, the Community Preservation Committee, and Partners for Youth with Disabilities. I also attend the Unitarian Universalist Church.

Like many cities in America, Medford's housing prices and high rents are pushing young people, service workers, and blue-collar residents from the city. Medford has been stagnating in its development while costs of living have been rising. In 2023, as a postdoc barely able to afford a room in a small apartment, I lobbied Council, with other advocates in Housing Medford, to pass our city’s Affordable Housing Trust; since being elected, one of my main priorities has been to fund it. I’m also proud of Council’s other efforts in this area, such as approving new public housing for seniors and a comprehensive and community-driven rezoning initiative. And I’m proud of my work to pass Medford’s first 2.5 override (with the many wonderful parents and advocates who helped make it happen), which funded a full-time road repair crew in the DPW and saved 40 jobs in Medford Public Schools.

Both on Council and as Secretary of the Democratic City Committee, I’ve worked both on campaigns to inform noncitizens of their rights and passing Sanctuary City policies in Medford. I’m also proud of my work for veterans, including passing a first-of-its-kind program to house veteran renters and passing a policy to allow residents to donate to in-need veterans on their tax bills.

Finally, transparency is important to me. As you can see from the many links above, I write a lot about the city on my blog, I started Medford City Council’s monthly newsletter, I hold regular office hours at the senior center, and I started livestreaming Council’s meetings to Youtube.

Serving as your City Councilor is the honor of a lifetime, and I hope you’ll give me the opportunity to continue that work.