What Would Zohran Do? Reflections on the Prospects for Democratic Socialism in a Small College Town

^“Social housing is one of the key tenets of democratic socialism, representing the belief that housing is a human right, not a commodity.”

Especially since watching the rise of Zohran Mamdani in the New York City mayoral race, I have been inspired by the idea of a democratic socialist municipal government. After all, Bernie Sanders, formerly the socialist mayor of Burlington, Vermont, has been the top vote-getter in Amherst, with 66% of the Amherst Democratic primary vote in 2016 and with 40% of the Democratic primary vote in 2020 (among 15 candidates). I have wondered many times, how can a town that has supported Bernie so strongly not espouse democratic socialist values? 

How can a town that has supported Bernie so strongly not espouse democratic socialist values?

I understood in large part what it means to be a democratic socialist on a national or global level, but wondered how it translates to our lives and our governance at our small municipal level. So I did some research and found that it basically means working to apply the principles of democracy, social ownership, and economic justice to local government and community life. This involves both policy goals and a commitment to participatory democracy.

Year-Round Residences vs. Student Housing 
I have especially been interested in delving into the democratic socialist position on the right to housing of year-round residents vs. college students when a college doesn’t provide enough housing on campus and when developers and real estate speculators have gotten into the act. In Amherst, we hear town councilors suggesting that the town has a responsibility to house students and that students are being discriminated against. Have I been espousing an unprogressive position by promoting the interests of year-round residents? Is that a NIMBY position?

Apparently not. The democratic socialist position would oppose encroachment of student-focused private rental developments into family neighborhoods and would support new construction to primarily serve community needs—such as family, senior, and workforce housing—over luxury or student-only developments.

For example, Zohran Mamdani supports expanding municipal powers to enforce tenant protections and housing safety, investing municipal resources and redirected institutional funds into stable, affordable homes for long-term resident families and vulnerable populations, and encouraging participatory planning and decision-making to ensure that residents—especially those most affected—have control over development outcomes.

Mamdani’s approach prioritizes the rights of year-round residents to preserve neighborhood character, housing affordability, and downtown vibrancy, rather than ceding control to college interests or market-only student housing solutions. He consistently supports year-round residents seeking to preserve their neighborhoods, often critical of universities’ expansions that intensify speculation or displacement in adjacent communities. He also favors ending or sharply limiting property tax exemptions for large private colleges, arguing these institutions profit from their locations and expansions while the local government and residents bear the social and financial costs.

How would we as a town prioritize public needs over private profit? The key avenues would be looking at what our residents actually want and need — like affordable housing, rent control, public health, education, and well-maintained roads and infrastructure and utilities, rather than maximizing developer profits.

Prioritizing Essential Services
How would we as a town prioritize public needs over private profit? The key avenues would be looking at what our residents actually want and need — like affordable housing, rent control, public health, education, and well-maintained roads and infrastructure and utilities, rather than maximizing developer profits. We would push for increased public investment in infrastructure maintenance and repair rather than relying on the private sector by outsourcing the services or by allowing valuable capital assets to decay. A means of finding out what residents want and need would be through surveying them, as Amherst did prior to assembling a Master Plan in 2010.

Social Housing is one of the key tenets of Democratic Socialism, representing the belief that housing is a human right, not a commodity.

Social housing is one of the key tenets of democratic socialism, representing the belief that housing is a human right, not a commodity. Democratic socialists advocate for a substantial mixed-income social housing system as a tool to counter the inequalities and instability created by the private housing market. Locally, Amherst Community Homes, developed by Valley CDC, offers reasonably priced condos to first time homebuyers and is an example of social housing. 

In addition, we can expand public ownership and control of other essential services, such as water, sanitation, electricity, and public transit. This approach aims to ensure universal access, affordability, and accountability to residents, rather than profit-driven motives of private corporations. We have control over our electricity now through Valley Green Energy and can therefore control the source of our energy, and could do much, much more if we choose to go there. We can support Amherst’s Common Share Food Coop, which is hoping to provide a member-owned source of food here, in addition to local farms providing farm stands and farmshares.

Residents have been working with the town for several years to establish public ownership and control over our waste, recycling, and compost infrastructure; we could reduce waste significantly while saving residents money and gaining local resilience and independence from privatization. Democratic socialism advocates a circular economy, moving away from unlimited consumption and towards a more sustainable and equitable system that prioritizes social and ecological well-being.

Workplace and Economic Democracy, Creating Industry
To support workplace and economic democracy, Amherst can support initiatives like worker cooperatives, strengthening worker protections, community land trusts, and participatory budgeting to give ordinary people more direct control over economic decisions in their communities. In Amherst, the lack of tax-paying commerce, industry, and other workplaces is an issue. Bringing small and appropriate industry to Amherst would be a boon to our revenue stream. Are we even trying? 

Participatory Democracy in Governance
Democratic socialist governance is inclusive, grassroots governance with an emphasis on participatory democracy—ensuring that local government is transparent, accountable, and responsive to the people, not just to those who hold office or have wealth. This means engaging residents directly in decision-making processes and prioritizing marginalized voices. 

Our town Charter recommended including Participatory Budgeting in our new form of government. It was put on pause, partly due to COVID, but needs reassessment. Participatory Budgeting would allow the town to collectively decide how some public funds are allocated, especially for local development and public goods. An interactive capital budgeting tool has been in the works for years, and would be a great way to involve residents in planning.

There are many ways that Amherst’s committee system could be far more participatory. Of course, Town Meeting is the most participatory and democratic form of government. Some very significant Charter amendments have been proposed suggesting ways in which residents could be able to increase participation.

Fighting injustice
A key element of democratic socialism is fighting inequality and injustice. Democratic socialists at the local level champion policies that address racial, economic, and social inequalities, aiming to dismantle systems of domination based on class, race, gender, renter status, and other identities. In Amherst, approximately 54% of occupied housing units are renter-occupied, according to Census Reporter. This translates to roughly 4,881 renter-occupied units, given that there are 9,039 total households in Amherst.

Amherst’s DEI Department, CRESS department, the Reparations Committee, Pride Parade, and our affordable housing efforts are all small steps in the direction of racial equity, climate justice, and police accountability. Needed now are efforts to affirmatively aid migrants and immigrants targeted by ICE, including our many international students, following through with creating a Resident Oversight Board for the Amherst Police Department, , fully staffing CRESS, and planning for future efforts to house climate refugees.

Safeguarding Our Future – Climate Action
Democratic socialists address climate action by advocating for policies that rapidly decarbonize our municipal economy (including municipal buildings, transportation, electricity, waste and all procurement), owning and controlling local renewable energy, and ensuring a just transition for local workers in fossil fuel industries. They propose decarbonizing the economy within a decade. 

Countering Encroaching Neoliberalism
Democratic socialism is needed to counter the encroachment of neoliberalism and elite control, basically everywhere in America. In Amherst, this may be due, in part, to the large number of high-wealth households as indicated by a median owner-occupied home value of $454,000 (based on US Census 2019-2023). 

Democratic socialist policies challenge the prevailing model, where economic decisions are dominated by developers and investors, and decision-makers in elite institutions and their friends. Instead, it redefines the public good as serving the needs of everyone, mobilizing support for a broader and more long-term economic transformation. It embeds the principles of self-determination and social responsibility into economic policies so that they serve the broader community rather than narrow, profit-driven interests.

To support democratic socialism, a network of resident groups such as unions, faith and community groups, and other interested folks is needed to contribute to the work for systemic change, in addition to elected and appointed officials. This involves cooperation and compromise among the many competing progressive causes and the business community..

Being a democratic socialist at the municipal level in the U.S. means striving to make local government more democratic, equitable, and oriented toward the common good, using both policy and process to empower ordinary people and ensure their needs are met. Local government is used as a tool to provide needed services and to advance economic justice and sustainability, fundamentally altering the priorities and mechanisms of local economic policy. 

So, are you a democratic socialist? And if so, who will you support for the Town Council and other seats in November?

Darcy DuMont is a founding member of Zero Waste Amherst, Local Energy Advocates of Western MA and the Amherst Climate Justice Alliance. As a town councilor, she sponsored the legislation creating the Amherst Energy and Climate Action Committee. She is hoping to join the River Valley Democratic Socialists of America.