City of Northampton votes to cancel all student debt

NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (WWLP) - The City of Northampton has voted to pass a resolution calling on President Biden to cancel all student loan debt by executive order.

According to a statement shared with 22News by the Northampton City Council, the Council voted unanimously in favor of the resolution. The vote comes as a resolution that the Western Massachusetts Area Labor Federation, a coalition of more than sixty public sector and private sector unions, passed in January. That resolution called for local elected officials to join in pressuring the Biden administration on the matter.

Before taking office, President Joe Biden made a promise to the country to forgive student loan debt up to $10,000 for each borrower. More than a year into his presidency, a plan to eliminate this financial burden for Americans has yet to surface.

"It's a constant issue. People have it in the back of their head, 'How am I going to pay for this,'" said Osiris Ortiz of Springfield.

Councilors Rachel Maiore and Jamila Gore co-sponsored the Northampton resolution; it was framed as an issue of racial justice, economic justice, and gender equity.

“As a woman of color, I am disproportionately affected by student loan debt,” Gore said in a statement shared with 22News. “It is important for the Council to send the message to President Biden that the City of Northampton wants student debt cancellation now.”

Maiore said that student debt has an effect on the cost of living in Northampton, “Full student debt cancellation is critical if we want a healthy local economy and quality of life for our residents. A primary concern for many of my constituents is affordability. While college tuitions and the cost of living skyrocket, and household incomes plummet, the enormous burden of student debt is holding back our community and hurting our local economy.”

Mairoe believes the burden of student loans is preventing people from living in places like Northampton, "Our local economies would be boosted by the universal cancellation of student loan debt."

Northampton joins the cities of Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, and Chelsea in passing resolutions calling for the cancellation of student debt.

The western Massachusetts Area Labor Federation is also on-board with the movement, calling on the White House to deliver on it's promise.

"55 percent of Massachusetts residents have some amount of student loan debt.. and average of 33 thousand. It really will affect local and state economies as well as the national economy," said Ian Rhodewalt, a union delegate of the western Massachusetts Area Labor Federation.

Democrats have been pushing to extend the deadline for when student loan repayments will resume. As of now that deadline remains May 1st.