Citizens also asked the council to increase money for legal services in cases of unfair eviction.
"The city has the money to fight lockouts and evictions," said Bill Marcotte, a member of the Eviction Free Zone (EFZ).
Members of the EFZ are also leading a petition drive asking for increased state funding for affordable housing.
"The EFZ has begun to collect 100,000 signatures that we will present to the state legislature to increase state funding," said EFZ member Bill Cavellini. "We know money has to come from the state and federal government, and we are working on that."