This month, the BBH team submitted a funding application for state funding for the Senior Residences at the Machon. We are so grateful to the more than fifty individuals and organizations who endorsed our work by signing letters, included in our application, to demonstrate that neighbors, service providers, and other community members support quality affordable housing options in Swampscott. With your help, a new place to call home is one step closer to becoming a reality for seniors on the North Shore.
Called “the most important housing reform in America,” by Slate Magaize, Minneapolis’ groundbreaking 2040 Plan will allow three-family homes in the city’s residential neighborhoods, abolish parking minimums for all new construction, and allow high-density buildings along transit corridors.
So, how will this historic new plan ease the affordable housing crisis in Minneapolis? What can Boston learn from this big idea? And how in the world did a coalition of city officials, neighborhood activists, and housing advocates get this progressive plan approved and passed?
Join us for a conversation with Janne Flisrand, co-founder of Neighbors for More Neighbors, a Minneapolis advocacy group that helped the 2040 Plan become reality. This live event will be moderated by BBH Senior Project Manager, Jesse Kanson-Benanav, who was born and raised in the Twin Cities.
The event will take place on Tuesday, March 19th at 6PM at The Boston Foundation, 75 Arlington Street, Boston. While this event is FREE, RSVP’s are required, as we expect this event to sell out. Click here to register & reserve your spot!
Ken and Barb called Framingham their home for decades; they were married there, raised their family there, participated in church groups, VA groups, and more. They relocated to the Cape for their retirement but after twenty years, several bad falls, and a stroke, they felt less mobile and more isolated from their family back in Framingham. With the historic surge in housing prices, how could they afford to move back to the MetroWest area? Their whole extended family was thrilled when they received word that The Coolidge at Sudbury would become Ken and Barb’s new home!
Since 2000, the median home value in Framingham increased almost 63% and the area median rent increased by approximately 45%.* Lack of affordable options in Framingham and other suburban cities and towns prevents seniors from staying in the communities they call home and cuts them off from support networks that are critically important to their health and wellbeing. BBH is committed to addressing this issue by working with cities and towns to build quality affordable housing that meets the specific needs of the their rapidly growing senior populations.
Although Ken and Barb were apprehensive about making the change, they are very happy to be back in MetroWest. “Giving up the house is tough after 19 years, but we’re having fun,” says Ken. “Other places we looked at in our price range didn’t compare, and the staff makes sure everything runs so smoothly here.”
“We are quite happy,” Barb tells us, “We immediately got involved when we moved in.” In fact you’ll find both Ken and Barb using the fitness center, organizing resident potlucks, and helping their neighbors run errands and carry groceries up from the lobby.
Here at BBH, we are so excited to be preparing to break ground on the second phase of our Coolidge at Sudbury. Look for more news soon as we move forward with creating 56 additional places to call home for people like Ken and Barb. Read more resident stories here!
*City of Framingham’s Housing Plan, June 2014
新年快乐 (xīn nián kuài lè): Happy Chinese New Year!
This Lunar New Year we are saying goodbye to the Year of the Dog and hello to the Year of the Pig! At BBH’s Covenant House Communities‘ annual event, revelers celebrated with plates piled high with traditional Chinese food, participated in an interactive Erhu performance by Mr. Tsz Kit Lau, and sung along to music as a local volunteer dance team performed. Festive events such as these are part of BBH’s award-winning service enriched housing model for seniors. By celebrating the rich diversity of our residents and creating opportunities for residents to connect with one another, we are combating isolation and building stronger communities.
Love is in the air this month and you can share that love when you become a BBH Monthly Sustainer! Show you care all year long when you give from your heart to help those in need.
Our Monthly Sustainers make it possible for us to build more quality affordable housing that:
Allows seniors to remain in the cities and towns where they live
Provides families with opportunities to rent and own homes they can feel proud of
Gives working professionals – including teachers, fire fighters, and other public employees – the ability to live in the communities where they work
You can change lives with as little as $10 a month!
BBH is always on the lookout for new housing sites as well as opportunities to acquire and rehabilitate existing housing – please keep us in mind! We have a successful track record working locally to invest in affordable housing resources to expand and serve specific housing needs. We have used a diverse set of local and state tools to advance housing production; we are a Chapter 40T designee; and we are excited about expanding our role in safeguarding precious community-based housing resources.
The need for quality, affordable housing is ever growing. Give us a call to learn more about our areas of expertise and how working with BBH can help your nonprofit or for-profit organization.
Please contact Max Glikman at 617.238.6088 or via email at max@bbhousing.org.
