Affordable housing nonprofit Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA) honored Newton advocacy groups, Engine 6 and Yes for Newton’s Future, at their virtual Annual Dinner on October 21st with CHAPA’s Community Engagement Award, recognizing the critical role the groups have played in creating more housing in Newton this year.
Working in collaboration in early 2020, Engine 6 and Yes for Newton’s Future educated voters on a referendum that would have overturned Newton City Council’s approval for Northland, a major mixed-use project with 140 affordable homes. On March 3rd, 2020, Newton voters overwhelmingly affirmed the city council’s decision.
In her acceptance speech on behalf of the Engine 6 Leadership Team, Fran Godine noted that their work is not done in a vacuum and reminded attendees of the bigger picture. “We are not the story,” Godine said. “The story is the need for diverse housing which includes – not excludes – [and] which can correct practices and policies that created generations of the wealth imbalance we are living with today.” The Engine 6 Leadership Team also includes Kathleen Hobson, Doris Ann Sweet, Lynn Weissberg, and Nancy Zollers.
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Honest question: was this sponsored by investment companies and developers who would benefit financially if massive development was allowed in Newton?
https://www.chapa.org/2020-partners
Honest Answer: Nope. It’s a statewide organization Bugek, and Newton isn’t exactly known for its affordable housing development (or any large scale market rate development either). There are far easier places to build affordable housing projects than Newton. I doubt any of those sponsors do material business in Newton. A far greater probability: the award is in recognition of just how tough it is build affordable housing here, and the work that these organizations are doing.
Sometimes an award is just an award. And sometimes folks who live in Newton think the world revolves around our fair city. In terms of development and affordable housing, I can honestly say…it doesn’t.
CHAPA supports 40B and home buying (ownership), something to be avoided and not provided (respectively) in the Northland project; yet championed by Engine 6 and the efforts of “Yes for Newton’s Future” funded exclusively by Northland itself.
Development is a dark, crooked game… and accepting an award for it to boot!
Matt, I encourage you to read the mission statement of CHAPA. I think anyone who champions affordable housing and community development work will tell you that there is no one simple solution to those issues, and that 40B, home ownership, federal govt incentives, mixed use projects, section 8, smart growth, etc. all have their role to play.
I’ve copied the mission statement below. Congrats to Engine 6 and YfNF on their award, especially Engine 6, which has been at this work for years now.
“What does CHAPA do?
Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association’s mission is to encourage the production and preservation of housing that is affordable to low and moderate income families and individuals and to foster diverse and sustainable communities through planning and community development.
Every person in Massachusetts should have a safe, healthy, and affordable place to call home. We achieve this by advocating for opportunity, expanding access to housing, and developing the field.
Advocating for Opportunity
As the non-profit umbrella organization for affordable housing and community development activities, CHAPA actively engages its membership, committees, and coalitions to advocate for the amount and diverse types of housing that Massachusetts needs for people and communities to thrive. CHAPA also works collaboratively with other fields (such as child care, health, workforce development, and more) to break down silos and ensure that various systems, resources, and tools support housing stability and economic mobility for families and individuals. On the federal level, CHAPA works with national partners to affect policy.
Expanding Access to Housing
CHAPA runs programs that connect people with affordable rental and homeownership opportunities, including the Massachusetts Accessible Housing Registry (MassAccess), the Massachusetts Homeownership Collaborative, and Chapter 40B Monitoring.
Developing the Field
CHAPA’s trainings and forums, newsletters, young professionals networking group, and more are all designed to build the capacity of, and increase information-sharing among diverse groups of organizations and professionals in the affordable housing and community development field.”
Blast from the past: 40 or so years ago one of my roommates had just graduated from college. She got a job with a scrappy little non-profit in a tiny office at Forest Hills in JP that was working on housing issues in the city – CHAPA.
My friend Mary’s first few years of work at CHAPA led her to a whole life dedicated to working on housing issues. Its heartening to see that 40 years later both Mary and CHAPA are still at it.
Congratulations to Engine 6 and its leaders. Increasing affordable housing in Newton despite disheartening resistance is uphill work, and they have persisted.
Thanks, Bryan, fignewtonville, Jerry. If anyone is curious or interested in joining us, check us out: https://www.enginesix.org/.