Welcome to the Tenant Newsletter! Here you’ll find important events and ways to engage, both in the HCA and the wider Arlington communities. You’ll see everything from resources that you can access to updates on resident activities! If there is anything you’d like to add to the next newsletter, please reach out to Jackson 781-859-5294 x.6 | jhamilton@housingcorparlington.org. Enjoy!
December 2024
I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! This time of year can be a very stressful time for a lot of our neighbors. Please don’t be afraid to reach out to the HCA office or to your neighbors for help. Happy Holidays, everyone.
Save the Dates
| Date | Event |
| NOW – Thurs., Dec. 13 | TOYS FOR TOTS: Struggling to buy Christmas gifts this year? HCA will be submitting an application to receive toys from Toys for Tots this year! They provide toys to children ages 0-12. Each child who signs up will receive 2 toys: 1 small and 1 large. Signups close on Dec. 13th, so don’t wait! This is for HCA Tenants only. Click here to sign up for toys. |
| Jan. 2025 | MASS GENERAL MOBILE HEALTH VISITS: one Friday in January, students and teachers from Mass General’s nursing school are coming to HCA to conduct free, 1 hour appointments with up to 10 residents. They include health screenings, referrals, and health advocacy. Keep an eye out for more information about this awesome program. |
| Feb. 2025 | LEADERSHIP TRAINING: HCA is partnering with the Mel King Institute to provide a Tenant Leadership Training course. You’ll learn how to become a Network Leader in the community. Have questions about the class? Ask Jackson! |
Ways to Engage
| Date | Event |
| January 2025 | The Tenant Council is scheduling a meeting with Property Management to address many of the issues that were decided upon by the Tenant Council. We will first ask for 72 hours of notice before anyone can enter your house. Have you been affected by management’s lack of communication? We want to know!! Reach out to Jackson or any Steering Committee members if you want to share your story. |
| February 2024 | HCA on Town Meeting! It would be amazing to have at least 1 HCA tenant become a voting member of Town Meeting. It is a great way to impact town policy and to advocate for affordable housing. The people who are most affected by problems always have the best ideas for solutions, and I believe that the unique problems that our community faces will lead to the most creative solutions. Read more about it here |
Tenant Council Updates
| We are looking for more members to join the Steering Committee! The Steering Committee is the group of Tenant Council members who plan the meetings, advance the Tenant Council’s agenda, and come up with ideas to help the community. If you are interested, please reach out to Jackson or any member of the Steering Committee for more details. | Our community Facebook page just for HCA tenants is live! The Tenant Council now has a page where you can talk to your neighbors, conduct exchanges, help each other, and much more! Here’s the link to join the group! : https://www.facebook.com/share/g/tkdsCL8rZCSyT7un/?mibextid=K35XfP | We are scheduling a meeting with Property Management to address many of the issues that were decided upon by the Tenant Council. The main focus of the meeting will be on communication. Have you been affected by management’s lack of communication? Reach out to Jackson if you want to share your story |
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November 2024
HCA UPDATE: Appointments with Renea and Jackson will now be by appointment only, except for emergencies. Renea and Jackson are too busy to handle walk-ins and still serve you all in their fullest capacities. Please call or email them to set up appointments so that they are able to take the time to go over everything with you during your appointment.
Renea: 781-859-5294 x.7 | rduran@housingcorparlington.org
Jackson: 781-859-5294 x.6 | jhamilton@housingcorparlington.org
Save the Dates
| Date | Event |
| Thurs Nov. 7 & Wed Nov. 13 5:30-6:30p | DBSI Building Meetings – This Thursday (Nov. 7) from 5:30-6:30 will be the building meeting for all residents of 112 & 114 Lowell St. Next Wednesday (Nov .13) from 5:30-6:30 will be the meeting for all residents of 117 Broadway. The meeting is to discuss questions about your building, share information about work orders and recertifications, and ensure that everyone’s voices are heard in the community. |
| Fri. Nov. 15 9:30-11:30a | Mass General Health Fair – very exciting news! Nurses from MGH are going to the Robbins Library to debut a brand-new program just for HCA residents! There will be nurses to take blood pressure, a Physical Therapist to test your balance, and health advocates there to make referrals and help you prepare for your next doctor’s appointment. More info to come. |
| Nov. 22 | Final Day for Thanksgiving Meal Sign Up – here is the form: https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/TdWhtITxBM36Jk5LRvu0Bg |
Resources
| Date | Event |
| NOW | THANKSGIVING AND CHRISTMAS MEAL BASKETS ARE BACK! Here is the form: https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/TdWhtITxBM36Jk5LRvu0Bg . Sign-Up for Thanksgiving and Christmas meals goes until Friday November 22nd. Pick-Up of the Thanksgiving meals will be at the HCA Office, 252 Mass Ave, on Saturday 11/23 from 11am-3pm.Christmas meals will be dropped off to your house on Christmas Eve 10:30am-12:45pm |
| Thurs. Nov. 7 | Affordable Housing Overlay Forum – this is the second information session for Arligton’s proposed AHO, which can allow organizations like HCA to build affordable housing in more cost-effective ways! https://www.arlingtonma.gov/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/35168/ |
| Fri. Nov. 15 9:30-11:30a | Mass General Health Fair – very exciting news! Nurses from MGH are going to the Robbins Library to debut a brand new program just for HCA residents! There will be nurses to take blood pressure, a Physical Therapist to test your balance, and health advocates there to make referrals and help you prepare for your next doctor’s appointment. More info to come. |
Tenant Council Updates
| We are looking for more members to join the Steering Committee! The Steering Committee is the group of Tenant Council members who plan the meetings, advance the Tenant Council’s agenda, and come up with ideas to help the community. If you are interested, please reach out to Jackson or any member of the Steering Committee for more details. | Our community Facebook page just for HCA tenants is live! The Tenant Council now has a page where you can talk to your neighbors, conduct exchanges, help each other, and much more! Here’s the link to join the group! : https://www.facebook.com/share/g/tkdsCL8rZCSyT7un/?mibextid=K35XfP | We are scheduling a meeting with Property Management to address many of the issues that were decided upon by the Tenant Council. The main focus of the meeting will be on communication. Have you been affected by management’s lack of communication? Reach out to Jackson if you want to share your story |
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September 2024
Save the Dates
| Date | Event |
| Sep. 17 10:00a | Senior Coffee Hour at HCA’s conference room! If you need a ride to get to the office (252 Mass Ave) please let Jackson know! Give him a call or send him an email. 781-859-5294 x.6 or jhamilton@housingcorparlington.org |
| Sep. 21 10:30a- 4:30p | Town Day – Tons of resources will be there for any need you may have. There will also be food vendors, live music, and more! It takes place right in the center of town, between Pleasant St. and Jason St. Check out some more information here |
| Sep. 30 6:30p | The next meeting of the Tenant Council will take place on Monday, September 30 @ 6:30pm at the Robbins Library Community Room. You will get an invitation in the mail soon. |
| Oct. 22 | HCA’s Annual Meeting. More information to come. |
Resources
| Date | Event |
| Sep 12- Oct 24 | Free Financial Literacy course at the HCA office – Learn how to create a budget to reach a goal, build credit, and how to make your money work for you! There will also be an opportunity for a 1-on-1 financial coaching session to help you take control of your money. The class takes place on Thursdays in September and October. Email Renea if you’re interested: rduran@housingcorparlington.org |
| Sep 21 10:30a- 4:30p | Town Day – Tons of resources will be there for any need you may have. It takes place right in the center of town, between Pleasant St. and Jason St. Check out some more information here |
| Sep 24 – Dec 3 6:30p- 8:30p | US Citizenship Class – a FREE 10 week course at the Gibbs School. Learn how to answer the questions on the citizenship exam and improve your English. Must have a green card for 5 years or married to a US citizen & have a green card for 3 years. Sign up for the class here |
Opportunities to Engage!!
| Town Board | Annual Tenant Survey | Lahey Survey and Meeting | |
| A spot is open on the Affordable Housing Trust Fund Board of Trustees, which is a group who advocates for affordable housing in town. Here is more information about the opportunity here: Committee Openings. If you are interested or want help with the application, reach out to Jackson jhamilton@ho-usingcorparlington.org | 781-859-5294 x.6
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The 2024 Annual Survey is active now! Your feedback will truly give the staff at HCA the information on how to make your lives as residents better. There will also be a drawing for $25 gift cards when the survey closes. Take the survey here. |
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Tenant Council Updates
| Next Meeting | HCA Tenant Facebook Group | Meeting with Property Management |
| The next meeting of the Tenant Council will take place on Monday, September 30 @ 6:30pm at the Robbins Library Community Room. You’ll get an invitation in the mail this week! | Our community Facebook page just for HCA tenants is live! The Tenant Council now has a page where you can talk to your neighbors, conduct exchanges, help each other, and much more! Here’s the link to join the group! : Facebook Group | We are scheduling a meeting with Property Management to address many of the issues that were decided upon by the Tenant Council. This will be the first of many meetings between the Tenant Council and Property Management; come to the next Tenant Council meeting to help decide exactly what the next meeting will be about. |