2010 Annual Meeting!

Please join HCA for our 2010 Annual Meeting!

Find out more about HCA's newest project in East Arlington!

The 2010 Deacon Frank Mandosa Community Service Award will be presented to Leon Cantor for his dedication and service to the Town of Arlington.

Flora Restaurant
Thursday, November 4
Registration: 7:30 AM
Program: 8:15 AM
Breakfast will be served.

Please RSVP to Jennifer Lewis-Forbes at

781-316-3451 or jlewis@housingcorparlington.org by October 22

Vote NO on 2!

This November, Massachusetts voters will choose whether or not to keep the law supplying Massachusetts’ best tool to develop affordable housing. Question 2 will decide if the state law Chapter 40B, otherwise known as the Affordable Housing Law, will be repealed.

Over the last decade, this law has been responsible for approximately 80% of the affordable homes built outside of the Commonwealth’s major cities. The law has enabled builders to create 58,000 new homes in cities, suburbs, and small towns. A repeal of the law would halt the construction of 12,000 homes in the pipeline, and all of the jobs and economic benefits they would bring.

The Affordable Housing Law sets a goal for every city and town to require at least 10% of its homes to be affordable. It encourages construction of new homes by providing a comprehensive permit and flexible zoning for developers who build affordable homes. The number of cities and towns above the 10% threshold more than doubled from 24 in 1997 to 51 today, with an additional 40 communities above 8%.

The Affordable Housing Law creates homes, greater equity among communities, and opportunities for working families. Residents in these homes work in health care, education, construction, financial services, retail, human services, and in other occupations critical to our state’s workforce. Home prices and rents remain out of reach for many and, because of the recession, many families are struggling to get by. Massachusetts needs the Affordable Housing Law today more than ever. Please VOTE NO on Question 2.

Learn more at "Affordable Housing and the Ballot Question," Rep Kaufman's October 14th Open House at 7:30 PM at the Historic Depot in Lexington!

Thank You to our Spring Clean Up Crew!

Thank you to the 25 plus volunteers who came out to clean up four

HCA properties for the spring!

Interested in other volunteer opportunities with HCA? Email Joanna at jain@housingcorparlington.org.

HCA Spring Clean Up!

Join HCA on Saturday, May 22, 2010 as we clean up some of our two-families in Arlington. We will be raking, weeding and beautifying the properties for the summer.

This is a great project for the whole family!

Please note: If the participant is under 18, they must have a responsible adult with them.

We will have coffee and doughnuts at 8:30 AM and break for lunch at noon.

Please contact Joanna at 781-316-3606 or jain@housingcorparlington.org to

RSVP and for more details.

Thank You, Arlington Community!

On April 11th, over 150 friends and neighbors came together and joined HCA for our 9th Annual Walk for Affordable Housing. Supported by dozens of local businesses, congregations and community groups, this year’s Walk was one of HCA's most successful events to date.

Not only did we raise awareness throughout Arlington about the need for more affordable housing in our community, but we raised over $42,000 to for HCA’s affordable housing and homelessness prevention initiatives.

Thank you, Arlington community, for your interest, involvement and support!

9th Annual Walk for Affordable Housing!

Join HCA friends and supporters for our Walk for Affordable Housing!

Sunday, April 11th; 1-3 PM

A Family Friendly, Three Mile Walk Through Arlington

Starting at the Jason Russell House--Corner of Mass Ave and Jason Street

Featuring the Hot Tamales Brass Band, Molly the Clown and THE CHICKEN!
Free Food & Prizes!

For more walk info, please contact HCA at 781-316-3451 or walk@housingcorparlington.org.

HCA's New Program

Exciting news--here is HCA's press release about our new program:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

STIMULUS PROGRAM SET TO HELP ARLINGTON RESIDENTS

Arlington, MA – (February 8, 2010) – The Town of Arlington has selected Housing Corporation of Arlington (HCA), a non-profit organization working to prevent homelessness and provide more affordable housing, as the lead agency for Arlington’s Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP). This new federal initiative is aimed at assisting very low-income households for up to eighteen months. As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, $1.5 billion will be distributed to 400 communities across the country for homelessness prevention services. Starting in January, HCA began assisting Arlington residents struggling to stay in their housing.

Like the rest of the country, Arlington residents have fallen on hard times. Many have lost their jobs, and for some, unemployment has run out. Those who were self-employed—consultants, small business owners, and others—are struggling to find work and have no safety net. Families and individuals are left to look for other ways to make ends meet: doubling up with relatives, reluctantly using credit cards and leaving bills unpaid.

HCA has experienced a steep rise in the number of Arlington residents seeking assistance. In the last six months of 2009, those requesting help from HCA increased by 70% over the previous year. A month before HCA’s annual HPF appeal went out to the Arlington community, HCA had virtually run out of funds to help Arlington residents stabilize their housing situation. Although the small HPF grants given to families and individuals in danger of becoming homeless are helpful to many, it was clear that the demand for assistance was outpacing the resources that HCA could provide.

Arlington’s HPRP provides short- and medium-term assistance and services to families and individuals who are homeless or in danger of homelessness due to circumstances arising out of the downtown in the US economy. Unlike HCA’s original Homelessness Prevention Fund (HPF), which only gives short-term grants for housing assistance, the HPRP will help very low-income households with rent assistance and other housing-related services for up to eighteen months.

HCA Executive Director, David J. Levy, is pleased to take on this new challenge, “Not only does this program save taxpayers from paying towards the shelter system, but it helps families and individuals to remain in their homes or find stable housing. This perfectly aligns with HCA’s mission.”