The Community Housing Initiative
HarborCOV recently announced the launch of the Community Housing Initiative, Massachusetts' first residential program to provide permanent, affordable housing and economic development opportunities to families affected by domestic violence.
Mission
If we want healthy families, safe neighborhoods and a prosperous city we need community development designed to get us there - community development that creates economic success by promoting the development and empowerment of our residents. We must create a community of citizens who are committed to success for themselves and their neighborhoods, a community where children are valued and nurtured, and where we invest in their parents by providing good housing, jobs and services.
What is the Community Housing Initiative?
The Community Housing Initiative (CHI) is a transitional and permanent multi-site housing program designed to move families out of the crisis of domestic violence into safety and economic stability. The CHI revitalizes neighborhoods and preserves affordable housing in Chelsea. Over the next five years, the Community Housing Initiative, in collaboration with nonprofit developers and the City of Chelsea, will create 50 affordable permanent housing units. Through the CHI individuals and families will receive transitional supportive services to improve their health, education, and employment.
HarborCOV has been working with the Chelsea community for four years to envision and plan the CHI. The opening of Casa Maribel in January of 2003 marks the completion of the first small step. We are very excited to announce the beginning of the next phase of the CHI. HarborCOV, with the help of the city of Chelsea and HUD, has secured the property on which we will build 24 more units of permanent and supportive housing.
Increasing Affordable Housing
For the 35 battered women's programs in the state there are only 11 transitional housing programs. Because hundreds of families each year will be unable to access these programs, the CHI is an important expansion of HarborCOV's mission. The CHI will increase the availability of affordable housing for individuals and families recovering from domestic violence, minimizing the upheaval and long-term homelessness they so often experience in the existing system.
Core Programs
On-site staff will facilitate community building among residents in a space that includes childcare, educational, and meeting facilities, as well as programming for both CHI residents and participants living elsewhere in the community. The core program components of the CHI are: development of personal and parenting support systems, economic self-sufficiency, permanent housing readiness, and civic participation.
Building Support Systems
Our goal is to work with families as they build a broad and strong network of community-based support to serve them over the long term. HarborCOV actively collaborates with many social and medical service providers in the harbor area for client referral and cross training.
Our advocates consistently update resource materials and work to maintain relationships with various providers for housing and specialized support services.
By working with families for longer-term periods, and supporting them from crisis to permanent housing, CHI promotes an option for families to set down roots and become stable participating community members.
Every woman living at a CHI residence will meet regularly with an advocate who will support her in meeting economic, housing, and personal support goals based on her individual program plan.
CHI and the HarborCOV community offices will provide women with support groups (in English, Spanish, and Khmer), parenting and economic empowerment classes, individual therapy, NA and AA-type meetings, and other programs to meet each individual's needs.
All residents will participate in weekly CHI member meetings to discuss house-related issues, prepare for rental or home ownership, and build community with their peers.
Economic Empowerment
HarborCOV's Economic Empowerment Advocate offers financial planning support and facilitates connections for women to GED, ESL, college education, job training, and employment opportunities. The CHI provides a variety of classes and resources that support women while they improve their skills, establish individual development savings accounts (IDAs), start businesses, pursue career ladders, and prepare for home ownership.
Permanent Housing
Many women who escape domestic violence must make the difficult choice to uproot their families and move among shelters and housing programs, sometimes for several years, before they finally obtain permanent stability. CHI is different because it is enables residents to set down permanent roots in the Chelsea community. Working with the City of Chelsea, the Chelsea Housing Authority, and other nonprofit housing providers, CHI facilitates access to subsidized, affordable rental, and homeownership opportunities.
Community Participation
The Community Housing Initiative will help to build strong and healthy neighborhoods by encouraging participants to become active members of their community, get involved with their children's schools, seek local employment, and join civic groups.
Join the Effort
The CHI is a bold and ambitious agenda. As we launch our 8 million dollar capital campaign we need partners in business, civic life, development, and finance to join us on the capital campaign committee. We also need your financial assistance. Please write a check today and pledge to continue supporting this work. Chelsea is prime to become a model community and HarborCOV is ready for the Community Housing Initiative. Won't you join us in making it a reality?
For more information about the Community Housing Initiative or any programs at HarborCOV please call us at 617-884-9799.
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