Tools
Local Tenant Organization Success Stories Webinar, March 2022
Thomas Ruffen, Public Housing ResidentFor residents of public housing, what makes for a successful Local Tenant Organization? In this webinar we talk about how to connect with residents in your development to build a powerful network that can make changes to benefit everyone. Residents are often held back by “The Big 4” -- fear, hopelessness, confusion and division. But through building trusted relationships we can overcome these barriers and improve the quality of life. What follows is an interview with Thomas Ruffen, member of the Mildred Hailey Tenants Organization in Boston, MA.
Local Tenant Organization Success Stories Webinar, March 2022
L'aura Jordan, Public Housing ResidentFor residents of public housing, what makes for a successful Local Tenant Organization? In this webinar we talk about how to connect with residents in your development to build a powerful network that can make changes to benefit everyone. Residents are often held back by “The Big 4” -- fear, hopelessness, confusion and division. But through building trusted relationships we can overcome these barriers and improve the quality of life. What follows is an interview with L'aura Jordan, member of the Elm Terrace Tenants Organization in Greenfield, MA.
Local Tenant Organization Success Stories Webinar, March 2022
Sue Kirby, Public Housing ResidentFor residents of public housing, what makes for a successful Local Tenant Organization? In this webinar we talk about how to connect with residents in your development to build a powerful network that can make changes to benefit everyone. Residents are often held back by “The Big 4” -- fear, hopelessness, confusion and division. But through building trusted relationships we can overcome these barriers and improve the quality of life. What follows is an interview with Sue Kirby, the president of the Morency Tenants Organization in Salem, MA.
Slides for Who's Who - DHCD, the LHA Board, and the Local Tenant Organization Webinar 3.9.22
Sarah O'Leary and Bill Halfpenny, DHCDPowerpoint slides that correspond with webinar here: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1NoMQRuMenHaqA3scTzMHYceS6oibA3PQoA1_eKlbS58/edit?usp=sharing
Who's Who - DHCD, the LHA Board, and the Local Tenant Organization 3.9.22
Sarah O'Leary and Bill Halfpenny, DHCDJoin this webinar with DHCD and the Mel King Institute to understand the different powers of the Local Tenant Organization, the LHA Board, and DHCD. Residents will learn more about the "chain of command" for resolving individual problems, the expansive powers of their local Board, and the limits of DHCD's authority.
Organizing for Racial Equity Within the Federal Government
Race ForwardPresident Biden’s Executive Order On Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government presents a generational opportunity to bring the full force of the federal government to the work of racial equity and justice. To realize its potential, racial equity practitioners will need to organize from within government to continually bring people together towards a common vision of racial equity. In order to sustain momentum such organizing should be coupled with investments in growing organizational capacity and networked infrastructure across the whole of government
The Structural Racism Remedies Repository
UC BerkleyThe Othering and Belonging Institute at UC-Berkeley has just released a Structural Racism Remedies Repository, compiling “over 1,000 policy recommendations in many areas where structural racism is most prevalent, including policing, criminal justice, housing, transportation, voting rights, education, and many others.”
How the Mel King Institute’s Public Housing Training Program is helping one tenant group to bridge divides amongst residents
Resident Leadership AcademyBlog post about Sue Kirby, a resident tenant leader.
Mel King Institute Public Housing Training Participants Form New Tenant Groups
Resident Leadership AcademyBlog post about Judy O'Kulsky, a resident tenant leader.
Choosing Integration Report Release
MassINCClick below to watch the recording including the research presentation and a recap of group conversations for the report Choosing Integration.
Dirty Data Cost Calculator
Association TrendsDownload this whitepaper and learn how to: Calculate how much dirty data is currently costing your association, and how much it will continue costing as time passes without clean-up. Quantify this cost so you are able to communicate the importance of data hygiene to your boss, board, and/or stakeholders.
National Housing & Financial Capability Survey
NeighborWorks AmericaOn June 24, 2021, NeighborWorks America released findings from its 2021 Housing and Financial Capability Survey, which was conducted in April. The survey showed that many people see the advantages in owning a home but are unequipped to handle financial challenges that stall their dream of homeownership. Since 2019, NeighborWorks America has conducted its annual Housing and Financial Capability Survey to collect data that helps set the foundation for the stabilization of communities. Prior to 2019, the organization released a spring consumer finance survey and a fall homeownership survey. The findings from the survey help NeighborWorks America understand who still needs the organization's help and the areas that need the most attention.
Doing Engagement from Home A Toolbox for Municipal Staff
MAPCDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, the Community Engagement Department of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) conducted extensive research on digital engagement tools and methods. This document includes many tools that municipal staff can use to engage the public remotely. This document is intended as a resource and does not constitute endorsement of any of these tools. MAPC does not use every tool in this list— for questions about individual tools, reach out to the tool’s Help or Support staff.
Hybrid Engagement Hub: Navigating Together
MAPC Community Engagement DivisionThis project hub is designed to be a central source of information to support you as you develop your approach to hybrid meetings, investigate tools, and design public participation at the local level.
Worforce Training Fund Express Program - Passive House and LEED certifications
BE+Any company is eligible for $30,000 of training per year through this grant application. There are many certification for building sustainability measures.
Commonwealth Workforce Training Fund Express Program
Workforce Training Fund50 courses approved to provide PHIUS Certified Passive House Consultant training.
Highlights from Cool, Climate-safe Cities: New Solutions & Research
BU Institute for Sustainable EnergyWebinar Recording for Event
Turning Towards Each Other: A Conflict Workbook
Jovida Ross and Weyam GhadbianThe exercises in this workbook are offered as a way to bring love into the hard parts of our relationships. Of course, when we’re in the middle of a tense situation, it may not feel like love. It can be helpful to remember that there are always multiple truths present in a conflict: We each experience a situation differently, and interpret what is going on from a different vantage point. Making space for our feelings and experiences to be acknowledged can help us surface deeper insights hidden in the tension and uncover new solutions.
Prison Abolition Syllabus
D. Berger, G. Felber, K. Gross, et al., Black Perspectives, African American Intellectual History Society (AAIHS)This is a syllabus for a course on prison abolition, filled with resources.
The 1619 Project
Pulitzer CenterIn partnership with The New York Times, the Pulitzer Center is building a learning community around The 1619 Project. Explore this site to find teaching resources, information about our 1619 Education Network, and ways to connect.
Rethinking "Thanksgiving" Toolkit
Indigenous Environmental Network,There are many different experiences we will have over Thanksgiving - some of us will have lots of food, some of us will struggle to have enough. Some will be surrounded by people and some will be alone or with just one other person. For many, it’s an important time of coming together with family. This day also gives us a chance to look at and change stories we have about our families and ourselves. Thanksgiving is based on myths that hide and erase the genocide that the United States is founded upon. What would it mean to tell a different story; an honest story?
Counter-Narrating the Attacks on Critical Race Theory
Race ForwardGuide for addressing critiques on Critical Race Theory
Resource Guide for Indigenous Solidarity Funding Projects
Catalyst ProjectThis guide offers lessons and guidelines to support non Native groups and people who seek to move resources to Indigenous Peoples through solidarity funding projects that directly support Indigenous sovereignty.
Slides for Local Housing Authority Budget with DHCD Webinar 12.2.21
DHCDPowerpoint slides that correspond with webinar here: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1k__0tlpeM5NtmMGnYW9kTBYKkLtMH4ARpniG7BlLPEs/edit?usp=sharing
Local Housing Authority Budget with DHCD Webinar 12.2.21
Chris DeVore, DHCDJoin the Mel King Institute and DHCD for a session about Housing Authority Budgets. Housing Authority Budgets spell out how the Authority plans to spend the money it collects from rents, subsidies, and other sources. All residents have a role in helping shape budgets, especially when there is a Local Tenant Organization, and Resident Board Members need to understand them in order to weigh in and sign off on them each year. This webinar is for residents and Board Members of Local Housing Authorities.
Impact of Climate Change on Health
National Institute for Health Care Management FoundationClimate change is the single biggest health threat facing humanity and it is disproportionately felt by the most vulnerable and disadvantaged according to a recent World Health Organization (WHO) special report. This infographic explains links between climate change and health.
Updated Toolkit: COVID-19 Booster Dose Messaging and Outreach Tools
Public Health Communications CollaborativeMillions of Americans are now eligible to get a COVID-19 booster dose. The following communications resources — including topline talking points, answers to tough questions, sample social media posts and graphics — can help you answer questions about COVID-19 vaccine booster doses and support your local vaccination outreach.
Getting Capital to Small Businesses in Low-Income Communities
The Aspen InstituteHeeding the call for greater race and gender equity, policymakers, donors, and investors want to uplift small businesses in underserved communities. But boosting access to capital for business owners of color is easier said than done. In this video, we identify the importance of microloans in meeting firms owned by people of color where they are in terms of their capital needs. And we highlight the work of community development financial institutions (CDFIs) in serving this vital role. Members of the Aspen Institute’s Microfinance Impact Collaborative, for example, issued over 8,300 loans in 2018, 75% of which were to entrepreneurs of color.
Public Housing Resident Organizing and Participation Toolkit
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)This toolkit is designed for public housing residents interested in creating or supporting a resident council.
Mass Cultural Council's Racial Equity Plan
Mass Cultural CouncilAs a state agency, Mass Cultural Council’s grant-making is a public investment into an important economic sector and health and human services. As stewards of public resources, we are striving to become more intentionally inclusive when we design programs and services, and make policy and funding decisions, to ensure we are reaching all residents of the Commonwealth. With the release of our first-ever Racial Equity Plan, Mass Cultural Council commits to doing the ongoing and long-term work of being a racially-equitable and anti-racist organization.
Local Tenant Organization Success Stories Webinar, August 2021
Sue Kirby, Public Housing ResidentFor residents of public housing What makes for a successful Local Tenant Organization? In this webinar we talk about how to connect with residents in your development to build a powerful network that can make changes to benefit everyone. Residents are often held back by “The Big 4” -- fear, hopelessness, confusion and division. But through building trusted relationships we can overcome these barriers and improve the quality of life. What follows is an interview with Sue Kirby, the president of the Morency Tenants Organization in Salem, MA.
Project Manager Core Skills Toolkit
Mel King InstituteThe Tracker tool was designed to support the growth and development of non-profit real estate project managers. The tool can be adapted to suit needs of various project managers, as job titles and the division of work will differ for each organization. It can be used with a supervisor/supervisee relationship or as an individual project manager self-assessment.
Organizing and Engagement Core Skills Toolkit
Mel King Institute, Rising Sun ConsultingThis toolkit was designed to support the professional growth of community organizers and community engagement staff. The toolkit was developed by and for organizers! Front line organizers helped identify the 6 competency areas and piloted the tools, offering feedback on content and format.
Who's Who - DHCD, the LHA Board, and the Local Tenant Organization 2.12.21
Sarah O'LearyThis webinar with DHCD and the Mel King Institute is to understand the different powers of the Local Tenant Organization, the LHA Board, and DHCD. Residents will learn more about the "chain of command" for resolving individual problems, the expansive powers of their local Board, and the limits of DHCD's authority.
Slides for Capital Improvement Plans Webinar with DHCD 10.14.2021
DHCDPowerpoint slides that correspond with webinar here: https://youtu.be/k3wXaRrkhxI
Capital Improvement Plans with DHCD Webinar 10.14.2021
Stefanie BrynenEvery Housing Authority has a Capital Improvement Plan which lays out the major improvements the authority will make to its properties in the next five years. These plans have a huge impact on residents’ quality of life, and like budgets, all residents have the right to weigh in. Resident Board Members especially need to understand the details of a Capital Improvement Plan so they can make their perspectives known to the Board.
Race Counts
Build Healthy Places NetworkRACE COUNTS measures the overall performance, amount of racial disparity, and impact by population size of every county in California.
Know Your Rights: Source of Income Discrimination FAQ
Attorney General, Commonwealth of MassachusettsMassachusetts residents who rely on public assistance, including rental assistance programs, often face unique challenges in securing housing, which is a key pathway to economic security. Because we recognize the importance of access to housing, we have prepared this guide to help educate residents and landlords on their rights and obligations in this area.
State and Local Antidiscrimination Laws Could Help Renters Access Emergency Rental Assistance and Keep Their Homes
Urban InstituteDespite the needs of both renters and landlords, some landlords are not accepting rent relief. We don’t have much data on how many landlords are refusing rental relief or their motivations for doing so, but we know that the outcomes can be dire for tenants, especially low-income renters and renters of color, who often face housing discrimination when using federal assistance.
COVID Eviction Legal Help Video - Ed's Story
COVID Eviction Legal Help Project (CELHP)Last October, the COVID Eviction Legal Help Project (CELHP) was created through the Governor’s Eviction Diversion Initiative. Since its inception, CELHP has provided legal help in over 3,650 eviction cases.