CHA's Central and site offices are closed today due to snow.

Residents with emergency repair needs should call CHA's answering service at (617) 864-3020.

Due to the snow emergency, CHA's Central and site offices are closing today at 1:00. 

2010 was a fantastic year for the Cambridge Housing Authority. The Agency won an astounding five competitive ARRA grants worth almost $25 million, began work on the revitalization of over 17 public housing developments, expanded the number of families served in its voucher program, and launched a groundbreaking new self-sufficiency program.  These are just a few of CHA's noteworthy accomplishments from 2010.  Click on the link below to learn more.

CHA Central and site offices are open for regular business today.

CHA urged the Commonwealth to provide Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTCs) for the redevelopment of the state's underfunded public housing portfolio at a public hearing on the state's proposed Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP). 

CHA asked the Commonwealth to add in the final QAP's set-aside provisions language that would make LIHTCs available to housing authorities for the rehabilitation and preservation of state owned public housing.  CHA pointed to its own recent successes in transforming state public housing using LIHTCs as evidence of the recommendation's merit.

WGBH reporter Phillip Martin tells the story of Bruce Stuart, a homeless veteran and artist known around Harvard Square for his intricate, abstract drawings.  The report chronicles Mr. Stuart's journey from homeless man to renter and galleried artist thanks in part to a Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) voucher provided by CHA.

Each month CHA offers a host of exciting services to interested residents and voucher holders.  Whether you're looking for educational help for you or your children, job training, or help attaining citizenship, CHA can help you find what you're looking for. 

The Fiscal Year 2012 Annual Plan describes the Agency's programmatic, development and financial plans for the coming fiscal year (April 1, 2011 - March 31, 2012).

Executive Director Gregory P. Russ discusses CHA's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act supported modernization efforts in a lengthy television interview.

CHA's Board of Commissioners meeting scheduled for January 12, 2011 has been pushed back to January 13, 2011 at 11:30 AM.  The time is being changed due to the snowstorm expected to hit the region Wednesday.

Due to the snow emergency, CHA's Central and site offices are closed Wednesday, January 12th.  Please note that CHA's Board of Commissioners meeting originally scheduled for Wednesday at 7:30 PM has been moved to Thursday, January 13th at 11:30 AM.

The CHA has released its consolidated budget for the 2012 fiscal year.  The budget spreadsheet has been posted on the Fiscal Department page on CHA's website, but you can also access it using the link below.

Fiscal Year 2012 Budget

Interested in training for a "Green" job?  The City of Cambridge and the Asian American Civic Association are hosting a series of information & testing sessions at the City Hall Annex.  Download the flyer below to learn more.

With support from the City of Cambridge the Asian American Civic Association delivers a host of "Green-Collar" training programs and apprenticeships including the Energy Efficiency Technician Apprenticeship Program and the Building Energy Efficient Maintenance Skills (BEEMS) program.

On December 9, 2010 CHA celebrated its 75th Anniversary.  CHA commissioned a short film to commemorate the Agency's history of service and stewardship on behalf of our low-income neighbors.  CHA is proud of its contribution to the City's quality of life and looks forward to another successful 75 years.

CHA is making terrific progress on the Phase 1 demolition of Lincoln Way Apartments, one of several American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) supported redevelopment projects currently underway.

The Bay State Banner published a feature story on DREAM, a mentoring program for middle-school children.  CHA recently partnered with DREAM to bring the succesful program to CHA's Putnam Gardens family development.

On December 2, 2010 CHA released its DRAFT Moving to Work Fiscal Year 2012 Moving to Work Plan.  The Plan serves as the Agency's primary means of communicating its adminsitrative, development, policy and financial goals for the coming fiscal year. 

With a $30-plus billion backlog in capital needs and no Congressional will to address it through appropriations, the nation must explore alternative solutions to financing the repair and modernization of our aging public housing stock.

Jeff Lines and Gregory Russ's "Public Housing Reloaded: Creating Capital and Aligning Preservation Legislation" examines possible solutions to the funding crisis framed within the context of today's political, financial and regulatory realities; paying particular attention to the ideas included in HUD's Transforming Rental Assistance initiative and the successful Moving to Work Demonstration.

The National Telecommunications and Information Agency (NTIA) featured The Work Force in it's November newsletter.  NTIA awarded CHA a $698,924 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to help CHA refurbish and expand its computer labs and to provide technology support to The Work Force.

CHA received recognition for three of its American Recovery and Revitalization Act (ARRA) supported projects in the October edition of The AdvanatgeUpdate, a newsletter produced and distributed by Asher PHA Finance, LLC.  CHA's ARRA supported projects at Lincoln Way, L. B. Johnson and Jackson Apartments are featured in the newsletter's "Kudos Corner".

Additional information on these and the rest of CHA's ARRA supported redevelopment efforts is found here.

A recent New York Times article focuses on the impact years of underfunding is having on the nation's public housing stock.  The article also describes some of the ideas circulating in and around Congress to rescue the nation's affordable housing portfolio.

The Cambridge Housing Authority (CHA) announced the planned renovation of the Lyndon B. Johnson Apartments, first occupied in October of 1973. The event marked a significant accomplishment for Cambridge Housing Authority, its residents, the community, and elected officials involved with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s drafting, passage, and implementation in 2009.

The revitalization project at Lyndon B. Johnson Apartments represents a major step forward in CHA’s energy efficiency efforts. CHA will complete over $29 million in comprehensive modernization thanks in part to a $10 million grant received through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

The Cambridge Housing Authority has teamed up with the Crittenton Women’s Union (CWU), a Boston-based nonprofit innovator in breaking the cycle of poverty, to bring CWU’s pioneering Career Family Opportunity program to Cambridge.
 
Designed to help single-parent low-income families attain economic independence within five years, Career Family Opportunity (CFO) opened in South Boston in 2009 and is the first program of its kind in Massachusetts. CFO Cambridge will help about 20 families now receiving CHA housing assistance.

Sunia Zaterman, Executive Director of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA) posted an article in the Huffington Post today making the case for investment in energy improvements at the nation's public housing developments as a win-win for taxpayers and residents.  Zaterman lays out the economic benefits of energy investments, not just in the form of future savings, but in the number of green jobs created and the immediate impact these projects have on local economies.

CHA has received almost $14 million in competitive grants to increase energy efficiency at three of its largest public housing sites.  The economic impact of these projects in Cambridge is significant, and the long-term energy savings these improvements are bringing will greatly reduce the cost of maintaining these essential public assets.

According to the Washington Post, a report on the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA) finds that stimulus funds are being spent on time, under budget and with little fraud.  For its part, CHA is meeting every stimulus deadline - adding millions of dollars to the region's economy, adding hundreds of good paying jobs, and improving the quality and useful life of the city's affordable housing stock.

Thanks to over $28 million in American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grants, the Cambridge Housing Authority is breaking ground on over $75 million dollars in construction projects around the City.  With so much work on the horizon, demand for skilled trade workers is on the rise and CHA, with help from local unions, is using this opportunity to get residents trained and employed in the building trades.
 
CHA hosted the first of several Building Trades Information Sessions this past Saturday at its Washington Elms family housing development.  The purpose of the session was to introduce residents to the building trades and construction companies that employ them.  CHA’s long-term of goal is to get residents into apprenticeship programs, and eventually good paying, steady jobs.

“With this much construction activity happening, the stimulus gives us a once in a generation opportunity to connect residents with the trades. We’re hoping that these sessions will help our residents make connections that will lead to jobs, and we are thankful to all of the construction firms and trade unions who showed-up,” said CHA Executive Director Gregory P. Russ. 

CHA Board Commissioner and Massachusetts Laborers’ District Council Legislative Director Anthony Pini helped bring all of the parties together for the event.  “This is a great chance for the trades to work with the Housing Authority to provide training opportunities for residents and for the Housing Authority to get a good look at the trades,” Pini said. 

Over 15 trade unions and construction firms set-up information tables at Saturday’s session, which attracted approximately 70 CHA residents.  CHA hopes to host a second session later this winter.

Thanks in part to a federal American Recovery & Reinvestment Act grant, CHA is proud to announce the Grand Opening of the Roosevelt Towers Computer Lab!

Tuesday, October 5 from 7:00-9:00 pm
14 Roosevelt Towers
Cambridge, MA 02141

Open Lab every Tuesday from 7:00-9:00 pm!

Check e-mail
Use the internet
Practice what you've learned
Learn something new

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded the Cambridge Housing Authority a $2.1 million competitive American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grant for energy improvements at Jefferson Park Apartments, a 175 unit family public housing development in North Cambridge. 

The award for Jefferson Park marks the fifth competitive stimulus grant awarded to CHA, making the Agency, on a per-apartment basis the 6th largest recipient of competitive ARRA grants amongst the nation’s large public housing agencies.  In total, CHA has received over $28 million dollars in stimulus funds for improvements to the city’s chronically underfunded public housing developments. 

“Thanks to these stimulus funds we are finally able to begin addressing the long-standing physical needs of the city’s public housing stock,” said CHA Executive Director Gregory P. Russ.  “The federal buildings at Jefferson Park haven’t seen significant rehabilitation in over 20 years.  Absent this once in a generation opportunity, properties throughout the City were facing the end of their useful lives.  ”

The stimulus funds combined with other public and private funds will dramatically improve Jefferson Park’s energy efficiency, reduce operating costs and improve the quality of life for the 175 low-income families who call Jefferson Park home. 

Improvements will include:

•    Replacing inefficient boilers and installing high efficiency variable frequency drives to the water circulating pumps.  These improvements are estimated to increase heat pump efficiency by at least 10%.

•    Replace leaky 24 year old roofs with fully adhered Energy Star compliant roofs and improve roof drainage systems.

•    $1.5 million from Boston Community Capital/Solar Energy Advantage for installation of solar photovoltaic panels and additional energy conservation improvements.

•    Replace shower heads and kitchen and bath faucets with low-flow models to reduce water consumption by 10%, reducing costs by $20,000 per year.

In addition to reducing operating costs, improving residents’ lives, reducing energy consumption and extending the useful lives of the City’s housing stock, CHA’s stimulus projects will inject over $150 million into the local economy.

The Salvation Army is offering free turkeys and food baskets to families from Cambridge and Somerville.  Download the flyer to learn more!