FIGHTING TO KEEP AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN BOSTON CHINATOWN

(adapted from the Boston Chinese Progressive Association newsletter)

Fighting an uphill battle against market forces, Boston Chinatown residents, with the help of the Chinese Progressive Association (CPA) has been trying to keep affordable housing. Like low-income housing projects in many other parts of the country three different projects, Mason Place, the Stearns, and Mass Pike Towers, totaling nearly five hundred housing units, face expiration of their federal mortgages. The tenants, primarily elderly, disabled, or immigrant, face loss of their housing due to drastic rent increase and conversion to market rent units.

A Contract at Mason Place; Waiting for One at the Stearns
In Mason Place (after demonstrations last year and a series of negotiations), tenants recently received notification that their landlord, State Street Development and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) agreed to a five-year Section 8 (affordable housing contract). Thus they are assured of staying in their homes for another five years.

The Mason Place Tenant Association can be proud of its accomplishment. For the past year, with the assistance of the Massachusetts Alliance of HUD Tenants and CPA, a group of enthusiastic elderly and disabled tenants organized to fight for the renewal of the affordable housing contract. During this year, they held meetings, organized rallies, sent letters to their landlord, elected officials, and the broader community, appeared in the newspapers and television broadcasts, collected petitions, and lobbied their representatives in the State House. Unfortunately, during the stresses of the past year, a few elderly tenants passed away.

Although the contract is now secure for five years, the tenant association decided to remain active and continue meeting on a monthly basis. They will continue to support their neighbors at the Stearns on Temple Place, where the affordable housing contract expires this month. In addition, tenants plan to pursue other issues, such as continuing to support the Enabling Act (affordable housing legislation), giving input to Mason Place renovations, and speaking up about the impact of nearby redevelopment projects like Millennium Place and Liberty Plaza. Tenants are also looking into the possibility of a non-profit purchase of Mason Place in the future to secure the long-term affordability of their homes.

Victory at Mass Pike Towers
When Mass Pike tenants came to a block meeting of the newly formed Chinatown Resident Association, their primary worries were a paper notice on their doors announcing the upcoming expiration of their HUD subsidized mortgage. A private developer Trinity Financial and a neighborhood non-profit South Cove Nursing Facilities Foundation were in discussions to buy their housing project. Encouraged by the Chinese Progressive Association, who was helping the Chinatown Resident Association, tenants organized to fight for a role. While Trinity Financial had declared its commitment to affordable housing from early on, the question of tenants' involvement was a far stickier one. The tenants formed a organization, the MPTTA, organized mass meetings, petition campaigns, and many hours of negotiations. They wanted to repeat the successful organizing efforts of the nearby Castle Square Tenants Association, who sent a representative to share their experiences.

After months of work and some broken commitments, in the eleventh hour before the sale closed, all parties agreed on March 24. Tenants would have a role in decision making over management policy, renovations, and rent increase proposals through the establishment of a Tenant Management Committee selected by the MPTTA. Within approximately 15 years, South Cove Nursing Facilities Foundation will have the "right of first refusal" and option to buy Mass Pike Towers for the cost of the outstanding debt and exit taxes, on the condition that MPTTA is included as a minority partner with a meaningful role in the corporation. The MPTTA itself would have the second "right of refusal" and option, and the City of Boston the third. The tiered purchase option and rights of refusal were meant to ensure that Mass Pike Towers will remain affordable and in community hands for the long run.

Additional parts of the agreements were that the new owner would maintain affordable rent restrictions and keep Mass Pike as a combination of low and moderate income housing for 70 years. The owner will contribute $320,000 toward an additional rent subsidy fund for tenants with the heaviest rent burdens, tenant social services, and a startup fund for the tenant association. All rent increase proposals will be discussed in advance with MPTTA tenant representatives and will continue to be decided by a government approval process.

The MPTTA held a general tenants' meeting to review and approve the major points of the agreements, and to thank the many tenant activists for their hard work. Tenants also acknowledged the support of the Chinese Progressive Association, Greater Boston Legal Services and other organizations.

MPTTA Co-President Dr. Wing-Ar Moy expressed both pride in tenants' achievements and the hope that the community would help to monitor -implementation of the agreements. "Only united we can safeguard the interests of our Chinatown community, the health of which the well-being of the Greater Boston Chinese depends," said Moy. "I never thought ordinary people could have our voices," said MPTTA Co-President Serene Wong. "From day one, when I started participating in the Mass Pike Towers tenant group ... I didn't expect we could do so much, but I have had my eyes opened." The Mass Pike Towers Tenant Association, Trinity Financial, and South Cove Nursing Facilities Foundation will be holding a community celebration on June 17.