Welcome to the Tenant Newsletter! Here you’ll find important events and ways to engage, both in the HCA and the wider Arlington communities. You’ll see everything from resources that you can access to updates on resident activities! If there is anything you’d like to add to the next newsletter, please reach out to Jackson 781-859-5294 x.6 | jhamilton@housingcorparlington.org. Enjoy!
May 2025
📢 Community Events
|
Date
|
Event
|
|
Tuesday May 13th 6-8pm
|
Tenant Council Meeting: The next meeting will be at the Fox Library at 6pm!! If you need a ride, need a translator, or have any questions, please reach out to Jackson @ 781-859-5294 x.6 or respond to this email. Come and help decide what issues with property management we want to solve next!
 |
|
Sunday May 18th
12p-2p
|
Walk for Affordable Housing: HCA’s 22nd annual Walk for Affordable Housing is coming up! Join us at the Jason Russell House (7 Jason St) at 12pm on Sunday 5/18 for an afternoon of music, food, raffles, and celebrating affordable housing!
|
|
Saturday, May 10 5-6:30pm
|
NEAT Dinner: This month’s FREE community dinner will be at the Park Ave Congregational Church (50 Revere Rd)!
 |
|
Tuesdays & Saturdays, May 19-31
|
The Road Where It Happened: Revolution Comes to Menotomy: Get your fill of American history as we celebrate our revolution’s semiquincentennial!! Also known as the 250th anniversary of the beginning of the Revolutionary War. The exhibit, located at Old Schwab Mill (17 Mill Ln.), has free admission and is open on Tuesdays and Saturdays from 10a-4p.
|
ℹ️ Community Notices
|
Topic
|
Description
|
|
COMMUNITY SURVEY
|
Click here to take the Community Survey – We want to hear from you! Help us improve our work by filling out the annual HCA community survey (NOT the tenant survey) —your input helps shape our programs, services, and future priorities so we can continually adapt to the needs of those we support.
|
|
NEW STAFF IN PROPERTY MANAGEMENT OFFICE
|
The Peabody Property Management office welcomed a new senior property manager, Tiny, to the team on May 1. Tiny and Paula will be working together in the office to make HCA a better place to live for everyone in the HCA community. I look forward to hearing about your interactions with her!
|
|
ARLINGTON COMPREHENS-IVE PLAN
|
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the kickoff of the Town’s Comprehensive Plan process! It was a great start to shaping our community’s future together, and we’re excited to keep the conversation going in the months ahead. If you are interested in helping influence Arlington’s future, reach out to Jackson to learn more.
To learn more about what a Comprehensive Plan is, click here.
To fill out the comp. plan survey and to fill in the interactive map, which the town will use to inform their priorities for the plan, click here.
|
|
UTILITIES
|
Utilities are expensive, but you don’t need to be paying full price. By living in an HCA property, you automatically qualify for Eversource’s discount rate. It is a significant discount and will save you lots of money in the future. You can use a copy of your lease as a supporting document along with the application: discount-rate-app-ema.pdf
|
April 2025
📢 Community Events
| Date | Event |
| Thursday April 10th
8:30a-3p |
MACDC Lobby Day: HCA goes to the State House! Talk to Jackson (781-859-5494 x.6) for a chance to go with the HCA staff to help us continue to make affordable housing a priority in Massachusetts! |
| Sunday May 18th
12p-2p |
Walk for Affordable Housing: HCA’s 22nd annual Walk for Affordable Housing is coming up! Join us at the Jason Russell House (7 Jason St) at 12pm on Sunday 5/18 for an afternoon of music, food, raffles, and celebrating affordable housing! |
| DATE TBD | Tenant Council Meeting: The next meeting of the Tenant Council is being scheduled for early May. Come and help decide what issues with property management we want to solve next! |
ℹ️ Community Notices
| Topic | Description |
| COMMUNITY SURVEY | Click here to take the Community Survey – We want to hear from you! Help us improve our work by filling out the annual HCA community survey (NOT the tenant survey) —your input helps shape our programs, services, and future priorities so we can continually adapt to the needs of those we support. |
| UTILITIES | Utilities are expensive, but you don’t need to be paying full price. By living in an HCA property, you automatically qualify for Eversource’s discount rate. It is a significant discount and will save you lots of money in the future. You can use a copy of your lease as a supporting document along with the application: discount-rate-app-ema.pdf |
| ARLINGTON MASTER PLAN | Thank you to everyone who joined us for the kickoff of the Town’s Master Plan process! It was a great start to shaping our community’s future together, and we’re excited to keep the conversation going in the months ahead. If you are interested in helping influence Arlington’s future, reach out to Jackson to learn more.
To learn more about what a Master Plan is, click here. |
| US CITIZENSHIP CLASS | Interested in becoming a US Citizen, and have had a green card for at least 3 years? Sign up for the class here |
March 2025
ℹ️ Community Notices
| Topic | Description |
| FRAUD | Protect your family’s grocery dollars! I have been hearing a lot about folks who have had their SNAP benefits stolen at grocery stores and convenience stores in the past few months. Make sure to change your SNAP PIN every month! Call (877) 382-2363 and select the option to change your PIN. |
| UTILITIES | Utilities are expensive, but you don’t need to be paying full price. By living in an HCA property, you automatically qualify for Eversource’s discount rate. It is a significant discount and will save you lots of money in the future. You can use a copy of your lease as a supporting document along with the application: discount-rate-app-ema.pdf
You are also getting 10% discounts on your next 2 utility bills!! |
| PROPERTY MANAGEM-ENT | HCA has a new property manager in the office. Lisa left to take a job closer to her home in New Hampshire. Paula Naranjo is in her 3rd week in the office and is doing a great job so far. The office phone number (781-777-2345) and email (arlington@peabodyproperties.com) will stay the same, and Paula’s email is pnaranjo@peabodyproperties.com |
Your Voice Matters! Tenant Council Updates
Here is what Property Management Committed to after the Tenant Council met with them on Feb 24th:
- Improve notice before entry, striving for 48-hour notice.
- Retrain maintenance on knock-and-enter protocol.
- Improve communication via streamlined notices and tenant newsletter updates from Property Management.
-
Provide tenants (you!) with a direct line to management to provide accountability.
- Have a monthly standing Zoom meeting with the Tenant Council for ongoing communication.
📢 Community Events
| Date | Event |
| Saturday March 8th | Community Meal: NEAT (Neighbors Eating All Together) is hosting their next community meal on Saturday, Feb. 8 5p-6:30p at the Arlington High School, 869 Mass Ave. Go and check it out to enjoy a free meal with your neighbors! |
| Thursday April 10th | MACDC Lobby Day: HCA goes to the State House! Talk to Jackson (781-859-5494 x.6) for a chance to go with the HCA staff to help us continue to make affordable housing a priority in Massachusetts! |
February 2025
🗓️ Save the Dates
| Date | Event |
| Feb. 24 6-8pm | POLICY ADVOCACY: Exciting news for residents! The Tenant Council has scheduled their first meeting with Property Management. The goals of the meeting are (1) to advocate for a 72-hour notice before anyone enters your apartment, and (2) for the Tenant Council to have consistent meetings with Property Management to voice the concerns of the community and to strive for better living conditions. |
| Weds. Feb. 19 – Mar. 19 | LEADERSHIP TRAINING: HCA is partnering with the Mel King Institute to provide a Resident Leadership Training course. You’ll learn how to become a Network Leader in the community. The Mel King Institute is a part of MACDC (Mass. Association of CDCs), which is made up entirely of organizations just like HCA. The folks at MACDC and the Mel King Institute are our people; they have dedicated their lives to working with us and you to strengthen the leadership abilities of those who live and work in affordable housing. Being able to learn from those with so much experience and passion is a blessing, and it is an amazing opportunity that all HCA tenants have FREE access to. HCA will also be providing meals, childcare, transportation, and interpretation. We want to make sure that you’re able to attend the class without issue! Have questions about the class? Ask Jackson! |
| Fri. Feb. 28 9a-2p | FREE HEALTH SCREENING: Mass General Hospital’s mobile health clinic is bringing in an Audiologist and a Physical Therapist to do hearing screenings and balance testing! If you are home on Friday the 28th, it could be a great way to learn more information about your current state of health. They will be making 15 minute appointments from 9am-2pm, so reach out to Jackson to make an appointment. |
📢 Community Events
| Date | Event |
| Saturday February 8th | Community Meal: NEAT (Neighbors Eating All Together) is hosting their next community meal on Saturday, Feb. 8 5p-6:30p at the Park Avenue Congregational Church 50 Paul Revere Road. Go and check it out to enjoy a free meal with your neighbors! |
| Tuesday February 18th | Pizza Night! HCA is taking part in the monthly Benefit Bake at American Flatbread in Davis Sq. A portion of each pizza sold on Tuesday will be donated to HCA. Come to American Flatbread on 2/18 between 4-10pm to hang out with HCA staff and board members, enjoy good pizza, and help raise money for a good cause! |
January 2025
HAPPY NEW YEAR HCA COMMUNITY!! We wish you a happy, healthy, New Year filled with love and amazing opportunities. We are thankful for each and every one of you.
🗓️ Save the Dates
| Date | Event |
| Fri., Jan 31 | MASS GENERAL MOBILE HEALTH VISITS: Friday, January 31, students and teachers from Mass General’s nursing school are coming to HCA to conduct free, 1 hour appointments with up to 10 residents. They include health screenings, referrals, medication management, health advocacy, and so much more. Reach out to Jackson if you are interested |
| Weds. Feb. 19 – Mar. 19 | LEADERSHIP TRAINING: HCA is partnering with the Mel King Institute to provide a Resident Leadership Training course. You’ll learn how to become a Network Leader in the community. Have questions about the class? Ask Jackson! |
📢 Ways to Engage
| Date | Event |
| February 24th | The Tenant Council has scheduled a meeting with Property Management to address many of the issues that were decided upon by the Tenant Council. We will first ask for 72 hours of notice before anyone can enter your house. Have you been affected by management’s lack of communication? We want to know!! Reach out to Jackson or any Steering Committee members if you want to share your story. |
| February 2025 | HCA on Town Meeting! It would be amazing to have at least 1 HCA tenant become a voting member of Town Meeting. It is a great way to impact town policy and to advocate for affordable housing. The people who are most affected by problems always have the best ideas for solutions, and I believe that the unique problems that our community faces will lead to the most creative solutions. Read more about it here |
🏤 Office Updates
| Staffing Changes | Property Management: Curtis, the assistant property manager, no longer works in the HCA office. Phil, who many of you know, is working in the HCA office 3x per week as a replacement until a new staffer is hired full-time. Peabody is currently interviewing to fill that role, and the staff will keep you updated. We also have a new maintenance worker on-site, Oscar.
HCA: We have hired 2 new full-time employees: Andrew Wofford has just started at HCA in a brand new position, Senior Project Manager. He’ll be mainly behind the scenes, helping HCA’s affordable housing portfolio grow. Jackson, at the end of his AmeriCorps program in March, will be staying at HCA in a full-time capacity. We are very excited to keep growing as a staff! |
| Office Appointments | HCA: Appointments with Jackson and Renea and now BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. They are both very busy doing their best to make your lives better. In order for them to do that, they need to be able to give each task their full attention, and that includes meeting with you! Please schedule an appointment with them if you want to meet. You can always drop-in if there is an emergency, though.
Property Management: Appointments with Lisa are also now BY APPOINTMENT ONLY, while Peabody is hiring additional office staff. The schedule will change once new office staff is hired, and you all will be notified when the office staffing changes. |
—————————————————————————————————————————–
December 2024
I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! This time of year can be a very stressful time for a lot of our neighbors. Please don’t be afraid to reach out to the HCA office or to your neighbors for help. Happy Holidays, everyone.
Save the Dates
| Date | Event |
| NOW – Thurs., Dec. 13 | TOYS FOR TOTS: Struggling to buy Christmas gifts this year? HCA will be submitting an application to receive toys from Toys for Tots this year! They provide toys to children ages 0-12. Each child who signs up will receive 2 toys: 1 small and 1 large. Signups close on Dec. 13th, so don’t wait! This is for HCA Tenants only. Click here to sign up for toys. |
| Jan. 2025 | MASS GENERAL MOBILE HEALTH VISITS: one Friday in January, students and teachers from Mass General’s nursing school are coming to HCA to conduct free, 1 hour appointments with up to 10 residents. They include health screenings, referrals, and health advocacy. Keep an eye out for more information about this awesome program. |
| Feb. 2025 | LEADERSHIP TRAINING: HCA is partnering with the Mel King Institute to provide a Tenant Leadership Training course. You’ll learn how to become a Network Leader in the community. Have questions about the class? Ask Jackson! |
Ways to Engage
| Date | Event |
| January 2025 | The Tenant Council is scheduling a meeting with Property Management to address many of the issues that were decided upon by the Tenant Council. We will first ask for 72 hours of notice before anyone can enter your house. Have you been affected by management’s lack of communication? We want to know!! Reach out to Jackson or any Steering Committee members if you want to share your story. |
| February 2024 | HCA on Town Meeting! It would be amazing to have at least 1 HCA tenant become a voting member of Town Meeting. It is a great way to impact town policy and to advocate for affordable housing. The people who are most affected by problems always have the best ideas for solutions, and I believe that the unique problems that our community faces will lead to the most creative solutions. Read more about it here |
Tenant Council Updates
| We are looking for more members to join the Steering Committee! The Steering Committee is the group of Tenant Council members who plan the meetings, advance the Tenant Council’s agenda, and come up with ideas to help the community. If you are interested, please reach out to Jackson or any member of the Steering Committee for more details. | Our community Facebook page just for HCA tenants is live! The Tenant Council now has a page where you can talk to your neighbors, conduct exchanges, help each other, and much more! Here’s the link to join the group! : https://www.facebook.com/share/g/tkdsCL8rZCSyT7un/?mibextid=K35XfP | We are scheduling a meeting with Property Management to address many of the issues that were decided upon by the Tenant Council. The main focus of the meeting will be on communication. Have you been affected by management’s lack of communication? Reach out to Jackson if you want to share your story |
—————————————————————————————————————————-
November 2024
HCA UPDATE: Appointments with Renea and Jackson will now be by appointment only, except for emergencies. Renea and Jackson are too busy to handle walk-ins and still serve you all in their fullest capacities. Please call or email them to set up appointments so that they are able to take the time to go over everything with you during your appointment.
Renea: 781-859-5294 x.7 | rduran@housingcorparlington.org
Jackson: 781-859-5294 x.6 | jhamilton@housingcorparlington.org
Save the Dates
| Date | Event |
| Thurs Nov. 7 & Wed Nov. 13 5:30-6:30p | DBSI Building Meetings – This Thursday (Nov. 7) from 5:30-6:30 will be the building meeting for all residents of 112 & 114 Lowell St. Next Wednesday (Nov .13) from 5:30-6:30 will be the meeting for all residents of 117 Broadway. The meeting is to discuss questions about your building, share information about work orders and recertifications, and ensure that everyone’s voices are heard in the community. |
| Fri. Nov. 15 9:30-11:30a | Mass General Health Fair – very exciting news! Nurses from MGH are going to the Robbins Library to debut a brand-new program just for HCA residents! There will be nurses to take blood pressure, a Physical Therapist to test your balance, and health advocates there to make referrals and help you prepare for your next doctor’s appointment. More info to come. |
| Nov. 22 | Final Day for Thanksgiving Meal Sign Up – here is the form: https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/TdWhtITxBM36Jk5LRvu0Bg |
Resources
| Date | Event |
| NOW | THANKSGIVING AND CHRISTMAS MEAL BASKETS ARE BACK! Here is the form: https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/TdWhtITxBM36Jk5LRvu0Bg . Sign-Up for Thanksgiving and Christmas meals goes until Friday November 22nd. Pick-Up of the Thanksgiving meals will be at the HCA Office, 252 Mass Ave, on Saturday 11/23 from 11am-3pm.Christmas meals will be dropped off to your house on Christmas Eve 10:30am-12:45pm |
| Thurs. Nov. 7 | Affordable Housing Overlay Forum – this is the second information session for Arligton’s proposed AHO, which can allow organizations like HCA to build affordable housing in more cost-effective ways! https://www.arlingtonma.gov/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/35168/ |
| Fri. Nov. 15 9:30-11:30a | Mass General Health Fair – very exciting news! Nurses from MGH are going to the Robbins Library to debut a brand new program just for HCA residents! There will be nurses to take blood pressure, a Physical Therapist to test your balance, and health advocates there to make referrals and help you prepare for your next doctor’s appointment. More info to come. |
Tenant Council Updates
| We are looking for more members to join the Steering Committee! The Steering Committee is the group of Tenant Council members who plan the meetings, advance the Tenant Council’s agenda, and come up with ideas to help the community. If you are interested, please reach out to Jackson or any member of the Steering Committee for more details. | Our community Facebook page just for HCA tenants is live! The Tenant Council now has a page where you can talk to your neighbors, conduct exchanges, help each other, and much more! Here’s the link to join the group! : https://www.facebook.com/share/g/tkdsCL8rZCSyT7un/?mibextid=K35XfP | We are scheduling a meeting with Property Management to address many of the issues that were decided upon by the Tenant Council. The main focus of the meeting will be on communication. Have you been affected by management’s lack of communication? Reach out to Jackson if you want to share your story |
—————————————————————————————————————————–
September 2024
Save the Dates
| Date | Event |
| Sep. 17 10:00a | Senior Coffee Hour at HCA’s conference room! If you need a ride to get to the office (252 Mass Ave) please let Jackson know! Give him a call or send him an email. 781-859-5294 x.6 or jhamilton@housingcorparlington.org |
| Sep. 21 10:30a- 4:30p | Town Day – Tons of resources will be there for any need you may have. There will also be food vendors, live music, and more! It takes place right in the center of town, between Pleasant St. and Jason St. Check out some more information here |
| Sep. 30 6:30p | The next meeting of the Tenant Council will take place on Monday, September 30 @ 6:30pm at the Robbins Library Community Room. You will get an invitation in the mail soon. |
| Oct. 22 | HCA’s Annual Meeting. More information to come. |
Resources
| Date | Event |
| Sep 12- Oct 24 | Free Financial Literacy course at the HCA office – Learn how to create a budget to reach a goal, build credit, and how to make your money work for you! There will also be an opportunity for a 1-on-1 financial coaching session to help you take control of your money. The class takes place on Thursdays in September and October. Email Renea if you’re interested: rduran@housingcorparlington.org |
| Sep 21 10:30a- 4:30p | Town Day – Tons of resources will be there for any need you may have. It takes place right in the center of town, between Pleasant St. and Jason St. Check out some more information here |
| Sep 24 – Dec 3 6:30p- 8:30p | US Citizenship Class – a FREE 10 week course at the Gibbs School. Learn how to answer the questions on the citizenship exam and improve your English. Must have a green card for 5 years or married to a US citizen & have a green card for 3 years. Sign up for the class here |
Opportunities to Engage!!
| Town Board | Annual Tenant Survey | Lahey Survey and Meeting | |
| A spot is open on the Affordable Housing Trust Fund Board of Trustees, which is a group who advocates for affordable housing in town. Here is more information about the opportunity here: Committee Openings. If you are interested or want help with the application, reach out to Jackson jhamilton@ho-usingcorparlington.org | 781-859-5294 x.6
|
The 2024 Annual Survey is active now! Your feedback will truly give the staff at HCA the information on how to make your lives as residents better. There will also be a drawing for $25 gift cards when the survey closes. Take the survey here. |
|
Tenant Council Updates
| Next Meeting | HCA Tenant Facebook Group | Meeting with Property Management |
| The next meeting of the Tenant Council will take place on Monday, September 30 @ 6:30pm at the Robbins Library Community Room. You’ll get an invitation in the mail this week! | Our community Facebook page just for HCA tenants is live! The Tenant Council now has a page where you can talk to your neighbors, conduct exchanges, help each other, and much more! Here’s the link to join the group! : Facebook Group | We are scheduling a meeting with Property Management to address many of the issues that were decided upon by the Tenant Council. This will be the first of many meetings between the Tenant Council and Property Management; come to the next Tenant Council meeting to help decide exactly what the next meeting will be about. |