Category: Past Events

LTO Board Training Series
Tuesdays, 10am-11:30am
January 13, 20, 27, and February 3 and 10
Online on Zoom

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REGISTration closed

This training will review Mass Union’s LTO Board Handbook, which covers everything LTO boards need to know to get set up and get active! We’ll cover the purpose of forming an LTO, board roles and responsibilities, taking minutes, recognition requirements, bylaws, budgets, opening a bank account, financial reports, staying accountable to the community, language inclusion, how to get along, running community meetings, and much more.

Presented by the Mel King Institute

December 12 – 9:30AM to 3PM

Urban Edge
1542 Columbus Ave
Roxbury, MA 02119

REGISTER ONLINE HERE

Wondering how to make your meetings useful, engaging, and on task? Effective meetings build connections, generate ideas, share knowledge, and can even create pathways to leadership. In this training, Jennifer Raitt will introduce participants to techniques in meeting preparation and planning, key facilitation skills to manage interpersonal and group dynamics, and how to follow-up for success. This workshop is designed to help you explore and improve your capacity to manage meetings and to connect with other individuals planning meetings by providing practical skills through active-learning, small groups, and presentations. The knowledge gained from this training can be applied to any meeting, from small committee meetings to larger public forums.

Meeting objectives:
• Define meeting roles and expectations
• Understand & incorporate appropriate learning styles that invite participation and inclusion
• Identify the characteristics of and learn how to plan a results-oriented meeting
• Identify and apply core facilitation principles in a range of settings
• Understand and learn to manage meetings with a range of participants

MKI will provide coffee and pastries in the morning and lunch in the afternoon.

With Harvard Law Professor Eloise Lawrence
Wednesday, December 3, 11am – 12pm
Recorded – See Video Below

Public housing has a long history in the United States of providing housing for those in need. Currently, 2.2 million people live in public housing nationwide, including 800,000 children. Join this webinar to learn about why public housing was created, who it has served, and the challenges it has overcome to become what it is today. We’ll also touch on the unique state-funded public housing portfolio we have here in Massachusetts, which provides a home for 43,000 households. Join us to discuss what this history means for us today, as we fight to preserve and improve public housing. 

This webinar will be led by Eloise Lawrence, a Clinical Professor of Law and the Faculty Director of the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau (HLAB). In her role as Faculty Director, Eloise works with the HLAB Student Board to oversee the operation of the country’s oldest student-run civil legal aid clinic. She also serves as supervisor and faculty adviser for the student practice organization Project No One Leaves. Lawrence has spent her entire career representing low-income individuals and grassroots community groups.  

This webinar is open to public housing tenants and allies who wish to support public housing. 

• Best practices for preparing for meetings, particularly for those presenting information
• How to develop agendas that prioritize efficient use of time and decision-making
• Using consent agendas and dashboards to streamline routine updates
• Best practices for effective facilitation and how all board members can contribute to a productive meeting environment
• Strategies for setting clear next steps and follow-through expectations before the meeting closes

REGISTER HERE

• Appointment process

• Board member rights and responsibilities

• Policy development

• State oversight

• Fiduciary role

• Financial oversight

• Meeting conduct

• Chain of command

• Conflict of interest

• Relationship with local tenant organizations

REGISTER HERE

Webinar: The Nuts and Bolts of Public Housing Authorities Funding Shortfalls and How to Protect Tenants from the Fallout

Know Your Rights webinar – August 20 at 12-1pm

From MIRA Coalition

This training will cover basic Know Your Rights information, including rights in interactions with immigration enforcement, including when immigration comes to your home or stops you while driving, family preparedness, public charge, where to get legal help, and information on notario fraud and immigration scams. Register here!

To request a Know Your Rights in the Workplace for Employers and Employees training contact achavezandonie@miracoalition.org

To request a Know Your Rights and Best Practices for Service Providers training contact training@miracoalition.org

June 25 MBI Webinar on Broadband Upgrades & Support for Residents to Use the Internet

Join us for an upcoming Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI) webinar focused on how your properties—and the people who live in them—can benefit from improved and affordable internet access through the Retrofit and RANGE programs:

📅 Date: Wednesday, June 25, 2025
⏰ Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
🔗 Register Here OR click the following link to https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/zxWG2o26TT69N6OwTHGyLw

Mass Union will join as a guest speaker to share perspectives, and insights about what connectivity in community means and the meaningful impact it has for our residents.

What You’ll Learn:
How MBI’s Retrofit Program can bring fully funded infrastructure upgrades to your buildings to deliver fast, reliable internet service.
How the RANGE Program provides grant support for housing operators to assist residents with digital adoption—including devices, digital skills training, and on-site Wi-Fi.

Why improved service and affordability are essential tools to future-proof both buildings and residents in today’s digital age.

Why This Matters: There are several housing authorities not yet enrolled in these programs – Your advocacy can inform and influence your properties to enroll to access this vital utility and additional funding to benefit you and your neighbors!
In today’s world, digital access is as essential as heat or hot water. These programs make it possible to:
Connect residents to telehealth, education, jobs, social services, and community at large.
Reduce cost barriers to adoption
Support property improvements with 100% of costs paid by MBI grant funding

We hope you’ll join us on June 25 and help lead the way in building more connected, equitable communities.