LTO Election Boot Camp

Join Mass Union’s LTO Election Boot Camp!
Launch Date: June 11, 2024
Wrap Up Date: October 4, 2024

Are you starting a new Local Tenant Organization (LTO)? Does your current LTO need a new election? In either case, join us for Boot Camp! This special training and support series will walk you through all the steps necessary to hold a fair election and launch or revive a strong LTO. We’ll focus on recognition requirements as well as essential skills such as relationship-building, running meetings, and distributing flyers. Start your LTO off on the right foot by learning from other experienced tenant leaders and the Mass Union staff!

Boot Camp lasts for several months to give you time to collect nominations for your LTO’s board, give notice about the election, hold the election, adopt bylaws, and learn crucial skills. You will:

    • Attend five ninety-minute training sessions – three in June, and two in September
    • Hold two community meetings to launch the process and adopt bylaws
    • Distribute and collect nomination papers
    • Post flyers
    • Keep your Housing Authority informed and request their help as needed
    • Receive one-on-one support throughout
    • Build relationships with tenants

By October 4, the process will be complete and new LTOs will be ready to officially request recognition from your Housing Authority. See the detailed timeline below. (Note that while boot camp lasts several months, there is a lot of downtime in July and August!)

  • Kick Off Training Sessions
    June 11, 18 and 25, 1:00-2:30pm

These training sessions will review the entire election process, help you build crucial skills, and prepare you to run community meetings and conduct outreach.

  • Community Meeting I: Let’s Get Started!

With help from us, you’ll run a meeting for your community to discuss the new LTO and encourage people to run for the board. Meetings should be held by July 19 at the latest.

  • Collect Nominations for the Board

After your community meeting, you will open up a 30-day nomination period for people to nominate themselves or others. This will take place from approximately July 22 through August 22.

  • Post Election Notices

Fourteen and seven days before the election, you must post notices or distribute flyers about the election.

  • Election!

During the week of September 9, Mass Union will come to your community to run your election!

  • Training Sessions: Get Official
    September 17 and 24, 1:00-2:30pm

After your election, we will reconvene with our training cohort to celebrate and prepare for the next important step: adopting bylaws with your community. (Current LTOs can use this opportunity to update their bylaws if needed.)

  • Community Meeting II: Bylaws and Budget

As a final step, you will hold a second community meeting to adopt (or amend) your bylaws and your budget by October 4. You are then ready to request official recognition. Congrats, you’re an LTO!

 

Webinar: What the Heck is HOTMA?

HOTMA, a federal housing program, stands for the Housing Opportunities & Modernization Act. In 2024, the program underwent significant changes that may affect how federal tenants’ rent and income are calculated.

Join Mass Union and Mac McCreight from Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS) on April 25 to learn more about HOTMA, including opportunities to influence how your housing agency responds. Webinar details are as follows:

Date: Thursday, April 25
Time: 3:00pm – 4:00pm
Via Zoom – Link provided after you register below

Please email info@massunion.org if you would like more info.

This webinar was co-led by Maria Fernandes-Dominique of Culture Builders Cooperative LLC and Mac McCreight of Greater Boston Legal Services. It is part of our partnership with the Mel King Institute.

If you missed our HOTMA webinar but are still interested in learning more, linked here is the entire webinar recorded.

 

Coming in April: Online Resident Leader Training Series

Tuesday mornings: April 2, 9, 23, 30 and May 7
10am – 11:30am
Via Zoom (link provided after you register)
Download and Share the Flyer (PDF)

This five-part training series will help you build confidence and skills to manage a successful Local Tenant Organization (LTO). Starting and sustaining an LTO is a lot of work, but Mass Union, MKI and our network of fellow tenants are here to help! Whether you are a seasoned leader or just getting started, join us to share tips, tricks and encouragement. We’ll talk about:

      • Why to form a Local Tenant Organizations – and why not to!
      • Leadership do’s and don’ts
      • The rights and responsibilities of Local Tenant Organizations
      • How to reach and engage other tenants by overcoming fear
      • How to build power and voice to win changes at your Local Housing Authority

The official registration date has passed, but email info@massunion.com to request to register late. 

This series will be co-led by Maria Fernandes-Dominique of Culture Builders Cooperative LLC and is part of our partnership with the Mel King Institute.

March 28: North Shore Resident Leader Training Session

Mass Union is very excited to head up to Salem on March 28, 2024, for an in-person training session! All public housing residents are welcome. We will focus on the following:

    • Building power through strength in numbers (Spaghetti Power!)
    • Prioritizing issues
    • Listening skills

Whether you are trying to start an LTO or simply looking to refresh your knowledge, please join us. Here are the details:

Northshore Resident Leader Training Session
Thursday, March 28, 10am-3pm
Charter Street Development
Salem Housing Authority
27 Charter Street, Salem, 01970
Register below by March 25, 2024

    • Breakfast and lunch will be provided – please plan to arrive by 9:30
    • Stay tuned for information about parking
    • Spanish-English interpretation will be provided and Spanish speakers are enthusiastically encouraged to attend!

This training will be co-led by Maria Fernandes-Dominique of Culture Builders Cooperative LLC and is part of our partnership with the Mel King Institute.

May 19: Mass Union Board Election

OFFICER ELECTION
Nominees

At the Convention on May 19, there will be an Officer election to fill the five Officer positions: Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer, Secretary, and Assistant Treasurer. The Officer election is open only to the current members of the board. Officer nominations are posted here and were sent to affiliates in the snail mail April, along with the Director nominations.

DIRECTOR ELECTION
Nominees

The Mass Union Board of Officers and Directors has decided to hold a special election to fill four open Director seats on the board. The election will be held at the Spring Convention on May 19, 2024. Please see information about eligibility on page 6 of our bylaws.

Mass Union List of Affiliates (Eligible to Vote)

Election Rules & Procedures

As adopted by the Election/Nominating Committee, May 10, 2024, 1pm

COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Nicole Beckles, Chair and Board Member, Boston; Bret Perkins, Board Member, Quincy; Jessica Quinonez, Board Member, Springfield; Ellen Jacobson, Affiliate, Lenox; Susan Lanzikos, Affiliate, Bridgewater. Also present: Lilith Dyke and Sarah Byrnes, Mass Union staff.

ELECTION RULES

BYLAWS ARTICLE VI SECTION 4

Elections: The affiliates to the Mass Union shall elect the members of the board. At the Spring Convention, held in odd numbered years, the affiliates shall elect at least nine members and a maximum of thirteen board members. At the Spring Convention, held in even numbered years, affiliates shall elect five officers from the current membership of the Board. Officers are elected by the affiliates from current board members. If the Board has the minimum number of nine Board members, there is no need to have a special election in the even numbered years to expand the Board.”

Please note that because this is an even-numbered year, we are holding an Officer election. Only current board members can run for the Officer seats, which are Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer, Secretary, and Assistant Treasurer. The board also decided to hold a Special Election for Directors (non-officers) this year. We have six people running for four open seats.

BYLAWS ARTICLE V SECTION 6

Paragraph 1: “Each city or town from which there are affiliates present and entitled to vote at a Convention shall be entitled to cast six votes. If there are two or more affiliates from any city or town present and entitled to vote at a Convention, said city’s or town’s six votes shall be allocated equally between said affiliates. Votes may be cast as whole or as fractions thereof.”

When it is time for voting, Nicole will call through the eligible cities/towns, such as Belchertown, Boston, or Brockton. An eligible city/town is one where there is at least one paid affiliate. Each eligible city/town will allocate their six votes equally among paid affiliates. For example:

      • In a city/town with 6 paid affiliates, each gets 1 vote.
      • In a city/town with 3 paid affiliates, each gets 2 votes.
      • In a city/town with 2 paid affiliates, each gets 3 votes.
      • In a city/town with 1 paid affiliate, they get 6 votes.

Paragraph 5: “Nominations for members of the Board may be made by a Nominating Committee or from the floor of the Convention by a member of an affiliate. The Nominating Committee, if any, shall be appointed by the Chairperson of the Mass Union, shall consist of three Board Members from different communities and two members of affiliates from other communities and shall report directly to the Convention. The list of recommended candidates proposed by the Nominating Committee shall be sent to affiliates twenty-one days in advance of the Convention. The committee shall make no changes in or additions to its recommendations after they are sent to the affiliates.”

Please note that because we are sent nominations to the affiliates in advance of the Convention, we will not be able to take nomiations from the floor of the Convention.

ADDITIONAL RULES

In addition to the rules listed above from our bylaws, the Committee has created the following two rules for this election.

 1. You must be present at the Convention to run.

If extenuating circumstances arise and a candidate can no longer attend, the candidate can alert a board or staff member at Mass Union. Their circumstances will be explained to the affiliates for a vote, and the affiliates will decide whether to allow the candidate to run.

2. Candidates may distribute materials at the Convention, with three caveats:

      1. No negative statements are allowed about the other candidates.
      2. No promotion of business interests.
      3. Endorsements from present or former Mass Union staff are not allowed.

ELECTION PROCEDURE

 I. Call to Order

Chair Dave Underhill will call the meeting to order and pass facilitation to Nicole Beckles, Chair of the Election Committee.

II. Review of Election Procedure

Nicole will name and thank the Election Committee members and explain that we will be holding three rounds of voting. She’ll explain each as we get to it.

III. Uncontested Officer Election: Vice Chair, Treasurer, Secretary and Assistant Treasurer Roles

 1. MOTION TO VOTE AS A SLATE

Nicole will make the following motion and affiliates can vote yes, no or abstain.

“I am making a motion to allow the four uncontested officers to run as a slate. That means that each community will be able to vote for all four officers at once. This is a way we can save time today. Uncontested means no one is running against them. Here are the four uncontested officer races:

      • Vice Chair: Maryanne Potrzuski
      • Treasurer: Sonia Andujar
      • Secretary: Carol Robers
      • Assistant Treasurer: Danielle Connolly

“We will go through each community and you will vote yes, no or abstain on whether to save time by voting for all four of these at once as a slate. Yes means one round of voting for all four, no means we will go through each office separately.”

Allow for someone to second the motion. Then take a vote (yay, nay, or abstain) from each community.

2. VOTING

Depending upon the outcome of the vote above, Nicole will go through the offices separately or all at once. Each city/town with at least one paid affiliate will allocate their six votes for the slate or the candidate, or they can abstain. (New nominees are not permitted.)

V. DIRECTOR ELECTION

Note that Lori Manzo has withdrawn from Mass Union and is no longer a candidate.

1. CANDIDATE SPEECHES

The six candidates will be invited to sit at the front of the room, and each will be invited to make a two-minute speech.

2. VOTING

    1. The staff will list the six names on a flipchart.
    2. Nicole will call through the eligible municipalities. A municipality is a city or town, such as Belchertown, Boston, or Brockton. An eligible municipality is one where there is at least one paid affiliate. Each eligible municipality will allocate their six votes.
    3. As people are voting, staff will tally the votes on the flipchart.
    4. The top vote winner gets SEAT 1. Staff will write their name on the WINNER flipchart.
    5. The staff will list the remaining five names on a new flipchart and repeat Steps A-D until all four seats are filled.

VI. CHAIR RACE

    1. CANDIDATE SPEECHES

The two candidates will be invited to sit at the front of the room, and each will be invited to make a two-minute speech.

2. VOTING

    1. The staff will list both names on a flipchart.
    2. Nicole will call through the eligible municipalities. A municipality is a city or town, such as Belchertown, Boston, or Brockton. An eligible municipality is one where there is at least one paid affiliate. Each eligible municipality will allocate their six votes.
    3. As people are voting, staff will tally the votes on the flipchart.
    4. The top vote winner wins the Chair office. Both candidates will remain on the board.

March 8: State Budget Hearing in Gloucester

Join other tenants from Mass Union at an upcoming hearing about the FY25 State Budget!

Joint Committee on Ways & Means Hearing on the State Budget
Friday, March 8
Gloucester City Hall, 9 Dale Ave, Gloucester, MA 01930

10:00 – Tenants gather at City Hall
10:30 – Hearing begins
12:30 – Mass Union lunch at McPherson Park development (tentative)

The hearing is focused on Housing, Economic Development, and Labor and state agencies are invited to testify. It is an opportunity for Mass Union members to hear testimony from the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities. If you can not join Mass Union members in person, it may also likely be live streamed (check back for the link).

Please email Sarah Byrnes, sarah@massunion.org, to RSVP or with questions. Hope to see you there!

Mass Union applauds the Healey Administration for funding crucial programs in the Governor’s FY25 budget, specifically:

  • Increasing the operating subsidy to $112 million for public housing, a $5 million increase from last year. While more is needed, this is a very important step in the right direction.
  • The operating subsidy will also fund an increase to Tenant Participation Funds, allowing tenants to have a stronger voice in the decision-making that impacts their lives.
  • We also applaud the allocation of $50 million for capital repairs in public housing in the FY24 supplemental budget.
  • And finally, we are thrilled to see the initiation of an Access to Counsel Program for tenants facing eviction, funded at $3.5 million.

We urge the legislature to adopt or increase these funding levels to protect the Massachusetts seniors, veterans, and families who rely on our precious state public housing.

April 3: Resident Board Member Roundtable

Join Resident Board Members from across the state to share stories, challenges and accomplishments! Two experienced resident board members, Carol Roberts of Brockton and Jessica Quinonez of Northampton, will facilitate an open agenda. As said by a resident board member at a recent training, “we are all in the same boat!”

Potential discussion topics:

    • Navigating board rules and regulations
    • Working with other board members, executive directors and local tenant organizations
    • Building confidence and leadership

Resident Board Member Roundtable Training: Wednesday, April 3, 2024 from 10am-11am. 

Register here: https://www.tfaforms.com/4634263?tfa_1=PHTP%20Resident%20Board%20Member%20Roundtable&tfa_2=2024-04-03&tfa_4=&tfa_12=701Qg000009n3cJ&tfa_3=

Prior to the training, we will send you the Zoom link. If you have any questions, you can email or call me at emmac@macdc.org, 617-379-5933.

This roundtable is being offered by our partner the Mel King Institute.

March 3: Rally for Public Housing

Mass Union’s partner GBIO is planning a rally to help bring the Housing Justice Campaign across the finish line by standing over 1,700 people strong!

We look forward to standing for housing justice alongside all of you at the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center (ISBCC)! The action will start at 3pm sharp.

Address: 100 Malcolm X Blvd, Roxbury, MA 02120
Parking and transit information coming soon

Registration is now closed

February 28: Meeting Facilitation Webinar

Have you ever been frustrated during a meeting that wasn’t well planned? Ever get stuck in a meeting where nothing gets accomplished? If so, you are not alone! Luckily there is a blueprint for leading engaging, efficient and effective community meetings. Join our February Zoom webinar to learn more.

What: Facilitating Community Meetings Webinar

When: Wednesday, February 28th, 1:00pm-2:30pm on Zoom (register below)

Who: All tenants within the Mass Union network

Why: Develop your skills with tools on meeting planning, agenda setting, facilitation, achieving group cohesion, and evaluation.

This webinar will be led by Maria Fernandes-Dominique of Culture Builders Cooperative LLC and is part of our partnership with the Mel King Institute. We look forward to your participation! 

To register, email sarah@massunion.org.