Mass Union Fall 2023 Convention

Sponsored by
Mass Save Logo, Savings through Energy Efficiency  

October 28, 2023
Best Western, Royal Plaza Hotel & Trade Center
181 Boston Post Road, Marlborough, MA

Registration and Continental Breakfast will begin at 8am
Programming will begin at 10am and wrap up at 5pm

Spanish Interpretation will be provided

Convention Flyer

Spanish Convention Flyer

  • Meet other tenants from across the state and celebrate Spaghetti Power!
  • Help advance our goal to improve quality of life in public housing
  • Hear from the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (formerly DHCD)
  • Participate in workshops to gain new knowledge and skills you can bring back to your community
  • Full Agenda and Workshop Options

Thank You to Our Sponsors!

Gold Sponsor

Bronze Sponsor Resident Patrons
Sending 10+ Residents

Resident Sustainers
Sending 5+ Residents

Resident Sponsors
Sending 2+ Residents

Attleboro Housing Authority
Cambridge Housing Authority
Easthampton Housing Authority
Northampton Housing Authority
Watertown Housing Authority

Online Training Series: Sustaining a Strong Local Tenant Organization

  • For public housing residents
  • Choose between the Tuesday Morning or Wednesday Evening series (see below)
  • Via Zoom

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

Please note that you can attend either the morning or evening series. The content will be the same.

Please contact Lisa Copeland to register at lisa@massunion.org.

These training series are being offered as part of our partnership with the Mel King Institute. Read more here.

September 29: Group Dynamics Training

Friday, September 29, 9:30am – 4:30pm
Lawrence Community Works, 4 Union Street 1st Floor, Lawrence MA
Lunch and refreshments included

This training is being offered by the Mel King Institute and is free for public housing residents! To register, contact Amanda Kahan at amandak@macdc.org.

Teamwork is vital in the contemporary workplace.  Even with the help of modern technology, soft skills of human communication are essential glue that gets the job done – especially when settings are rich with diversity and require high levels of interaction. The “Group Styles” framework provides a simple, powerful lens for reading group dynamics and individual behavior.  Most importantly, it offers practical ways to understand and adapt ones own behavior in order to help groups succeed. In the training, everyone will identify their own dominant Style through a group process.  We will explore ways we have learned these behavioral habits.  Then, building on understanding of everyone’s strengths, we will then all see how we can adapt our behavior in order to improve teamwork overall. Lunch and refreshments included.

Read more about our partnership with the Mel King Institute here.

October 19: Webinar: How to Start a Local Tenant Organization

Thursday, October 19, 10am – 11am
Via Zoom

Many residents want to have a voice in the management of their Housing Authorities. The good news is that they can! The most effective way to have your voice heard is to start a Local Tenant Organization. This may seem overwhelming, but we are here to help! Hundreds of tenants have already done this successfully. Join us to learn the fundamentals about starting a Local Tenant Organization.

This webinar is for residents of public housing only, and is offered through our partnership with the Mel King Institute.

To register, email Lisa@MassUnion.org.

November 8: Conflict Resolution Training

Wednesday, November 8, 10:00am – 12:00pm
Via Zoom – Link will be sent after you register

This training is being offered by the Mel King Institute and is free for public housing residents! To register, contact Amanda Kahan at amandak@macdc.org.

This workshop geared for community residents focuses on improving conflict skills and how to communicate effectively in difficult situations. You’ll build community by having a shared language with which to deal with conflict challenges. We train by combining presentations with experiential learning – you’ll have fun! We’ve found that those skills related to effective conflict management are best learned by practice.

Read more about our partnership with the Mel King Institute here.

August 17: LTO Support Session in Quincy

Mass Union is very excited to head down to Quincy on August 17, 2023, for a Local Tenant Organization (LTO) Support Session! All public housing residents are welcome. We will focus on the following:

  • Building power through strength in numbers (Spaghetti Power!)
  • LTO bylaws
  • 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:

LTO Support Session
Thursday, August 17, 10am-3pm
Quincy Housing Authority
80 Clay Street, Quincy, 02170

Breakfast and lunch will be provided – please plan to arrive by 9:30
Stay tuned for information about parking
Cantonese-English Interpretation will be provided

 — Registration is now closed — 

August 10 Zoom Roundtable: Stewardship & Success in Public Housing LTOs

SCROLL DOWN TO REGISTER. Contact us for support at 617.825.9750.

Thursday, August 10, 10am-11am
Zoom information will be provided after you register

Join Mass Union on August 10 to share your Stewardship and Success Stories! While there are many challenges for Local Tenant Organizations in public housing, there has also been a lot of success and stewardship. Residents live on the property 24/7 and often take important steps to care for the buildings and the community. Residents:

When residents work together, they can accomplish all this and more. LTOs have won:

  • Better maintenance and sanitation
  • New kitchens and bathrooms
  • Respectful treatment
  • And more!

Join us to lift up and celebrate these and other successes!

— Registration is now closed —

June 26: Rally for Housing Justice!

Who: 800 – 1,000 people! Tenants and our allies from GBIO and other groups
What: Rally for Housing Justice
Where: Temple Israel in Boston
When: June 26, 7pm
Why: To raise our voices in support of capital funds for public housing

Free parking, handicapped accessibility, and ample seating will be provided. Food trucks will likely be available and music and celebration will begin at 6pm. Join us then before the formal action begins at 7!

More information coming soon! Contact Lisa Copeland with questions about transportation or other matters (lisa@massunion.org, 617.825.9750).