Latest News

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.

Mel King Institute and Mass Union Partnership

 

 

Collaborating to enhance Resident Leadership

The Mel King Institute and Mass Union of Public Housing Tenants are excited to announce a training partnership designed to enhance residents’ leadership capacities. Since 2016, the Mel King Institute has been running the Public Housing Training Program (PHTP), providing training for tenants so that they can more meaningfully participate in the decision-making that impacts their lives. This very highly-regarded program has been a component of MKI’s larger work to provide education for professionals and community leaders in the Community Development field.

The Public Housing Training Program (PHTP) has always operated in close collaboration with its partner organizations: the Mass Union of Public Housing Tenants, MassNAHRO, DHCD (now EOHLC), Mass Law Reform, and the Mass Housing Partnership. In March of 2023 Sarah Byrnes, previously the Director of the PHTP at Mel King, transitioned to become the Executive Director at the Mass Union of Public Housing Tenants. Mass Union provides a full array of support for tenants and tenant organizations. Training is an integral part of this mission, making a stronger collaboration between Mel King and Mass Union a natural next step in the evolution of the program.

Over the next six months our two organizations will partner to produce trainings for Resident Leaders and Resident Board Members, including webinars, our online training series, and in-person events. This partnership will make use of Mass Union’s 50+ years of history supporting tenants, as well as MKI’s renowned commitment to providing excellent training. We are jointly committed to ensuring continuity in the design and delivery of the trainings in order to maximize tenants’ leadership development so that they can accomplish their goals for their communities. Please keep an eye on our websites for additional details. Thank you!

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 —

What is Spaghetti Power?

Organizing is like spaghetti. One strand alone is easy to break with one hand. But bring a whole bunch of strands together – they become unbreakable.
– Arlene Carr, Resident Leader