Community Organizing

Organizing for Affordable Housing

Educate, Mobilize, Vote!

en Español

ORGANIZING FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING

The JPNDC is committed to mobilizing residents who are affected by the prolonged housing crisis.  Together with allies such as City Life/Vida Urbana and the Boston Tenant Coalition, we work to:

• create new opportunities for affordable housing development
• preserve existing affordable housing and prevent displacement of low- and moderate-income people
• preserve the economic diversity of our neighborhood
• slow the rise of rents and housing costs

Much of the housing that the JPNDC has developed grew out of organizing campaigns by tenants and neighbors against real estate speculators; see Nate Smith House, Forest Glen Cooperative, and Rockvale Circle Cooperative on our virtual tour. 

The housing we have built on vacant public land – Hyde Square Cooperative, Lamartine Homes, Back of the Hill homebuyer housing, Catherine Gallagher Cooperative – would not exist if hundreds of residents had not mobilized to press the City of Boston to make affordable housing development a top priority.

The Julia Martin House and other developments could not have been built without public funding such as the state Affordable Housing Trust Fund, which was created and later saved with JPNDC members at the forefront of statewide organizing.

You can be part of our current campaigns!  We need your help to pass out flyers, gather petition signatures, join a march or participate in city and state hearings.

Join the Organizing Committee, which meets monthly to discuss JPNDC projects and neighborhood issues. Our goal is to build a strong base of support in Jamaica Plain for the livelihood of low and moderate income residents through affordable housing development, community events, outreach, advocacy and education. The Organizing Committee meets on the 4th Tuesday of every month.

Contact us or call us at (617) 522-2424 ext. 279 for more information.

Resources for tenants:

City Life/Vida Urbana – Based in JP, our city’s leading tenant rights organization.

Greater Boston Legal Services – free non-criminal legal aid to low-income individuals and community-based organizations.

Boston Tenant Coalition – Leading the way for policy changes to protect tenants.

Massachusetts Legal Services Programs – information on tenants’ rights and fair housing.

Hundreds of residents turned out for community meetings and rallies following the closing of Blessed Sacrament parish, attracting widespread media coverage and convincing the Boston Archdiocese to negotiate the church's sale to the JPNDC.