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THREE.UM, THANK YOU GUYS FOR JOINING US.
IT'S BEEN A HOT MINUTE AND WE'VE BEEN BACK AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE TWO SESSIONS THIS MONTH, SO HOPEFULLY YOU GUYS ARE EXCITED FOR THAT.
UM, WE'VE GOT A LOT TO COVER TODAY.
SO BEFORE WE GET STARTED, UH, WE ARE GONNA GO THROUGH THE MEETING MINUTES.
UH, UNLESS THERE'S A MOTION LIKE WE'VE DONE TO AMEND THE MINUTES, WE'LL JUST GO AHEAD AND I THE MOTION TO, UH, ADOPT NEXT SECOND, UM,
ACTUALLY, YEAH, WE HAVE KATHLEEN ONLINE, SO WE'RE GONNA DO ROLL CALL.
YOU SHOULD ABSENT CHRIS COTER.
ABSENT, UH, UH, KATHLEEN EVANS HERE.
UH, WE'RE, WE'RE TAKING VOTE ON THE MINUTES.
UH, C DALE GADSON, I THINK IS NOT HERE YET.
WHAT? WE'RE TAKING VOTE ON THE MINUTES.
WHAT WOULD YOU WANT ME TO DO WITH IT? SAY YES.
SORRY, JUST WE, SORRY, I'M DOING ENGLISH.
JEAN HANNON, UH, THE ABSENT CHRIS HARBERT.
CAN YOU, CAN YOU HEAR US THE MINUTES? OOPS.
CHRIS HARBERT, I THINK IS NOT HERE.
BUT CONNOR IS HERE IN IS STEAD TODAY.
SAME CASSANDRA ROBINSON APPROVE.
THAT IS 12 MEMBERS VOTING YES.
I'LL PASS IT OFF TO SABRINA WHEELERS.
UH, UM, REMIND US OF TASK FORCE, PURPOSE AND GROUP AGREEMENTS, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT, UH, THIS MEETING.
SO I'LL JUST READ THE TASK FORCE, UH, PURPOSE AT LEAST.
THE PURPOSE IS TO DEVELOP A CLEAR, ACTIONABLE FRAMEWORK FOR ADVANCING A SOCIAL HOUSING MODEL IN CAMBRIDGE BY ASSESSING OPERATIONAL NEEDS, FINANCIAL, FEASIBILITY, GOVERNANCE STRUCTURES, AND ALIGNMENT WITH THE CITY'S HOUSING GOALS.
AND IN TERMS OF AGREEMENTS, YOU KNOW, ONE MIC, ONE PERSONS ONE, SPEAK AT A TIME, THE ATTENTION, HOW MUCH YOU ARE SPEAKING.
IF YOU FIND YOURSELF SPEAKING A LOT, TRY TO STEP BACK.
IF YOU'RE NOT SPEAKING, TRY TO SPEAK MORE.
WE'RE ALL BRINGING DIFFERENT, UH, EXPERIENCE IN TERMS OF TECHNICAL, HISTORICAL LIVE KNOWLEDGE, AND TRY TO LEAD WITH CURIOSITY AND ASSUME WITH BEST INTENT FOR EVERYBODY ON THE, UH, TASK FORCE.
UH, WITH THAT, WE ARE GONNA GO OVER TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
UM, WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT BOTH VIA ZOOM AND IN PERSON.
UH, IF YOU'D LIKE TO GIVE PUBLIC COMMENT, COULD YOU RAISE YOUR HAND IN PERSON? AND IF YOU'RE ON THE ZOOM, CLICK THE RAISE AND FEATURE AND WE WILL SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE WE HAVE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN GIVING PUBLIC COMMENT.
DON'T SEE ANYONE IN PERSON, UM, ON THE ZOOM.
AND DOES SOMEONE HAVE ACCESS? MR. CHAIR? WE HAVE ONE PERSON WHO HAS IDENTIFIED AS WISHING TO GIVE PUBLIC COMMENT.
WE DON'T HAVE THE SETUP THAT WE DO THINK, UH, IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER, SO I JUST HAVE IT ON MY PHONE.
MAYBE WE HAVE IT ON THE BACK END THERE.
ADAM, COULD YOU READ THE, THE ROLE OF WHO SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT? YES.
UM, RICH LEVY, UM, YOU CAN UNMUTE YOURSELF AND ABLE TO SPEAK.
IS THERE ANY WAY THAT YOU CAN INCREASE THE VOLUME? IT'S VERY HARD TO HEAR YOU.
HI, IT'S, UM, MY NAME IS CAROLYN MAGID.
UM, IT'S MY PARTNER'S ZOOM, UM, THAT I, THAT'S WHY YOU HAVE THE NAME.
I'M A MEMBER OF THE CHJC SOCIAL HOUSING, UM, WORKING GROUP.
UM, I WANNA THANK THE TASK FORCE FOR ITS WORK.
I'M VERY GLAD TODAY IS THE BEGINNING OF AN INVESTIGATION INTO POSSIBLE FORMS OF TENANT GOVERNANCE FOR CAMBRIDGE'S SOCIAL HOUSING PILOT PROJECT.
I HOPE YOU ARE ALL IN AGREEMENT THAT TENANT GOVERNANCE IS ESSENTIAL FOR SOCIAL HOUSING CREATED IN CAMBRIDGE.
I WANNA EXPRESS MY STRONG SUPPORT FOR WHAT THE SLIDESHOW CALLS SELF-MANAGEMENT.
HERE ARE A FEW SUGGESTIONS THAT EMERGED FROM COMMUNITY SESSIONS WITH TENANTS ORGANIZED BY CHJC.
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THE TENANTS WIDELY AGREED THE TENANT COUNCIL SHOULD HAVE THE POWER TO HIRE FIRE AND OVERSEE MANAGEMENT COMPANIES.PEOPLE RECOGNIZE THIS WOULD REQUIRE THAT TENANT COUNCIL SHOULD HAVE ROBUST SKILLS TRAINING AND DEDICATED SUPPORT.
FOR EXAMPLE, AN INDEPENDENT BUDGET AND PAID ORGANIZER EMPLOYED BY THE COUNCIL OR THE CITY.
CHJC ITSELF IS ALSO DISCUSSING HAVING THE COMMUNITY HAVE A ROLE IN MANAGEMENT SELECTION ALONG WITH TENANTS ALONG THE LINES ADOPTED BY COMMUNITY LAND TRUSTS IN MANY PLACES.
I KNOW YOU WERE JUST AT THE START OF AN INVESTIGATION AND TENANT GOVERNANCE, BUT I HOPE YOU'LL KEEP THESE IDEAS IN PLAY AS YOU MOVE FORWARD AND THAT YOU'LL CONTINUE TO SOLICIT FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY ON THIS TOPIC.
DO WE HAVE ANYONE ELSE? UH, WOULD LIKE TO GO FURTHER COMMENT, MR. CHAIR.
THAT IS EVERYBODY WHO HAS RAISED THEIR HAND IN THE ZOOM, AND I'M NOT SEEING ANYBODY ELSE WHO HAS RAISED THEIR HAND.
UM, I WILL PASS IT OVER TO, UH, COACH RA FOR THE PRESENTATION TODAY.
OKAY, SO WE ARE JOINED ONCE AGAIN, UM, BY OUR PARTNERS AT THE HOUSING SOLUTIONS LAB.
SO WE HAVE CLAUDIA AIKEN AND JOSH KUSHNER WHO HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING DIFFERENT RESIDENT TENANT GOVERNANCE MODELS AND HAVE A NUMBER OF CASE STUDIES TO SHARE WITH US.
AND THEN WE'LL HAVE A COUPLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR DISCUSSIONS DURING THOSE AS WELL.
SO I WILL HAND IT OFF TO CLAUDIA.
CAN EVERYONE HEAR ME OKAY? YES.
WELL, WE'RE EXCITED TO BE BACK TO SHARE SOME CONTEXT FOR YOUR DISCUSSION TODAY AROUND RESIDENT GOVERNANCE MODELS.
UH, BEFORE WE GET STARTED, I DO WANNA INTRODUCE JOSH, WHO'S A GRADUATE FELLOW HERE AT THE FURMAN CENTER AND AT THE HOUSING SOLUTIONS LAB.
HE IS SPENT REALLY THE LAST MONTH IMMERSING HIMSELF IN ALL THINGS RESIDENT GOVERNANCE RELATED.
SO I'M, I'M SO GRATEFUL TO HAVE HIM AS PART OF THIS PROJECT.
AND WE'RE GONNA BE KIND OF TAG TEAMING A LITTLE BIT AS WE PRESENT AND ALSO FACILITATE SOME DISCUSSION ALONG THE WAY.
AS USUAL, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE LIMITED TIME TOGETHER TO UNPACK A COMPLEX TOPIC, UM, BUT WE'D BE EXCITED TO DIG DEEPER OR FOLLOW UP ON ANY OF THE PIECES THAT KIND OF ARE SURFACED TODAY AND THAT THE TASK FORCE IS INTERESTED IN EXPLORING FURTHER.
ALRIGHT, SO FOR THE NEXT HOUR AND CHANGE, WE'RE GONNA TOGGLE BACK AND FORTH A BIT BETWEEN PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION.
JEN IS GONNA BE OUR EYES AND EARS IN THE ROOM, UM, AND KINDLY MAKE SURE THAT WE HEAR THINGS CORRECTLY AND SEE HANDS GOING UP.
SO FIRST, JOSH WILL GIVE KIND OF A PRIMER ON WHAT RESIDENT GOVERNANCE IS AND A FRAMEWORK FOR HOW WE CAN THINK OF DIFFERENT FORMS OF RESIDENT GOVERNANCE.
THEN HE'LL GO INTO MORE DETAIL ON SEVERAL DIFFERENT CASE STUDIES.
AND FROM THERE WE WILL HAVE A LITTLE TIME TO DISCUSS YOUR REACTIONS TO THOSE CASE STUDIES.
AND THEN I'LL JUMP IN AND TALK A BIT ABOUT WHETHER WE'RE SEEING RESIDENT GOVERNANCE BE INCORPORATED INTO OTHER MODELS OF PUBLIC DEVELOPMENT ACROSS THE US AND KIND OF WHY OR WHY NOT, AND ALSO SOME KEY OFFS TO CONSIDER.
WE'LL THEN FINISH UP WITH ANOTHER OPEN DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW YOU ALL COULD INCORPORATE SOME OF THIS INTO YOUR OWN FRAMEWORK FOR RESIDENT GOVERNANCE AS PART OF SOCIAL HOUSING.
UM, SO AT THIS POINT I'LL PASS IT OVER TO YOU, JOSH.
GREAT, THANK YOU SO MUCH, CLAUDIA FOR THAT INTRODUCTION.
AS CLAUDIA MENTIONED, MY NAME IS JOSH KIRSCHNER.
I AM A POLICY AND COMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH ASSISTANT AT THE HOUSING SOLUTIONS LAB AT THE FURMAN CENTER.
AND I'M ALSO PURSUING MY MASTER'S OF URBAN PLANNING AT NYU WAGNER.
I'M ALSO A FORMER RESIDENT OF CAMBRIDGE, SO REALLY EXCITED TO BE WITH YOU ALL YEAR TODAY, TALKING ABOUT HOUSING.
I USED TO LIVE INMAN SQUARE, SO THIS IS TOPICAL TOP OF MIND FOR ME.
UM, AS CLAUDIA MENTIONED, I'M GONNA PRO PROVIDE A BIT OF A PRIMER ABOUT WHAT IS RESIDENT GOVERNANCE, HOW WE CAN UNDERSTAND IT, PROVIDE A LITTLE CONCEPTUAL OVERVIEW FOR HOW WE CAN UNDERSTAND AND CATEGORIZE DIFFERENT METHODOLOGIES, UM, AND THEN GO INTO THOSE CASE STUDIES AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT.
UM, SO TO START OFF, IF WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, I WANNA TALK ABOUT DEFINING RESIDENT GOVERNANCE.
AND BEFORE I DO THAT, I JUST WANT TO HAVE A QUICK DISCLAIMER.
UM, I KNOW THAT IN PREVIOUS CONVERSATIONS, THE TASK FORCE HAS TALKED PRIMARILY ABOUT TENANT GOVERNANCE.
SO WHY NOW AM I TALKING ABOUT RESIDENT GOVERNANCE? UM, AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT MOST, FOR MOST OF THE CASE STUDIES THAT WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT AND THE STRATEGIES THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, THEY INVOLVE, INVOLVE, THEY INVOLVE RENTERS AND TENANTS KIND OF INTERFACING WITH MANAGEMENT AND THEIR
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LANDLORDS.AND SO THOSE WILL BE INSTANCES OF TENANT GOVERNANCE.
BUT THERE ARE ALSO EXAMPLES IN WHICH THE INDIVIDUALS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ARE HOMEOWNERS OR SHAREHOLDERS AS PART OF A COOPERATIVE MODEL.
AND SO WE FEEL THAT RESONANT GOVERNANCE IS A WAY TO KIND OF BROADEN THE, THE CAT BROADEN THE CATEGORY TO INCLUDE KIND OF MULTIPLE DIFFERENT TYPES OF HOUSING SITUATIONS.
UM, SO WE WANTED TO BE MINDFUL OF THAT AND YOU'LL SEE THROUGHOUT THIS PRESENTATION WE MIGHT USE THEM AT, AT TIMES INTERCHANGEABLY GIVEN THE CONTEXT.
SO WHAT IS RESIDENT GOVERNANCE, IF YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE? YEAH.
SO, UM, IN THE RESEARCH THAT WE'VE DONE SO FAR, IT SEEMS THAT THIS CONCEPT OF RESONANT GOVERNANCE IS EVOLVING AND THE WORKING DEFINITION VARIES DRAMATICALLY FROM CONTEXT TO CONTEXT.
UM, AND MANY PEOPLE ARE STILL TRYING TO FORMULATE THAT.
BUT WE WANTED TO PULL FROM THIS ONE PAPER FROM 2021 THAT WE REALLY, REALLY STUCK WITH US, UM, WHERE RESIDENT GOVERNANCE OR TENANT GOVERNANCE IS TENANTS TAKING PART IN DECISION MAKING PROCESSES AND INFLUENCING DECISIONS ABOUT HOUSING POLICIES, HOUSE CONDITIONS, AND HOUSING AND RELATED SERVICES.
IT'S A TWO-WAY PROCESS, WHICH INVOLVES THE SHARING OF INFORMATION, IDEAS AND POWER.
AND SO THE IDEA BEHIND THIS IS THAT RESIDENTS ARE INVOLVED IN THE PROCESSES ABOUT MAKING INFORMED DECISIONS ABOUT WHAT GOES ON IN THEIR HOUSING, UM, AS WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THAT METHODOLOGY.
AND THOSE TACTICS CAN VARY DRAMATICALLY ABOUT HOW THEY INVOLVE THE TENANTS.
UM, THEY ALSO CAN VARY AT DIFFERENT INSTITUTIONAL LEVELS.
SO RESIDENTS CAN BE INVOLVED OVER CERTAIN TOPIC AREAS.
THEY CAN BE INVOLVED FOR THEIR BUILDING AS A WHOLE, OR THEY CAN BE INVOLVED FOR WHOLE DEVELOPMENT OR THE WHOLE MANAGEMENT OF A SOCIAL HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.
UM, CAN, AND IF WE CAN MOVE ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO AS I SAID, THOSE METHODOLOGIES CAN VARY VERY BROADLY.
SO TO HELP KIND OF CATEGORIZE THAT AND CREATE SOME ORGANIZATION, UH, WE BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF STRATEGIES THAT CAN BE EMPLOYED FOR RESIDENT GOVERNANCE.
ONE IS COOPERATION, AND THESE ARE STRATEGIES IN WHICH RESIDENTS PARTICIPATE IN DECISION MAKING PROCESSES, BUT THEIR POWER OVER FINAL DECISIONS IS LIMITED, RATHER OWNERS CONTROL MOST DECISIONS, BUT WITH CONSULTATION FROM TENANTS.
AND ON THE OTHER HAND, WE HAVE CONTROL METHODOLOGIES, AND THOSE ARE GOVERNANCE STRATEGIES IN WHICH TENANTS HAVE POWER TO INFLUENCE AND OR MAKE DECISIONS REGARDING THE MANAGEMENT OF THEIR HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.
SO THE KEY PART OF THAT IS THAT THEY HAVE POWER OVER DECISIONS THERE, AS WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT IN A LITTLE BIT.
THOSE ALSO BREAK DOWN INTO FURTHER SUBCATEGORIES OF WHAT THOSE STRATEGIES LOOK LIKE WITHIN COOPERATION AND CONTROL.
BUT THE IMPORTANT THING TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS SLIDE AS WELL IS THAT AS WE MOVE FROM SUBCATEGORY, SUBCATEGORY AND FROM COOPERATION TO CONTROL TENANT POWER OVER DECISION MAKING PROCESSES INCREASES.
SO WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
WE'RE GONNA BREAK DOWN, BREAK THIS DOWN A LITTLE BIT.
UM, SO FIRST OFF, WE'RE GONNA, YEAH, THIS IS PERFECT.
WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THOSE TWO SUBCATEGORIES OF COOPERATION.
UM, FIRST OFF, WE HAVE PARTICIPATION STRATEGIES, AND THOSE ARE GOVERNANCE STRATEGIES THAT PROVIDE TENANTS WITH CHANNELS TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK, SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCE AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND SO WE CAN THINK ABOUT THESE AS SURVEYS SENT OUT TO TENANTS AND RESIDENTS, FOCUS GROUPS OVER CERTAIN ISSUES OR REGULAR COMMUNITY MEETINGS TO SOLICIT FEEDBACK.
ON THE OTHER HAND, WE HAVE PART PARTNERSHIP, AND THESE ARE GOVERNANCE STRATEGIES IN WHICH TENANTS FORMALLY WORK IN ADVISORY OR COLLABORATIVE ROLES TO HELP INFLUENCE AND INFORM DEVELOPERS OR MANAGEMENT BEFORE THEY MAKE DECISIONS.
AND SO A COUPLE EXAMPLES HERE WE CAN THINK ABOUT.
UM, SOMETIMES MANAGEMENT BOARDS WILL RESERVE SEATS ON THE BOARD FOR TENANT REPRESENTATIVES TO VOICE THEIR OPINIONS AND DECISION MAKING PROCESSES.
UM, YOU CAN START YOUR OWN INDEPENDENT SCRUTINY PANEL THAT CAN OFFER EVALUATION RECOMMENDATION OVER CERTAIN ISSUES OR HAVE BROADER ADVISORY COMMITTEES.
AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER FOR BOTH THESE CATEGOR, BOTH THESE SUBCATEGORIES RESIDENTS ARE INVOLVED IN DECISION MAKING PROCESSES AND PROVIDE INFORMATION MOSTLY THROUGH FEEDBACK AND ADVISORY ROLES, BUT THEIR CONTROL OVER THE FINAL DECISION IS FAIRLY LIMITED.
IF YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, ON THE OTHER HAND, WE CAN THINK ABOUT THE SUBCATEGORIES FOR THAT CONTROL SECTION I TALKED ABOUT.
SO THERE'S TWO TYPES, AGAIN, THERE'S NEGOTIATION.
NEGOTIATION ARE GOVERNANCE STRATEGIES IN WHICH INDEPENDENT SELF-GOVERNED RESIDENT ORGANIZATIONS LEVERAGE THEIR POWER TO INFLUENCE DECISION MAKING PROCESSES ON BEHALF OF ALL RESIDENTS.
AND SO WE CAN THINK ABOUT THAT IN TERMS OF TRADITION, TRADITIONAL TENANT UNIONS OR TENANT ASSOCIATIONS THAT USE KIND OF COLLECTIVE LEVERAGE TO NEGOTIATE WITH MANAGEMENT OVER THE NEEDS OF RESIDENTS.
AND FINALLY, WE HAVE THAT SELF-MANAGEMENT CATEGORY THAT YOU'VE HEARD A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, AND THOSE ARE GOVERNANCE STRATEGIES THAT GIVE RESIDENTS PARTIAL OR COMPLETE CONTROL OVER SOME OR ALL BUILDING OPERATIONS AND OR LONG-TERM PLANNING.
AND SO THAT'S A PRETTY WIDE CATEGORY.
UM, AND EXAMPLES RANGE FROM PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING.
SO GIVING TENANTS, UM, TENANTS OR RESIDENTS A SHARE OF THE OVERALL BUDGET TO USE FOR THEIR DISCRETION, FOR THEIR DECISIONS.
UM, CREATING A TENANT MANAGEMENT CORPORATION, SO THAT ENTITY THAT IS DOING
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THE MANAGEMENT IS RUN BY TENANTS OR LOOKING INTO COOPERATIVE MODELS SUCH AS LIKE A LIMITED EQUITY COOPERATIVE MODEL.UM, SO, SO IN CONTRAST TO THE, TO THE COOPERATION CONTROL MODELS ARE VERY MUCH FOCUSED ON MAKING SURE TENANTS ARE DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THESE DECISION MAKING PROCESSES.
SO I'VE THROWN A LOT OF CONCEPTUAL INFORMATION AT ALL OF YOU, UM, AND THERE'S A LOT OF BIG CONCEPTS AND JUST LIKE LONG DEFINITIONS.
SO I WANTED TO SWITCH GEARS AT THIS POINT TO START DIVING INTO SOME OF THOSE CASE STUDIES.
AND THE HOPE IS THAT THESE CASE STUDIES ARE GONNA HELP TO CONTEXTUALIZE SOME OF THESE, THESE CONCEPTUAL IDEAS AND KIND OF HELP US TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE CAN OPERATIONALIZE THEM.
SO IF WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
THE FIRST CASE STUDY I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS ONE THAT RELATES TO A PARTICIPATION STYLE.
UM, AND I WANNA FOCUS SPECIFICALLY ON A METHOD EMPLOYED BY THE TORONTO COMMUNITY HOUSING CORPORATION, WHICH IS THE SOCIAL HOUSING AUTHORITY IN TORONTO THAT HOUSES OVER 94,000 RESIDENTS ACROSS THE CITY.
AND SO ONE THING THAT THE TCHC DOES IS THAT THEY RUN THESE BIANNUAL SURVEYS THAT SOLICIT FEEDBACK FROM RESIDENTS ACROSS A VARIETY OF METRICS.
AND SO EVERY TWO YEARS THEY SEND OUT THESE SURVEYS TO RESIDENTS IN THE, IN THEIR, IN THEIR UNITS, AND THEY ASK THEM THEIR OPINIONS ON TCHE SERVICE OFFERINGS, THEIR RESPONSIVENESS TO TENTATIVE NEEDS, THEIR ABILITY TO MANAGE REPAIRS, UH, AND JUST GET A SENSE OF OVERALL TENANT SENTIMENT, HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT LIVING IN THESE SPACES.
UM, AND THAT PROVIDES REALLY HELPFUL INFORMATION FOR TCHC FOR PLANNING PURPOSES.
FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE 2025 SURVEY, ONLY 44% OF RESIDENTS FELT SATISFIED WITH THE LEVEL OF SAFETY IN THEIR BUILDINGS.
AND SO THESE RESPONSES PROVIDE HELPFUL INFORMATION FOR TCHC TO IDENTIFY THEIR SUCCESSES, SEE AND IDENTIFY AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT, AND THEN DIRECT RESOURCES TO KIND OF AID IN FINDING NEW SOLUTIONS.
SO IF YOU MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO THERE ARE SOME GREAT BENEFITS TO A, A TENANT, UH, TENANT SATISFACTION SURVEY OR TO THIS KIND OF PARTICIPATION MODEL.
ONE IS THAT THE BARRIER TO ENTRY IS MUCH IS PRETTY LOW.
SO THERE'S A LIMITED BURDEN ON RESIDENTS TO GET INVOLVED.
FILLING OUT A SURVEY IS COMPARATIVELY LESS ARDUOUS THAN SOME OF THE OTHER, UM, METHODOLOGIES I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT.
AND IF IT HAPPENS TWICE, UM, ONCE OVER THE YEAR, IT'S PRETTY, IT'S A SMALL BURDEN TO BE PLACED ON RESIDENTS.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, IF YOU'RE DOING A SURVEY AND YOU'RE CREATING THESE QUANTITATIVE METRICS, YOU'RE UM, YOU'RE, YOU'RE ABLE TO TRACK PROGRESS OVER TIME, SEE WHERE ISSUES ARE BEING RESOLVED, WHAT'S A PERSISTENT ISSUE, AND IDENTIFY NEW PROBLEMS OVER TIME.
AND THIS ALSO HELPS YOU TO BREAK DOWN, BREAK DOWN THIS INFORMATION ACROSS D DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHIC GROUPS.
AND SO YOU CAN HAVE A KIND OF AN EQUITY LENS, UM, AS YOU'RE DOING THIS RESEARCH.
UM, IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT THROUGH THESE FORMAL REVIEW PROCESSES, YOU'RE BUILDING A RELATIONSHIP AND TRUST BETWEEN RESIDENTS AND MANAGEMENT THROUGH THESE REGULAR, THESE REGULAR SURVEYS.
TENANTS CAN FEEL THAT THEY ARE, THEY HAVE CHANNELS TO TALK TO MANAGEMENT ABOUT GRIEVANCES THEY HAVE, AND MANAGEMENT FEELS THAT THEY HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO DEMONSTRATE THAT THEY WANT TO IMPROVE SERVICES.
AND SO THIS CAN REALLY HELP TO START A GOOD RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THESE TWO ENTITIES.
UM, AND FINALLY, IT'S, IT'S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT SOME PEOPLE MIGHT NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE OFFERING ALL OF THEIR, THEIR TRUE EXPERIENCES, THEIR TRUE FEELINGS ABOUT THEIR SATISFACTION WITH THEIR LIVING SITUATION IN VERY FORMAL SETTINGS OR JUST SETTINGS WHERE THEY HAVE TO BE IDENTIFIED.
AND SO A SURVEY CAN PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO INFORMAL OR ANONYMOUS, UM, INFORMATION GATHERING SO PEOPLE CAN BE MORE HONEST.
UM, THERE ARE SOME DRAWBACKS, THIS METHOD WE SHOULD TALK ABOUT.
FIRST OF ALL, UM, THIS IS, EVEN THOUGH IT'S, IT IS NOT THERE IS, EXCUSE ME, EVEN THOUGH THERE IS LOW BURDEN TO, TO ACCESS THESE, THESE PARTICIPATION METHODS, THERE STILL MIGHT BE SELECTION BIAS BECAUSE YOU MIGHT GET A LOW LEVEL OF RESPONSIVENESS.
UM, IN THE 2025 SURVEY THAT TCHC SENT OUT, ONLY 14% OF RESIDENTS RESPONDED.
AND SO WHEN YOU'RE ANALYZING THIS DATA, YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT WHAT SORT OF BIAS IS GONNA BE IN THE RESULTS.
UM, ARE THERE CERTAIN DEMOGRAPHIC GROUPS THAT ARE GONNA BE MORE LIKELY TO FILL OUT THIS SURVEY? ARE PEOPLE WHO FILLING OUT THIS SURVEY MORE LIKELY TO HAVE SPECIFIC GRIEVANCES THAN THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE GENERALLY SATISFIED AND DON'T REALLY FEEL THE NEED TO FILL OUT THE SURVEY? SO I THINK THESE ARE IMPORTANT THINGS TO THINK ABOUT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DATA VALIDITY.
UM, IN ADDITION, WHILE THIS IS KIND OF AN EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION AND THE MANAGEMENT COMPANY SOLICITING INFORMATION, THERE IS NO MECHANISM BY WHICH THE RESIDENTS CAN HOLD MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTABLE TO THESE RESULTS.
SO TCHC CAN IDENTIFY ISSUES THAT TENETS ARE HAVING, BUT THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY GUARANTEED OR BOUND TO MAKE DIRECT CHANGES.
AND FINALLY, UM, THE STRUCTURE OF PARTICIPATION IS SET BY MANAGEMENT.
THEY DECIDE HOW OFTEN THE SURVEY HAPPENS, WHAT TYPES OF QUESTIONS ARE ASKED, AND HOW THAT DATA IS ANALYZED FOR THEIR PURPOSES.
AND SO THIS LIMITS THE EXTENT TO WHICH RESIDENTS CAN HAVE A FULL SAY ABOUT WHAT TYPES OF INFORMATION IS ENTERING IN DECISION MAKING PROCESSES.
UM, I WANNA MOVE ON TO THE NEXT CASE STUDY.
AND SO MOVING ON, WE'RE GONNA MOVE INTO THAT SECOND SUBCATEGORY I TALKED ABOUT, WHICH IS PARTICIPATION GOVERNANCE STRATEGIES.
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RESIDENT OR TENANT SCRUTINY BOARDS.UM, AND FOR THIS EXAMPLE, WE'RE GONNA GO ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE OCEAN TO SCOTLAND, UM, AND SPECIFICALLY TO PERTH, SCOTLAND.
SO THE PERTH AND ROS COUNCIL, OR THE PKC IS THE LOCAL AUTHORITY IN PERTH, AND IT PROVIDES THE SOCIAL HOUSING FOR RESIDENTS.
UM, IN 2015, UM, PKC STARTED A TENANT SCRUTINY BOARD THAT THEY CALLED THE SERVICE USER REVIEW AND EVALUATION OR SURE.
AND THIS WAS A BOARD MADE UP OF RESIDENTS OF THE SOCIAL HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS, AND THEY WERE TASKED WITH PUTTING TOGETHER REPORTS ON DISCRETE ISSUES RELATED TO PKCS OPERATIONS.
AND SO THEIR REPORTS THAT THEY PUT OUT HAVE INCLUDED INFORMATION ABOUT REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE OF BUILDINGS, UM, PKCS LEVEL OF COMMUNICATION WITH RESIDENTS, UH, AND KIND OF THE TENANT PARTICIPATION METHODOLOGIES THAT ARE BEING USED USED THERE.
AND THE IDEA IS THAT PK IS THAT THE, THE TENANT SCRUTINY BOARD CAN BE THIS INDEPENDENT BODY OF RESIDENTS THAT CAN PUT TOGETHER FORMAL INFORMATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS THAT PKC CAN THEN USE IN THEIR STRATEGIC PLANNING.
AND WE HAVE SEEN EXAMPLES OF THIS.
UM, ONE OF THE MOST RECENT REPORT, THE SURE TEAM PUT OUT THIS REPORT ABOUT TENANT PARTICIPATION AND MADE RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT PKC WAS SOLICITING INFORMATION FROM ALL RESIDENTS, AND THESE RECOMMENDATIONS WERE DIRECTLY FOLDED INTO A FIVE-YEAR ACTION PLAN THAT PKC PUT OUT.
SO THERE IS AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT THESE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE BEING IMPLEMENTED INTO STRATEGY.
SO WE CAN MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE,
SO AGAIN, SOME CLEAR BENEFITS TO THIS.
UM, COMPARATIVELY TO PARTICIPATION PARTNERSHIP ALLOWS FOR DIRECT ACCESS AND PARTNERSHIP WITH DECISION MAKING BODIES.
THERE'S AN ONGOING CONVERSATION HAPPENING BETWEEN THE SURE TEAM AND PKC ABOUT WHAT TOPICS SHOULD BE FOCUSED ON AND HOW RECOMMENDATIONS CAN BE IMPLEMENTED.
SO IT'S MUCH MORE OF A DIRECT KIND OF INFLUENCING.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, MEMBERS OF THE, OF THE SECURITY OF SCRUTINY BOARDS, EXCUSE ME, HAVE ACCESS TO INFORMATION ABOUT BUILDING OPERATIONS AND LONG-TERM PLANNING SO THEY HAVE MORE ABILITY TO MAKE INFORMED RECOMMENDATIONS, WHICH CAN THEN BE TAKEN MORE SERIOUSLY BY MANAGEMENT.
UM, AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THROUGH THESE FORMAL PROCESSES, WE'RE DEVELOPING RELATIONSHIP WITH RESIDENT AND WITH RESIDENTS AND MANAGEMENT THAT CAN BUILD TRUST AND MAKE THINGS EASIER TO ALIGN.
AND IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE REAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT BENEFITS TO THESE TYPES OF PROGRAMS FOR RESIDENTS.
UM, BEING ON THIS BOARD REQUIRES YOU TO DO A LOT OF QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE RESEARCH TO DO INTERVIEWS WITH STAKEHOLDERS AND THEN TO SYNTHESIZE A LOT OF THIS INFORMATION INTO REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND SO THOSE ARE A WIDE VARIETY OF SKILL SETS THAT CAN BE REALLY VALUABLE FOR ANYONE WHO'S, UM, TO DEVELOP.
MOVING TO SOME OF THE DRAWBACKS, UNFORTUNATELY, UM, COMPARATIVELY TO PARTICIPATION, THIS TYPE OF, THIS TYPE OF ENGAGEMENT TAKES UP, UH, REQUIRES SIGNIFICANT TIME AND CAPACITY.
UM, SO YOU MIGHT GET LOWER RATES OF PARTICIPATION OR THOSE PARTICIPATING MIGHT BE A SELECT, UH, A SELECT GROUP OF YOUR RESIDENTS.
AND SO YOU HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT WHO'S REPRESENTING TENANTS ON THESE BOARDS.
UM, IN ADDITION, SIMILAR TO EARLIER, THERE REALLY IS NO MECHANISM, AGAIN, FOR MANAGEMENT COMPANY FOR MANAGEMENT TO APPLY WHAT THE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE.
WE HAVE SEEN INSTANCES IN WHICH PKC IS IMPLEMENTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY BOUND BY DOING THAT BOUND TO DO THAT.
AND FINALLY, AGAIN, THE STRUCTURE OF THE, OF THE, OF THE SCRUTINY BOARD IS DEFINED BY MANAGEMENT.
AND SO THAT CAN POTENTIALLY LIMIT THE SCOPE AND THE IMPACT OF THESE OF THESE BOARDS.
AND MOVING ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO I WANT TO, I WANT TO STEP AWAY FROM THE COOPERATION METHODOLOGIES THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT AND NOW MOVE INTO CONTROL ONES.
AND THE FIRST SUB SUBCATEGORY I WANNA TALK ABOUT IS NEGOTIATION.
UM, AND SO FOR THIS ONE, WE'RE GONNA COME TO NEW YORK FOR THE, THE NEW YORK CITY PARTNERS AND PRESERVATION PROGRAM.
UM, THIS IS A REALLY INTERESTING PROGRAM THAT WAS LAUNCHED IN 2018.
IT WAS PILOTED IN 2018 AND HAS GONE CITYWIDE SINCE THEN.
UH, AND THE IDEA IS THAT, UH, THE CITY GOVERNMENT IS NOW PROVIDING FINANCIAL, TECHNICAL AND LEGAL AID TO TENANTS RIGHTS ASSOCIATIONS THAT ARE WORKING TO ORGANIZE TENANT UNIONS IN INDIVIDUAL BUILDINGS.
UH, THIS INCLUDES GIVING RESOURCES TO 20 ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS FOUR OF THE FIVE NEW YORK CITY BOROUGHS, UM, SO THAT THEY CAN DO THE ON THE GROUND ORGANIZING CAMPAIGNS TO HELP ASSEMBLE UNIONS AND THEN FILL THOSE UNIONS TO WORK TOWARDS IMPROVE THEIR CONDIT THEIR LIVING CONDITIONS.
UM, SO THIS HAS LED TO THE, TO THE CREATION OF, OF OVER A HUNDRED NEW UNIONS IN TENANT UNIONS IN THE CITY.
SO A PRETTY DRAMATIC INCREASE IN ACTIVITY.
UH, AND SINCE THE LAUNCH, THIS PROGRAM HAS LED TO THE, UH, LED TO SEVERAL, SEVERAL CAMPAIGNS INCLUDING RENT STRIKES AND OTHER PRESSURE CAMPAIGNS LED BY TENANT UNIONS TO PUSH THEIR LANDLORD OR THEIR MANAGEMENT COMPANY FOR IMPROVED CONDITIONS OR FOR RENT STABILIZATION AND TO JUST LEVERAGE THEIR COLLECTIVE POWER TO ADVOCATE FOR THEMSELVES.
SO IF WE CAN MOVE THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, YEAH, SO LIKE I SAID, UM, WITH UNIONIZATION EFFORTS, GENERALLY COLLECTIVE ACTION CAN AMPLIFY, CAN AMPLIFY INDIVIDUAL CONCERNS.
SO WHEN, WHEN AN INDIVIDUAL RESIDENT GOES TO A LANDLORD AND SAYS, I, MY, MY HOT WATER ISN'T,
[00:25:01]
ISN'T WORKING, UM, THE LANDLORD MIGHT BE SLOW TO RESPOND, BUT IF YOU ARE LEVERAGING THE KIND OF COLLECTIVE POWER OF ALL RESIDENTS WHO ARE AFFILIATING A SIMILAR ISSUE, THAT APPLIES MUCH MORE PRESSURE TO THE LANDLORD TO TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION.AND SO COLLECTIVIZING THESE INDIVIDUAL CONCERNS MAKES THE CAMPAIGN MUCH, MUCH MORE POWERFUL.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, BECAUSE COMPARATIVELY, COMPARATIVELY TO THE OTHER METHODOLOGIES WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, UNION, UNION EFFORTS TAKE PLACE OUTSIDE OF MANAGEMENT STRUCTURES.
AND SO BECAUSE THAT RESIDENTS AND TENANTS HAVE MUCH MORE DIRECT CONTROL OVER THE STRUCTURE AND THE ORGANIZATION OF THEIR UNION, AND SO IT ALLOWS FOR OPPORTUNITIES FOR DEMOCRATIC REPRESENTATION, DEMOCRATIC CITIZENS OVER WHO'S RUNNING THE UNION, OVER WHAT ACTIONS THE UNION MIGHT TAKE.
AND SO THIS REALLY PLACES THE POWER INTO THE HANDS OF THE TENANTS THEMSELVES.
AND FINALLY, UM, UNIONS OFTEN BENEFIT FROM BEING PART OF LARGER SUPPORT NETWORKS.
SO THERE ARE OTHER BUILDING, UH, BUILDING UNIONS THAT, THAT TENANTS CAN RELY ON.
THERE ARE THESE LARGER TENANTS RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE BEING EMPOWERED BY NEW YORK CITY.
UM, NEW YORK CITY IS A RESOURCE TO TENANTS INCREASINGLY, AND THERE ARE A WHOLE HOST OF NONPROFITS WHO ARE ADVOCATING ON BEHALF OF TENANT UNIONS.
AND SO THERE ARE THESE NETWORKS OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT CAN SUPPORT THIS WORK.
UM, ON THE OTHER HAND, THERE, THIS UNION, UNION EFFORTS, UNION UNIONIZING EFFORTS, EXCUSE ME, UM, TAKE UP A SERIOUS AMOUNT OF TIME AND CAPACITY, BOTH IN TERMS OF PULLING TOGETHER RESIDENTS AND CREATING A BODY OF, OF RESIDENTS, AND THEN DECIDING ON CAMPAIGNS AND CARRYING OUT THOSE CAMPAIGNS TAKES A LOT OF TIME AND CAPACITY AND MIGHT NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR ALL RESIDENTS IN A BUILDING.
UM, AND SO THAT MIGHT PRESENT A PROBLEM THAT MIGHT PRESENT A PROBLEM FOR DEMOCRATIC REPRESENTATION AND FOR JUST THE ABILITY TO REACH A CRITICAL MASS.
UM, THIS NEXT POINT, IT'S IT AGAIN, BECAUSE THE RESIDENTS ARE NOT DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THE DECISION MAKING PROCESSES.
THEY DON'T, THEY NECESSARILY DON'T HAVE ANY MECHANISM TO HOLD MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTABLE, BUT IT IS THEIR ACTIONS THAT FACILITATE A PRESSURE, PRESSURE ONTO MANAGEMENT TO TAKE DIRECT ACTION.
SO IT'S, THEY DON'T HAVE NO, THEY DON'T HAVE A DIRECT ACCESS TO DOING SO, BUT THEY'RE USING THEIR COLLECTIVE POWER TO HOLD MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTABLE.
UM, AND FINALLY, THERE'S A LOT OF CONCERNS WITH THE UNIONIZING GENERALLY, THAT THERE'LL BE RETALIATION FROM MANAGEMENT.
UM, THERE ARE PROTECTIONS FROM THE CITY TO MAKE SURE THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN, BUT THERE ARE CONCERNS THAT DURING A RENT STRIKE OR DURING SOME FORM OF CAMPAIGN, UM, THE LANDLORD MIGHT RETALIATE IN SOME WAY THAT WILL BE HARMFUL.
NOW IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, I, NOW I WANNA MOVE INTO THAT FINAL SUBCATEGORY WE TALKED ABOUT, WHICH IS SELF-MANAGEMENT.
I'M GONNA BE PROVIDING TWO CASE STUDIES FOR THIS ONE BECAUSE IT IS SUCH A BROAD CATEGORY AND THERE'S SO MANY THINGS TO PULL FROM.
UH, THE FIRST I WANNA TALK ABOUT ARE, UH, LIMITED EQUITY COOPERATIVES, UM, WHICH I'LL TALK, WHICH I'LL EXPLAIN THE STRUCTURE OF IN A SECOND.
BUT THE LARGEST EXAMPLE THAT WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT IS CO-OP CITY, WHICH IS A COOPERATIVE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT IN THE BRONX THAT HAS OVER 15,000 HOUSING UNITS FOR OVER 50,000 RESIDENTS.
SO IT'S A MASSIVE COOPERATIVE, COOPERATIVE HOUSING COMPLEX.
I LIKE DROVE BY IT A COUPLE DAYS, AND IT, LIKE, IT IS, IT IS HUGE FROM ANYWHERE WHERE YOU SEE IT.
UM, AND THIS IS A LIMITED E AND THE STRUCTURE OF THE LIMITED EQUITY COOPERATIVE MEANS THAT RESIDENTS ARE NOT TENANTS.
INSTEAD THEY BUY INTO THE COOPERATIVE BY PURCHASING A SHARE OF A MANAGEMENT CORPORATION.
SO IN THIS CASE, THEY'RE BUYING SHARES INTO THE RIVER BAY CORPORATION, WHICH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF CO-OP CITY.
UM, AND BECAUSE RESIDENTS ARE SHAREHOLDERS, THEY HAVE DIRECT SAY OVER WHAT THIS MANAGEMENT COMPANY DOES.
THEY ESSENTIALLY OWN IT IN P IN PART.
UM, AND THEY'VE DONE SO SINCE, SINCE A 1975 RENT STRIKE.
THERE'S A LOT OF REALLY INTERESTING BOOKS AND LITERATURE ON THAT IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN HEARING ABOUT THAT.
IT WAS LIKE, IT LIKE WENT ON FOR YEARS.
HAPPY TO TALK ABOUT THAT AT LENGTH.
UM, BUT SO BECAUSE THAT THE RESIDENT, THE RESIDENTS HAVE DIRECT CONTROL OVER THE OPERATIONS OF RIVER BAY, OF THE RIVER BAY CORPORATION AND SPECIFICALLY, UM, THIS CORPORATION IS MANAGED BY A 15 PORT PERSON BOARD.
AND THAT BOARD IS MADE UP OF ELECTED RESIDENTS.
SO AGAIN, COMPLETE RESIDENT CONTROL THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PLACE.
AND IN ADDITION TO THIS BOARD, THERE ARE ADDITIONAL RESIDENT ADVISORY BOARDS THAT WILL PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT SPECIFIC ISSUES.
SO IT VERY MUCH IS THIS REALLY INTERESTING CASE STUDY IN KIND OF THIS RESIDENT SELF-SUSTAINING DEVELOPMENT, WHICH I THINK, WHICH YES.
UM, I JUST THINK IT'S REALLY INTERESTING.
UM, IF WE CAN MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO UNLIKE SOME OF THE OTHER METHODS WE TALKED ABOUT, AS I'VE BEEN SAYING, CO-OPS ALLOW FOR DIRECT DEMOCRATIC CONTROL OVER ALL ASPECTS OF BUILDING OPERATIONS, THE BUDGET AND THE STRATEGIC PLANNING.
UM, SO IT'S NOT AS IF YOU HAVE TO WORK THROUGH A MANAGEMENT COMPANY OR A LANDLORD.
THE RESIDENTS ARE DIRECTLY IN CONTROL.
UM, WITH CO-OPS THERE'S ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY FOR RESIDENT EQUITY DEVELOPMENT.
SO AS IF YOU'RE OWNING A HOME, THERE IS AN EQUITY ASPECT OF IT BECAUSE YOU OWN SHARES.
I'LL CAVEAT THAT BY SAYING THAT CO-OP CITY AND MANY OTHER
[00:30:01]
CO-OPS HAVE LIMITATIONS AT HOW MUCH OF AN APPRECIATION SHAREHOLDERS CAN SELL THEIR SHARES AT 'CAUSE THEY'RE TRYING TO MAINTAIN PERMANENT AFFORDABILITY FOR FUTURE RESIDENTS.UM, THERE'S ALSO BEEN A LOT OF REALLY INTERESTING STUDIES ABOUT HOW CO-OP, THE COOPERATIVE MODEL CREATES A SENSE OF CIVIC PRIDE AND A SENSE OF COMMUNITY WITH RESIDENTS THAT REALLY INCENTIVIZES THEM AND ENCOURAGES THEM TO FOCUS ON PROPER MAINTENANCE AND UPKEEP OF THE DEVELOPMENT.
AND HOW THIS IS VERY MUCH IN CONTRAST TO HOW PEOPLE FEEL WHEN THEY WERE TENANTS OF A BUILDING.
AND THEY WERE THOUGHT THAT THIS RESPONSIBILITY FELT SOLELY ON THEIR LANDLORD.
AND SO THIS, IT'S A REALLY INTERESTING SPACE WHERE PEOPLE ARE VERY INVESTED IN MAKING SURE THAT THE SPACE IS BEING PROPERLY MAINTAINED AND SUPPORTING ITS RESIDENTS.
AND FINALLY, WHETHER YOU ARE ON THESE ADVISORY BOARDS OR YOU'RE RUNNING FOR THIS 15 PERSON MANAGEMENT BOARD, THERE ARE MANY SKILLS THAT YOU CAN GET BY TAKING, TAKING PART IN THIS DIRECT DEMOCRATIC MANAGEMENT OF THE CO-OP.
WHILE CULTS ARE A VERY INTERESTING AND VERY ATTRACTIVE MODEL, THEY'RE ALSO HIGHLY COMPLEX AND FACE SEVERAL SERIOUS CHALLENGES.
UM, AGAIN, THEY REQUIRE A SERIOUS AMOUNT OF TIME AND CAPACITY FOR RESIDENTS, UM, BY, FOR PARTICIPATING IN RESIDENTS.
SO YOU MIGHT LIMIT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO CAN TAKE PART ON THESE BOARDS, EITHER THE ADVISORY ONES OR THE MANAGEMENT ONE.
UM, AS WELL, UM, CO-OPS HAVE HAD SOME DIFFICULTIES WITH REMAINING FINANCIALLY STABLE.
CO-OP CITY HAS A LONG HISTORY OF REMAINING, HAS HAD, HAS A VERY VARIABLE FINANCIAL HISTORY AS FUNNY OPPORTUNITIES AND STATE SUPPORT HAS FLUCTUATED OVER TIME.
UM, AND FINALLY THERE'S THIS UNFORTUNATE REALITY THAT THE INTENSITY, DEMOCRATIC NATURE OF CO-OPS MAKES DECISION MAKING PROCESSES SOMETIMES VERY SLOW.
UM, AND THIS CAN SOMETIMES IMPEDE IMPORTANT DECISIONS BEING MADE.
UM, OFTENTIMES CO-OPS WILL HAVE QUORUM RULES.
SO THEY REQUIRE BUY-IN FROM ALL RESIDENTS OR ALL SHAREHOLDERS OR MAJORITY OF SHAREHOLDERS BEFORE THEY CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PROJECT.
BUT THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFICULTIES WITH KIND OF COALESCING ALL RESIDENTS, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO HAVE LESS TIME OR CAPACITY ON THEIR HANDS.
UM, THERE'S ALSO A LOT OF CONCERNS ABOUT MAKING FINANCIAL DECISIONS BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO BE AWARE OF THE DIFFERENT SOCIOECONOMIC STATUSES REPRESENTED WITHIN THE RESIDENT BODY.
AND SO THEY DON'T WANNA JUMP TOO QUICKLY TO MAKING A FINANCIAL DECISION THAT COULD HARM SOME OF THEIR RESIDENTS.
UM, AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT CO-OP CITY, UNFORTUNATELY CO-OP CITY HAS BEEN MANAGED BY AN EXTERNAL MANAGEMENT COMPANY SINCE THE 1990S.
UM, THAT BOARD, THAT MANAGEMENT COMPANY IS STILL THE, THE, EXCUSE ME, THE 15, THE 15% MANAGEMENT BOARD HIRED THAT BOARD AND HAS THE ABILITY TO FIRE THAT BOARD.
UH, EXCUSE ME, LEMME START OVER.
THE 15 PERSON BOARD AT CO-OP CITY HIRED A MANAGEMENT COMPANY.
THAT MANAGEMENT COMPANY CAN BE HIRED OR FIRED WHENEVER AND IS AT THE DISCRETION OF THE CO-OP CITY BOARD TO DO SO.
SO THEY STILL HAVE CONTROL OVER THAT MANAGEMENT COMPANY, BUT THEY FELT IT WAS BETTER TO EXTERNALIZE SOME OF THE RESPONSIBILITIES.
AND THEN TO THE NEXT SLIDE AND FOR THE FINAL CASE STUDY.
I KNOW IF IN A LOT OF CASE STUDIES THAT YOU, UM, WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF SELF-MANAGEMENT AND FOR THIS WE'RE GONNA GO ALL THE WAY TO DENMARK.
UM, SO DENMARK AND DENMARK, 17 TO 20% OF RESIDENTS LIVE IN SOCIAL HOUSING.
SO IT'S A VERY INTERESTING EXAMPLE OF MIXED INCOME DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE SPRAWLING THROUGHOUT THE CITIES.
UM, AND SOCIAL HOUSING IS ORGANIZED INTO LOCALIZED DEPARTMENTS, WHICH CAN BE THOUGHT OF AS ESSENTIALLY NEIGHBORHOODS.
UM, AND IN THIS MODEL, TENANTS HAVE DIRECT CONTROL ABOUT THIS NEIGHBORHOOD LEVEL AND AT THE LARGER ORGANIZATIONAL LEVEL.
SO AT THE ADMINISTRATIVE LEVEL THAT OVERSEES ALL SOCIAL HOUSING.
SO AT THE DEPARTMENTAL LEVEL, TENANTS TAKE PART IN AN ANNUAL MEETING TO APPROVE BUDGETS, TO JUST MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT CAPITAL PLANS TO AMEND COMMUNITY RULES AND TO ELECT REPRESENTATIVES TO THEN IMPLEMENT ALL OF THESE, THESE THESE DECIDED UPON ACTIONS.
AND THEN AT THE ADMINISTRATIVE LEVEL, AT THE TOP OF THE SOCIAL HOUSING STRUCTURE, THERE IS A ORGANIZATIONAL BOARD THAT FOCUSES ON MORE LONG-TERM ISSUES OF SYSTEM SUSTAINABILITY AND LONG-TERM PLANNING.
AND A MAJORITY OF THOSE, THE MAJORITY OF THE SEATS ON THAT BOARD ARE FILLED BY DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED RESIDENTS.
SO AT BOTH THIS LOCAL LEVEL AND AT THE ADMINISTRATIVE LEVEL, RESIDENTS HAVE DIRECT CONTROL OVER WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THEIR SOCIAL HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS.
AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT DENMARK REALLY PRIDES ITSELF ON.
SO I CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO AGAIN, SOME OF THE BENEFITS IS SIMILAR TO THE CO-OP MODEL.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DIRECT DEMOCRATIC CONTROL OVER MANAGEMENT OPERATIONS OVER BUDGET, OVER STRATEGIC PLANNING AT BOTH THIS LOCAL LEVEL, WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THEIR EVERY DAY AND IN THE LONG TERM PLANNING.
SO IT OFFERS RESIDENTS THE ABILITY TO DO A LOT OF THE PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT OF THEIR SOCIAL HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS.
SECONDLY, SIMILAR TO CO-OP MODEL, DENMARK REALLY PRIDES ITSELF ON HAVING A VERY ENGAGED MEMBER OF THEIR SOCIAL, UH, AN ENGAGED PUBLIC IN THEIR SOCIAL HOUSING.
SO IT PRIDED ITSELF ON PEOPLE TAKING A COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY AND MAKING SURE THAT TENANTS FEEL INVOLVED AND GET ENGAGED IN EITHER LOCAL LEVELS OR AT THE LOCAL LEVEL OR AT THE ADMINISTRATIVE
[00:35:01]
LEVEL.AND AGAIN, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DIRECT TENANT INVOLVEMENT, EITHER ON THESE BOARDS OR ON THESE LOCAL LEVELS OR ON THEIR ORGANIZATIONAL BOARD, THERE'S MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR SKILL DEVELOPMENT FOR RESIDENTS.
AGAIN, ON THOSE DRAWBACKS SIMILAR TO THE CO-OP BEING INVOLVED TAKES UP A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME THAT MIGHT, THAT NOT ALL RESIDENTS MIGHT HAVE.
UM, AND AGAIN, WHEN YOU WERE THINKING ABOUT RESIDENT RUN DEMOCRATIC PROCESSES, THERE MIGHT BE SLOW DECISION MAKING, UM, BEING DONE.
AND IN FACT IN 2014, DENMARK UPDATED THE STRUCTURE OF THE SOCIAL HOUSING MODEL SUCH THAT THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL, UM, ADDITIONAL BOARD ABOVE THAT ORGANIZATIONAL ONE THAT I MENTIONED WHO'S NOW TASKED WITH DOING LONG-TERM STRATEGIC PLANNING.
AND THAT BOARD IS RUN BY MANAGERS AND PUBLIC OFFICIALS.
AND WHILE MANY RESIDENTS FEEL THIS TOOK AWAY A LOT OF THEIR AGENCY THERE HAS BEEN SEEN, THERE'VE BEEN A MARKED IMPROVEMENT IN THE ORGANIZATION'S ABILITY TO DO LONG-TERM FINANCIAL PLANNING.
AND SO THERE IS THIS KIND OF BACK AND FORTH ABOUT HOW MUCH POWER DO YOU WANT TO SEE, DO YOU WANNA GIVE TO THE TENANTS AND THE RESIDENTS VERSUS KIND OF TWO PROFESSIONALS TO DO THESE MORE STRATEGIC PLANS? AND THEN ONTO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO YEAH, THAT KIND OF WRAPS UP THIS SECTION ABOUT CASE STUDIES.
UM, I WANT TO PAUSE HERE AND GO PAUSE HERE BEFORE WE HEAD INTO SOME DISCUSSION TO GO OVER SOME OF THE THINGS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THUS FAR.
SO FIRST, TENANT GOVERNANCE CAN TAKE, UH, DIFFERENT FORMS THAT VARY IN THE DEGREES OF POWER THEY GIVE TO RESIDENTS VERSUS HOW MUCH THE POWER THEY GIVE TO MANAGEMENT.
SO FROM SURVEYS SENT TO TENANTS OR RESIDENTS TO DIRECT OWNERSHIP OF OF MAN DIRECT MAN DIRECT OWNERSHIP OF BUILDINGS AND MANAGEMENT OF BUILDINGS.
UM, WE ALSO SEE INSTANCES WHICH MULTIPLE, MULTIPLE GOVERNANCE STRATEGIES CAN BE USED AT ONCE AND AT DIFFERENT LEVELS OF ADMINISTRATION TO MAXIMIZE TENANT INVOLVEMENT IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
UH, AND FINALLY THERE IS, THERE HAS NOT BEEN A LOT OF CAUSAL ANALYSIS LOOKING INTO THESE MODELS AND SHOWING THE IMPACT OF RESIDENT GOVERNANCE ON MANAGERIAL OUTCOMES OR TENANT SATISFACTION.
BUT JUST FROM THE OBSERVATIONAL STUDIES AND ANECDOTAL WORK THAT WE FOUND, WE REALLY USED THAT THERE'S VALUE IN THESE STRATEGIES AND THEIR SPECIFIC CONTEXT IN HELPING TENANTS IMPROVE THEIR LIVING CONDITIONS AND JUST FEEL EMPOWERED IN THEIR WORK.
SO IF WE CAN HEAD TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, SO I'VE BEEN TALKING FOR A WHILE, UM, AND I'VE BEEN THROWING A LOT OF INFORMATION AT ALL OF YOU, SO I WANT TO TAKE THE TIME TO OPEN UP TO THE FLOOR TO GET SOME THOUGHTS.
AND BEFORE JUMPING INTO THESE QUESTIONS, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE, I WANNA SEE IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS IN THE AUDIENCE, ANYTHING THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR ME TO GO OVER.
IF NOT, I WOULD LOVE TO OPEN THIS UP TO DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT WE'VE LEARNED SO FAR.
HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER YOU, WHETHER YOU LOOKED AT ALL OR YOU COULD TALK ABOUT WHAT THE, UM, ECONOMIC DIVERSITY WAS IN THESE DIFFERENT PROJECTS.
ARE WE TALKING ABOUT MARK MARKET RATE PROJECTS? ARE WE TALKING ABOUT LOW AND MODERATE INCOME? WHAT'S THE MIX OF PEOPLE IN THESE PROJECTS IN DEVELOPMENTS? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
UM, I WOULD SAY THAT IT VARIES WITHIN EACH CONTEXT.
WE MADE SURE THAT OUR RESEARCH WAS FOCUSING ON SOCIAL HOUSING MODELS.
AND SO OFTENTIMES THAT WOULD INCLUDE EITHER MIXED INCOME HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS OR HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS THAT WERE TARGETED TOWARDS LOW, MIDDLE OR LOWER INCOME HOUSEHOLDS.
UM, BUT THE SPECIFICS ON THE MARKET RATE, THE MARKET, THE, THE RATE STRUCTURE VARIES AT TIMES.
SO GREAT TO SEE IT RELATED TO YOUR CASE STUDIES.
GREAT TO SEE THAT IN RELATIONSHIP TO YOUR CASE STUDIES.
YEAH, THAT'S INFORMATION WE CAN PULL FOR YOU.
OTHER QUESTIONS BEFORE WE JUMP INTO DISCUSSION? WHAT, UM, THANKS FOR SHARING THIS TRH.
I WAS WONDERING ON SLIDE 19, COULD YOU SHARE A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT THOSE 2014 REFORMS WERE, THE LIMITED TENANT POWER AND SORT OF DID THOSE, WERE THOSE TENANT DRIVEN REFORMS? WERE THOSE SORT OF IMPOSED ON TENANTS AND, AND SORT OF WHO WERE THE PROPONENTS OF THOSE AND AND WHY DID THEY MAKE THEM? YEAH, SO THERE ARE ACTUALLY TWO REFORMS THAT TOOK PLACE.
UM, THE ONE THAT I, UM, THE ONE THAT I MENTIONED HERE IS THIS WAS A DECISION THAT I BELIEVE CAME FROM MORE GOVERNMENTAL OFFICIALS.
AND TO MY UNDERSTANDING, UM, THERE WAS A FEELING THAT IN TERMS OF LONG-TERM STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR THE WHOLE SYSTEM OF DANISH SOCIAL HOUSING, THERE NEEDED TO BE MORE KIND OF MANAGERIAL AND MANAGERIAL OVERSIGHT OF THAT PROCESS.
AND THEY FELT THAT LEAVING IT TO A BOARD THAT WAS MAJORITY OPERATED BY RESIDENTS, EVEN THE RESIDENTS WHO WERE ELECTED BY ALL, WHO WERE ELECTED BY ALL OTHER RESIDENTS AND WERE CLEARLY INVESTED, UM, THEY FELT THAT HAVING A MORE PROFESSIONALIZED BOARD WOULD BE MORE EFFICIENT AND HAVE BETTER OUTCOMES FOR THE
[00:40:01]
SUSTAINABILITY OF THE SYSTEM.IS THERE ANOTHER CLARIFYING QUESTION BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO THE DISCUSSION? DEAN HAS A QUESTION ON ZOOM.
IT IT'S SORT OF AN OUTLIER, UM, NO SURPRISE.
UM, IN THE UNITED STATES, WHAT PERCENT OF THE POPULATION LIVES IN SUBSIDIZED HOUSING AS COMPARED TO DENMARK? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
UM, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK I HAVE THAT SPECIFIC NUMBER OR IN FRONT OF ME RIGHT NOW.
IF SOMEONE DOES, THAT WOULD BE AMAZING.
UM, AND TO CLARIFY, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT IN THE DANISH MODEL IT'S NECESSARILY, I, I WANNA BE CAREFUL ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THIS, THE MODEL IN DENMARK IS NECESSARILY SUBSIDIZED HOUSING.
I HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK IBEL UH, LOOK AT HOW THE RATES ARE STRUCTURED.
UM, BUT I THINK IN TERMS OF LIKE PUBLIC HOUSING, I THINK IT'S IN THE US THERE ARE MUCH MANY AS A SHARED POPULATION, IT'S A MUCH SMALLER PERCENTAGE OF HOUSING IN THE US COMPARATIVELY TO IN DENMARK.
GREAT QUESTION TO THE PREVIOUS QUESTION ABOUT THE DANISH REFORMS. THERE'S A GREAT PAPER, UM, BY, I THINK IT'S JOHANNA ALIUS AND RIKA NIELSEN WHO WE ACTUALLY GOT TO TALK TO ACROSS TIME ZONES.
UM, AND I CAN SHARE THAT AROUND 'CAUSE IT HAS A LOT MORE DETAIL ABOUT, ABOUT THOSE REFORMS AND HOW THEY MIGHT HAVE CHANGED THE RESIDENT GOVERNANCE, UH, STRUCTURE IN DENMARK.
AND I KNOW THAT PAPER THAT CLAUDIA IS REFERRING TO ALSO HAS LIKE, THEY SPOKE TO TENANTS, TO TENANTS AND MANAGERS IN RESPONSE TO GET BOTH OF THEIR BOTH SIDES OF THE OPINIONS.
SO IT'S HELPFUL TO GIVE THAT WHOLE CONTEXT.
UM, I'D HAPPY, I'M HAPPY TO OPEN THE FLOOR UP TO DISCUSSION.
UM, AND KIND OF ON THIS FIRST QUESTION I WANTED TO HEAR, UM, WHAT EXAMPLES OF RESIDENT GOVERNMENTS HAVE YOU ALL SEEN IN YOUR OWN EXPERIENCE IN YOUR WORKS AND WHAT SORTS OF ADVANTAGES AND DRAWBACKS HAVE YOU OBSERVED? UH, GO AHEAD TRUDY.
SO, UM, WHAT MY DAY JOBS AS A MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELOR DEALING MOSTLY WITH LOWER INCOME POPULATIONS, ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS WITH GETTING TENANTS INVOLVED WITH ANYTHING IN THE BUILDING IS REAL LACK OF SELF-ESTEEM, LACK OF LITERACY AND PEOPLE JUST GENERALLY BEING AFRAID OF MANAGEMENT AND RETALIATION.
IT'S ALMOST LIKE WHAT WE HAVE TO HAVE IN THE CITY IS SOME KIND OF SCHOOL OR CLASSROOM THAT TEACHES PEOPLE WHO'VE NEVER BEFORE TRIED TO BE PART OF A SOCIAL EXPERIMENT OF TAKING CONTROL OF THEIR HOUSING IN SOME FORMS HOW TO DO IT.
BECAUSE I'M NOT CONVINCED THAT THE PEOPLE THAT I DEAL WITH AND I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR 50 YEARS NOW, KNOW HOW TO DO IT.
AND THE ONLY REASON I KNOW HOW TO DO IT IS MY PARENTS FOR ADVOCATES AND THEY COULD SHOW ME HOW TO DO IT.
UM, EVEN THOUGH WE WERE LOW INCOME PEOPLE, IT IS A BIG, BIG ISSUE.
SO IF WE WERE TALKING ABOUT SOCIAL HOUSING AND GETTING TENANTS INVOLVED, UM, 'CAUSE I GOTTA TELL YOU, IN THE BUILDING I CURRENTLY LIVE IN, MANAGEMENT HAS CONTROL OF EVERYTHING.
WE DO PAY RENT, WE DO NOT HAVE A SAY ABOUT DEVELOPMENT, ABOUT CHANGES IN THE BUILDING OR ANYTHING ELSE.
AND PEOPLE ARE VERY, VERY FRIGHTENED.
I REALLY FEEL LIKE THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME SORT OF THING THAT WE DO.
WHETHER YOU CALL IT A DAYCARE OR WHATEVER YOU CALL IT, WE TEACH PEOPLE WHO HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO ADVOCATE FOR THEMSELVES HOW TO DO IT BECAUSE HOUSING'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.
IF YOU ARE, UM, LET ME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
SINCE ONE OF GUYS, MICHAEL AND YOU HAVE OLD RADIATORS AND HE WAS TALKING TO ME YESTERDAY.
UM, AND THE THING IS HE SAID HE WAS AFRAID TO TURN ON HIS RADIATORS 'CAUSE THEY MIGHT LEAK.
AND HE WAS SO HE WAS LEAVING THEM OFF AND I HAD TO STOP MYSELF FROM SAYING, WELL WHY DON'T YOU GO TO MANAGEMENT? 'CAUSE THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO FIX THESE THINGS.
BECAUSE I REALLY DIDN'T WANT HIM TO A FEEL LIKE I WAS TELLING HIM WHAT TO DO OR MAKE HIM FEEL LIKE HE WAS AN IDIOT, WHICH HE WASN'T.
HE CLEARLY HAD LEGITIMATE FEARS OF GOING TO MANAGEMENT BASED ON SOMETHING THAT HE HAD BEEN THROUGH.
SO EARLIER HE WAS LIVING WITHOUT HEAT.
AS OPPOSED TO ME WE'RE LIKE, KNOW HOW TO DO THIS STUFF.
I GO TO MANAGEMENT AND I SAY, WHERE'S THE HEAT? OKAY, I'VE BEEN SAYING IT FOR 33 YEARS.
[00:45:01]
DOESN'T NECESSARILY ALWAYS CHANGE IT.YOU SEE WHAT I MEAN? SO IF YOU ASK PEOPLE LIVE IN SOCIAL HOUSING, WHICH IS REALLY A STEP UP, WE HAVE TO, IN A WAY TRAIN PEOPLE HOW TO GET INVOLVED.
HOW TO, HOW TO, UM, SPEAK TO EACH OTHER A BIG ISSUE AND HOW TO NAVIGATE SYSTEMS WHERE PEOPLE SAY NO AND 'CAUSE SOMETIMES LOT TIMES PEOPLE SAY NO AND THEN THEY HAVE A CHANCE TO THINK ABOUT IT BECAUSE YOU'VE SPOKEN TO THEM AND THEY SAY, UH, OKAY, HERE YOU GO.
THIS IS THAT I TOTALLY AGREE WITH TRUDY.
I'LL JUST MAKE A COUPLE COMMENTS ON THE, WHAT'S THE PRESENTATION MAYBE SLIGHTLY RELATED TO YOUR QUESTION, BUT MORE JUST SORT OF HIGHER LEVEL RESPONSES.
I TOTALLY AGREE, UM, WITH TRUDY THAT THE, A BIG PART OF ANY MODEL THAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT IS HOW TO EMPOWER RESIDENTS ACU PARTICIPATE IN IT.
UM, I ACTUALLY TWO HIGH LEVEL COMMENTS ON YOUR, YOUR STRUCTURE AND THEN, BUT MAYBE BEFORE THAT I WANNA JUST SAY, I THINK ONE THING WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT AT THE
AND THEN HOW DO EACH OF THESE MODELS ALLOW US TO ACHIEVE THOSE GOALS? I THINK ONE CORE GOAL FOR A LOT OF FOLKS WITH TENANT GOVERNANCE IS ACCOUNTABILITY OF, OF MA OF MAINTENANCE AND MANAGEMENT OF THE BUILDING.
THAT'S I THINK THINGS THAT JUDY IS TALKING ABOUT.
WHEN SOMETHING GOES WRONG IN THE BUILDING, CAN IT BE FIXED? IF I ASK FOR IT TO BE FIXED, IS IT FIXED? IF IT ISN'T FIXED, WILL THAT WILL MANAGEMENT BE JUST, YOU KNOW, CHANGED IN SOME WAY THERE MECHANISM FOR IT TO CHANGE MM-HMM.
AND NOT CONNECTED TO WITH THAT, BUT MAYBE NOT EXACTLY THE SAME AS BEING TREATED WITH DIGNITY IN THE PLACE THAT YOU ARE AT.
UM, WHICH IS KIND OF LIKE IF SOMETHING BREAKS IS FIXED.
BUT ALSO JUST IN GENERAL, LIKE, DO THE PEOPLE WHO MANAGE MY BUILDING TREAT ME WELL? AM I, YOU KNOW, DO I FEEL IGNORED? YOU KNOW, ALL THESE THINGS AND NOT SORT CONNECTED BUT MAYBE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT GOAL KIND GOVERNANCE.
AND THEN ANOTHER, ANOTHER GOAL I THINK ONE YOU MENTIONED IS BEING EMPOWERED AND INVOLVED IN SORT OF THE, THE USE OF THE BUILDING IN COMMON AREAS, BUT ALSO MAYBE, UH, FEELING CIVICALLY INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY OF THE BUILDING.
JUST, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, THIS IS MY BUILDING, NOT JUST THE PLACE THAT HAPPENED TO LIVE MM-HMM
UM, BACK INTO THE SPECIFIC PRIDE THAT YOU MENTIONED.
AND THEN I THINK ANOTHER FINAL GOAL, I'M SORRY TO GO ON IS, IS AROUND UM, UH, YOU KNOW, LONGER TERM OBJECTIVES OF THE BUILDING OR OF THE AGENCY.
AND I THINK FOR THE, FOR THE BUILDING OFTEN CORRESPONDS TO, YOU KNOW, HOW IS MONEY SPENT, BIG CAPITAL EXPENDITURE AND HOW DOES THAT RELATE TO HOW MUCH I'M PAYING IN RENT? UM, AND THEN WITH LONGER TERM AND SORT OF HOW DO I, HOW DO I SHAPE THE LONGER TERM OBJECTIVES IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD OR MY CITY? UM, I THINK ALL THESE ARE VALID GOALS.
I THINK THERE'S DIFFERENT WAYS TO ACCOMPLISH ALL OF THEM.
UM, I'LL JUST NOTE ONE OTHER HIGH LEVEL COMMENT I HAVE, WHICH IS THAT I THINK YOU PUT TENANT COUNCILS IN LIKE THE THIRD LEVEL ON A SPECTRUM.
I THINK TENANT COUNCILS ARE MAYBE A LITTLE BIT APART.
THEY'RE SORT OF A WAY THAT YOU ORGANIZE PEOPLE IN THE BUILDING TO BE ABLE TO EXPRESS THEIR VOICE INTO STRUCTURE TO DECISION MAKING.
SO YOU CAN HAVE STRUCTURE DECISION MAKING WHERE YOU JUST PARTICIPATE IN TRUCTURE DECISION MAKING WHERE YOU DECISION MAKING WHERE THERE'S LIKE A FORMAL ADVISORY BOARD YOU CAN STRUCTURE DECISION MAKING WHERE TENANTS HAVE FORMAL DECISION MAKING BUT ONLY MAYBE A MINORITY AND THEN YOU CAN HAVE A MAJORITY.
UM, AND SO, AND THEN TENANT COUNCILS ARE WAYS THAT SORT OF PEOPLE ARE ELECTED, YOU KNOW, MORE ORGANIZED INTO THOSE DECISION MAKING PROCESSES IN MY VIEW.
AND MAYBE NOT SORT OF NECESSARILY NOT LIKE A THIRD PRONG.
UM, I HAVE SOME OTHER THOUGHTS.
MAYBE THESE ARE JUST SORT OF MY FRAMING THOUGHTS IN RESPONSE TO WHAT YOU SAID.
UM, I HAVE THOUGHTS ABOUT SORT OF WHAT THIS COULD LOOK LIKE, UM, IN CAMBRIDGE.
I, BUT I, I WANNA SORT OF RETURN TO TO POINT, WHICH I TOTALLY AGREE THAT, UM, A CORE PART OF ANY MODEL THAT WE ADOPT IS, OR
LIKE IT, I THINK ONE REASON THAT PARTICIPATION MODEL DON'T ALWAYS WORK IS THAT TENANT DON'T FEEL LIKE PARTICIPATING ACTUALLY DOES ANYTHING.
AND SO WHY WOULD I JUST BE IN AN ADVISORY BOARD IF IT'S JUST GONNA BE DISREGARDED BY MANAGEMENT AND AT THE END OF THE DAY.
SO I THINK EMPOWERING PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE ALSO IT NEEDS TO MEAN THAT THEY ACTUALLY WILL, THEY'LL SEE AN IMPACT FROM THEIR PARTICIPATION.
YOU MENTIONED TENANT COUNCILS.
UM, IN MY EXPERIENCE IN CAMBRIDGE, UM, TENANT COUNCILS HAVE NO RIGHTS.
UM, THEY'RE IGNORED, THEY'RE CONSIDERED TO BE SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS.
UM, SO THAT EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT TENANT GOVERNANCE DOESN'T REALLY APPLY TO TENANT COUNCILS IN CAMBRIDGE BECAUSE THAT'S THE WAY THE TENANT COUNCILS HAVE CHOSEN TO RUN THEMSELVES.
SO I JUST WANTED TO KICK THAT IN THERE.
[00:50:01]
TOTALLY.THIS ALL MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.
AND I THINK JUST TO JUMP IN A LITTLE BIT, LIKE I, I VERY MUCH AGREE WITH YOU ABOUT THE WAY THAT TENANT COUNCILS CANNOT BE, CAN END UP NOT BE BEING TREATED PROPERLY AND HOW THEY MIGHT BE SEPARATED OUT.
AND I THINK WHAT'S INTERESTING POTENTIALLY ABOUT NEW YORK MODEL IS THE WAY THAT THESE TENANT COUNCILS OR TENANT UNIONS ARE NO LONGER ACTING INDEPENDENTLY FOR ONE ANOTHER OR NOT, NO, NO LONGER TREATED AS LIKE THEIR OWN LITTLE ISLANDS.
THERE'S AN EFFORT TO KIND OF EITHER THROUGH THE MIN THROUGH THE MUNICIPALITY OR THROUGH LARGER ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE SUPPORTING TENANT'S RIGHTS, KIND OF CONNECT THEM TO RESOURCES AND JUST GIVE THEM A LITTLE MORE LEVERAGE, I THINK IS REALLY VALUABLE BECAUSE THE MORE PEOPLE THAT'S IMPORTANT.
THAT'S AN IMPORTANT DIFFERENCE.
AND I KNOW THERE ARE ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN CAMBRIDGE THAT ARE ALSO WORKING TO, THAT ARE NOT AT SPECIFIC DE DEVELOPMENT LEVELS BUT ARE MORE CITYWIDE WORKING TO SUPPORT TENANTS RIGHTS AND KIND THERE, WHETHER THEY'RE, THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE NETWORKS OF INVOLVEMENT BETWEEN INDIVIDUAL TENANTS COUNCILS OR UNIONS AND THESE LARGER CITY SCALE OPERATIONS.
AND I'M SURE THAT IS ALREADY HAPPENING 'CAUSE CAMBRIDGE IS AT AN INCREDIBLY CONNECTED PLACE.
UM, YEAH, AND I THANK YOU ALL FOR SHARING ON THAT.
AND I DO ALSO AGREE THAT WHATEVER POLICY OR WHATEVER STRATEGY THAT MOVES FORWARD, THESE ARE ALL GENERALLY NEW CONCEPTS IN THE AREA.
I MEAN, CAMBRIDGE AS WE AS WE KNOW, HAS HISTORY IN TERMS OF TENANT ORGANIZING AND MAKING SURE THAT RENTERS ARE TENANTS AND RESIDENTS ARE REPRESENTED.
BUT TO THE FIRST POINT MADE BY TRUDY, I BELIEVE, UM, THERE NEEDS TO BE AN EDUCATIONAL ELEMENT TO THIS.
THERE NEEDS TO BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW PEOPLE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE ON A VERY BASIC LEVEL TO BE, UH, ACTIVE IN PARTICIPATING IN THEIR HOUSING TO KNOW THEIR RIGHTS.
I MEAN, IT IS THAT PERSON'S RIGHT TO GO TO THEIR LANDLORD AND SAY, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO FIX.
UM, AND MAKING THAT KIND OF, THAT KIND OF CULTURE OF THAT ONGOING DIALOGUE AND KIND OF SELF-EMPOWERMENT PART OF WHATEVER METHODOLOGY THE CITY MOVES AHEAD WITH.
SO ALL ALL VERY GOOD THOUGHTS.
UM, AND I, AND I'LL, I'LL, I'LL ALSO MENTION THAT WHEN CLAUDIA JUMPS IN, SHE'S GONNA TALK A BIT MORE ABOUT STRATEGIZING AND ABOUT WHAT ARE THE GOALS THAT CAMBRIDGE WILL HAVE.
SO ALL REALLY GOOD THOUGHTS BE THINKING ABOUT AND THERE'LL BE MORE OF THAT LATER.
I THINK WE'VE GOT A COUPLE MORE, UH, PROBABLY SEVERAL MORE COMMENTS.
CHAIR SABRINA WHEELER AND CHAIR ZUBI AND THEN MAYOR SADIKI.
AND THIS IS SORT WITH THE SECOND QUESTION AS WELL IN TERMS OF WHICH OF THE MODELS OR CASE STUDIES IS MOST APPEALING.
AND I THINK IT IS FOR ME AT LEAST, MOST CASE STUDY FOUR AND FIVE, THE OP CITY AND DEAN OF SOCIAL HOUSING MODELS THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SORT OF SELF-MANAGEMENT AND SELF-GOVERNANCE, WHICH I THINK IS UH, SORT OF WHAT WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO GET TO IN THINKING ABOUT 10 A GOVERNANCE FOR SOCIAL HOUSING.
UM, AND THEN IN TERMS OF HOW YOU SUB AND WOULD LOVE TO LIKE DIG DEEPER INTO THOSE THAT AT SOME POINT, 'CAUSE I THINK, UM, THEN YOU'RE JUST GETTING INTO QUESTIONS OF HOW DO YOU DO GOOD SELF-GOVERNANCE AND THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS OF THAT.
I THINK WE'VE BEEN BEEN A PART OF SELF GOVERNING ORGANIZATIONS THAT WORKED REALLY WELL AND ARE VERY FUNCTIONAL AND HAVE BEEN A PART OF SOME WHERE IT SORT OF DEVOLVES AND PEOPLE DECIDE THEY'RE NOT INTERESTED OR, YOU KNOW, DESCENDS INTO INFIGHTING OR THINGS.
AND IT, IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO HOW'S THAT STRUCTURE AND HOW YOU SETTING IT UP TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
UM, I THINK THE ONE OTHER MODEL I WAS THINKING OF IN, IN ADDITION TO THESE, UM, THAT MAYBE IS LIKE FOLKS IN THE, THE US ARE EVEN MORE FAMILIAR WITH IS CONDO BOARDS.
UH, JUST ANYTIME YOU LIVE IN A CONDO, WHETHER THAT'S A TRIPLE DECKER OR A LARGER BUILDING, IT'S SELF GOVERNING AND THERE ARE PLENTY OF PROBLEMS THAT END UP HAPPENING, BUT IT, IT MOSTLY WORKS OUT.
CONDO BOARD MOSTLY WORK OUT AND PEOPLE VOTE AND THERE'S A BOARD AND YOU ELECTED AND YOU RUN YOUR BUILDING AND THINGS DON'T FALL APART.
UM, I THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN THINK OF.
I THINK I WAS TRYING TO THINK ABOUT WHAT'S DIFFERENT IN A SOCIAL HOUSING MODEL THAN IN A CONDO BOARD.
AND THE DIFFERENCES I WAS THINKING OF, THERE'S PROBABLY MORE FINANCIAL DIVERSITY.
YOU DON'T ALL OWN AN EQUAL STATE.
YOU HAVE HIGHER INCOME FOLKS AND LOWER INCOME FOLKS AND THEN ALSO NOT EVERYTHING IS IN YOUR CONTROL.
YOU KNOW, IN THE CONDO BOARD THERE'S CITY INVESTMENTS, THERE'RE MORE OUTSIDE THINGS.
BUT, UH, THE THING THAT MADE MADE ME THINK OF, OF LIKE THE CHALLENGES SUB DEMOCRACY IN A CITY, UM, WHERE YOU HAVE A BIG FINANCIAL DIVERSITY OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE CITY, BUT EVERYBODY STILL GETS ONE VOTE.
AND ALSO NOT EVERYTHING IS IN YOUR CONTROL.
AND CAMBRIDGE, WE ELECT A CITY COUNCIL, WE HAVE SELF GOVERNMENT, BUT ALSO WE HAVE THE MBTA THAT RUNS THROUGH THE CITY AND THAT'S NOT TOTALLY IN OUR CONTROL.
AND SOCIAL HOUSING WOULD BE SOMEWHAT SIMILAR IN THAT WAY, RIGHT? WHERE FOLKS COULD HAVE A SAY AND HAVE SELF-GOVERNANCE WHILE EVERYTHING WAS STILL NOT IN YOUR CONTROL.
AND YOU HAVE FOLKS OF DIFFERENT MEANS AND THEY'RE ALL WORKING TOGETHER AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO TRY TO GET INTO.
BUT HOW DO YOU MAKE THAT SUCCEED? LIKE THAT'S THE PART WE NEED TO DIG INTO AND UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BETTER.
I'D BE CURIOUS BASED ON SOME OF THE FOLKS COMMENTS, YOU GUYS TO GIVE US SOME MORE FEEDBACK ON WHETHER OR NOT SOME OF THESE CASE STUDIES HAD THOSE EMPOWERMENT OR EDUCATIONAL PIECES, UM, AND HOW THEY DID IT.
IF THEY DID, UH, WOULD LOVE TO ALSO HEAR A BIT MORE IF THERE'S ANY DATA FROM THE RESEARCH THAT YOU GUYS HAVE DONE ON TRENDS ACROSS
[00:55:01]
THE DIFFERENT TYPES THAT YOU'VE MENTIONED.LIKE ARE YOU SEEING THAT IT'S MORE COMMON THAT THERE'S PARTICIPATION OR IS SELF-MANAGEMENT LIKE, YOU KNOW, A FAR LOWER PERCENTAGE IN THE CASE STUDIES THAT YOU'VE SEEN? UM, AND THEN THE LAST WOULD BE ON THE INTERACTIONS KIND OF SIMILAR TO WHAT, UH, COACH OR SABRINA WHEELER BROUGHT UP.
LIKE I, I DEFINITELY SEE LIKE THE DAY-TO-DAY LEVEL AS BEING DIFFERENT FROM MAYBE THE HIGHER LEVEL OR THE BOARD LEVEL OR THE, THE PART OF IT THAT'S THINKING A LITTLE MORE LONG-TERM THAN THE FOLKS WHO ARE RUNNING LIKE THE DAY-TO-DAY MAINTENANCE, UM, OR OPERATIONS OF THE, OF THE BUILDING.
YEAH, WE CAN DEFINITELY DO SOME FOLLOW UP TO LOOK INTO WHAT KIND OF EDUCATIONAL PIECES MIGHT EXIST IN SOME OF THESE CASE STUDIES.
I THINK THAT'S SUCH A GOOD POINT.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHETHER WE'RE SEEING SOME CATEGORIES AS MORE COMMON THAN OTHERS, IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT TO PARSE I WOULD SAY IN A WAY.
UM, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE IN A WHO LIVES AS PART OF A COMMUNITY LAND TRUST OR CO-OP IS PARTICIPATING IN RESIDENT GOVERNANCE AS AN OWNER BECAUSE THEY DO HAVE DECISION MAKING CONTROL.
SO ON THE ONE HAND, MAYBE YOU COULD SAY THAT'S MORE COMMON, BUT I WILL TALK, UM, SHORTLY ABOUT WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN SOME OF THE PUBLIC DEVELOPMENT MODELS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE TASK FORCE AND IN WHAT WAYS THEY ARE OR AREN'T INCORPORATING THESE GOVERNANCE STRATEGIES.
UM, SO THAT LOOKS VERY DIFFERENT.
AND I WOULD SAY WE SEE A LOT MORE OF THE, YOU KNOW, PARTICIPATION AND PARTNERSHIP THAN WE DO THE ACTUAL CONTROL STRATEGIES THERE.
YEAH, I THINK MY COLLEAGUES KIND OF TOOK SOME OF WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY AND I AGREE WITH THEIR POINTS.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, AS A WHOLE, I THINK THERE IS A TENSION AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT BETWEEN THE RENTER AND OWNERSHIP ASPECT.
UH, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE HIGHER IN-HOUSE CONTROL AND COOPERATION AND IT CHANGES, UH, BETWEEN RENT TRADE OWNERSHIP MODELS.
I'D SAY IN THE CITY I'M MOST FAMILIAR WITH THE CONDO BOARDS.
AND WHAT I'VE SEEN IS THAT EVEN THOUGH THERE'S A HOME BUYER EDUCATION FOUR WEEK COURSE THAT RESIDENTS TAKE, CHRIS, YOU AND I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN, YOU KNOW, HANDFUL OF SITUATIONS WHERE IT DOES SEEM THAT THERE'S JUST NOT ENOUGH EDUCATION AND THERE'S JUST LIKE A TIME TOO IS A HUGE PAIN POINT OF LIKE, HOW DO YOU MAKE DECISIONS AND WHO DOES WHAT, WHO SIGNS UP FOR THIS VOLUNTARILY AND YOU KNOW, IS THE, UH, YOU KNOW, IS LEADING SOME OF THOSE EFFORTS ON THE BOARD.
UM, AND THEN I THINK THE TENANT ASPECT, I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WHERE, WHAT I'VE SEEN IS IT FEELS LIKE MANAGEMENT, UM, KIND OF PICKED AND CHOSE SOME RESIDENTS AND, YOU KNOW, IT DIDN'T REALLY CREATE LIKE, UM, INDEPENDENT STRUCTURES FOR THERE TO BE, UM, YOU KNOW, A REALLY INDEPENDENT WAY TO GET ACTUAL, UM, RESIDENT VOICE ACTUAL FEEDBACK AND KIND OF, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT'S, THAT WAS, THAT WAS AN OBSTACLE.
AND YOU KNOW, I THINK IT TOOK INVOLVEMENT FROM THE CITY AND OTHERS TO SAY YOU HAVE TO HAVE AN ACTUAL LEGITIMATE PROCESS, UM, WHERE, AND YOU KNOW, CAN YOU PROVIDE STIPENDS FOR RESIDENTS, UM, TO BE INVOLVED TO HAVE MORE TIME.
SO I HAVE SEEN THAT BE A, THERE ARE, THAT HAS EXISTED IN CAMBRIDGE.
AND SO I THINK HOW WE GET RESIDENTS TO PARTICIPATE VALUE THEIR TIME, I THINK IS A, IS A BIG PART OF THOSE TWO.
UM, CHRIS, AND JUST PICK UP ON THAT AND SAY, WE SEE A LOT OF THE RANGE OF THIS IN DIFFERENT BUILDINGS AND PROGRAMS IN CAMBRIDGE.
CERTAINLY THE CONDOS, I THINK OF SOME OF THE LIMITED EQUITY CO-OPS THAT WE SEE IN, YOU KNOW, PARTICULARLY FOR SMALLER BUILDERS, IT'S A LOT OF WORK.
AND YOU KNOW, IN THE CONDOS THAT'S WE'RE INVOLVED WITH, THERE'S A CERTAIN NUMBER OF FOLKS THAT DON'T REALLY WANT TO BE INVOLVED 'CAUSE THEY'RE, THEY'VE GOT UP MANY OTHER THINGS DON'T EVEN LIVE.
AND SO OFTENTIMES IT IS A LITTLE BIT OF A HOT POTATO, LIKE, WHO'S GONNA DO THIS? WHO'S GONNA DO THAT? WE CAN'T DEAL WITH THIS THING THAT'S COMING UP THAT'S UNEXPECTED.
OFTENTIMES THEY'RE MANAGEMENT COMPANIES THAT COME IN, BUT THEN SOME, SOME CHOOSE NOT TO DO THAT.
AND CHOOSE TO SELF-MANAGEMENT IS VERY CHALLENGING.
AND SO IT, IT CAN BE, IT CAN WORK VERY WELL WHEN YOU'VE GOT FOLKS THAT ARE COMMITTED AND WILLING TO PUT IN THE TIME AND YOU ARE ABLE TO DO IT AND UNDERSTAND IT.
AND THEN IT IS MORE CHALLENGING IN SOME CASES WHERE, UM, FOLKS ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT AS THEY GO, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME SUPPORT THAT WE, WE CAN TRY TO BRING IN, IN, IN BASIS.
UM, BUT IT IS, IT'S, IT IS, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE RUNNING A BUSINESS WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS FOREVER, YOU KNOW, IN THE, THE, THE STRICT SELF-MANAGEMENT AND YOU MAY NOT HAVE PICTURE NEIGHBORS.
AND SO IT ALSO, THE TENSIONS THAT COME UP, SO LOOKING TO
[01:00:01]
YOU REALLY DO SEE A RANGE, RIGHT? I THINK IT REALLY IS, IT, IT COMES TO THE INTENTIONALITY OF SETTING IT UP AND TRYING TO MANAGE THOSE EXPECTATIONS WHERE FOLKS GOING IN, YOU KNOW, PARTICULARLY WHEN, IF FOLKS ARE GOING INTO A SITUATION BECAUSE THEY'RE LOOKING FOR HOUSING AND AFFORDABLE TO, TO DECOUPLE THAT FROM THE OBLIGATIONS THAT COME.AND THIS IS, YOU KNOW, WE TRY TO DO THIS A LOT WITH HOMEOWNERS TO SAY, DON'T BECOME A HOMEOWNER BECAUSE YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A HOUSING THAT'S AFFORDABLE.
YOU'RE WILLING TO DO THAT AND UNDERSTAND THE OBLIGATIONS THAT COME WITH THAT.
IF YOU'RE LOOKING BROWS THAT'S AFFORDABLE AND YOU WANT TO BE IN THE BUILDING, YOU DON'T TO WORRY ABOUT THE, YOU KNOW, MAINTAINING THE BUILDING AND PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE.
YOU KNOW, RENT RENTAL HOUSING IS, IS THE WAY TO DO THAT.
AND SO I THINK IT MAY BE SIMILAR HERE, SETTING THE EXPECTATIONS FOR THOSE COMING IN, YOU KNOW, NO MATTER WHAT MODELS THEY KNOW WHAT THEY THEY'RE GETTING.
SO ITS UM, CLAUDIA AND JOSH, I JUST WANTED TO DO A QUICK TIME CHECK.
DO WE HAVE AN HOUR LEFT? UM, I KNOW YOU HAVE A SECOND PART TO THIS AND SOME ADDITIONAL TIME FOR DISCUSSION.
DO WE HAVE TIME OR A COUPLE MORE COMMENTS AT THIS STAGE OR DO WE NEED TO MOVE ON? YEAH, I THINK WE'RE DOING GREAT ON TIME, SO IF THERE ARE MORE THOUGHTS RIGHT NOW, I THINK WE CAN DEFINITELY TAKE THOSE.
I ONLY HAVE ABOUT FIVE MINUTES MORE OF PRESENTING AND THE REST IS DISCUSSION.
AND I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO APPROACH THIS AS A SORT OF ALL OR NOTHING.
EITHER RESIDENTS DON'T HAVE A AUTHORITIES OR RESIDENTS HAVE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DAY-TO-DAY MANAGEMENT.
AND THE, JUST TO TAKE SOME KIND OF MASSACHUSETTS EXAMPLES OF WHERE I THINK THIS WORKS REALLY WELL.
FIRST, LIKE THE BOSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY, OUR COMMONWEALTH'S BIGGEST HOUSING AUTHORITY, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, HAS A RESIDENT AUTHORITY BOARD HAS FOR A WHILE.
AND OBVIOUSLY NO HOUSING AUTHORITY IS PERFECT, BUT I'D SAY ALONG WITH THE CAMBRIDGE HOUSING AUTHORITY, IT'S ONE OF THE HIGHER PERFORMING HOUSING AUTHORITIES IN THE COMMONWEALTH IN A LOT OF WAYS.
AND I'D ALSO JUST SAY THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE IS AN ENTITY WHERE WE ALL AS RESIDENTS HAVE THE ABILITY TO SELECT OUR, OUR BOARD MAYORS CHIEF AND CITY COUNCIL WHO SORT OF PASS THROUGH OUR PRIORITIES TO CITY STAFF WHO ADMINISTER DAY-TO-DAY CITY SERVICES.
AND THAT'S A MODEL THAT WORKS REALLY WELL AND DOESN'T INVOLVE RESIDENTS NEEDING TO GET INVOLVED WITH THE, THE DAY-TO-DAY MAINTENANCE OF SEWER SEPARATION OR A LOT OF, A LOT OF THE SORT OF MORE LOGISTICAL OPERATIONS.
AND WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE US TO, TO KEEP IN MIND THAT WHAT SELF-MANAGEMENT LOOKS LIKE DOESN'T EVEN NECESSARILY MEAN THAT DECISIONS ARE MADE AT A BUILDING BY BUILDING LEVEL.
IT CAN MEAN WHAT CASE STUDY FOUR SAYS HERE THAT YOU'VE GOT THIS ENTITY WHERE REALLY ONLY ONE OUT OF EVERY THOUSAND HOUSEHOLDS PROBABLY EVEN HAS A MEMBER ON THE, THE RESIDENT BOARD.
BUT, BUT EVERY RESIDENT HAS A, A ROLE IN THE MANAGEMENT OF THE BROADER LEGAL ENTITY.
SO, UM, I'LL JUST BE REALLY QUICK.
I TOTALLY AGREE THAT EVERYTHING THAT, UM, HAVE BEEN SAID AND I'VE MORE STRESS, UH, TWO POINTS.
ONE IS, UM, ALONG THE LINES OF, WELL JUST I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE WAYS TO DIFFUSE THE OBLIGATIONS AND ALSO THINK CRITICALLY ABOUT WHERE WE WANT, LIKE WHERE WE'RE ASKING FOR OBLIGATION, WHAT, WHERE THOSE ARE MOST IMPORTANT.
I THINK ESPECIALLY LIKE IF THERE IS MORE RE LIKE STRONG, EVERY PARTICIPATION IS PROBABLY AROUND DAY-TO-DAY LIKE ASPECTS OF MANAGEMENT OF THEIR BUILDING.
WHEREAS MAYBE LONGER TERM THINGS, THERE'S MAYBE A MORE DIFF USE STRUCTURE THAT WHO ANTICIPATING BUT ARE NOT NECESSARILY, YOU KNOW, PUTTING TOGETHER THE DETAILS OF OUR BUDGET OR DOING DIRECT, DIRECT, UM, OR DIRECT MANAGEMENT, MORE OVERSIGHT OF THE MANAGEMENT COMPANY.
UM, AND I JUST WANNA ALSO NOTE AROUND HOW, UH, ON THE EDUCATION AND TRAINING SIDE, I THINK WE SHOULD, I REALLY WOULD LOOK, UH, BE INTERESTED IN, IN DIFFERENT MODELS OF HOW THAT, HOW THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE.
I ALSO WILL JUST SAY, I THINK HAVING, UH, SUPPORT FROM A PAID STAFF MEMBER OF THE DEPENDENT COUNCIL, A PAID ORGANIZER IS A WAY THAT THIS HAS WORKED IN A NUMBER OF OTHER CONDUCTS.
OBVIOUSLY LIEUTENANT ORGANIZING IN GENERALS OR EXTERNALLY, OFTEN IN THESE PAID ORGANIZERS OR ORGANIZERS THAT ARE, UM, SUPPORT IN SOME WAY THAT ARE, THAT ARE, THAT ARE ASSISTING COUNCILS IN PURSUING THEIR WORK.
AND I THINK, UM, WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT
CAN I ADD SOMETHING ON THAT?
THAT'S JUST, THAT'S JUST REAL AND YOU NEED PEOPLE, YOU SPEAK A VARIETY OF LANGUAGES.
IT'S A BIG ISSUE WHERE I LIVE.
UH, I CAN SPEAK PASSIVELY IN SPANISH IT HEALTH.
[01:05:01]
THAT'S A GOOD POINT.UM, I THINK I SAW TOM X AND THEN AND SUSAN, UM, THANKS.
I WAS THINKING THAT THERE'S ANOTHER CONTINUUM ALSO, OR OR SCALE WE CAN LOOK AT, UM, REGARDING, UH, THE, I GUESS THE GRANULARITY OF CONTROL WHEN YOU START TO GET THIS, THAT THERE'S OPERATION AND MANAGEMENT, UM, CONTROL ISSUES.
THEY'RE NOT FIXING MY LEAK LEAKING SINK OR, OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
UM, AND THERE'S PROBABLY OFTEN A DESIRE TO HAVE, UH, CONTROL OF THAT WHEN IT'S NOT FORMING, RIGHT? BUT THAT IS, IF, IF THE BUILDING IS PERFORMING WELL, UM, THEN THAT'S LESS OF AN ISSUE.
NOW ON THE OTHER SIDE IS, UM, HEADING TOWARDS LIKE OWNERSHIP OR CO-OPS OR WHATEVER, UH, WHERE THERE IS INPUT INTO CAPITAL DECISIONS, UM, AND FINANCIAL DECISIONS THAT THE MORE LONG, LONG-TERM, UH, PLANNING.
AND I WAS ACTUALLY REALLY INTRIGUED BY SOMETHING THAT PASSED BY THE PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING, UH, ASPECT OF, WELL WHAT, WHERE IS THAT A, A GOVERNANCE SPACE IN BETWEEN WHEN THERE IS SOME DISCRETIONARY FUNDS AND WHAT POWER, UH, WOULD YOU PROVIDE TO HAVE TENANTS, UM, THEN DIRECT THAT, UH, TOWARDS WHAT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS? AND AGAIN, THE CITY IS AN EXAMPLE OF THAT.
SO I THOUGHT THAT THAT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO TEASE OUT HOW OFTEN THAT IS USED AS A WAY TO EMPOWER SOME CAPITAL DECISIONS, UM, IN AN OTHERWISE RENTAL BASED BUILDING.
UM, IT JUST STRIKES ME, WE ACTUALLY HAVE A LONG HISTORY IN THE BOSTON AREA OF, UM, EXAMPLES OF TENANT MANAGEMENT.
SOME HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL AND SOME HAVE BEEN UNBELIEVABLE FAILURES FOR ALL MY HEATH BEING ONE OF THE ONES THAT COMES TO MIND, I THINK IT'D BE REALLY HELPFUL TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
I MEAN THAT'S A MOVEMENT THAT GREW OUT OF TENANT ORGANIZING, WHICH YOU KNOW, US OLDER PEOPLE, THAT'S HOW WE DID TENANT CONTROL OR IMPACT AS WE ORGANIZED TENANT UNIONS.
AND OUT OF THAT CAME A MOVEMENT ROUGHLY AS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS AND, AND SOME ROLE OF TENANTS IN MANAGEMENT, IF NOT OWNERSHIP OF, OF HOUSING.
UM, AND I THINK WHAT CONCERNS ME LOOKING AT THAT HISTORY IS THAT HOW OFTEN TENANT MANAGEMENT TURNS INTO A VERY SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE, UM, THAT WAS AS, AS UH, ARBITRARY AS ANY MANAGEMENT COMPANY, UM, COULD BE.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FIX FOR THAT IS REALLY.
UM, SO THAT REALLY CONCERNS ME AND I WISH YOU GUYS WOULD TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
'CAUSE IT REALLY WAS A BUNCH OF LARGE BUILDINGS.
UM, SOME WERE CO-OP STRUCTURES, UM, SOME WERE HOUSING AUTHORITIES ALL ACROSS BOSTON.
UM, THE OTHER THING IS, YOU KNOW, PART OF IT ALSO IS WHO DETERMINES WHETHER RENT INCREASES ARE GONNA HAPPEN.
YOU KNOW, YOU COME DOWN TO IT SOMETIMES.
I'LL DO MY BEST TO GET THAT BACK UP.
[01:10:02]
I THINK, DID WE LOSE PEOPLE ONLINE FOR A MINUTE? I REMEMBER.I, AND I DO HAVE A LIST OF PROPERTIES.
I MEAN, BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN DOING SOME OF THE STUDYING AS WELL THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF LOCAL, UM, PROPERTIES WHERE THERE WAS SELF-MANAGEMENT, UM, AND STILL SELF-MANAGEMENT.
BUT UM, AS SUSAN SAID, THERE WERE SOME THAT REALLY SPECTACULARLY BURNED OUT, INCLUDING SOME IN CAMBRIDGE ON THAT.
IT WOULD BE GOOD TO SEE THAT LAST.
YEAH, I, THAT'S WHY MY HAND IS RAISED
YEAH, NO, IT'S LIKE, WHAT IS THIS LIST? YEAH, THANK YOU.
THERE ARE ALSO SOME PEOPLE I, I KNOW I DIDN'T RAISE MY HAND.
THERE ARE ALSO SOME PEOPLE THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO CONTACT YOU WOULD BE HELPFUL.
UH, I PARTICULARLY THINK OF STEVE MECHE WHO'S BEEN INVOLVED WITH HOUSING STUFF FOR, YOU KNOW, LIKE MAYBE FOR THE LAST 50 YEARS AND IS DEALING WITH HOUSING ISSUES IN CAMBRIDGE AND VILLE AND HE'S VERY APPROACHABLE.
YEAH, I'D SAY IF THERE'S A LIST OF, YOU KNOW, IF SUSAN OR UH, MARGARET, WHOEVER CAN, YOU KNOW, SEND US THAT LIST.
IF THERE'S OTHER FOLKS YOU THINK WE SHOULD INVOLVE IN THE CONVERSATION, FEEL FREE TO SEND THOSE TO US.
AND YOU KNOW, I CONFIDENT THERE'LL BE A FOLLOW UP DISCUSSION ON RESIDENT GOVERNANCE AS WE START TO, YOU KNOW, ZERO IN ON WHAT WE THINK THIS LOOKS LIKE FOR CAMBRIDGE AND MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS SO WE CAN PROVIDE SOME OF THAT ADDITIONAL RESEARCH.
I WOULD, SO I WOULD SAY WE START WITH STEVE, ME, AND LET ME JUST TELL YOU WHAT I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW.
'CAUSE I'LL FORGET TO SEND IT TO YOU.
I'M SORRY, I, I I HAVE IT, I HAVE HIS NAME WRITTEN DOWN TO YEAH, BUT THE OTHER THING IS THERE IS A TENANTS UNION IN SOMEBO AND THEY I THINK WOULD BE USEFUL TO CONTACT JUST TO SEE HOW THEY'VE MANAGED TO DO IT.
THERE ARE VERY LITTLE ENTERPRISE, BUT THEY'VE BEEN VERY HELPFUL TO BE YEAH, GOOD TO KNOW.
YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO ECHO SOME OF WHAT MARGARET SAID AND YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE OBSERVATIONS I HAD FROM THE PRESENTATION WAS IT SEEMS LIKE, UH, THE CAPACITY FOR GREATER CONTROL COMES WITH BIGGER SCALE.
IT SEEMS LIKE THE CO-OP IN NEW YORK CITY AND THE DANISH MODEL, UM, WE'RE OPERATING AT QUITE BIGGER SCALE.
AND SO I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF THOUGHT ABOUT A PILOT PROJECT IN CAMBRIDGE.
UM, AND SO I THINK IT'LL BE INTERESTING TO SEE, UM, HOW THESE DIFFERENT MODELS FIT ON.
YOU KNOW, WHAT I IMAGINE WOULD INHERENTLY BE A SMALLER SCALE, AT LEAST TO START WITH A PILOT.
I THINK THAT'S MAYBE A GOOD SEGUE INTO YOUR NEXT PART OF THE PRESENTATION, CLAUDIA, AND THEN, UH, SOME ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION WHERE WE START TO THINK MORE ABOUT HOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE IN CAMBRIDGE OR WHAT THIS MEANS HERE.
AND, UH, WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
YEAH, WE HAVE JUST A, JUST A HANDFUL OF SLIDES LEFT, BUT WANTED TO DIG A LITTLE DEEPER INTO THIS QUESTION OF WHETHER MODELS OF PUBLIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE US HAVE INCORPORATED RESIDENT GOVERNANCE OR NOT, AND THEN TRY TO DISTILL SOME OF THOSE KEY CONSIDERATIONS.
ALTHOUGH IN HEARING THE COMMENTS SO FAR, I THINK, YOU KNOW, YOU ALL ALREADY HAVE THESE IN MIND.
ALL RIGHT, SO HEARKENING BACK A BIT TO THAT VERY FIRST, UM, SESSION.
YOU'LL REMEMBER THAT THERE ARE THESE MIXED INCOME MODELS LIKE THE HOUSING PRODUCTION FUND IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MARYLAND, AND THE ATLANTA URBAN DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
SO WE DID LOOK INTO, YOU KNOW, WHAT FORMS OF RE RESIDENT GOVERNANCE DO THEY PROVIDE FOR.
WE FOUND PRI PRETTY LIMITED PROVISIONS.
UM, SO FOR EXAMPLE, MONTGOMERY COUNTY'S HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES COMMISSION, UM, IT DOES MAINTAIN AN ADVISORY BOARD THAT IS MADE UP OF H OS E RESIDENTS KIND OF FROM ACROSS THE COUNTY.
UH, BUT THAT BOARD, UM, LACKS FORMAL DECISION MAKING AUTHORITY.
AND THEN FOR THE ATLANTA URBAN DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SPECIFIC PROVISIONS THAT WE COULD FIND TO INCLUDE RESIDENTS ON ITS BOARD OR ENSURE TENANT PARTICIPATION.
UM, AT THE SAME TIME, I MEAN, I DO WANNA UNDERLINE THAT, THAT IT'S A VERY NEW ORGANIZATION AND IS IT EVOLVING IN REAL TIME? SO THIS IS NOT TO SAY THAT THEY WON'T INCLUDE THOSE THINGS GOING FORWARD.
UM, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, AS WE WERE REF REFLECTING ON MAYBE WHY WE'RE NOT SEEING, UM, A LOT OF PROVISION FOR RESIDENT CONTROL, UM,
[01:15:01]
OR EVEN IN SOME CASES PARTICIPATION WITH THESE MODELS, I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE THAT THEY'RE JUST NOT SEEING THEMSELVES AS PROVIDING SOCIAL HOUSING.THEY MAY SEE THEMSELVES MORE AS COMBATING A MARKET FAILURE.
THEY'RE DOING SOME CREATIVE FINANCING, UM, USING PUBLIC FUNDS AND THEY TAKE PRIDE IN THE FACT THAT THEY'RE PRODUCING HOUSING THAT LOOKS AND FEELS INDISTINGUISHABLE FROM HIGH-END HOUSING THAT'S PRODUCED BY THE PRIVATE MARKET.
SO WE THOUGHT THAT COULD BE PART OF THE REASON WE'RE NOT SEEING A LOT OF INNOVATION ON THE RESIDENT GOVERNANCE SIDE WITH THOSE PARTICULAR MODELS.
THEN IN THE CASE OF THE MODELS THAT REDEVELOP AND EXPAND PUBLIC HOUSING, UM, IT'S REALLY THE EXISTING RULES FOR PUBLIC HOUSING THAT APPLY IN PUBLIC HOUSING.
RESIDENTS HAVE THE RIGHT TO ORGANIZE AND ELECT A RESIDENT COUNCIL.
AS YOU ALL KNOW, UM, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY HAS TO PROVIDE A SMALL AMOUNT OF FUNDING TO SUPPORT THOSE ACTIVITIES.
UM, BUT THAT COUNCIL TYPICALLY DOESN'T HAVE A LOT OF FORMAL POWER TO FORCE THE HOUSING AUTHORITY TO REACT TO ITS CONCERNS.
NOW, INDIVIDUAL HOUSING AUTHORITIES MAY INTRODUCE ADDITIONAL TENANT GOVERNANCE STRUCTURES, AS WE'VE ALREADY HEARD.
SO THE BOSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY IS AN EXAMPLE.
IT CONVENES A MONITORING COMMITTEE THAT IS COMPOSED PRIMARILY OF TENANTS TO REVIEW AND APPROVE THE AGENCY'S ANNUAL BUDGET AND ALSO PROPERTY DISPOSITION.
SO THAT IS KIND OF DECISION MAKING POWER HAPPENING THERE.
UM, THE CAMBRIDGE HOUSING AUTHORITY, MARGARET WILL CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, INCLUDES A RESIDENT REPRESENTATIVE ON ITS FIVE MEMBER BOARD.
AND THEN FINALLY WE WANTED TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE SEATTLE EXAMPLE SINCE THAT CITY'S INITIATIVE IS SPECIFICALLY, UM, ORIENTED AROUND SOCIAL HOUSING.
AND SO WE MIGHT EXPECT SOME MORE INTENTION THERE AROUND RESIDENT GOVERNANCE, WE FOUND THAT THE SEATTLE SOCIAL HOUSING DEVELOPER IS GOVERNED BY A 13 PERSON BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
AND WHILE CURRENTLY THAT BOARD IS STAFFED BY APPOINTEES FROM ORGANIZERS AND OFFICIALS, UM, ACROSS THE SEATTLE METROPOLITAN AREA, UM, ITS CHARTER STATES THAT ONCE IT BEGINS OPERATION OF SOCIAL HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS, A MAJORITY, SEVEN OF THOSE 13 BOARD POSITIONS WILL BE VOTED ON BY TENANTS DIRECTLY.
SO THAT IS A SIGNIFICANT EXAMPLE OF, UM, TENANT GOVERNANCE, THOUGH I THINK IT, IT DOES MEAN THAT MOST RESIDENTS WILL STILL BE INSULATED FROM THIS GRANULAR EVERYDAY WORK OF OPERATING THE ORGANIZATION NOR ITS BUILDINGS STILL.
UM, YOU KNOW, THEY WILL HAVE THESE DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES.
SO ZOOMING OUT A BIT, UM, KIND OF JUST TO REITERATE AT THIS POINT, UM, SOME OF THE KEY TRADE-OFFS THAT WE SEE WITH THESE MODELS, UM, WE THINK THERE'S THIS BALANCING OR TENSION BETWEEN EMPOWERING RESIDENTS AND ENSURING EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT.
SO RESIDENTS GOVERNANCE CAN, IT CAN CREATE THIS NEW MODEL FOR RESIDENT COOPERATION OR CONTROL IN CAMBRIDGE THAT WOULD BE NEW, NOT SOMETHING WE'VE SEEN BEFORE.
POTENTIALLY IT COULD FORMALIZE RESIDENT INPUT IN A WAY THAT'S REALLY USEFUL, IMPROVE ACCOUNTABILITY OF OWNERSHIP AND IT COULD ALSO BUILD RESIDENTS SKILLS, THEIR SENSE OF OWNERSHIP AND THEIR SENSE OF COMMUNITY AT THE SAME TIME.
THERE IS POTENTIAL THAT IT COULD SLOW OR HINDER DECISION MAKING THAT SOMETIMES IS URGENT.
IT COULD REDUCE EFFICIENCY, IT COULD CHALLENGE LONG-TERM STEWARDSHIP.
AND THERE'S ALSO THIS PIECE OF, IT DOES REQUIRE SIGNIFICANT SUPPORT TO FACILITATE THE DESIRED LEVEL AND QUALITY OF RESIDENT ENGAGEMENT AS YOU ALL HAVE ALREADY SPOKEN TO.
THERE'S EDUCATION STIPENDS, VALUING THEIR TIME, ALL THOSE SORTS OF THINGS AS WELL.
AND THEN FINALLY, FINAL SLIDE.
WE ALSO THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO REFLECT A LITTLE BIT ON WHAT RESIDENT GOVERNANCE LOOKS LIKE, SPECIFICALLY IN THE CONTEXT OF MIXED INCOME HOUSING SINCE OUR LAST SESSION SHOWED THAT THIS TASK FORCE IS REALLY INTERESTED IN THAT KIND OF AFFORDABILITY STRUCTURE.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, THE EVIDENCE SHOWS THAT MIXED INCOME HOUSING CAN GIVE LOWER INCOME HOUSEHOLDS ACCESS TO HIGHER RESOURCE ENVIRONMENTS AND INCREASE ECONOMIC MOBILITY, UM, OF CHILDREN SPECIFICALLY.
UM, AND THERE IS ALSO THE POTENTIAL THAT IT COULD ENCOURAGE SOCIOECONOMIC INTEGRATION, BUT THE RESEARCH HAS REALLY SHOWN THAT THAT HAPPENS OVER A RELATIVELY LONG TIME HORIZON.
[01:20:01]
DECISIONS ABOUT HOW AND WHERE THE BUILDING IS.ARE THERE, YOU KNOW, KNOW COMMON SPACES OR AMENITIES THAT WOULD KIND OF ENCOURAGE SOCIAL MIXING OR NOT? BUT AT THE SAME TIME, YOU KNOW, I DO THINK IN THE MIXED INCOME BUILDINGS THERE MIGHT BE PARTICULAR CHALLENGES OF RESIDENT GOVERNANCE THERE.
UM, THERE IS THE QUESTION OF WILL THE MARKET RATE TENANTS AND THE TENANTS AND THE INCOME RESTRICTED UNITS, WILL THEY HAVE DIFFERENT PRIORITIES? WILL THEY APPROACH COLLECTIVE DECISION MAKING WITH DIFFERENT MOTIVES? UM, WILL THEY HAVE A DIFFERENT AMOUNT OF TIME THAT THEY CAN COMMIT TO THESE THINGS? UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THAT QUESTION IS DEFINITELY WORTH CONSIDERING.
AND WE DO HAVE A SET OF DISCUSSION QUESTIONS, UM, BUT THEY'RE VERY SIMILAR TO THE ONES THAT WE'VE ALREADY BEEN TALKING ABOUT.
UM, ONE QUESTION I HAVE HERE IS JUST WHETHER, YOU KNOW, IS THERE SOMETHING ABOUT CAMBRIDGE SPECIFICALLY THAT YOU THINK IS IMPORTANT TO THINK ABOUT? UM, WE'VE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE HISTORY OF ORGANIZING IN CAMBRIDGE, BUT ARE THERE THINGS ABOUT THE, THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF CAMBRIDGE OR, UM, WHO MIGHT BE IN YOUR SOCIAL HOUSING THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO THINK ABOUT AS YOU CONSIDER A MODEL FOR RESIDENT GOVERNANCE? AND THEN WHAT STRATEGIES COULD HELP BALANCE THE RISKS AND REWARDS OF RESIDENT GOVERNANCE? UM, I HEARD WILL TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT, BUT IT WOULD BE GREAT TO HEAR MORE THOUGHTS AND THEN JUST THIS MIXED INCOME HOUSING PIECE, IF YOU ALL HAVE THOUGHTS ABOUT, UM, WHAT STRATEGIES COULD ADDRESS THOSE PARTICULAR CHALLENGES OR DO THOSE CHALLENGES, UM, TRULY EXIST? SO I'LL JUST OPEN IT BACK UP.
SORRY, SPEAKING WITH THE RISKS AND REWARD AND THINGS TO CENTER, I WAS JUST THINKING OF, IT'S A COUPLE POINTS I BOTH RAISED OF HOW DO YOU GET EVERYONE TO PARTICIPATE AND, AND YOU KNOW, EDUCATED AND THEN TO THE POINT SUSAN WAS I THINK THE FOLKS WHO ARE JUST BUSY WITH LIFE AND RAISING FAMILIES AND THEIR JOB AND DON'T HAVE TIME TO, HOW DO YOU ALSO CREATE A MODEL THAT WORKS FOR 'EM? AND THINKING ABOUT HOW YOU HAVE BOTH THOSE PIECES I THINK IS, IS MAYBE A KEY HERE.
AND AGAIN, I LIKE THINK ABOUT GOVERNANCE AND DEMOCRACY FOR CAMBRIDGE CITY GOVERNMENT.
LIKE THAT IS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF THAT.
HOW DO YOU, WHEN YOU HAVE A PROBLEM, YOU CAN, YOU CAN FIND A CITY COUNCIL TO DEAL WITH IT.
YOU CAN GET INVOLVED IN THE ELECTION AND ALSO IF YOU DON'T WANNA VOTE IN THE CITY COUNCIL ELECTION, THAT'S ALSO FINE.
LIKE THE CITY WILL KEEP GOING WITHOUT YOU DOING EVERYTHING AND GOING TO EVERY CITY COUNCIL MEETING, YOU HAVE TO SORT OF HAVE A WAY IT WORKS FOR BOTH PEOPLE.
AND I THINK THAT IS A, IS A PART OF IT, UM, WHETHER, YOU KNOW, AT THE REALLY LARGE SCALE OR THE SMALLER SCALE.
UM, KISH, YEAH, I JUST WANNA ECHO WHAT YOU JUST SAID.
I THINK WE CAN LEARN A LOT FROM HOW DEMOCRACY FUNCTION IN DIFFERENT WAYS IN OUR, IN THE COMMONWEALTH, WHICH, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF A CITY, A CITY STRUCTURE OR A TOWN STRUCTURE AND YOU KNOW, AN ACCOUNT STRUCTURE, OBVIOUSLY WE HAD TIME ASSEMBLIES AND, AND THERE'S, THERE'S SORT OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR EVERY RESIDENT TO TAKE A VOTE ON CERTAIN, PUT IT INTO CERTAIN ITEMS, BUT THEN THERE ARE SORT OF DELEGATED, SELECT, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST, I THINK THERE ARE LESSONS FROM DEMOCRACY THAT CAN SORT OF TAKE IN WHERE, WHICH REFLECTS SOME OF THE CONCERN THAT PEOPLE'RE HAVING AND OBVIOUSLY THERE'S IMPERFECT LIKE IMPER ELEMENTS OF ALL OF THOSE.
UM, AND I THINK WITHIN THAT, WITHIN THAT SORT OF WHI WHICH, WHICH TYPES OF ITEMS ARE GOING INTO EACH DECISION MAKING BODY IS, IS IS ANOTHER CONSIDERATION AS FAR AS MIXED INCOME HOUSING, I THINK WE CAN LEARN A LOT ABOUT FROM JUST REFLECTION THAT WE ALREADY KNOW FROM INCLUSIONARY, WHICH IS A FIXED INCOME MODEL.
AND THIS, UM, I THINK THERE'S LIKE, PART OF THAT THAT I THINK WE'VE HEARD IS THAT MAYBE 20% IS, IS TOO SMALL IN TERMS OF CREATING THAT INTEGRATION OF, OF SORT OF OF OF THE COLLECTIVE ACTION PROBLEM WHERE, YOU KNOW, LOWER INCOME FOLKS MIGHT FEEL JUST EXCLUDED FROM THE COLLECTIVE DECISION MAKING OR COLLECTIVE COMMUNITY OF THE BUILDINGS, BUT MAYBE THAT ALSO RELATES TO THE DESIGN AND AMENITY AND HOW THINGS ARE STRUCTURED POINT THAT YOU MADE.
UM, AND, BUT I THINK WE PROBABLY COULD LEARN MORE, RIGHT? EXAMPLE, I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER RAISE MY HAND INSTEAD OF JUST TALKING ON THAT.
SO, BUT UM, I THINK IF A CONSIDERABLE FACTOR IS WHO'S GOING TO DEVELOP THE SOCIAL PERSON TALKING ABOUT, UM, IS IT GOING TO BE PEOPLE WHO HAVE CONCERN FOR ALL INCOME STRATA OR IS IT GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, UH, HOW MUCH MONEY CAN I PULL OUT OF THIS SITUATION? UM, AND I UNDERSTAND DEVELOPMENT IS A BROAD, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF DEVELOPMENT.
YOU KNOW, MY DAD WAS IN THE CONSTRUCTION BUSINESS, I GET THAT.
BUT, BUT THE THING IS I THINK THAT THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION IN CAMBRIDGE BECAUSE WE'RE ALREADY SEEING IT IN INMAN SQUARE WITH WHAT'S BEING DEVELOPED AND WHAT'S BEING BUILT AND WHAT'S BEING TORN DOWN.
[01:25:01]
OKAY.UM, AND UM, I THINK ANOTHER FACTOR TOO IS NEIGHBORHOODS.
THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE, IF YOU'RE TALKING SOCIAL HOUSING, MAYBE THAT SOMEBODY WANTS TO DO SOCIAL HOUSING 'CAUSE THEY'D LIKE IN SOME WAY TO BE ABLE TO STAY IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.
WHERE RIGHT NOW IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE FOR THEM TO DO THAT.
UM, AND THAT'S NOT ALWAYS A LOW INCOME CONSIDERATION.
IT'S A CONSIDERATION I THINK OF EVERYBODY.
UM, I ALSO JUST, UM, HAVE TO SAY AS WORKING CLASS PERSON DON'T SELL WORKING CLASS PEOPLE SHORT ON THE FACT THAT THEY'D REALLY LIKE TO GET UP AND OUT OF POVERTY AND THEY'D LIKE THEIR CHILDREN TO HAVE MORE ADVANTAGES THAN THEY HAVE.
I'M THE FIRST PERSON IN MY FAMILY TO HAVE APPLIED EDUCATION.
MY PARENTS WOULD BE RE TO THAT.
OTHER THOUGHTS? UH, GO AHEAD,
YEAH, ONE OF THE THINGS I'M THINKING ABOUT AS IT RELATES TO QUESTION THREE IS I I THINK THE COMMUNITY BUILDING ASPECT IS GONNA BE IMPORTANT.
I KNOW SOMEONE HAD BROUGHT UP HAVING SOME SORT OF PAID ORGANIZER FOR THE BUILDING.
I THINK IF YOU DON'T HAVE RESIDENTS THAT COME IN WITH THE INTENTIONALITY TO BUILD A COMMUNITY SPACE AND GET TO KNOW THEIR NEIGHBORS, BE LIKE, WE LIVE IN AMERICA.
AMERICA'S A VERY INDIVIDUALISTIC CULTURE SOCIETY AND THEREFORE EITHER WE HAVE TO BE PROACTIVE ABOUT BREAKING DOWN SOME OF THAT, UM, LIKE JUST STEREOTYPICAL WAY THAT WE ENGAGE IN SOCIETY IN AMERICA.
AND THINK ABOUT IT IN OTHER THE WAYS LIKE OTHER PLACES DO IT OR WE HAVE TO LIKE RECKON WITH HOW DO WE NAVIGATE THE FACT THAT WE DO EXIST IN THIS CULTURE AND THAT THERE ARE GONNA BE PEOPLE WHO, YOU KNOW, CARE TO BE MORE TO THEMSELVES VERSUS PEOPLE WHO ARE MORE COLLECTIVE IN NATURE AND WANT TO ACTUALLY ENGAGE IN THE BUILDING AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, FOR WHATEVER REASONS, UH, TIME, MONEY, UM, EXPERIENCE.
SO I, I PERSONALLY THINK THAT WHEN WE GET TO THE MORE GRANULAR LEVEL, THAT COULD BE HELPFUL ON 0.3, BUT I JUST DON'T THINK WE CAN DO THAT UNTIL WE HAVE A BETTER IDEA OF LIKE SOME OF THE
YEAH, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S A REALLY GOOD POINT.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT KAYLA IN OUR LAST SESSION TOO, UM, WAS LIKE, IS THERE SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN DO THAT, YOU KNOW, GETS MORE BUY-IN FROM THE TENANTS OR THAT THEY ARE COMMITTING TO SOMETHING THAT MAKES IT, THAT PEOPLE ARE MORE LIKELY TO LIVE THERE IF THEY ARE REALLY LOOKING FOR THAT COMMUNITY.
UM, HAD OTHER, AND THAT MAKES, I JUST, I JUST, I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER YOU'VE LOOKED AT ALL ABOUT, UM, LEVELS OF, OF UH, RESIDENT CONTROL AND FINANCING.
'CAUSE WHEN, YOU KNOW, SORT OF CONVENTIONALLY ONE OF THE THINGS YOU LOOK AT AS A LENDER IS WHO'S GONNA MAKE THE DECISIONS ABOUT MAINTENANCE AND LONG-TERM STABILITY OF THE, YOU KNOW, FINANCIAL SIDE? IS THERE ANY, ARE ALL THESE PUBLICLY FUNDED PROJECTS OR HOW DO, HOW DO LENDERS LOOK AT LEVELS OF PARTICIPATION OR DECISION? I THINK YEAH, I THINK THAT'S A REALLY GOOD POINT.
WE DO SEE, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH CO-OPS AND LAND TRUSTS THAT KIND OF HAVE THIS SHARED EQUITY MODEL THAT NOT ALL FINANCEERS ARE COMFORTABLE WITH THAT.
AND YOU MIGHT NEED, YOU KNOW, A SPECIALIZED KIND OF FINANCING TO ALLOW YOU, UM, TO GO DOWN THAT PATH.
SO I, I THINK THAT IS A GREAT POINT TO RAISE.
A LOT OF THE MODELS WE LOOKED AT ARE, ARE THE PUBLICLY FINANCED OR PUBLICLY SUBSIDIZED ONES.
UM, SO IN IN THOSE CASES IT CLEARLY, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THAT'S NOT AS MUCH OF A CONCERN, BUT OTHER THOUGHTS ON THIS OR THINKING ABOUT HOW WHAT WE REALLY NEED TO CONSIDER, UH, IN CAMBRIDGE AS WE THINK ABOUT TENANT GOVERNANCE.
MY QUESTION IS, UM, IN TERMS OF TENANT GOVERNANCE AND WHETHER OR NOT THE FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS ARE GONNA BACK THE TENANT GOVERNANCE, WHAT ARE THE KINDS OF, UM, MAYBE THAT THE, UH, TENANTS NEED TO HAVE IN THAT KIND OF GOVERNANCE? DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? I THINK YOU CUT OUT A LITTLE, AT LEAST ON OUR END.
COULD YOU SAY THAT AGAIN JEAN? YEAH.
[01:30:01]
TRYING TO FIGURE OUT FROM WHAT SUSAN SAID, THAT WHEN YOU HAVE FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF THEY CAN BELIEVE IN AND SUPPORT TENANT GOVERNANCE, WHAT ARE THE PARTICULAR, UM, QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT AND TENANTS ARE CRAZY OR TENANTS ARESO IT'S HARD TO THINK IF THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S JUST HARD WHEN IT'S A NEW, IF IT WERE A TOTALLY TENANT CONTROLLED THE FAR END OF THAT, IT WOULD BE VERY HARD, I THINK TO GET ANY NON, EVEN A LOT OF PUBLIC MONEY INTO A PROJECT THERE WHERE THERE'S BEEN NO TRACK RECORD OF OWNING AND MANAGING A LARGE RESIDENTIAL.
UM, I FIGURED IT WAS TRACK RECORD, BUT I WASN'T SURE.
YEAH, I THINK THAT'S A LOT OF IT.
WELL I THINK, I MEAN, I THINK THE FINANCIAL DECISIONS IN PARTICULAR LONG TERM CAPITAL INVESTMENTS OR I MEAN EVEN THE SHORT TERM, LIKE THE IMAGE OF LIKE RENT STRIKES.
IF LIKE YOU'RE ASKING THE LENDER LOOK AT THAT LIKE, WELL THAT'S, WELL THAT'S A RED FLAG.
LIKE SUDDENLY YOU'RE NOT GONNA HAVE YOUR INCOME FOR A COUPLE MONTHS.
HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU MANAGE THAT IF YOU'RE, UH, NEEDING TO PAY DOWN, UH, A LONG-TERM FINANCING OBLIGATION? SO I JUST THINK THAT IS, THAT CAN BE, UH, DEMOCRACY CAN BE SCARY FOR, UH, CAPITAL AT TIMES.
AND SO THAT'S, YOU HAVE TO JUST INSULATE AGAINST THAT.
'CAUSE IT PARTLY JUST MAKING SURE THAT FROM THE ONSET OF THE PROJECT YOU BUILT IN CUSHIONS THAT CAN COVER, UM, UH, THOSE LONG-TERM FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, TENANT, UH, YOU KNOW, TENANT VACANCY IS ONE THING THAT'S OFTEN BUILT IN THOSE FINANCIAL MODELS.
UH, AND PART OF THAT IS, UH, THE FACT THAT THERE IS A PERIOD OF TIME WHERE, WHERE FOR A PERCENTAGE THE INDUSTRY ARE NOT COLLECTING RENT BECAUSE A VACANCY SAME THING IS THERE IN THE MODEL.
IF TENANTS ARE CHOOSING TO NOT RAISE THEIR RENTS OR NOT PAY THEIR RENTS OR HOLD BACK PART OF THEIR RENTS, IT TOTALLY MAKES SENSE THAT YOU HAVE TO BE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT THAT, AT LEAST AT THE ONSET, JUST SO THERE'S THE INITIAL, UM, FUNDING AND SETTING, UM, A BUILDING UP.
BUT THEN JUST OVER TIME THERE'S GONNA BE A PERIODIC NEED TO REFINANCE, RECAPITALIZE, BRING IN RESOURCES TO DO WORK.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE INVOLVED WITH IS WHEN THAT'S HAPPENING, WHEN, UH, CONDOS ARE DOING THAT OR WHEN HOMES ARE BEING SOLD AND RESIDENTS ARE GOING TO BANKS AND SAYING THEY WANNA REFINANCE THE, YOU KNOW, BRING IN RESOURCES OR IF SOMEONE'S BUYING A HOME, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT BANKS WILL LOOK AT IS THE FINANCIAL HELP OF, OF THE, THE ASSOCIATION ON BUILDING, LOOKING AT RESERVE, LOOKING AT INCOME, LOOKING AT THE BUDGET.
ARE YOU RAISING CONDO FEES? ARE THESE THINGS HAPPENING, YOU KNOW, IN A WAY THAT THAT SHOWS A HEALTHY ORGANIZATION.
I THINK WE SEE THE SAME THING WITH SOME GLOBAL EQUITY CO-OPS THAT WE'RE INVOLVED WITH.
SO I THINK IT IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, DOES BECOME MORE IMPORTANT OVER TIME ONCE YOU SET IT UP.
I MEAN, THE IDEA THAT WE TAKE WITH A LOT OF THE, THE FUNDING THAT THE CITY AND OTHER FUNDERS PUT INTO THESE BUILDINGS IS WE SUBSIDIZED 'EM UP UPFRONT CAPITAL FUND AND THEN OVER TIME EXPECT THEM TO BE SUSTAINABLE BASED UPON A MODEL THAT'S SET UP.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THE IDEA IS THAT RENTS ARE THERE TO SERVICE DEBT THAT'S, THAT'S THERE TO RUN THE BUILDING, THAT TO DO IMPROVEMENTS AND PERIODICALLY IS AN NEED TO REFINANCE.
AND WHEN THAT COMES UP, I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT THING TO LOOK AT HERE OVER TIME IN THE LIFE CYCLE OF THE BUILDING AT YEAR 15, 20 25, ARE THE RESOURCES GONNA BE THERE? HOW IS IT SET UP? WHERE ARE THE NEEDS GONNA BE? HOW DO WE MODEL THOSE AND PROJECT? 'CAUSE ULTIMATELY I THINK YOU, WE WILL WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE INITIAL FUNDING THAT'S NEEDED TO PUT FOR A SOCIAL HOUSING MODEL, BUT THEN WHAT IS THE ONGOING AND OPERATING FARMING ALL THE TIME, YOU KNOW, AND HOW DOES THAT LEVERAGE UH, UH, PRIVATE RESOURCES THAT WE MIGHT OTHERWISE EXPECT TO BE, BE COMING IN AT THOSE RECAPITALIZATION POINTS.
[01:35:02]
UM, THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT IS, UM, IF YOU'RE VETTING TENANTS, WHICH YOU HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO DO, VET THE PEOPLE WHO WANNA DEVELOP IN YOUR AREAS, FIND OUT IF THESE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TAKEN INTO CIVIL COURT OR ANYTHING ELSE.FIND OUT WHO MANAGES FOR THEM, WHAT THAT WAS LIKE.
UM, IT'S LIKE ANY OTHER EXPENSE.
YOU WANT THE BEST CAR TO MAKE SURE YOU FIND OUT WHAT CARS ARE LIKE CLAUDIA OR JOSH, ARE YOU GONNA SAY A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THE DANISH MODEL? IT SEEMS LIKE, DID THAT REFORM COME ABOUT BECAUSE THERE WERE CONCERNS THAT THERE NEEDED TO BE ADDITIONAL CHECKS IN SORT OF LOOKING AT THAT FINANCIAL HEALTH OR THE LONG-TERM DECISION MAKING? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
AND THE ARTICLE THAT CLAUDIA REFERRED TO EARLIER DOESN'T GO INTO THAT SPECIFIC DETAIL ABOUT THE IMPETUS BEHIND THOSE REFORM SO THAT IT'S INFORMATION THAT WE CAN PULL FOR YOU JUST BY GOING THROUGH THE RECORDS FROM DENMARK.
UM, SO YEAH, I DON'T WANT, I DON'T WANNA SPEAK ON ANYTHING WITHOUT THE PROPER INFORMATION ON THAT.
YEAH, IT MIGHT BE INTERESTING TO UNDERSTAND A LITTLE MORE ABOUT WHAT WAS BEHIND THE REFORM THERE.
UM, IT COULD BE, YEAH, I I, I DEFINITELY JUST IN BLOWING UP, I DO THINK IT IS USEFUL SORT OF A ANALYTICALLY JUST TO SEPARATE THIS QUESTION OF THESE SORT OF LONG-TERM, JUST LONG-TERM EXPENSES AND CAPITAL PLANNING AND CAPITAL FROM POTENTIALLY OTHER TYPES OF OTHER ELEMENTS THAT CAN BE SELF-GOVERNED THAT I THINK CAN BE MAYBE BUT STILL, WHICH WILL STILL REQUIRE HER TO A LOT OF CONVERSATION ABOUT THE RIGHT SETUP, BUT MAYBE DON'T HAVE THE SAME IMPLICATIONS FOR THE FINANCIAL MODELING.
LIKE I DO THINK SORT OF MANAGEMENT OF THE BUILDING AND DAY TO DAY MAINTENANCE CAN FIT IT INTO THAT BUCKET.
OBVIOUSLY THERE, THERE IS SOME BLEEDING OVER, BUT IT'S A LITTLE BIT, IT IS SOMEWHAT SEPARATED FROM THESE LARGER CAPITAL EXPENSES, THESE LARGER RENT SETTING DECISIONS THAT MIGHT, I THINK WE CAN BE EVEN MORE INTENTIONAL ABOUT HOW WE APPROACH THOSE.
BUT I, I JUST, WE SHOULD SEPARATE THE ISSUE, JUST PICK UP ON IT.
BUT I, I THINK THAT THEY'RE REALLY RELATED.
'CAUSE ULTIMATELY YOU NEED DECISIONS.
AND I CAN THINK OF CASES WHERE WE'VE SEEN YOU MANAGEMENT COMPANIES THAT MANAGE
THEY NEED SOMEONE TO TELL 'EM WHAT TO DO.
AND SOMETIMES THEY'RE DIFFICULT DECISIONS THAT COME WITH THAT.
AND, AND, AND YOU KNOW, TO BE FAIR, I THINK TO SUSAN'S POINT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT NECESSARILY EXPERTS IN THIS, BUT THEY'RE BEING KIND OF BROUGHT, AND MAYBE IT'S A INITIAL TRAINING OR OR SETTING THINGS UP, BUT THAT THERE ARE CA TIMES WHEN, WHEN DIFFICULT DECISIONS HAVE TO BE MADE, YOU KNOW, FROM THE WHATEVER, UH, GOVERNING BORDER CONTROL.
AND I THINK I, I AGREE WITH YOU.
I THINK THAT THERE'S A WAY TO DO IT AND FIND THE BALANCE OF FOLKS HAVE THE INPUT, SO YOU WANT THEM TO HAVE THE INPUT AND BE ABLE TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT WHEN THEY'RE NOT RIGHT.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I THINK THERE'S THIS TENSION ABOUT WHERE THE DECISIONS COME FROM, YOU KNOW, AND ULTIMATELY, YOU KNOW, INPUT VERSUS CONTROL I THINK IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO WRESTLE WITH AND FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE BALANCE OF THE RECOMMENDATION BECAUSE ULTIMATELY BOTH ARE REALLY IMPORTANT.
I'M JUST THINKING, ASSUMING THERE'S AN ELEMENT, PUBLIC OWNERSHIP AND THUS PUBLIC CONTRACTING GOING INTO THIS OF, UH, DECISION ON PROPERTY MANAGEMENT, UM, UH, SOME SORT OF PERFORMANCE STANDARDS OF TENANT SATISFACTION MIGHT BE A REALLY KEY INDICATOR TO IN THAT CONTRACTING.
AND IT, IT, IT MAKES FOR MORE COMPLICATED PROCUREMENT AND HOW DO YOU PULL OUT OF A CONTRACT THAT'S NOT WORKING OUT PUBLIC, LIKE PUBLIC CONTRACTING IS A CAN, CAN BE A REAL PAIN AND CHALLENGING.
AND SO FROM THE UPFRONT YOU'D WANNA SET UP, UM, THAT THOSE MANAGEMENT AGREEMENTS SO THAT THERE'S RECOURSE IF THERE'S NOT, IF THERE'S UNDER PERFORMANCE, IF THERE'S NOT TRANSPARENCY, UM, IN WORK ORDERS GETTING TAKEN CARE OF AND SO FORTH.
SO I THINK LIKE IT'S, IT JUST MAKES OR MORE COMPLICATED, BUT THAT POTENTIALLY THAT COULD BE A VALUABLE WAY THAT PERFORMANCE IS NOT JUST, UM, MEETING YOUR RETURN AND YOUR FEES BACK TO THE OWNER, BUT THAT YOU'VE ALSO MET THE MARK IN SOME ELEMENT OF, OF SURVEYS.
AND SO SURVEYS ITSELF DO NOT NECESSARILY CREATE EMPOWERMENT, BUT IF THAT SURVEY INFORMATION IS AFFECTING THE BUILDING MANAGEMENT COMPANY'S LONG TERM CONTRACT, THEN THAT IS A, AN EMPOWERING PROCESS.
UH, SUSAN, I THINK
[01:40:02]
AND THAT MIGHT TAKE SOME TIME GIVEN WHAT WE'RE ALL TALKING ABOUT.BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE THE FIRST LEVEL OF, OF THINGS ARE YOU THINK ABOUT ARE A, THE OWNERSHIP ENTITY, WHETHER IT'S A-A-C-D-C OR THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OR WHOEVER HAS, YOU KNOW, TENANT REPRESENTATION ON THE BOARD THEN START THINKING ABOUT IN THE BUILDING, IS THERE A, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S REALLY, BUT IT'S JUST LIKE, HOW DO YOU SORT OF BEGIN TO LAYER ON EXPERIENCES WHERE TENANTS DO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW A BUILDING RUNS AND HOW YOU GET THINGS FIXED AND WHERE ARE THE LEVERS THAT NEED TO, YOU KNOW, LEARN HOW TO PRESS BEFORE JUST SAY HERE, TELL NOW IT.
SO I THINK IT JUST AS WE GO THROUGH WHAT WE SHOULD TRY TO THINK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT HOW TO WALK INTO IT AND AT SOME POINT MAYBE IT STOPS, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW.
BUT THAT THERE IS SOME OPPORTUNITY OVER TIME TO MOVE ALONG THAT CONTINUING.
I MEAN, I WAS INTRIGUED BY WHAT WAS SORT OF SET EARLIER ABOUT, YOU KNOW, STRUCTURING A LITTLE BIT LIKE A TOWN GOVERNANCE ISSUES, GO TO TOWN, TO THE TOWN, TO THE RESIDENT COMMUNITY, CERTAIN ISSUES, GO TO CITY COUNCIL, SELECT BOARD FOR THEIR VOTE, AND, BUT THEN SOME IS HELD BY, YOU KNOW, THE EXECUTIVE, WHICH WOULD BE THE, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, A BOARD THAT WOULD HAVE SOME AMOUNT OF REPRESENTATION ON IT.
AND, AND, AND IT FEELS LIKE THERE'S SOMETHING THERE, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE REALLY INTERESTING TO KIND OF EXPLORE A LITTLE BIT MORE.
BUT THAT WAS KIND LIKE SOMETHING THAT JUMPED OUT TO ME TODAY.
BUT YEAH, SOME KIND OF LAYERED RIGHT APPROACH ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE DO THE, YOU KNOW, TO MEETING IS VERY DEMOCRATIC
AND, YOU KNOW, THE ACTIVISM AROUND THE RESIDENT COMMUNITY WAS JUST EXCEPTION.
I MEAN, THEY REALLY HELD THE HOUSING AUTHORITY ACCOUNTABLE AND REALLY WERE AT THE TABLE MAKING DECISIONS.
I CAN THINK OF, YOU KNOW, RESIDENTS THAT WASHINGTON KNOWS, UH, WHO, YOU KNOW, FOUGHT FOR THEIR, FOR THAT DEVELOPMENT TO BE REDEVELOPED REALLY PUSHED AND GONE, YOU KNOW, BE PART OF IT.
I MEAN, WE'VE ALWAYS NEGOTIATED OUR RESIDENT RELOCATION PLANS WITH OUR RESIDENTS, BUT IT'S REALLY CHANGED OVER THE, THE 40 YEARS AND TRYING TO GET PEOPLE OUT TO MEETINGS IS REALLY, I MEAN, A CHALLENGE EVEN, YOU KNOW, IN PLACES AT LIKE CORLAND PARK WHERE WE HAD TO KNOCK ON PEOPLE'S DOOR TO TELL THEM WE'RE TEAR YOUR HOME DOWN AND WE NEED TO COME OUT AND BE PART OF THE PROCESS.
AND WE STILL COULDN'T GET THEM OUT.
UM, AND, AND, AND I THINK THAT ENGAGEMENT PIECE IS REALLY, YOU KNOW, CHALLENGING.
I, I STRUGGLE EVERY DAY TRYING TO THINK ABOUT HOW DO WE KIND OF GO BACK A LITTLE BIT TO WHERE WE HAD THAT ACTIVISM AND THAT THAT, UM, ENGAGEMENT WHERE, YOU KNOW, WHERE, WHERE WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SEE, I MEAN, I ALWAYS FEEL LIKE WE MAKE OUR BEST DECISIONS.
WE HAVE, WE ARE WHEN THE
UM, BUT THEN, YOU KNOW, A RESIDENT, YOU KNOW, AT OTHER DEVELOPMENTS WHERE WE'LL DO A, YOU KNOW, THE FOLKS WILL TRY TO GET A, WELL, WE NEED A RESIDENT BUILDING COMMITTEE AND IT WILL BE SUCH A NARROW GROUP WITH SO FOCUSED ON THEIR NARROW ISSUES THAT IT'S MISSING.
REALLY THE BIGGER NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY ARE BEING TOTALLY ABSENT IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
AND SO I'VE GOTTA BE REALLY CAREFUL NOT TO MAKE A GROUP TOO NARROW THAT I'M NOT HEARING THE VOICES OF THE, OF THE MAJORITY OR OF, OF THE VOICES OF THE MINORITY WHO AREN'T MAKING IT INTO THAT SMALL THING.
IF YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU HAVE TO SIZE IT UP WITH EVERY LITTLE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OF WHERE WE NEED TO TRY TO GET IT SO THAT VOICES ACTUALLY DO COME FORWARD AND ARE HEARD AND ARE PART OF THE, THE DECISION MAKING THAT'S GOING FORWARD.
I SEE YOU'VE HAD YOUR HAND UP.
UM, IN TERMS OF RESIDENT ENGAGEMENT, UM, I THINK THAT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO HAVE RESIDENT ENGAGEMENT.
AND I THINK THE ONLY WAY THAT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE RESIDENT ENGAGEMENT IS FOR THE RESIDENTS TO BELIEVE THAT THEY WILL BE HEARD MM-HMM
UM, AND THAT WOULD COVER MANY AREAS OF, I MEAN, TALKING ABOUT CHA, THAT WOULD COVER OPERATIONS, THAT WOULD COVER, UH, THESE HOUSING,
[01:45:03]
ALL THESE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS THAT PEOPLE FEEL MINERALIZED BY.THEY DON'T FEEL THAT THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, IF THEY EXERT THEIR RIGHT TO SPEAK, THEY'RE JUST GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, IGNORED.
AND THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OR ANY HOUSING DEVELOPER HAS TO CHANGE TO CREATE A KIND OF SOCIAL HOUSING.
'CAUSE OTHERWISE PEOPLE DON'T FEEL IT'S SOCIAL.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S ONE MORE, ONE MORE WAY TO HAVE THE GOVERNMENT SPEND MONEY TO LET US LIVE.
IT'S, I'M NOT BEING CLEAR ABOUT THIS, BUT I FIND IT A VERY DIS DISCONCERTING, UM, SUBJECT AS TO HOW THE EXISTING HOUSING PROVIDERS IN CAMBRIDGE CAN MAKE THIS LEAP, I GUESS IS SORT OF THE BOTTOM LINE.
SOMETHING I'M THINKING ABOUT TOO IS SOMEONE HAD RAISED EARLIER LIKE THE POINT OF ACCOUNTABILITY AND BEING TREATED WITH DIGNITY.
AND AS WE'VE TALKED TO WHAT I'M HEARING IS LESS OF REALLY WHAT ACTUALLY RESIDENTS ARE DOING IN THE BUILDING.
LIKE ARE THEY, YOU KNOW, KNOW IN CONTROL OF X, Y, Z VERSUS FEELING LIKE THEY HAVE SOME LEVEL OF MECHANISM WHERE ONCE THEY SAY THAT SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE, IT'S ACTUALLY FOLLOWED UP ON.
AND SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I'M TAKING AWAY FROM SOME OF WHAT I'VE HEARD ON THE TENANT'S PERSPECTIVE IS LIKE, IF, IF WE'RE GONNA APPROACH HOW WE THINK ABOUT THIS LESS FROM LIKE A, HOW DO WE BUILD A MODEL THAT CAN MAKE ROOM FOR FOLKS WHO AREN'T LIKE NOT REALLY INTERESTED IN ENGAGING AND FOLKS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN ENGAGING, BUT AT THE VERY BARE MINIMUM HOW TO CREATE A MODEL THAT ACTUALLY IS RESPONSIVE TO THE NEEDS OF THE, THE BUILDING, THE RESIDENTS, THE COMMUNITY AT JUST AT THE VERY BASIS.
UM, EVEN IF IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE SPECIFIC BOARD OR A SPECIFIC X, LIKE HOW ARE WE ACTUALLY SOLVING THAT PROBLEM THAT WE'VE SEEN ACROSS ALL DIFFERENT FORMS OF HOUSING WHERE TENANTS SAY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS HAPPENING, MY MANAGEMENT, MY DEVELOPER, WHOEVER IT IS, IS JUST NOT RESPONDING TO IT.
UM, SO I'M REALLY HOLDING THAT ACCOUNTABILITY PIECE IN MIND.
AND, AND I THINK ONE OF THE, THE STRUGGLES FOR THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THE RESIDENTS IS KIND OF THE BIG BROTHER ASPECTS OF GETTING INTO EVERYBODY'S BUSINESS ON INCOME.
AND THIS HAPPENS IN TAX CREDIT PROPERTIES AS WELL WHERE, YOU KNOW, PART OF, YOU KNOW, IN THE US OUR MODEL IS 30% OF YOUR INCOME FOR RENT, WHICH MEANS, YOU KNOW, EVERY YEAR OR EVERY TWO YEARS WE'RE REALLY INTO THE, THE DETAILS OF PEOPLE'S LIVES, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S REALLY EVASIVE AND YOU KNOW, WHEN IT GETS EVEN MORE INVASIVE WHEN IT'S JUST WE HAVE TO DO IT TWO TIMES BECAUSE WE'RE DOING IT FOR PUBLIC HOUSING OR VOUCHER PROGRAM, WE'RE DOING IT FOR ALL FACT CREDITS.
AND THEN YOU COULD ALMOST THINK ABOUT IT, IF WE'RE DOING IT SOCIAL HOUSING, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE GONNA BE THE REQUIREMENTS, YOU KNOW, FOR ENTRY, YOU KNOW, AND, AND YOU KNOW, AND IF THERE'S GONNA BE LAYERS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, THIS GETS TO SOME OF THE EQUITY QUESTIONS THAT IS IT GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, FOLKS WHO ARE IN THE LOWER OR MODERATE INCOME UNITS WILL HAVE TO DO INCOME CERTIFICATIONS, BUT FOLKS WHO ARE IN THE MORE CLOSER TO MARKET OR MARKET RATE UNITS, WHAT IS, WHAT ARE THE RULES GONNA BE THERE? AND YOU KNOW, AND IF YOU MAKE RULES ON THAT HIGHER END, ARE YOU ACTUALLY GONNA SEE PEOPLE WHO ARE GONNA OPT IN AND CHOOSE TO COME INTO SOCIAL HOUSING EVEN THOUGH IT HAS OTHER WONDERFUL BREACHES OF IT THAT WOULD BE REALLY ATTRACTIVE, UM, TO DO IT.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, KISHA HAS HEARD ME SAY THIS BEFORE IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES, YOU KNOW, IF YOU ARE ATTRACTING, YOU KNOW, 40% OR 60% WHO ARE GONNA BE UPPER INCOME, WHAT, WHAT DOES THAT HOUSING LOOK LIKE? AND DOES IT HAVE A DEN TO GO WITH ITS ONE BEDROOM, UM, WHERE YOU KNOW, MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING HAS THE ONE BEDROOM NOT, YOU KNOW, AND SO THERE'S ALL THAT STUFF IS ALL LAYERED IN THERE AS WELL.
I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO HAVE PARITY.
I'VE LOOKED FOR TOO MANY BUILDINGS IN THIS AREA THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE PARITY THAT DIDN'T.
AND UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT REALLY MAKES PEOPLE FEEL VERY DEMORALIZED
[01:50:01]
REGARDLESS OF THEIR INCOME.UM, THAT JUST THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SOMEBODY MAKING A THOUSAND MORE DOLLARS, YOU KNOW, A MONTH, WHY SHOULD THEY HAVE A DONE WHEN SOMEBODY DOESN'T HAVE THAT? SHOULDN'T, UH, PEOPLE NEED ROOM AND SPACE.
AND THAT'S WHERE, YOU KNOW WHAT, UH, I JUST WANNA SAY THIS 'CAUSE I JUST HAD TO FILL OUT FORMS TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY.
I HAVE TO SAY THAT IT'S CONSIDERABLY MORE REASONABLE IN CAMBRIDGE AND CAMBRIDGE SHOULD APPLAUD THEMSELVES THAN OTHER PLACES WHERE I'VE HELPED PEOPLE FILL OUT FORMS. WE DON'T WANNA DEAL WITH INE HOUSING
THEY TRIED, WE'VE BEEN TRYING, BUT WE AT THE PERFECT PLACE.
THEY GOTTA BE THE I'M GONNA TO WILL.
UH, BUT ALSO JUST WANNA KNOW, I KNOW HONOR AND JOE, RIGHT, YOU'RE STANDING IN, UM, FOR YOUR COLLEAGUES, BUT FEEL FREE TO JUMP INTO THE DISCUSSION AS WELL.
I THINK JUST THE POINTS THAT MARGARET AND ALSO AVEGA TOM AND I THINK IT'S JUST LIKE REALLY IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT REGARDLESS OF SORT OF THIS DECISION MAKING STRUCTURE THAT WE PUT IN PLACE HERE, IT'S GONNA BE SUBJECT TO THE SAME CONSTRAINTS.
AND I THINK A LOT OF LIKE RESIDENT DISTRUST OF HOUSING MANAGEMENT CAN COME FROM NOT HAVING CLEAR, HONEST COMMUNICATION OF WHAT THOSE CONSTRAINTS ARE.
AND A LOT OF THOSE CONSTRAINTS WILL PROBABLY BE BAKED BEFORE THE PROPERTY EVEN OPENS.
TO TOM'S POINT ABOUT IF IT'S A PUBLIC ENTITY, IT'S GONNA BE SUBJECT TO PROCUREMENT RULES.
MARGARET, TO YOUR POINT, IF IT'S A LITECH PROPERTY, IT'S GONNA HAVE TO DO INCOME CERTS.
SO THERE'S, I THINK WE SHOULD MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE WHATEVER RESIDENT SORT OF ENTITY WE SET UP FOR, FOR ANY ENTITY, THEY'LL BE
LIKE FOR, FOR WHATEVER SORT OF STRUCTURE WE SET UP.
WE'RE NOT SETTING RESIDENT EXPECTATIONS THAT IT, THAT ENTITY WILL BE ANY LESS CONSTRAINED THAN SORT OF EXISTING PUBLIC ENTITIES THAT TRY TO MANAGE HOUSING.
IT CAN, IT CAN MAKE THE DECISIONS DIFFERENTLY, BUT WE'RE JUST LIKE THE PLANNING BOARD HAS TO FOLLOW CHAPTER 40 A, LIKE YOU CAN'T NO, NO, NO.
MUNICIPALITY HAS THE POWER TO DELEGATE THE ABILITY TO LIKE BREAK STATE OR FEDERAL LAWS OR PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS TO A GROUP OF RESIDENTS.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO SET UP RESIDENT GOVERNMENT GOVERNANCE FOR SUCCESS THAT WE'RE SORT OF HONEST ABOUT THAT FUTURE RESIDENTS PROPERTY FROM THE START'S A GREAT, UH, POINT TOO.
'CAUSE I THINK, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE, THAT'S WHY THAT'S A CHALLENGE AND THE THINGS FROM THE INTERNATIONAL MODELS TOO, IF THEY'RE JUST OPERATING IN A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SYSTEM THAN WE ARE AND, UH, WE NEED TO BE HONEST ABOUT THE CONSTRAINTS THAT WE'RE GONNA BE OPERATING IN AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO WORK WITHIN THOSE.
UM, I GUESS JUST ON THAT POINT, I, I REALLY LIKE THE WAY THAT THE DISCUSSION HAS SORT OF SHIFTED FROM LIKE A 30,000 FOOT VIEW OF RESIDENT GOVERNANCE IN LIKE THE DANISH CONTEXT TO LIKE WHAT'S CURRENTLY HAPPENING IN CAMBRIDGE AND BOSTON WHERE THERE ARE REAL REPLIC REPLICABLE MODELS OF RESIDENT GOVERNANCE THAT ARE PERHAPS IMPERFECT.
UM, BUT ALSO TO TRUDY'S POINT, WE HAVE REAL EXPERTS HERE IN CAMBRIDGE, STEVE MEAM, FOLKS LIKE MAC MCCRAY, UM, FORMERLY OF GBL S WHO HAVE BEEN DOING THIS WORK WHO YEARS AND YEARS, UM, AND HAVE A RICH HISTORY OF, OF THE MESSY DIFFICULT WORK OF, OF TENANT GOVERNANCE.
AND I THINK LEANING ON THEM AS EXPERTS, UM, IN THIS LOCAL CONTEXT COULD, COULD HELP PUSH THIS DISCUSSION FORWARD.
WE HAVE, SO MAY HAVE TIME FOR ONE OR TWO COMMENTS AFTER THIS.
YEAH, I'LL JUST BE REALLY QUICK.
I REALLY AGREE WITH THE LINE DESCRIBING WE JUST HAD ABOUT THE CONSTRAINTS AND ALSO RELYING ON EXPERTS.
I JUST WANTED TO PULL OUT ONE THING THAT MARGARET SAID THAT RESONATED WITH ME THAT I THINK MAYBE HAS GOTTEN A LITTLE BIT LOST, WHICH IS, UM, WE'VE BEEN FOCUSING A LOT ABOUT ON THE CHALLENGES OF, OF ACTUALIZING INDEPENDENT GOVERNANCE.
AND WE DID START AT THE BEGINNING ABOUT LIKE ALL THE PURPOSES OF TENANT GOVERNANCE FOR TENANTS.
I DO THINK THERE ARE ALSO LIKE BENEFITS OF TENANT GOVERNANCE TO THE BUILD THE BUILDING AND THE DEVELOPER THAT MARGARET, YOU KNOW, TALKED ABOUT IN TERMS OF REALLY BEING ABLE TO BRING OUT RESIDENT COMMENTS THERE THAT THEY'RE EXPERTS ON THE PLACE THEY LIVE AND, YOU KNOW, CREATING A GOOD RESIDENT GOVERNANCE FUNNEL WILL BE THAT BALANCES ALL THE THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT WILL ACTUALLY LEAD TO SUCCESS FOR THE DEVELOPER AS WELL.
AND I THINK WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT THE WAYS THAT WE CAN MAKE THAT HAPPEN, UM, IN TERMS OF SUCCESS OF THE BUILDING LONG TERM OPERATION, YOU KNOW, ALL THESE THINGS THERE, THERE'S, THERE'S KNOWLEDGE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE ABLE TO LEVERAGE BY BY HAVING TO FOLLOW ANY LAST THOUGHTS THAT A GOOD PLACE TO END? UM, THANK YOU ALL.
I THINK THIS HAS BEEN A GREAT CONVERSATION AND WE'LL TAKE ALL OF THIS BACK AND THINK ABOUT HOW WE STRUCTURE THE FOLLOW UP CONVERSATION ON PUBLIC GOVERNANCE.
UM, WE ARE HOLDING OCTOBER 28TH RIGHT NOW FOR A, UM,
[01:55:01]
OR DEVELOPMENT FINANCE 1 0 1 THAT IS CONTINGENT UPON HAVING OUR FINANCIAL CONSULTANT ON BOARD.AS HAS BEEN MENTIONED, THE PUBLIC PROCUREMENT PROCESS CAN SOMETIMES TAKE TIME
UM, WE ARE, I THINK VERY CLOSE, BUT WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO CONFIRM OUR, UH, ACTUAL SELECTION OR THAT THEY WOULD BE AVAILABLE ON THAT DATE.
SO CONTINUE TO HOLD THAT AND WE'LL BE IN TOUCH AS SOON AS WE, UH, HAVE CONFIRMATION ON THAT DATE OR NEED TO SET UP A SLIGHTLY LATER DATE AND, AND MOTION TO ADJOURN.