Housing Coalition Receives CHAPA’s Community Engagement Award

Affordable housing nonprofit Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA) honored Revere advocacy group, Revere Housing Coalition (RHC), with CHAPA’s Community Engagement Award at their 55th Annual Dinner on October 13th, recognizing the critical role the group has played in creating more local affordable housing opportunities.

Formed in the winter of 2020 with assistance from the CHAPA’s Municipal Engagement Initiative (MEI), RHC has worked to advance affordable housing goals in Revere, including the creation of the city’s first Office of Housing Stability and its first Affordable Housing Trust Fund. They also worked to increase the demographic diversity on the Trust Board. In 2022, their focus was working on the development and adoption of Revere’s first Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance.

In her acceptance speech, Claudia Cen noted that, “too many people are being displaced due rent increases while our City has no plan to create affordable housing. It has become impossible to afford to live in Revere”, Cen said.

Also accepting the award on behalf of RHC, Lor Holmes stated that a resident-led coalition is crucial to their success. “Accessible, affordable housing should be a human right,” Holmes said. “We will continue to work to ensure we preserve our diverse and inclusive community by increasing affordable rental and home ownership opportunities in Revere.

CHAPA’s Municipal Engagement team, Dana LeWinter, Whitney Demetrius, and Lily Linke, presented the award to RHC. In her remarks, LeWinter said, “If this is the first time you are hearing about the Revere Housing Coalition, take a good look at this table of fearless advocates and community leaders, because you will all be learning a lot from them in the coming years. I know we have.”

Other awardees at CHAPA’s Annual Dinner included Outstanding Impact Award winner, Chrystal Kornegay, executive director of MassHousing; Emerging Leader Award winner, Etel Haxhiaj, director of public education and advocacy of Central Massachusetts Housing Alliance and Worcester City Councilor; and Policy Leadership Award winners, R Feynman, senior community organizer of the Disability Policy Consortium, and Shaya French, senior community organizer of Boston Center for Independent Living. Over 1,200 guests gathered at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center to celebrate the affordable housing community’s work in 2022 and to honor the awardees.

Learn more about Revere Housing Coalition online at https://linktr.ee/reverehousingcoalition