Oct. 21 Interfaith meeting topic: Affordable Housing

Friends,

Since devastating flooding from Tropical Storm Irene hit the Spruces mobile home park in Williamstown, the topic of affordable housing has come to the forefront in our area.

The Northern Berkshire Interfaith Action Initiative (NBIAI) will host a forum on this topic with the Citizens Housing and Planning Association from Boston. It willl be held on Friday, Oct. 21, at 10 a.m., at the First Baptist Church of North Adams (use Eagle Street entrance). All are welcome to come and discuss the next steps in advancing various affordable housing initiatives. Share your ideas on how affordable housing and community development should be shaped for the rest of 2011 and beyond.

This meeting was originally planned to be held in May but had to be cancelled due to unforseen circumstances.

Here is information that Carol Marine, of CHAPA, has sent out to us about the discussion:

Affordable Housing In Your Community: 2011 and Beyond

Dear Affordable Housing Supporter:

The No on 2 Campaign resulted in a decisive “win” for affordable housing at the ballot last November, and Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA) is building on that momentum and grassroots support throughout the Commonwealth. Many of you have asked us to convene a series of meetings to discuss next steps in advancing various affordable housing initiatives; we are confident our efforts to create affordable housing can continue in new and exciting ways!

Please join us to add your voice to the discussion. Vision starts with citizens in each and every community. Come share your ideas on how affordable housing and community development should be shaped in 2011 and beyond…

The agenda will include:

a.What is happening in your community and your region?

b.How can we advance affordable housing initiatives at the local level?

c.How can we advance affordable housing policy at the state level?

To date, we have held 13 meetings across the Commonwealth. We are delighted that the Northern Berkshire Interfaith Action Initiative and the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition are hosting our next (and final) regional meeting on Friday October 21, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. at the First Baptist Church at 131 Main Street on the corner of Church and Main Streets in North Adams. We hope you will attend and contribute your views on furthering affordable housing in Berkshire County.

For any questions, contact Mark Rondeau at the Northern Berkshire Interfaith Action Initiative at markrondeau@earthlink.net. No need to call ahead, just come to the meeting!

So please come join us discuss an issue that will continue to loom large even after the immediate crisis faced by so many of the residents of the Spruces in Williamstown is met.

God Bless,

Mark Rondeau

Co-Organizer

Northern Berkshire Interfaith Action Initiative