HRI

The 2025 HRI Scholarship Application is NOW OPEN! The HRI Scholarship Fund was established in 2008 to provide financial assistance to residents of all HRI owned properties who are pursuing higher education. Scholarship applicants are eligible to receive assistance for the full term of their education at a two or four year accredited, degree-awarding institution or accredited trade, job training program or other professional development programs. Deadline: May 23, 2025 Apply Now: https://bit.ly/HRI2025app Don’t miss this opportunity to invest in your future. Apply today and take a step closer to achieving your dreams! #ScholarshipOpportunity #ApplyNow #SupportEducation #Scholarship2025 #FutureLeaders #CambridgeHousing #CityofCambridge

Happy Valentine’s Day to all our wonderful residents and community! This past week was filled with love, laughter and special moments. Wishing you all a day as wonderful as you are! #HappyValentinesDay #CommunityLove

We’re proud to be a link in the #MKIChainOfChange. Inspired by the wisdom of the late Mel King, we've launched a book group with our staff to learn, grow, and carry forward his powerful lessons on community, equity, and transformation. Here’s a powerful poem by Mel King : “Thoughts on a Dream Deferred the dream is in the process and not the outcome it is found in the struggle for peace and not in achieving it in the working of the artist and not in the creation in the sun’s rays and not the sun in the belief we can” – Mel King

Reflecting on an Incredible 2024 & Looking Ahead to 2025! What a year it's been! From festive gatherings and transformative community initiatives to unforgettable moments with the amazing residents of Cambridge, 2024 has been nothing short of inspiring. The community’s energy, joy, and spirit made every event and initiative truly special. As we reflect on a year of growth, connection, and impact, we’re filled with gratitude for all the memories created and the strides we’ve made together. Whether it was celebrating the holidays, sharing inspiring events, or building meaningful relationships, 2024 has left us with memories to last a lifetime. As 2025 unfolds, we’re excited to continue celebrating, learning, and creating even more fun and impactful moments with all of you. Here’s to another year of building memories and strengthening our community! #NewYear2025 #CommunityCelebrations #BuildingMemories #YearInReview #LookingAhead #CityofCambridge #CambridgeHousing

Empowering Our Team for a Stronger Community! In November, our team had the incredible opportunity to travel to Baltimore for the Community Leadership Institute hosted by NeighborWorks America. We joined community leaders from all over the country to learn about the best practices in community organizing and how to create lasting change. The experience was both inspiring and empowering, and we returned to Cambridge filled with fresh ideas and energy to continue our work. We can't wait to put our new knowledge into action as we move into 2025! We’re especially excited about our 2025 community project: Locally led Brave Spaces. Stay tuned for more updates on upcoming sessions and workshops. Learn more about our work at: https://lnkd.in/gQniKQYm #CommunityLeadership #BraveSpaces #CommunityOrganizing #NeighborWorksAmerica #Empowerment #Teamwork #LeadershipInstitute #StrongerTogether #MakingADifference

As we look forward to our work in 2025, we want to celebrate what we accomplished in 2024. One highlight in November was our 35 Harvey Street Ribbon Cutting, which celebrated the completion of this 12-unit supportive housing project. Thank you to our speakers, including Cambridge Mayor Denise Simmons, Roger Herzog (CEDAC), Bronia Clifton (Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities), Senator Pat Jehlen, and Representative David Rogers. HRI recognizes how unique this project is in its scale and the type of housing provided; small, supportive housing properties are not HRI's typical buildings. However, this renovation became a high priority during the COVID-19 pandemic, when we assumed management of 35 Harvey and realized that the shared bathrooms on each floor and an outdated HVAC system could pose a risk to resident health. In October 2023, working with our architect, The Narrow Gate Architecture, and general contractor, Haycon, we embarked on a near-gut retrofit of the building. The scope included new floors, siding, insulation, and windows, as well as roof renovation. Our team also restored historic features of the building such as the Palladian window on the second floor. This renovation transformed a former boarding house with shared amenities into 12 “enhanced” single-resident occupancy (SRO) units. All rooms now have their own bathrooms and kitchenettes, and the building is equipped with new electric heat pumps that residents can control through their individual units. In addition to the physical renovation of the property, we have partnered with Heading Home, whose staff will provide supportive services to residents, many of whom have experienced homelessness. Our funders made this project possible. Thank you to the Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation (CEDAC), the City of Cambridge, the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, and the Cambridge Historical Commission, as well as our project partners at the Cambridge Housing Authority. We were thrilled to welcome residents back home before the new year! #affordablehousing #supportivehousing #housingpreservation #historicpreservation #renovation #cityofcambridge #communitydevelopment #CDCsWork

As we look forward to our work in 2025, we want to celebrate what we accomplished in 2024. One highlight in November was our 35 Harvey Street Ribbon Cutting, which celebrated the completion of this 12-unit supportive housing project. Thank you to our speakers, including Cambridge Mayor Denise Simmons, Roger Herzog (CEDAC), Bronia Clifton (Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities), Senator Pat Jehlen, and Representative David Rogers. HRI recognizes how unique this project is in its scale and the type of housing provided; small, supportive housing properties are not HRI's typical buildings. However, this renovation became a high priority during the COVID-19 pandemic, when we assumed management of 35 Harvey and realized that the shared bathrooms on each floor and an outdated HVAC system could pose a risk to resident health. In October 2023, working with our architect, The Narrow Gate Architecture, and general contractor, Haycon, we embarked on a near-gut retrofit of the building. The scope included new floors, siding, insulation, and windows, as well as roof renovation. Our team also restored historic features of the building such as the Palladian window on the second floor. This renovation transformed a former boarding house with shared amenities into 12 “enhanced” single-resident occupancy (SRO) units. All rooms now have their own bathrooms and kitchenettes, and the building is equipped with new electric heat pumps that residents can control through their individual units. In addition to the physical renovation of the property, we have partnered with Heading Home, whose staff will provide supportive services to residents, many of whom have experienced homelessness. Our funders made this project possible. Thank you to the Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation (CEDAC), the City of Cambridge, the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, and the Cambridge Historical Commission, as well as our project partners at the Cambridge Housing Authority. We were thrilled to welcome residents back home before the new year! #affordablehousing #supportivehousing #housingpreservation #historicpreservation #renovation #cityofcambridge #communitydevelopment #CDCsWork

Last week, our Executive Director Sara Barcan joined an expert panel at Massachusetts Community Climate Bank’s Climate Week Celebration. Following remarks by Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll and Climate Chief Melissa Hoffer, Sara and her fellow panelists Claire Kramer Mills, Maria Belen Power, Kelsey Read and Eva Rosenbloom addressed the urgent need for an equitable approach to decarbonize affordable housing in Massachusetts. As HRI works on its first MCCB project, the 116-unit Inman Square Apartments, we’ve identified three challenges to equitable distribution of climate resources for affordable housing: Cost, Coordination, and early Capital. Cost: Decarbonization resources will help us pay for HVAC, windows, cladding, but our older buildings need so much more, from plumbing to unit upgrades. With volume cap scarce, we need to find resources to make these much-needed improvements for our residents. Coordination: Climate resources come from multiple pots of money at various state agencies. We need a clearinghouse for this information and a single application, much like EOHLC’s One Stop for affordable housing development. Early Capital: Pre-development work is expensive. Small non-profits and emerging developers need affordable predevelopment funds and technical assistance to access climate resources for their projects. Thanks to Maggie Super Church and the MCCB team for convening so many housers and decarbonization experts. HRI looks forward to more collaboration as we move Inman Apartments forward.

Thank you to everyone who worked to make this historic housing legislation a reality. HRI's Sara Barcan was thrilled to be present for the signing of the Affordable Homes Act this morning at 2Life Communities.

HRI's summer newsletter is here! Check out our new website, learn about upcoming Passive House construction projects, and read about how we are using solar to make sure residents benefit from sustainable technology investments! https://lnkd.in/eS_tCPEy