Hello Friends,
Commonwealth Land Trust would like to introduce you to our new Newsletter! We are excited to use this platform to share important updates and highlight positive stories throughout the year.
First things first: all gratitude to our supporters, community partners, donors, and more who have helped us in big and small ways to house and support individuals experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity throughout Greater Boston. We hope to continue to inspire you to support our work and join the conversation around supportive housing in Greater Boston!
If you are able, join in the cause by donating to our general fund today. Your support goes a long way to help us reach Greater Boston’s most vulnerable families. To donate, click here or use our QR code:
Announcements
Crawford Street Renovations Complete
In July of 2022, CLT was joined by residents, community partners, and government officials to celebrate the completion of renovations at Crawford House in Dorchester that will house twenty-three of our State’s most vulnerable residents. Special thanks to the Department of Housing and Community Development and the Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation, who funded the project.
Property Acquisition: Warren Street
Earlier this year, CLT closed on the acquisition of a new property along the Roxbury/Dorchester neighborhood line. This acquisition is in partnership with the City of Boston’s Department of Neighborhood Development. The property will allow CLT to expand its programs and provide more housing and support services to vulnerable individuals.
Renovations on the property will begin soon to ensure the quality of care is up to our standards. Be sure to follow along as we provide ongoing updates!
Vaccine Clinics
Throughout the past two years, we have been lucky to partner with several health organizations that provide on-sight COVID-19 vaccination clinics for residents, staff, and staff family members. To continue this important work, we are planning to provide outreach and linkage to Monkeypox vaccinations as they become available. CLT works with high-risk clients that face a number of physical, mental and other health challenges. This work is especially important during a public health crisis such as COVID-19, and now Monkeypox, where the vaccination of our clients and staff is all the more imperative.
Our Impact
Lawrence Harvest Party
Fall was in the air in Lawrence during the “Harvest Party” hosted by our Medical Case Managers Oscary and Anyerines. Over 20 residents came by for some delicious Dominican food, drinks, and good conversation. Shout out to Pollo Tipico for catering the food. We couldn’t recommend them more!
Our residents were excited for a chance to relax, eat food, and interact with their neighbors and CLT staff in laid-back environment. Residents are already asking when the next event will be. CLT is hoping to increase our programming to strengthen our sense of community among our residents, so be on the lookout for more events in the future!
Resident Spotlight: Marlon
Marlon Wallon, resident at one CLT’s Boston properties, has spent his life advocating and affecting positive change for the LGBTQIA+ community, immigrants, low-income individuals, those living with HIV and AIDS, and others. After moving away from his home in Trinidad at the age of 17 to New Hampshire, Marlon was thrust into an environment that was less than welcoming to a young gay man of color living with HIV. Thanks to his oration skills and desire for change, Marlon was able to find his voice fighting the very systems and interpersonal biases that were oppressing him in the US and his family back in Trinidad.
Realizing the power of using his voice, Marlon began looking beyond New Hampshire. In an attempt to find a stronger sense of community, as well as a hope to reach a greater audience with his activism, Marlon ended up moving to the Boston area. Anyone familiar with Boston knows that housing is hard to come by, especially at affordable rates. The unaffordability of Marlon’s new city left him unhoused and more vulnerable than ever. Eventually, Marlon found stable housing with CLT in 2007 and has lived with us ever since, building what he calls “a sense of community” and hope with his fellow residents and neighbors.
Being stably housed at CLT has allowed Marlon to remain healthy and focused on building a life of advocacy and social justice. As a result, Marlon landed a speaking part at the United Nations’ 2016 International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, where he spoke about his life and the Global North’s exploitation of other countries, like his home of Trinidad, for labor and resources. This exploitation was a major reason he immigrated to the US in the ‘80s. Today, Marlon’s activism continues as he hopes to bridge the relations between the younger LGBTQIA+ community and their elders to ensure their history, culture, and memories are passed down for generations to come.
Marlon is such a positive asset to CLT housing and we look forward to his bright future!
RAB Meetings: South End
Ever since she started in June of 2021, CLT’s Senior Medical Case Manager, Lucianaga has made it her mission to ensure regularly scheduled programming for the residents of our South End units. This includes a post-COVID relaunch of our Resident Advisory Board (RAB).
As part of CLT’s mission, we set aside many units for individuals living with HIV. Treatment and prevention surrounding HIV has improved significantly over the years, yet stigma surrounding this infection continues to negatively impact those living with HIV.
To tackle the stigma and begin a conversation to improve residents’ outlooks on HIV, Lucianaga brought in speakers to educate residents on available medication and prevention measures for HIV, such as PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) and the facts about how one can live a happy and healthy life while living with HIV today while being undetectable and untransmittable, thanks to modern medicine.
We’ve heard feedback from residents attending these sessions that they are learning a lot and excited for continued programming. Moreover, residents have said they enjoy the meetings as a chance to relax and socialize with their neighbors. Thank you for your hard work educating and increasing our sense of community, Lucianaga!
Follow us on social media to keep up to date on CLT events like this and more.
Apply for Housing!
If you would like to learn more about our housing opportunities, please review our property descriptions and contact our Outreach and Housing Navigation Program Manager, Lynette Rivera if you would like to meet for a housing assessment, intake, or tour of our properties.
Lynette Rivera: lrivera@commonwealthlandtrust.org or (857) 316-8250