General Education Resources

Many of the following resources include information about affordable housing. Others are examples of the work that is being done in this field and would help people learn more about affordable housing issues. The following resources can serve as the basis of discussion in a group of adults or mature teens, while a teacher of younger students could also use this material to form a lesson plan. To borrow resources from our collection, please contact the JCRC at tzedekresources@jcrcboston.org or 617-457-8640.

Affordable Housing In Massachussetts

Citizens' Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA) serves as an umbrella organization for all the parties involved with affordable housing and community development throughout Massachusetts. The CHAPA website can be found at http://www.chapa.org.
The City of Boston’s Department of Neighborhood Development provides information about the city’s plans for affordable housing and neighborhood development. This information is available at http://www.cityofboston.gov/dnd/1_Hsg.asp.
End of the Line: A Wake-Up Call for Affordable Housing is a 9-minute video on the severe affordable housing crisis in Fall River, MA. For more information, contact Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless at 617-737-3508. The Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless website can be found at http://www.mahomeless.org/.
The Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance is a non-profit that aims to increase public and private sector investment in affordable housing. They organize grassroots campaigns, conduct research and provide education for first time home-buyers. The Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance website can be found at http://www.mahahome.org/.
Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporation, a privately owned consortium of banks pool capital and share risk in providing supplemental financing to small businesses that otherwise would not have access to growth capital. Many community development corporations in Massachusetts focus on building affordable housing. For more information on these organizations, see the community economic development section of this website, or go to http://www.macdc.org.
The Massachusetts Housing Partnership Fund (MHP) is a state agency that works to support the development of low-income housing and assist tenants and landlords. The Massachusetts Housing Partnership Fund (MHP) website can be found at http://www.mhpfund.com.

Affordable Housing In The U.S.

Just Neighbors: Helping Communities of Faith Serve Families in Need is a set of nine 1 hour workshops addressing topics such as the affordable housing crisis and the changing nature of low-wage employment. These materials are produced by the National Interfaith Hospitality Network and can be ordered by going to http://www.nihn.org or calling 908-273-1100.
The National Housing Institute is a research organization focused on housing and community issues. Findings are collected in Shelterforce, a journal that serves as forum for community organizers, activists and advocates. Articles are very specific, and the site allows users to search by topic. http://www.nhi.org
The National Low Income Housing Coalition educates, organizes and advocates for the end of the affordable housing shortage. Its website has educational materials that focus on low-income housing issues. http://www.nlihc.org
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has extensive articles, press releases and fact sheets relating to the topic of affordable housing. There are also materials specifically geared toward faith-based organizations. http://www.hud.gov