Posted on May 31, 2024
WORCESTER -- Each year MHP honors individuals and communities for their hard work and unwavering commitment to supporting and furthering affordable housing. Four honorees have been selected to receive this year’s Housing Hero award. MHP will recognize the recipients on day 2 of its Housing Institute training conference on June 13 in Worcester.
Greg Reibman, President and CEO of the Charles River Regional Chamber has become known as the voice that people will listen to. He has built an exceptional level of support for housing, especially in the business community. He’s been a strong voice, building the case for communities to take action to comply with Section 3A of the Zoning Act. A community organizer at heart, he has utilized his background in digital, print and broadcast media to help tell the story of why it’s important to allow room for growth in the state’s MBTA communities. Reibman’s efforts and relationships with news organizations, business groups and elected leaders have brought a range of individuals and groups on board to build the local case for housing more broadly in Newton, Needham, Watertown and Wellesley and throughout the Greater Boston.
The Town of Brewster is being recognized for its longstanding, dedicated efforts to increase the supply of affordable housing in the town and local community. The town has leveraged numerous tools to make this happen—an active municipal affordable housing trust, a current housing production plan, leveraging Community Preservation Act funds, a local housing partnership and incredibly dedicated municipal staff who work tirelessly to help create safe homes in the community.
Meredith Boericke, Braintree town councilor is a one-person powerhouse, championing housing in a community that has not necessarily supported it. She is an advocate for new development that will increase housing options in the town. Boericke has been outspoken in her support for complying with Section 3A of the Zoning Act and has highlighted the positive impact the zoning update could have on helping increase the economic vitality of Braintree. She used two MHP data tools to make her case. She used Residensity to find examples of multifamily properties that were more than 15 units per acre. She used DataTown to show voters that contrary to their view of a building boom, Braintree’s housing production has dipped considerably through the years.
Abundant Housing Massachusetts (AHMA) has worked tirelessly and consistently to help strengthen the impact of local housing advocates on state housing policies. The relationships AHMA’s network has fostered since its founding in 2020, have helped build strong and active support for the work of housing advocacy groups across the commonwealth. In turn, these groups help advocate for better housing policies at the state and federal levels. AHMA’s partnership with MHP in assisting MBTA communities achieve compliance with Section 3A of the Zoning Act has been crucial in addressing the housing shortage.
MHP hosted a ceremony and luncheon honoring the housing heroes on the second day of the Housing Institute, Thursday, June 13, 2024, at 11:45 a.m. at the AC Hotel, 125 Front Street, Worcester. Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities, Edward Augustus presented the awards. Read about the previous recipients
For more information contact MHP Communications Manager Lisa Braxton at lbraxton@mhp.net or at (857) 301-1526.