Caritas adds context for issues at Central House around pest control, food access and client help
Thank you for covering an important topic concerning the challenges of providing safe, dignified housing for very-low-income and formerly homeless people (“Refuges suffer burst sewage and infestations, complications of keeping people off the street,” May 16). We would like to respond to some of the material to correct the record and provide additional context.
Pest control: Caritas contracts with a pest control company to provide treatment to all common areas of the building on a weekly basis and provide treatment in units more often upon request. We encourage residents to tell management of any pest issues and respond promptly to those requests. Central House at 820 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, is clean and well-maintained.
Case management: Caritas Communities is a mission-based housing provider that has worked toward preventing homelessness in Greater Boston since 1985. The property at 820 Massachusetts Ave. provides permanent supportive housing for 128 previously homeless men. More than 100 of the units are reserved for local social service and housing placement organizations who provide case management services for their client residents. With grant support from the City of Cambridge, Caritas provides one full-time, on-site case manager to help residents who do not have partner-provided case managers and provide service coordination.
Food access: Caritas leadership agrees that access to a kitchen would allow for healthier and more economical eating for our residents. When 820 Massachusetts Ave. was renovated with public support, the prevailing sentiment was that priority should be on maximizing the number of units in the property to get people off the street and into a safe home, which did not allow for kitchen facilities. Public policy has evolved, and subsequent development projects have opted for a slightly reduced number of efficiency units with private baths and kitchenettes. We are thankful for local partners such as Lovin’ Spoonfuls and others who help increase residents’ access to fresh, healthy food. We are engaging with the city to find solutions to this challenge for our residents.
Our staff met recently with councillors Marc McGovern and Quinton Zondervan about the financial challenges Caritas has at 820 Massachusetts Ave., since the current rental income cannot support the building’s finances. Caritas raises significant philanthropic support to sustain the housing and services we provide at that site, but more help is needed. We are encouraged by our conversations with the councillors and look forward to working in partnership with the city to continue to provide critically needed permanent supportive housing to our most vulnerable citizens.
Karin Cassel Mitterando
The writer is executive director of Caritas Communities
Peace Be Unto You
Hello Cambridge, I’m Hasson Rashid, I have been residing at Central House for nearly 22 years. I remember when Caritas took control of Central House, around 2008. It engineered and instituted much needed repairs and renovations, to Central House, the residential section of the Cambridge YMCA. Also, I remember that former Cambridge Mayor and current City Council woman, Denise Simmons use to come and visit, with the Central House residents, often sponsoring Ice Cream social, and a variety of residents related activities. Karin Cassel Mitterando showed up at Central House several weeks ago for a meeting with residents concerning rent payments. I and about 38 Cambridge Housing Authority federally subsidized people reside at Central House, plus approximately another 100 residents, that was at the last time I checked.
Ms. Mitterando presence that day at Central House was the first time since the beginning of the 2008 repairs and renovations, took place, that anyone from Caritas Came to speak with the collective body of residents at central House. The last Caritas Leader to do so was Mr. Mark Winkler. The last time I saw him was at the 2015 Charette on Homelessness, held in Cambridge at the Sheridon Hotel, in which he was one of the featured guest. I know from personal experience, that her recent visit to meet and speak, with residents was the first time someone from Caritas came out to speak with the collective body of Central House Residents since around 2008.
At that time I was a board member of the Alliance of Cambridge Tenants (ACT). We at ACT was having a terrible time with Caritas in respecting residents rights to organize a Tenant Council, etc., at that time Caritas leadership promised us much at Central House, things that yet still have to be secured.
Currently, ACT is in the process of reorganizing an expired Board of Directors (BOD) with a new BOD election, in which I’m a Candidate with hopes of gaining a seat on the new Alliance of Cambridge’s Tenants (BOD). The new or interim Central House Management team gave me its word that ACT, nor the Central House residents would have no difficulties from it in respecting residents right in the future.
I’m glad she came and exposed herself to the collective body of Central House residents, hopefully, it may means that Caritas will start taking up more of its valuable time with residents at Central House.
Finally, I like to ask, how many resident/ tenant organization exist among the Caritas umbrella of Single Room Occupancy (SRO) properties? This has always perplexed my mind about Caritas INC.
Yours in Peace
Hasson Rashid
Deeply Concerned Citizen
Board Member of the National Low Income Housing Council (NLIHC).
Board Member of the New England Organization Of Human Service (NEOHS).
Member of the Lesley University Alumni Council(LUAC).
Current Board of Director Candidate Alliance of Cambridge Tenants (ACT).
Former Board Member CCTV Cambridge,MA.