With the welcoming of two new regional organizers leading to exciting growth in our organizing capacity, AHMA is pleased to announce initial communities of focus for our statewide MBTA Organizing & Education work. Our initial targeted communities allow AHMA the opportunity to strengthen and grow pro-housing leadership and local organizations, implement ambitious grassroots organizing techniques in a wide variety of communities and gain early wins on compliance within rapid transit communities.
AHMA will be working in the following Rapid Transit Communities to be in compliance by December 2023: Brookline, Cambridge, Malden, Medford, Milton, and Somerville.
AHMA will also be working in the following Commuter Rail & Adjacent Communities to be in compliance by 2024 and 2025 respectively: Arlington, Belmont, Franklin, Gloucester, Lawrence, Norwood, Reading, Waltham, Watertown, and Worcester.
As the only statewide pro-housing grassroots focused network, AHMA is embarking on this statewide campaign in local towns and cities with the following goals:
- Build public understanding of the benefits of multi-family housing
- Build public understanding of the history of exclusionary zoning
- Support municipal compliance with the MBTA Communities law
- Expand grassroots pro-housing organizing infrastructure
Grassroots campaigns will be co-created with local advocates and pro-housing organizations in these communities of focus and range from full campaigns to lighter educational initiatives.
Organizing tactics and primary activities may include canvassing, network-building mobilizations, educational forums and celebrations. Local advocates will receive direct training and support from the AHMA organizing team in the areas of communication and public relations messaging in media, persuasion strategy, and effective advocacy. As these local initiatives progress, targeted communities may shift and new communities added in pursuit of these goals. Additionally, AHMA will provide ongoing asynchronous resources and events for all pro housing advocates across the state.
Members of the AHMA network who live in our sixteen initial communities of focus, and who are interested in getting involved are encouraged to email [email protected]