Lynne Sweet for Brookline Housing Authority
VOTE FOR LYNNE FOR BHA ON TUESDAY, MAY 7, 2024
Check out Lynne’s interview with State Representative Tommy Vitolo. Click here
About Lynne
I am Lynne Sweet, and I am excited to run for a seat on the Board of Commissioners of the Brookline Housing Authority. I am motivated to run because I have family members reliant on public housing. We are one illness, one job loss or one family tragedy away from being housing insecure, if not already there. I believe that everyone has a right to quality, safe and affordable housing. I have dedicated my professional life to creating and preserving housing and am committed to community service in my personal life.
The BHA owns and manages 1,000 units of public housing and administers 1,500 mobile vouchers in Brookline. It has a staff of 50 people. It houses some of the most vulnerable populations in housing and is heavily reliant on millions of dollars of local, state and federal government funding to maintain their buildings. I believe I would be a good steward of those funds given the number of large construction projects that are facing the BHA, the need to raise funds and create initiatives for increasing resident servicers and creating more transparency.
My professional and personal background have prepared me to bring new ideas, energy, and resources to the BHA as it continues to grow and preserve its housing portfolio; and expand its support and services to residents. The company I founded 25 years ago has contributed to the creation and preservation of thousands of affordable housing units in New England. I am not only a problem identifier, I am a problem solver. I hope to earn your support for this important and challenging position and that you will vote for me on Tuesday May 7, 2024.
My Approach
The BHA is a complex organization serving a large vulnerable population that is doing a great job despite today’s challenging funding environment and complex resident needs. I will approach this challenge as I do with any other professional assignment:
Meet and listen to staff and colleagues on the board
Tour buildings and meet and listen to residents
Research best practices at other housing authorities
Provide support, collaborate on solutions and provide informed recommendations
Priorities
I understand that many of the challenges facing the Brookline Housing Authority are centered around the growth of the organization, funding challenges and the needs of a changing population. I commit to helping the Brookline Housing Authority to work on solutions for:
- Capital needs
- Continue to support efforts to pass the Housing Bond Bill which can provide critical funding to the BHA by:
- Increasing the bond cap is critical to funding LIHTC Projects
- Increase funding for operations and capital improvements of the legacy state public housing buildings, which are all family public housing.
- Identifying additional sources of funding
- Walnut Street and High Street Federal family housing
- Continue to support efforts to pass the Housing Bond Bill which can provide critical funding to the BHA by:
- Changing staffing needs of the BHA. The BHA is not just a public housing authority, it has a low-income housing tax credit portfolio that requires different oversight and reporting.
- Resident service needs and communication
- Resident Safety and accessibility
- Healthy humans, healthy homes and climate resiliency
- Increasing diversity in hiring third party vendors
- Expanding housing opportunities including identifying and reviewing new locations for affordable housing and responsible design
Initiatives
- Identify grants and partnerships for both brick and mortar and service improvements
- Examples: Discount MBTA passes, discount blue bikes, discount broad band, partner with the Second Step
- Increase family self-sufficiency program to help improve generational wealth building and movement to independence
- Example: Early mentoring and college preparation
- Invest in Health
- Examples: Expand food bank efforts, partner with thrive, teaching nutrition, healthy cooking, create an urban farm, expand indoor and outdoor recreational spaces through a grant from Brookline Open Space, examine funding from MassClimate Bank
“Home is my peace, my serenity. Home should be my one safe space in this world. Without a home, I can do nothing. The base for life is our home.” Author unknown
