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Community center approved for Prospect Terrace public housing development
by Holly Leighton
News | 11/20/07
Posted online at 9:46 PM EST on 11/19/07
/ Last updated at 2:29 AM EST on 11/19/07
The Waltham Housing Authority has agreed to organize a community center for Prospect Terrace, a low-income public housing community off of Prospect Hill Road. Brandeis students and faculty, including members of the University's community engaged learning initiative, have helped advocate for the center and will be involved in various projects that occur there.
The final decision came as a result of a petition signed by 47 tenants.
After a meeting with Housing Authority officials, members of Tenants Organizing to Reform Community Housing and outside contributors were told that on Dec. 1 a temporary center would open in a vacant apartment in Prospect, according to an e-mail to the Justice from Prof. Mark Auslander (ANTH), academic director of community engaged learning, a campuswide effort to bring Waltham residents to campus events and Brandeis students and faculty to Waltham community programs.
The plan also states that a temporary center will open in December 2008 after renovations on a larger building in the complex.
Although the tenants are given the right to have a community center by the Housing Authority, the funding for such a project is not guaranteed, Auslander wrote. Funds for the new center will come through fundraising, and organizers are also hopeful for donations and grants from outside groups.
"We will definitely be doing bake sales and anything else we can do to help raise money," Auslander wrote.
Director of Community Service Diane Hannan said that there has been a relationship with Prospect Terrace since 1966. Since then, Brandeis students have worked with tenants to help advocate for housing rights and helped establish the original community center that was replaced by a day care center about 15 years ago. The day care was closed down a year ago because of staff shortages.
"Once the day care left, all the pieces started to fit together," Hannan said, referring to the vacant spot available, and the tenants' petition. She said one of Prof. Laura Goldin's (ENVS) classes began to work with the community, and a number of Brandeis faculty worked with the tenants to petition the Housing Authority to promise a community center.
The final decision came as a result of a petition signed by 47 tenants.
After a meeting with Housing Authority officials, members of Tenants Organizing to Reform Community Housing and outside contributors were told that on Dec. 1 a temporary center would open in a vacant apartment in Prospect, according to an e-mail to the Justice from Prof. Mark Auslander (ANTH), academic director of community engaged learning, a campuswide effort to bring Waltham residents to campus events and Brandeis students and faculty to Waltham community programs.
The plan also states that a temporary center will open in December 2008 after renovations on a larger building in the complex.
Although the tenants are given the right to have a community center by the Housing Authority, the funding for such a project is not guaranteed, Auslander wrote. Funds for the new center will come through fundraising, and organizers are also hopeful for donations and grants from outside groups.
"We will definitely be doing bake sales and anything else we can do to help raise money," Auslander wrote.
Director of Community Service Diane Hannan said that there has been a relationship with Prospect Terrace since 1966. Since then, Brandeis students have worked with tenants to help advocate for housing rights and helped establish the original community center that was replaced by a day care center about 15 years ago. The day care was closed down a year ago because of staff shortages.
"Once the day care left, all the pieces started to fit together," Hannan said, referring to the vacant spot available, and the tenants' petition. She said one of Prof. Laura Goldin's (ENVS) classes began to work with the community, and a number of Brandeis faculty worked with the tenants to petition the Housing Authority to promise a community center.
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Mark Auslander
posted 11/20/07 @ 5:18 AM EST
I'm pleased that The Justice has written an article about this important development at Prospect Hill Terrace. But it is very disappointing to see that Professor Ellen Schattschneider and her class Anthropology of Gender (Anth 144) are not credited. (Continued…)
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