Landlord Monty Gold and Turtle Swamp Brewery filed a lawsuit to stop the building of 38 units of senior housing.
WHEN: Saturday, September 18th, 11am
WHERE: 3377 Washington st, Jamaica Plain MA 02130
WHAT: Rally led by Mass Senior Action Council, City Life Vida Urbana (CLVU), and Jamaica Plain residents to stand up for senior housing threatened by 2 lawsuits by landlord Monty Gold and Turtle Swamp Brewing
CONTACT: Helen “Homefries” Matthews, City Life/Vida Urbana, 617-784-1731 or Alex Ponte 617-669-1994
VISUALS: Intergenerational multi-racial crowd of 75+ Boston residents rallying energetically to denounce the 2 lawsuits preventing the construction of new senior affordable housing.
Why: After several years of community organizing that enabled the Jamaica Plain Development Cooperation (JPNDC), to purchase land at 3371 Washington Street. JPNDC’s plan for 38 low-income senior units is now jeopardized by 2 lawsuits from abutting businesses.
The affordable housing proposal also includes a plan to stabilize the 30-year-old Dominican restaurant El Embajador, a favorite of many area residents. El Embajador was at risk of facing eviction was prevented by a 4-year community fight.
Turtle Swamp Brewing and Monty Gold filed lawsuits last spring that impose an existential threat to the proposed plan for the 38 affordable units for seniors in a neighborhood where the number of elders is growing.
City Life Vida Urbana and Mass Senior Action launched a petition last spring, urging Gold and Turtle Swamp to drop the lawsuits. The petition spread like wildfire and quickly garnered over 1,5000 signatures. Monty Gold is the same person who filed a lawsuit last year against Pine Street Inn for its proposal for transitional housing in Jamaica Plain. On Friday, September 10th, The Jamaica Plain Gazette published a full-page ad with a public letter written by CLVU and Mass Senior action, signed by dozens of local Jamaica Plain residents. The efforts to Stand up for Senior Housing will continue on Saturday with a rally from Mass Senior Action Council and CLVU.
Shira Laucharoen is a reporter based in Boston. She currently serves as the assistant director of the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism. In the past she has written for Sampan newspaper, The Somerville Times, Scout Magazine, Boston Magazine, and WBUR.
