GLTS Students Honored at Building the Dream Celebration

Andover Community Trust celebrated its annual Build The Dream on Thursday June 17. For the second year, the festivities were hosted online and featured a signature cocktail sponsored by Andover Classic Wines.

New board member and soon-to-be ACT homeowner Yajhayra Santana, joined the 14-member all-volunteer board.

“Having homeowners on the Board gives them a direct voice in how ACT functions and allows for a shared vision of the organization,”

said Denise Johnson, ACT Executive Director.

The Greater Lawrence Technical School student builders were honored as the recipients of the Opening Doors to Affordable Housing Award. Three students spoke on their experience working with ACT and thanked ACT for the partnership. Francesca, a student in electrical, noted that building a home for a family greatly increased her confidence in her work skills. Scarlett, a junior in carpentry, shared how she belongs to South Church and has been watching the progress on the Lupine Road homes, “waiting in anticipation for my junior year when I could build.” Nearly 150 students have worked on the Lupine Road site.

The keynote speaker Andy X. Vargas, State Representative from Haverhill, arrived via Zoom to share his personal reflection on the value of affordable housing in his life along with the legislation he is supporting to promote greater access to housing in Massachusetts, because, “if you don’t have safe and stable housing you can’t deal with everything else.”

“We have a housing crisis in Massachusetts,” said Vargas, “In Massachusetts there are only 46 affordable housing units for every 100 that are needed.” He shared how last session the legislature passed the most significant zoning reforms in a generation in Massachusetts. Those reforms included moving to a simple majority of support for many zoning changes in our communities and requiring that all communities that benefit from an MBTA stop have multi-family zoning near the MBTA. 

Responding to a question on how we can help housing opponents understand the benefits of affordable housing, Vargas reiterated the need to humanize residents of affordable housing. He would say, “don’t take it from me, would you like to have coffee with one of our [affordable housing] residents?” His approach stems from being called an “anchor baby” and taking the time to sit down and talk with the individual who used the slur against him and thereby helped them to see each other’s perspective.

Vargas closed his remarks by praising Andover Community Trust for the work it has done so far. “[ACT] has provided a wonderful model that needs to be scaled,” Vargas shared and reminded everyone of the work ahead in continuing to educate folks on the inherent value in a diverse community creating a stronger and more resilient town.

Following the energizing celebration, Dara Epstein Obbard, ACT board member and the evening’s moderator remarked,

“It will be great to have ACT re-gather in person to welcome our newest homeowners to the Lupine Road duplexes!”