Catching up with Whittier

Children riding ponies and eating J.P Licks ice cream from a Boston police trailer was Whittier public housing’s way of celebrating Unity Day last weekend. The Whittier Tenant Task Force, which hosted the event, included a DJ to get the party started while smiling residents participated in activities.
 
Resident engagement events like Unity Day link youths to educational opportunities and health services, some of which are offered through programs like Boston Public Health Commission's REACH Project and the Whittier Street Community Health Center this year.
 
To make Unity Day more eventful, the President of the Whittier Tenant Task Force, Stephanie Thomas, incorporates activities suitable for all ages, such as a mini petting zoo and a homemade cotton candy machine.
 
“I go on and beyond on Unity Days to see residents laughing and having a good time,” Thomas said. She and a majority of the elderly who attended the event wore red shirts to honor this year’s unity theme: Independence Day.
 
One of the attendees, Sophia Transtamar, brought her 4- year old son to celebrate their second annual Unity Day. Her reason for coming was to “establish meaningful relationships with residents.”
Transtamar along with the Vice President of Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH), Cory Mian and Project Manager, Charly Dirac, attended the event as developers working on Whittier’s upcoming redevelopment.
 
This would be the Whittier Street neighborhood’s first official redevelopment since its launch as a 200-unit public housing site in 1953.
 
Two years ago, the Boston Housing Authority, along with developer partners Madison Park Development Corporation and POAH, created a transformation plan that included two years of community engagement and partnerships to develop the community’s vision to reshape the Whittier site.
 
After submitting the Choice Neighborhoods grant proposal, the developers are hoping for the grant’s approval and attending a series of community meetings with the Task Force and Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA).   “They’re [the meetings] going well,” Dirac noted.
 
But Charly and Cory aren’t the only ones crossing their fingers. Thomas, who also commended the redevelopment team for having a great relationship with residents, said that residents are concerned but also excited about Whittier's potential redevelopment.
 
What do the kids think?
 
“They just really want a playground," Thomas said.