Marieke Van Damme
The Cambridge Historical Society
617.547.4252 office | 617.334.5116 cell
mvandamme@cambridgehistory.org

A Series of Conversations Pairing Scholars, Activists, and the General Public

Cambridge, MA: The Cambridge Historical Society has received $7,000 in support from Mass Humanities and $5,000 from Cambridge Savings Bank to pilot “Conversations” this fall, a series of three evening programs that explore the theme “Housing for All?” Audience­driven “Conversations” will examine the past, present, and future of affordable housing issues in Cambridge.

“Affordable housing is not simply an economic issue; there is a powerful human element.” says Marieke Van Damme, Executive Director of the Cambridge Historical Society. ““We will find out what “home” means to Cambridge citizens with different backgrounds and explore housing issues with an historical perspective.”

Three free events will be held in accessible venues throughout Cambridge starting in October:

October 13 at Cambridge Public Library

Topic: How did we get here? What are the challenges? Who is the ‘we’?

Moderator: Marjorie Decker, Massachusetts State Representative

Speakers: Barry Bluestone, Northeastern University; Corinne Espinoza, Cambridge Community Center; Charlie Sullivan, Cambridge Historical Commission

October 27 at Cambridge Community Center

Topic: What have been the successes and failures of affordable housing planning and activism?

Moderator: Chris Arnold, National Public Radio

Speakers: Cheryl­Ann Pizza­Zeoli, Alliance of Cambridge Tenants; Greg Russ, Cambridge Housing Authority; Jim Stockard, Retired Curator, Loeb Fellowship at Harvard Graduate School of Design

November 17 at the Cambridge Public Library, Central Square Branch

Topic: How do we achieve the affordable city?

Japonica Brown­Saracino, Associate Professor of Sociology, Boston University Caroline Cheong, Assistant Professor of Public History, University of Central Florida
Adam Tanaka, PhD Candidate, Harvard Graduate School of Design

"Mass Humanities is excited about this project, in which the Cambridge Historical Society takes on a serious role as a convener of community conversations on a topic of compelling importance, says Pleun Bouricius, Program Officer at Mass Humanities. Understanding the history of the community’s commitment to affordable housing is key to working out how to move forward. I would encourage wall historical societies to follow their lead and help their communities tackle challenging conversations."

“Housing for All?” will not end with the programs, however. The Society will also produce a document that will be available to the public reflecting the multiplicity of concerns, stories, and perspectives about housing in Cambridge in 2016. In particular, the document will be shared with the city’s Community Development Department, the department in charge of executing Envision Cambridge, the city’s master planning process.

The event is free and available to the public through the generosity of Mass Humanities and Cambridge Savings Bank.

About The Cambridge Historical Society

The Cambridge Historical Society is a membership organization that serves the Cambridge, Massachusetts community through inclusive programming and stewardship of its historic collections and the property entrusted to it. Its purpose is to celebrate the value and relevance of history as a means to inspire and inform discussions about current issues from a historical perspective.

About Mass Humanities

Established in 1974 as the state­based affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), Mass Humanities is a programming and grant­making organization that receives support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council as well as private sources. Mass Humanities supports programs that use history, literature, philosophy, and the other humanities disciplines to enhance and improve civic life throughout the Commonwealth.

About Cambridge Savings Bank

Cambridge Savings Bank is a full­service financial institution with approximately $3.2 billion in assets that is committed to improving the quality of life in the communities it serves. One of the oldest and largest community banks in Massachusetts, Cambridge Savings Bank offers a full line of individual and business banking services and has 17 branches located in Cambridge, Acton, Arlington, Bedford, Belmont, Burlington, Concord, Lexington, and Watertown.